Cartoon Logic

I recently received news that an old favorite RPG will be returning with a new edition and you ain't gonna believe what it is...unless you lily livered varmints already heard about this...then...Heavens to Murgatroyd! We gotta get outta here Scoob! Good grief!

What the heck was I talkin' about? Oh yeah...

TOON!

That's right Toon! It's Toon: Second Edition! Did I mention Toon? I think I did but honestly I'm so excited I'm not really listening to what I'm saying. 

The classic Tabletop RPG of falling anvils and fast-talking rabbits is making a comeback from none other than Steve Jackson Games. It is currently crowd-funding its way to a Saturday afternoon near you by way of Backerlit. I pledged for sure and it seems I'm not alone. Right now its already passed its goal, with over 1800 backers and 25 days still to go.

Oh man oh mouse, I would love to run this game again. I ran some really great campaigns with Toon, all a little on the twisted side if I'm being honest. There was BLEEP! The SPACE GUARDIAN, The Boys of Cellgate, and of course one of the greatest games I've ever run of anything, Zoonatics (which appears as a campaign idea/suggestion in my own game The Googly Eyed Primetime Puppet Show RPG - definitely gotta write this campaign up next year). 

Between this and the Smurfs RPG, I'm going to be hard pressed to get serious with my gaming next year. Get it? 'Get serious', huh, huh? HA! I kill me. 

Honestly, I couldn't look forward to 2026 anymore if my favorite TV show of all time were announced to be making a possible return. You know, like if they said they were doing a TV or Streaming special in hopes it would be picked up for an ongoing series. Possibly to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary or something.

Hmm? What's that?

Holy...

AD

Barking Alien

Rock On!

They is, am, are, and be,

they who is and are known as

THE ELECTRIC MAYHEM!

Electric Mayhem - The Muppets Mayhem

Album Cover Art by Matt Taylor

I apologize for how long its taken me to cover the recent Disney+ Streaming Series The Muppets Mayhem, a ten episode series featuring the Muppets legendary rock band, The Electric Mayhem. 

Let me start by saying WOW! I absotively posilutely lovified this streamificated narrative of musical proportions. Heheh, channeling my inner Dr. Teeth there. Truthfully though, I am happy to say I really enjoyed it.

The Muppets Mayhem does a lot right. I would even go so far as to say it does what it sets out to do better than some of the previous attempts to 'modernize' the Muppets. How? Well, at the heart of what makes The Muppets Mayhem not just a great series but a great Muppets series is that this series embraces the fact that the Muppets are Muppets.

I...um...Say what now?

The laws of physics and other basic facts about our world change when the Muppets are around. They themselves can instantly change clothes, make items appear out of nowhere, get squashed, stretched, and of course, survive massive explosions. When Humans enter the presence of Muppets - and vice versa - the normal people become part of the Muppets' extraordinary reality. Forget that, ignore that, and you lose a great deal of the magic of the Muppets. The Muppets Mayhem doesn't shy away from this but rather embraces it. 

Well All Right!

On to a full-on Barking Alien-a-rific review...

SPOI-LERS! SPOI-LERS! SPOI-LERS!

Ha-Ha-Ha.

The GOOD

So much! The element that stands out the most to me is, as noted above, the Muppet-ness of the band and how the band interacts with the world they're in. It is both subtle and apparent and happens throughout the series. It isn't focused on but rather just happens as an aside to the scenes the Muppet characters are in. Clearly there are things that occur in the series solely because Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem are Muppets.

Another thing about the series that I loved was the detail and depth given to the characters. Each and every member of the band, including 'new' member Lips, is given time to shine and has some great moments dedicated to them. While not every character gets heavy character development, all the characters get the chance to stand out, to be distinct, to be funny, and to make the viewers feel like we got to know them. A very impressive feat given an aspect of the show that I'll discuss below (The BAD). 

I liked the Human characters, although I feel that not aspects of them were as well thought out as the personalities and traits of the Muppet characters. The thing is, if I came to the Muppets Mayhem series for the Muppets, the real life Humans had better be highly entertaining to warrant their presence in the show. I personally think that the Humans were handled quiet well in that respect. I liked when they were on screen and I really liked how they interacted with the Electric Mayhem. 

I liked the new Muppet character of Penny Waxman a lot. Not only is she a classic character type, a trope of the heyday of the 60s and 70s Music Industry, but she was also given enough unique quirks to make her memorable. I also really liked her design. 

The overall story was quite good, with the subplots given to the individual Mayhem members even stronger in many cases. Getting new reveals and realizations about these characters, some of which are nearly 50 years old, was extremely fun for a long time, die hard Muppets fan like myself. 

Finally, it was funny - REALLY FUNNY! Oh man, I found myself laughing out loud so many times throughout the season. The best part about the humor is that it wasn't all from cameos  or nostalgia - it was from the context of the narrative and the characters. That is amazing to see in modern pop culture entertainment. Yes, it had Easter Eggs. The series definitely made references to past Muppet works. All of that was simply icing on the cake. The cake definitely had a great flavor all its own. 

Oh, fer sure. Like, totally.

The BAD

There really wasn't anything I would deem bad but there were a few things that seemed off and it largely revolved around the Human characters, specifically the lead.

Nora Singh (played by actress Lilly Singh and that's not confusing) is the main Human protagonist, the assistant to Penny Waxman, owner of Wax Town Records. Her major character trait and focus seems to be her love of music, imparted to her by her father. According to references made during the show, including a specific one made by her sister, music has been Nora's life since she was little. This is why she got a job in the Record/Music Industry and why she wants to make a name for herself and Wax Town Records by getting the Electric Mayhem to cut their first album. 

OK, cool, I'm on board. Except...the writers are very inconsistent about Nora's relationship with music. In an inverse version of 'Show don't tell', we are repeatedly told that Nora loves classic rock n' roll (especially her dad's favorite song by Joe Cocker) but then gets the words to a famous KISS song incorrect, doesn't seem overly familiar with the Electric Mayhem, their history, inside info about the industry she's in, and has few if any contacts within the music business. I get it, she's young, struggling, an underdog to be sure, but she either knows music or doesn't and it's unclear which of these defining things is true. It repeatedly threw me off and I found it distracting. 

Maybe that's just me.

Huh?

The GROOVY

The music! It's actually good and some of it is very good but you don't get to hear many of the songs in their entirety in the episodes. You need to check out The Electric Mayhem - Muppets Mayhem album, available on Spotify as well as for purchase ON VINYL! Vinyl baby! 

I am particularly fond of Rock On and Gotta Be. 

Man, I am so inspired by this series to do something to honor it with my RPG, The Googly Eyed Primetime Puppet Show. Not sure what yet. Any ideas?

Mahb du da rit up oul da band stas 'em pote dem ere?

Lips, that's it! You are a genius brother. Thanks.

AD

Barking Alien

Hey everybody, one more thing before I split...

Could really use some help and support to keep the creative works coming as well as just get through the Summer months, which can be very tough for me and my business. If you like what I do and can lend a hand, check out my Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/barkingalien 

Thanks all. I really appreciate it. 

Sleepless Nights, Endless Laughter

Hi Ho and Welcome to the Afterlife!

It's October, the month of Halloween! You know, that one day at the end of October which dominates the tone and aesthetic of the entirety of the preceding thirty days plus itself. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Halloween...kinda sorta. OK, largely I do. I like the idea of it

A day that celebrates all things spooky and weird with candy and costumes definitely makes me smile. Unfortunately, as noted in the past, I am not exactly a Horror fan and I don't dress up any longer or go Trick or Treating so the practical applications of the holiday are a bit lost on me. 

I also miss Halloween being more silly and fun and less frightful and gorey. That said, when a rare attempt to combine these two takes on All Hallow's Eve comes around I am totally down for it. It just so happens that Disney Plus has done just that with Muppets Haunted Mansion. 

First, a little background...

Muppets Haunted Mansion is a project with a considerable history.

The Henson Company has been trying to develop a Halloween special featuring the Muppets for about 50 years. The first was The Muppets Halloween Show. Developed in 1970, the proposed special had a very strange premise and one that wasn't particularly 'Halloween' themed. Eventually the project was cancelled in favor of other ideas that would become the pilots for The Muppet Show. 

A year after Jim Henson's passing in 1990, his son Brian sought to keep the Muppets in the public eye via a series of holiday specials beginning with a Halloween one. That concept was shelved and instead Henson Associates created the TV series Muppets Tonight. 

A third idea was proposed just after Walt Disney acquired the Muppet in 2009. This version met its end as focus changed to the production of a new film, The Muppets, which hit theatres in November of 2011. 

Now, in 2021, Disney has merged the Muppets franchise with their world famous Haunted Mansion theme park attraction for what I must say was an excellent outing.

Written and directed by Muppet production alumni Kirk Thatcher* (Kelly Younger and Bill Barretta also have Screenwriter credits) and featuring three new and original songs by Ed Mitchell and Steve Morrell, the streaming program features Gonzo the Great and Pepe the King Prawn being invited to spend the night at the famously haunted home of legendary stage magician The Great MacGuffin. This being the 100th Anniversary of MacGuffin's mysterious disappearance and him being something of a hero of Gonzo's, everyone's favorite blue-purple weirdo is just dying (get it?) to accept the challenge of staying over in the world's most spooky abode. 

I won't say more as not to spoil things but I will say, as I often do, what I liked and what could've been a bit better. I will avoid spoilers and discuss things more generally. May have to revisit this later. 

The Good

The special largely focuses on Gonzo and as he is my personal favorite of the Muppets, I was thrilled by the choice to make him [effectively] the star of the show. I also like Pepe and teaming them together is always a good idea.

The puppetry and effects were awesome if not ground breaking. Very impressive and well done to be sure. 

Numerous cameos by Muppets we haven't see in forever! I won't say who but if you are a fan of previous Muppet productions you will be pleasantly surprised to see old favorites and obscure notable revisited.

The integration of the Muppet with the Haunted Mansion lore, as well as the modifications to the latter to make it work better with the Muppets, really worked and I think it was excellent given the need to do so. 

It was funny. In some parts very funny, which is a big plus and something that was missing from much of the ABC TV series. The Muppet characters were also very much in character - more like in the Disney Plus Muppets Now episodes, although...see below.

The Bad

Not bad but there were things that could've been better. 

First and foremost, the special focuses so much on Gonzo (and to a lesser extent Pepe) that the other Muppets are really just there for elaborate to very minor cameos. We don't get to see the Muppets enough so it is a shame we only got to see them in brief glimpses in this show as the next time could be...who knows? Disney's track record with the Muppets is spotty at best. 

One character who doesn't get nearly enough screen time given this specific special is Uncle Deadly. The 'Phantom of the Muppet Show' and a break-out star of the Disney era of the Muppets gets waaay too little to do or say given the Haunted Mansion concept. 

The Creepy

I really liked the creepiness that was put in, elevating the special above the level of 'children's programming' while still keeping the Muppets the Muppets. With some very eerie effects and some mature through lines, this felt the closest to the Muppets of old we've seen in a long time. 

Well, that's it ghosts and ghouls! Muppets Haunted Mansion is on Disney+ now and I whole-heartedly recommend it. Why it's so good...it's scary! Muhuwahahaha!

Until next time,

AD

Barking Alien

For another take on the Muppets + Halloween + Another Disney Franchise, check out these posts on the second time I ran The Muppets RPG at RECESS:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

*Kirk Thatcher is well remembered by Star Trek fans as well as Muppets ones. For a Barking Alien No-Prize can anyone point our Thatcher's contribution to Trek?

Another World. Another Time, In An Age of Wonder

I've held off talking about this for as long as I could. I didn't want to spoil anything, giving ample time for everyone who might read this post to see the series, but I can wait no longer. The Three Sisters and Three Brothers have all aligned and the time of the Great Conjunction is at hand.

Mother Aughra listens to the Song of Thra, its Breath, the pulsing of its Heart...The Crystal of Truth. It is time. Time to discuss...

I want to talk a little about what the original Dark Crystal film meant to me, have a brief discussion about the Netflix series itself, and then how to use it all to create a RPG since, um, I am Adam Dickstein and this is what I do.

I'm terribly sorry, are you new here? If you are, just know if I like something a lot and it inspires in me a bunch of cool and interesting ideas, then I going to want to game it. It's pretty much as simple as that. If you're not new to the Barking Alien blog, this should come as no shock. 

I have a lot to say on this subject so this may be the first of few posts. Three maybe?

Let's begin...

The world of The Dark Crystal was first introduced to our own world in 1982 as a theatrical film written and directed by Jim Henson, the multi-talented creative genius behind the Muppets. The movie was co-directed by accomplished and brilliant actor, director, producer, and puppeteer Frank Oz, with a screenplay by Emmy Award winning screenwriter and film director David Odell, both of whom were also veterans of the Muppet Show. 

I was 13 years old when The Dark Crystal came out. It was a very difficult time in my personal life and although I was very excited for the movie and I loved the film, I now realize there was so much going on when it came out it didn't resonate with me quite the way it should have.

I mean, here was a movie about a world both fantastic and alien, created by my hero, with art and designs by one of my all time favorite illustrators, Brian Froud, and I loved it only until the next spectacle of 80s movie magic came along. 

Let's face it, it wasn't the greatest movie of all time. It was an incredible world, full of very interesting beings and ideas, but as a film its narrative was slow and choppy, its plot simple and at the same time somewhat vague. It conveyed its mood and atmosphere well but it left us wishing we'd gotten to know its characters and their universe much better than we had.

All that said...it stayed with me. 

I found myself sketching pictures of the evil Skeksis and the urRu Mystics on my notebook at school. I introduced a version of the Garthim into our D&D games. All the while there was one thing in particular I couldn't stop thinking about. Something I heard Jim Henson himself say on an HBO special about the making of The Dark Crystal (which I now think I enjoyed more than the movie). 

Henson, in what seemed a casual, almost throwaway line said, "I imagined a three-dimensional, three sided object...".

He was talking about the world of Thra, the planet on which the Dark Crystal took place. Come again? A three-dimensional, three sided object? 'That's impossible', I thought, and as with every other time in my life that I have thought that, I now had to figure out how it could be. 

I watched the movie a few more times on VHS tape. I bought and practically devoured the book, The World of the Dark Crystal, and did whatever I could to get more information on the universe in which the film took place. There was sadly little beyond the aforementioned book but WOW, what a book.

Time passed...

In 2007, American manga distributor and publisher TokyoPop put out Legends of the Dark Crystal, a prequel to the original film set several hundreds of years beforehand. While much of it would be retconned in the new canon that would come later, it was the first new Dark Crystal material of the 21st century and in its own way may have gotten the ball rolling for the works to follow. 

Those works include the amazing, The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, a three volume series of graphic novels by various creatives including new material by Brian Froud himself. The series introduces a few new characters including the intriguing Raunip, the 'Son of Aughra'*. Set much earlier in the history of Thra, both before and during the coming of the UrSkeks, the series is quite impressive and definitely informs elements of the next wave of stories. 

A sequel to the original film was once planned but eventually abandoned as a theatrical feature. The tale lived on as a comic book series entitled, The Power of the Dark Crystal. I will be honest, while it had some neat concepts, I generally didn't love the direction they took the story in. I don't keep this one in my head canon when thinking about The Dark Crystal. 

It was around this time that...or was it slightly before? Somewhat after?...I do know that it was in 2011 that Archaia Entertainment, publisher of Creation Myths and The Power of the Dark Crystal, announced plans for an officially licensed role-playing game. The Dark Crystal RPG was mentioned by press release at the August 2011 Gen Con gaming convention, intending to publish it later the following year. Like its Origins Award-winning Mouse Guard game, The Dark Crystal would be designed by Luke Crane and utilize mechanics similar to that of Mouse Guard and its precursor, The Burning Wheel.

Some of you may have heard about this or even seen my mention of it here on this blog. What you might not know as I've never mentioned it in an open forum is that I almost worked on it. A mutual friend of Burning Wheel creator Luke Crane and myself was a key supporter of the old RECESS gaming events and as legend has it, either Luke as him if he knew the guy who ran the Muppets based games at the event or my buddy mentioned me to Crane as a possible good source of Dark Crystal knowledge. 

Whatever the case, I eagerly awaited what might come of such a promising lineage and interesting collaboration. Unfortunately, nothing is what it amounted to, at least in regards to my involvement. Why I was never connected further on the subject and what became of the project I couldn't say. Only Mother Aughra's eye can see that far across time and space. 

That brings us to 2013, and The Dark Crystal Author's Quest. The Jim Henson Company, in association with Grosset and Dunlap (a divison of Penguin Group USA), held a contest to write a new Dark Crystal novel. Yes, I submitted something. No it wasn't chosen. Instead, the extremely talented J.M. Lee won the contest and his submissions manifested as not one but four books, a series of Young Adult novels that I absolutely adore. These film prequel novels define the new and current canon of Thra, the Gelflings, the Skeksis and UrRu, and much more. 

You see, these novels were the template and resource material for the Netflix series, Age of Resistance. 

Finally, the real meat of the Peachberry! The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Netflix Series! In my opinion it was absolutely Dzenpo! That's Podling for Awesome! What? You all don't speak Podling?** Tsk tsk. 

This post is already getting long so I will address the new streaming series in greater detail in a follow-up post. What I will say is that in a post on January 9th of 2012 in which I discuss the Creation Myth series, I mention how I would love to run a game in The Dark Crystal universe but that it seems like it would be very difficult. My main issue with it simply being we didn't know enough and at the end of the film - SPOILERS - there are no Skeksis, no UrRu, no Garthim, and but two Gelflings on all of Thra! 

Talk about your closed settings! The remaining Gelflings lived happily ever after, alone essentially, the end. No ifs, ands, or buts as far as we can tell. 

Now having read the novels, having seen this show...WOW! Not only is gaming in Thra's 'past' more viable than ever, I am beginning to see a host of possibilities for Thra's future! I could easily run a campaign in the post-film era of The Crystal of Truth!

OK, I need to organize my thoughts for the next posts. I hope you all take a look at The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and when you do, please share your thoughts on it with me and all of us here at Barking Alien.

For now, I am going to sit by the hearth fire, roast me some Merkeep, a little glow moss on the side, and grab a glass of warm Nebrie milk to wash it all down. 

See you soon,

AD
Barking Alien

*Raunip's name is dropped as an Easter Egg in Age of Resistance. Two characters are going to have a duel at 'Raunip's Pass'. I didn't notice it the first time I watched the series but caught it on second viewing. 

**There are a number of videos on Youtube and Twitter wherein Hup, the Podling character from Age of Resistance teaches the viewer how to say words or phrases in Podling. Adorable!

Ups and Downs

I've been experiencing a far number of rises, and falls in mood lately.

While not directly connected to the things I am going to talk about in this post, various outside influences can certainly effect how one feels, and I am no exception. In fact, I may well be the post child.

On the Up, and Up

Captain America: CIVIL WAR was AWE-Some! Or, as I like to call it, Black Panther and The Avengers. Black Panther was so fantastic, it has tripled my desire to see the solo Black Panther movie.

Did a mention Black Panther? 'Cause, ya'know, GODDAMN BLACK FREAKIN' PANTHER!

Supergirl has not been picked up by CBS for a second season.

It's been picked up by THE CW! That's right, Season 2 of the little, big superhero show that could will air on the same channel as Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and their much cooler brother The FLASH! Woot!

More crossovers? Oh I think so biznatches!

***

And now the bad news...

Down, Dooby Doo, Down, Down

Margaret 'Peggy' Carter, former Agent of the SSR, one of the originators of S.H.I.E.L.D., has had her program cancelled by the evil organization known as ABC, which is clearly a front for HYDRA. Not only has this diabolical group ended the career of Peggy Carter (played by the 'Is-There-Any-Way-In-The-Infinite-Possibilities-Of-Time-And-Space-That-You'd-Marry-Me' Hayley Atwell), but this despicable hive of dastardly despots has also cancelled...

The Muppets

I'm crying real tears here people. I can't say I'm entirely surprised the show wasn't renewed but I am very disappointed. It really started to get good, really good, in the last four or five episodes. I think it just wasn't what the majority of Muppets fans expected or wanted. A shame it won't get a chance to be something else. Something new that they might also enjoy.

I hope Disney/ABC gives the Muppets another shot. A different approach perhaps. We'll see.

On that note...

Today marks 26 years after the passing of Jim Henson. It's always such a heavy-hearted day for me.

Here is an excellent tribute from Jarrod Fairclough over on The Muppet Mindset.

Me? I'm going to try really hard to get happy.


Wish me luck.

AD
Barking Alien

Gonzo the Great

Welcome back everyone!

In my last post I spoke about the fact that I'm not really a fan of Gonzo in gaming. Now, I'm going to tell you why in spite of my opinion remaining unchanged, I am currently gung-ho about running a revamped version of my homebrew D&D setting, Aerth. Aerth, and The Winghorn Guard (the primary focus of the campaigns set in this milieu) are straight-up Gonzo of the highest order.

So why is this the Great Gonzo?

It isn't! I am! Ha-Ha!

Hey Gonzo! I'm glad you came by.

[Wait...how did you get on the blog? We're on a space station fixed to an interdimensional nexus point. Whatever. I'll look into it later.]

I'm talking to the folks at home about Gonzo gaming, and why I am enjoying the prospect in my new Aerth campaign.

"Well isn't it obvious! Being Gonzo is awesome! You're a boat with no rotor, cast on a sea of possibilities! There are no limits on the horizon - not even the horizon itself!"

Wow. That's a heck of a description. Yeah, that does sound cool...

"You bet it's cool! I am the master of my own destiny! The king of the domain of me. I might decide to launch myself over one of the great pyramids via catapult in a burning barrel! I could free fall from an airplane while juggling anvils, and singing the star spangled banner! No one puts baby in a corner!"

I...huh?

"Sorry, I got carried away with that last part."

Right. OK, but what about about cohesion. What's the thread that holds it all together?

"From a gaming stand point you mean?"

Yeah. I am with you brother. I want to allow for a heaping helping of anything goes, but if anything and everything goes, what stops it all from flying apart? What makes this all one world, one setting, one campaign.

Case it point, I have no trouble seeing a wizard next to an alien with super strength, next to a guy with a bow and arrows in a Superhero game, because the genre is Classic Superheroes and that's a setting that easily fits all that.

Now I am running a D&D style Fantasy game, and if things get too wacky, it stops feeling like Fantasy to me.

"What does it feel like instead?"

Well, it feels like...at best it feels like...Oh.

"Oh?"

It feels like Superheroes.

That's why I am so excited about this campaign. This is my chance to finally run a good Supers game with my Barking Alien Gaming Group. Superheroes hasn't really worked for us in the past because not everyone in the group gets the concept of Superheroes in the same way. Here...

"It isn't Superheroes. It's Fantasy. Gonzo Fantasy. And they get Gonzo Fantasy don't they? But to you Gonzo Fantasy is really..."

Superheroes.

Whoah. Mind blown.

"Haha! Great idea! Hmmm. Maybe I'll figure out a way to do that which isn't permanent. And which somehow includes tapioca."

Um...sounds like a plan. Hey man, thanks. I needed a little help on this particular epiphany, and you were there at the right place, and the right time. I really appreciate it.

"What are friends for? Well, I've gotta fly. I'm taking Camilla to see Civil War."

IMAX?

"Re-enactment."

Gotcha. Have fun.

This is going to work.

AD
Barking Alien

Christmas In October

As I noted in my previous post, generating material for the October theme of the monstrous, morbid, and macabre has proven quite difficult for me, as I'm just not in the Halloween spirit. This is largely because I can't control where my thoughts go sometimes, and recently they haven't been going toward the type of things associated with the season.

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that this isn't completely my fault, consciously, or subconsciously. I mean come on! This October has been full of creative inspiration of a non-Halloween kind!

We've now seen four episodes of the new Muppets TV series from ABC and I must say the latter three are BIG improvements over the first episode. Episodes 2, and 4, stand out as exactly what I was hoping for.

The Flash's new season has begun, and while I wasn't feeling the first episode there either, the second one was better, and I'm really excited to see where this season goes. Oh, by the way, did I mention that Jay Garrick, the Golden Age/Earth-2 Flash, has appeared on the show? No? Oh, because JAY *FREAKING* GARRICK mofos! The Golden Age Flash as a character on a live action television series. Be still my pounding heart.

Yesterday, a movie trailer dropped for an upcoming film that you just might have heard a little something about. It's a sequel to a trilogy of films for the late 70's, and early 80's. Clues aren't helping? Well that's a darn shame.

OK, it's...

HOLY HAN IN A HANGAR BAY!

 

 

I've mentioned before that I didn't have high hopes for this movie after the dreadful prequels, and the reveal that J.J. 'Lens Flare' Abrams was going to be the man in charge, but damn if this doesn't look good. Plus, John Boyega plays the lead character of Finn in the film, and he was the lead in one of my all time favorite movies, Attack The Block. I am so stoked.

 

How stoked? Well, enough to use the word 'stoked' for one thing. That's not what you want to hear though is it? No. You want the creative angst, the soul-wrenching plea for an outlet to my pent up gaming frustrations. You people make me sick.

 

Fine! Fine! Yes! I want to run a Star Wars campaign. Preferably, I'd like to see the movie first, and run something set in the era of The Force Awakens if I find I like the setting.

 

Alternatively, yeah, I'm in the mood to run Supers again damn it. It's like this hidden itch that comes back again, and again regardless of the powder you...use...use to get...um. Never mind that last analogy. It's not important.

 

So why haven't you seen any Halloween stuff from me this October? Because October is been FULL OF AWESOME! None of it however, has anything to do with Halloween.

 

AD

Barking Alien

 

 

 

 

 



Muppets After Dark

Tonight the series premiere of the new ABC television show the muppets aired and unsurprisingly to anyone with even a general familiarity with me or this blog I was monumentally excited.

This new show is the first ongoing, prime time program to feature the Muppets since Muppets Tonight finished on The Disney Channel in 1998. That's 17 years without Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and the rest of the gang appearing regularly on network television.

After the success of their 2011 motion picture, also called The Muppets, and the relative success of its sequel Muppets Most Wanted (it made significantly less than its predecessor, though on Hollywood terms it was far from a flop), the possibility that the Muppets would return to television was simultaneously a big question mark and practically a given, at least in the minds of the throngs of Muppets fans.

So here we are in September of 2015 looking at a brand new Muppets TV show. My hearting was beating in my throat as I got ready to watch.

Now the moment of truth...Did I like it? Was it any good?

Well...

SPOILERS!

 

  

I usually do my reviews by looking at The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of a given product and while this time will be no exception, I want to say a little something first.

 

It is really hard to review something like this. It was the first episode of a series I really want to like, because I want it to do well, and I want them to make more. I love the Muppets. I just love them. They speak to me on a creative level that is hard to put into words.

 

What do I do or say if I end up not liking this show? Can I really say that I don't? Isn't that counter to my goal of keeping the Muppets in the public eye?

 

At the same time, they've always been honest with me (so to speak), so they deserve nothing less than me being honest with them.

 

Whew. Here goes...

THE GOOD

 

The Muppets are back on TV! See, just that very fact is good. It's hard to be unhappy with that as your universal truth at the get go.

 

The puppets themselves looked great, especially in the environments they appeared in, which were in many ways not normal for them. It was sort of like the safeties were off and the net was gone.

 

Fozzie is seen full body numerous times. Scooter, well, I don't want to spoil that part. While I had some issues with the delivery of the scenes humor, the scene with him, and guest Elizabeth Banks was probably the cleverest bit of classic puppetry tricks I've ever seen, all in an outdoor environment on a moving vehicle (or that's how it appeared). Brilliant technically for certain.

 

Lots of characters appeared and more of them had speaking lines than I would have thought. Uncle Deadly, Bobo the Bear, and Big Mean Carl all had nice little moments, brief though they were.

 

Kermit was...I don't know how to put this other than...extremely Human. I can't honestly say we've seen this level of character depth out of Kermit (or Fozzie for that matter), in a long, long time. Unfortunately it's a bit of a double-edged sword as I'll explain below.

 

Piggy looked great. I love her current design.

 

Denise, Kermit's new girlfriend, is...What's that? You didn't know?! Well, I did put up a spoiler warning didn't I? Yes, Kermit, and Piggy have officially called it quits, as you learn in the first episode in a very definitive way. That part was, wow, the feels. It touched my emotion. Seriously. The one. Now what'll I do? I don't have anymore and I can't guarantee it'll recharge by the weekend. The cool down time on that bad boy is a pain in the keister.

 

Where was I? Oh yeah, so Kermit is dating this new female pig (he's got a type for sure) named Denise who is...I can't help it...adorable. I really like her. I almost instantly found her sweet, charming, and kind of cute in a geek girl kind of way due to her very modern aesthetic design. I hope we learn more about her.

 

 

 

The band! The band was cool and it was awesome to have character moments with Animal and Zoot. ZOOT! One of my favorite lines in the first episode comes from the Z-man. Awesome.
 

 

 

THE BAD

 

OK, I have a number of minor nitpicks, but those I can easily dismiss as this is the first episode. A few things could have been crisper, like the set of Miss Piggy's late night talk show, 'Up Late with Miss Piggy' (which sometimes looked spot on for a show of that type and sometimes looked like a high school stage drama trying hard to look like talk show set). There were some camera angles and such that could've been better but that might well be the idea. It's supposed to be a mockumentory, a parody of the single camera set-up seen in shows like 'the office'.

 

That's not what got me. What got me was...it just wasn't Muppet-y enough. There wasn't enough wacky off-the-wall humor or ideas. Not even close actually.

 

The humor is somewhat clever when it appears but there really wasn't much of it. The interpersonal drama of their lives was far more prevalent and as such, although there were some funny moments, the episode is largely a downer. It's sad Muppets. I don't want the Muppets to be sad. The Muppets are there to make me happy. Did the makers of this show not see the original Muppet Movie? The Muppets entire goal was to sing, dance, and make people happy. How am I supposed to get happy if the characters who are meant to cheer me up are so sad?

 

Gonzo provides one of the few truly Muppet-like moments but it's small and over in a blink.

 

A brief insight into Big Mean Carl of all characters is just...well...depressing.

 

I loved the character moments and the depth they gave to the various Muppets in the 2011 Muppet film, especially the melancholy nature of Kermit. This show however, at least in the first episode, doesn't back that up with enough levity. The movie had pathos and humor. The TV series has pathos and sadness.

The episode also felt really short. After it was over, I kept thinking that if they had had a longer runtime they could have gotten to more jokes and more screen time for some of the characters.

THE UGLY

 

Bottom line, there is one major league weakness to the show and it isn't bad so much as, well, just really irksome in the extreme.

 

Miss Piggy.

 

Yes, she's a diva. Yes, she's obsessed with her own fame. But...but...she is also likeable, vulnerable, strong, and...like Kermit...Human.

 

In this she is rude, crass, full of herself, and just so unlikable. At one point Kermit, during one of those one-on-one character interviews, says that he once thought her quirks made her attractive but without the romantic interest it just makes her a lunatic.

 

Sadly, he's right. We never get a one-on-one interview with her. We never see her in the first episode as anything other than obnoxious. When her vulnerable side is finally revealed at a key point, because of something Kermit did that was insensitive, you end up feeling bad for Kermit. Why? Because by that point in the episode he is our likable everyman, just trying to do his best with a bad situation while Piggy is just a shrew.

 

I didn't like that at all. It was unfair to the character of Miss Piggy and to fans of hers as well.

 

On that note...

 

One more thing that didn't work was the fat jokes. I get that it's always been a part of Piggy's tropes as a member of the porcine species but really? That's the best you've got for the Muppets prime time television return in the 21st century?

 

Muppets Studios, ABC Studios, and Disney, I have a recommendation; Do better.

 

It is my hope that the second episode, the third, and so on, get a better feel for the format, the Muppets sense of humor, and the way these things can merge with the show's premise.

 

Well, that's all the time I have for this, as I am feeling uncharacteristically tired lately. I need to get some sleep and recharge.

 

Good night,

 

AD

Barking Alien




 

 

 

 

Fall Preview

Viewership is back up here on Barking Alien, showing that the old adage is true, 'If you post, they will come.'

Frustratingly vague though it was at times, doing the RPGaDay Challenge this year was fun, and completing it renewed and re-energized my desire to blog, just as I'd hoped it would. Hopefully, I can keep up the momentum going into the fall season, which is one of my favorites (that, and winter).

I have a bunch of mini-themes planned for the next few months. Largely it's just things that have been on my mind, and I needed a way to organize my ideas, while simultaneously motivating myself to post them. I'm not going to be especially strict about each theme, and you'll certainly see posts unrelated to each month's focus.

I thought I would give you some teasers though.

Shhh. The trailers are starting...

September is Funny at Barking Alien

The theme for September is Humor, and Comedy RPGs are going to get some much needed love here at Barking Alien. It's all in honor of the premiere of the first prime-time series in almost twenty years to feature my favorite fuzzy, felt covered stars, 'The Muppets' on ABC, beginning September 22nd!

Expect new material for The Muppets Role Playing Game*, some play reports about old comedy campaigns, and some new comedy game ideas for Hunter Planet, Toon, Teenagers for Outer Space, and more!

Psst. Hey Play on Target. September would be a great month to discuss Comedic RPGs, and get a certain guest on the program. Don't believe me? Check out what fans have to say!

October is Spooky at Barking Alien

What better month than October to talk about Ghostbusters, more about my Alien Dread idea, and perhaps finally lock down my original RPG Unfinished Business. Plus, it's an excuse to discuss a little frightening faerie folklore, and perhaps even some Fantasy.

 Illustration by Francesco Francavilla

Barking Alien discussing Fantasy? If that doesn't spook you nothing will.

November is Super at Barking Alien

November is looking like a job for Superhero gaming! A subject near, and dear to my heart that I sadly haven't done a lot lately. At least, not in a big way (which is the way I like doing it).

By the time November rolls around, we'll have seen the new season episodes of Flash, Arrow, the new Supergirl series, Agents of SHIELD, and more. We'll also have all the latest comic book news from New York Comic Con, which occurs in October.

  Mutant 009 - A Cyborg 009 / X-Men Mash-Up

by Thomas N. Perkins.

With all that Superhero goodness bouncing around, I'm bound to come up with some new Supers ideas, and insights for running, and playing Superhero RPGs. Be there! Nuff said!

December is Out of this World at Barking Alien

There is a certain little film coming out in December that has peaked my interest. Perhaps you've heard about it...

Yessiree Boba! In honor of Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens, I will be posting some ideas, memories, and even art for the Star Wars D6 RPG by West End Games that I speak of so fondly.

December is also the month in which our three year long classic Traveller campaign finally draws to a close. I will be discussing that, as well as more details on my plans for our new Traveller campaign, tentatively scheduled to begin in January.

A Very Merry, Science Fiction, Holiday Season is coming your way this December from Barking Alien.

All this AND Thorough Thursdays is back starting this week!

As always, if there is a question you'd like to ask, a subject you'd like covered, or you simply want to say hi, feel free to comment anytime.

Are the leaves changing color yet? Are they?

AD
Barking Alien

*Which is Unofficial. No Money is Being Made. It's Just For Fun. Please Don't Sue. ^ ^;