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Post by pitbulllady on Jun 2, 2009 20:07:49 GMT -5
Sean and I have been corresponding about this for the past couple of days via PM's; he didn't want to tell anyone else, but I think it's only fair to let the rest of Randall's fans here know what has developed. As some of you, especially those of you who are also on the Pixar Planet forum, know already, BOOM! Publications, who publishes comic books and graphic novels, has a deal with Disney-Pixar to produce a series of comics based on their movies, among them Monsters, Inc.. As it so happens, the main artist in charge of illustrating the M.I. comics is a member of Deviant Art, and has posted some of the cover art from the upcoming M.I. comic on her site there. Some preview information at BOOM's site(which has been down for "maintainance" for the past two days)indicated that the comic's plot would take place right after the movie, and would include someone sabotaging and stealing equipment from the factory, something initially blamed on MIKE, apparently, but of course, we all know that dear, sweet, innocent Mikey isn't capable of doing anything like that. Anyway, the cover art features several panels in the style of the introductory animation for the original, and the last panel shows what is unmistably Randall's tail...just his tail, but it's still HIS. I posted last night to the artist's DA site, to get a feel as to just where this plot was going, in terms of how Randall was involved. You can read my question/concern, and see her comment, as well as the cover art in question, here: mimi-na.deviantart.com/art/Monsters-Inc.-1-cover-B-124038571 . She essentially says that A)these comics ARE considered canon, insofar as being a continuation or extension of the story, with Pixar's blessings, and that B)Randall will return as the Bad Guy who is out to get poor innocent Mike and Sulley, which will inevitably mean he's gonna "get it"-again, and be ever the butt of torment and ridicule. She made it quite clear that if I was a Randall fan, and especially if I wanted to see something good come of him, that I'd be disappointed in this comic. That is putting it mildly. Anyway, the only slight(and I DO mean slight)ray of hope is her mentioning that she and the other BOOM! artists did not want to change how the characters were portrayed in the original movie, just in case Pixar might do a sequel. Now, that can be taken many different ways, including the possibility(again, very, very slight)that Pixar might wish to take the liberty of having Randall undergo a real character arc themselves in the sequel, and that the folks at BOOM! did not want to take away from that, so to speak. Or, maybe that's just some of Sean's optimism rubbing off on me. I don't know what our plan of action to make that happen might be, since it seems impossible to get any sort of dialog or audience with the powers-that-be at Pixar. We've tried letters, we've tried petitions, no reply other than "Dear John" responses, nothing to indicate that they had even read them. I don't know what other angle to try. Most of the people at Pixar Planet aren't Randall fans, to put it mildly; some hate him with a passion and WANT the worse for him, so that is not an option, even though I do believe that some Pixarians do read that forum. I posted an update to my DA journal, which basically vents, while daring Pixar to do something different and challenging with this character instead of making a theatrical CGI version of one of the old Sid and Marty Hopff cartoons like what filled the airways back in the '70's, where there was always a pure, innocent, Good Guy and always an unrepentant, inately evil Bad Guy who was always out to get the Good Guy, but who was always caught and foiled each time. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I believe that we deserve better than that from Pixar. You can read my journal here: pitbulllady.deviantart.com . pitbulllady |
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Post by RandallBoggs on Jun 2, 2009 20:15:17 GMT -5
*pinches forehead while holding files* It's not that I didn't want to tell anyone. It's that I was unsure HOW and when to break this news. "panic over nothing" and items like that, despite that info around this subject. I just...didn't want to worry everyone...
Not an optimst 0_-
Now don't be alert too much everyone...the canon of Scream Arena gives us some good "Defense" and the actual implications of the occurances in the comic are speculatory at best...
Which is one of the reason's Ran is hesitant going over there with CoMONdy someday.
But as said...to quote that guy in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...DON'T PANIC.
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DinoGirl
Randall's Head Servant (300-799)
Aladar sure has one sparkling eye!
Posts: 512
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Post by DinoGirl on Jun 3, 2009 2:12:10 GMT -5
*sighs* Oh dear, again. That is a slight disappointment, but it will not put me off reading the comic. Just seeing Randall in the comic is great, how they thought to included him, even though it is canon anyway so he would be in the comics, but again, in the same 'villain' attire that so many people consider him to be.
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Post by RandallBoggs on Jun 3, 2009 18:50:08 GMT -5
Least we can all finally tell those naysayers that Randall did NOT die in that trailer -_-
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DinoGirl
Randall's Head Servant (300-799)
Aladar sure has one sparkling eye!
Posts: 512
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Post by DinoGirl on Jun 4, 2009 12:19:51 GMT -5
Least we can all finally tell those naysayers that Randall did NOT die in that trailer -_- Yes, that's one good end of it. I cannot even understand why people believed he died inside the trailer? The yelp was from horrible pain of course, and it was at a moment where, a very distraught moment for us, other people would be laughing  . Even though I never laugh at the moment again, a laughing moment would not bring death in to the equation anyway. Sorry for being so grisly *gulp* but a death may well have been mostly indicated than just being left inside a trailer with opposing occupants that mistook Randall for a gator. Take Buddy's 'uh' death for example  His death was shown as plain as daylight with no extra content to make the rating go flying sky high. Being sucked into a plane turbine is a pretty disturbing way to go though. After getting that off my chest, I would rather not speak about like that in an instance pointing to our friend for a very long time, probably hardly ever again  . |
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Post by mentalguru on Jun 4, 2009 13:10:10 GMT -5
Well that kind of sucks.
Not just that Randall is going to be the villain but also from a more selfish perspective, if it IS canon, it kind of throws a wrench in my fanfic too.Unless Sully and Mike throw him out... AGAIN. (Geez, if Sulley makes the same mistake twice...).
I'll probably get it if I can anyway, but from my own personal canon, I'll probably not acknowledge it. (Other fandoms do the same- look at Harry Potter and the amount of people who do not acknowledge the 'crapilogue').
Plus, Mike WOULD steal props... if he felt he needed them... but he's too... self-confident (deluded?) probably to think he would need them that much....
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Post by pitbulllady on Jun 4, 2009 16:05:47 GMT -5
Well that kind of sucks. Not just that Randall is going to be the villain but also from a more selfish perspective, if it IS canon, it kind of throws a wrench in my fanfic too.Unless Sully and Mike throw him out... AGAIN. (Geez, if Sulley makes the same mistake twice...). I'll probably get it if I can anyway, but from my own personal canon, I'll probably not acknowledge it. (Other fandoms do the same- look at Harry Potter and the amount of people who do not acknowledge the 'crapilogue'). Plus, Mike WOULD steal props... if he felt he needed them... but he's too... self-confident (deluded?) probably to think he would need them that much.... Yeah, that was sorta part of my point-that in the original movie, Randall at least had a good motivation to be doing what he did with building the Scream Extractor. It was NOT a totally selfish motive, either, as he clearly believed that this machine would "revolutionize the Scaring industry", making Scream energy more easily obtainable, and therefore more affordable to everyone. It wasn't just himself he was thinking about, although his own potential benefits no doubt played a major part, but then, given his alternatives, I can't see how he could have turned that down, really. He was also ORDERED to kill Mike and Sulley, and while that doesn't make it right under any circumstance, Waternoose's influence over him was such that at that point, Randall's own free will was pretty much on lock-down, anyway. When you take into consideration all that had happened prior to this-all his time, effort, worries, everything-that he'd gambled on this machine, a rational person can understand how he just "snapped", even if this was just a temporary thing. Now, though, it's as if the Pixar people are wanting to show that Randall is just mean and evil, period, always was, always will be, and his mama and daddy and grandparents all every ancestor that came before him was a bad seed, too. I mean, STEREOTYPE MUCH, Pixar? Not only that, but they apparently want to make him into the typical, bumbling, inept Saturday morning cartoon villain who never wins, who always "gets his" at the hand of the pure-at-heart, clever and resourceful Good Guys, and whom everyone hates. No, don't let this ruin your fanfic, Mentalguru. Stick to your guns; your story is already more believable, more interesting and as far as I'm concerned, far closer to how most of US see Randall than this comic book. I won't be buying it, whether Randall is in it or not, and if there IS a sequel, and he's in that, being portrayed the same way, I won't waste money on a ticket to see that, either. At this point, I'm aggravated enough with Pixar to just about not spend another dime on their stuff. I honestly thought better of them, but they're showing that they are running out of original ideas and having to fall back on some trite old kiddie cartoon formula. They are getting awfully close to jumping the shark. pitbulllady |
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Post by mentalguru on Jun 4, 2009 17:23:12 GMT -5
Yeah, I don't get that.
I like the incredibles too- but... Buddy blowing up in a wind turbine?! (Well at least that wasn't technically the good guys fault but still- I'd have rathered a prison sentence or... something- same with Randall come to that.).
I also just don't get shows/movies where boom! The bad/darker grey (?) guy is dead/gone and suddenly everything is perfect. Monsters Inc will always be my favourite- It has my 3 fav characters of all Pixar time (this is true)- Sulley, Boo (adorable and her interactions with Sulley are hilarious and cute!) and Randall after all. But chucking him through the door... what? Ugh, whatever.
In Avatar the last airbender (a current favourite cartoon, who ended last year with 61 episodes- also where I got the quote from), an american anime style cartoon was better at giving an ending. (SPOILERS! DO NOT READ IF WISH TO BE SPOILED)
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Before the 'epilogue' they got a speech about how the war was now over, but there was still work to do. The hero stuck to his morals and DIDN'T kill the big bad (M.I equivilant- Waternoose?)- he was stripped of power and placed in prison instead, even when everyone was telling him he had to, that he deserved it- and even after the same man TAUNTED him about how his own ancestor (Fire Lord Sozin- not to mention the man who left the last Avatar before Aang, and Sozin's former friend to DIE) had committed the mass genocide of his own people (the airbenders), claiming that people like him didn't deserve to be in 'his' world- he still didn't kill him!
His friend, the new Fire Lord Zuko (and former enemy of the hero- Aang, Avatar and the last airbender- for around FIFTY out of the 61 episodes I might add, not to mention the SON of the man Aang had to fight- he took a LONG time to come around to the good guys, but he had alot of issues to work through- which he did. M.I equivilant?- Possible Randall if he'd had a kick-ass Uncle to depend upon. Also Randall is smarter and more talented than he is- but they were both with issues and crummy young lives which shaped them like that) in the end said they'd all band together, the nations, former enemies and allies alike. That it would be difficult but it was implied they could pull through it if they put aside their differences. That together two former enemies- The Avatar and The FireLord would heal the world!
Even AZULA- Zuko's darker sister, is hard not to pity- it showed how the betrayal of her friends made her go out of her mind. She was still crazy at the end, and that was depressing- but even the most hardened hater of her admitted they felt sorry for the poor girl. Fanfic writers find it incredibly easy to write redemptive arcs for her!
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(END SPOILERS!)
Avatar is an AWESOME show. Though the fandom can leave alot to be desired sometimes. It teaches how things can be complicated, particulary in war. Not all the guys on the heroes' side are perfect. They make mistakes, they learn and grow!
It is the story of two boys- Aang (The Avatar and hero) and Zuko (The banished Prince who wishes to capture him due to... a less than pleasent past). And a destined friendship.
Sorry to go off on a tangent- but I love this show so much.....
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Post by pitbulllady on Jun 4, 2009 18:59:21 GMT -5
I've read some of the "Avatar" comics that some of my students would occasionally leave behind in my classroom, especially when I was teaching Art, but not enough to get the whole story. I like what you posted, though, THIS is how heroes SHOULD behave, not as vigilantes who are promoted as being perfect. No wonder so many young people think that "get-even-with-'em-ism" is such a great creed to live by! I'd much rather see an ending where people are able to at least give each other mutual distance, and respect each other's differences while making an effort to get along, and where the real bad guys get punished LEGALLY according to their crimes, by the justice system rather than a lynch-mob of two, than the way that M.I. ended.
What you said, about how Randall might have turned out OK if he'd had a "kick-ass uncle", rang true. It's all the more reason to believe that IF he had had a real family(in the biological sense)during most of his childhood, things would have turned out different. Instead, we're supposed to believe that he is just born bad, and his family was probably bad, too, and all of them are proud of it. Sorry, but Randall had a JOB, a CAREER, with a big corporation, and NO company is going to hire someone who has a lot of screws loose from the beginning. At the point in time when Randall got that job(not to mention the Trainer position on the side), he had to have been able to pass a psychological exam and criminal background check, and if anything odd or suspicious had come up, with him being scaly especially, he probably would've never set foot in that factory again after his job interview. At the time he was hired, he would have come across as a pretty ordinary guy...with some unique talents and way above-average IQ.
pitbulllady
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Post by mentalguru on Jun 5, 2009 3:25:04 GMT -5
It IS excellent as a show. In season one (there are three seasons in total), I think my favourite episode is Episode 13: The Blue Spirit. If you ever see it, you'll understand why... it's kind of sad at the end.... but kind of touching too.
Yeah, I kind of figured if Randall had a family, or at least a family worh talking about, they'd be wondering what happened to him... never saw that on the movie so...
Zuko has General Iroh to depend upon, the older brother of Zuko's less than stellar father- he was supossed to be Fire Lord (as the much older brother), but he lost his only son in the war and things slowly went down hill from there- his younger brother betrayed him. It's kind of vaguely implied though that that event (losing his son) caused him to question the war, and even try to get his son back from the dead in the past. He sees his nephew as his son in the show though. He followed him into banishment for three years- and treated him ike a real son, but Zuko was kind of blind to what he had in Iroh, he was horrible to him sometimes, even betrayed him, he was all about trying to gain his BIOLOGICAL father's love back- his 'honour'- his reason for trying to capture Aang. What he wanted was right there all along- a 'father's' love, he just had to open his eyes to see it.
Randall needed an Iroh I think.
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Bampot
Randall's Friend (800-1999)
<3
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Post by Bampot on Jun 5, 2009 16:41:17 GMT -5
Well, we have to look at the bright side of these kind of things. At least Randall is in the comic. I would not of been surprised if they would of just left him for dead. Maybe it could take a positive turn in the long run?
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Post by RandallBoggs on Jun 5, 2009 19:07:27 GMT -5
*folds arms* What shocks me now, since I DO know Ran's safe and in fair health, and Ran actually noted me about this...is that it was SULLIVAN who did it to him. He honestly would expect it from Waternoose, but he just didn't expect, or believe that Sullivan would be capable, despite all his negative thoughts. In such, the action brought Sullivan low. Not a hero by doing that.
*folds arms* About Buddy....he very well MAY have survived...given his Zero-Point-Energy...he could have stopped the turbine, got out...but in any case of survival, Buddy WOULD be damaged to some percent.
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Sullivan makes the same mistake again, having had time to think about it, any respect I DO have for him (note I have made defenses in his case) will be gone.
Many people can not acknowledge what they believe isn't faithful to what should have happened.
*looks up* Yes...actually he would. Now...why would Ran do it...blame Mike maybe...or maybe to get the company BACK to scarering...*folds arms* But in all honesty...it's not THAT bad...I mean come on...you don't arrest a guy for taking a stapler from the office.
*looks down* Unless......those props....no no...that's impossible.
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And in all honesty, I see a kind of representation here that I THOUGHT they were trying to make. Representing Waternoose as Eisner, and Randall as Pixar. Remember everybody? Eisner was the one who CHANGED what Pixar originall had scripted?
And that's just a stab at Ran's intellect too. He's NOT Coyote for crying outloud.
Yeah, I agree. In some honesty, I haven't yet...completed reading. It's a personal thing...just been a long while since I've seen Ran in those predicaments so it honestly...hurts somewhat....but it's good I guess since it gets to me like that ^_^
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*points to Pine's survival upward*
Depends if it IS a door he'll be chucked through....*looks over everyone* Anybody recall the Japan ride? -_-
I've actually seen all of Avatar, so no spoilers ^0^
I've actually compared Ran to Zuko every now and then. And get this, Zuko has a scar that is part of his character on the left side (I think) of his head (he was burned by his own father when he was a child when he "spoke out of term). And Ran certainly gets a scar from the events in that trailer. And both have painful memories to them.
I some honesty, the first few episodes were a bit of a runaround, but the show truely turns itself into a great story during Crossroa......UGH! That's the FOURTH time this week I experience that word ^0^
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I've actually done that with the main character of one of my best original stories (yet-completed -_-), and shows his sorta "redemption" to him. And funny enough, like Aang, he's got some years behind him ^0^
And Ran did, but people who don't care, honestly don't want to look at that. It's just the stupid blaming on Randall that did it. People BLAME him for bringing Boo in, which it was CLEARLY Sullivan. People BLAME him to be a cheater, as said, thanks Wazowski. And it's just his child-nature that makes him come off as sarcastic. They don't care to see what's under all that.
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Blue Spirit, favorite myself, and one of the episodes I missed at first. But when I saw it, I truely felt a moment near the ending...
That, and remember...not at the Play either that takes place a year ahead. Wazowski's mother was there (and we know Sullivan has family, at the least a mom).
HA! And get that, both of them were "exiled" as well!
*looks down* He use to...*coughs* But unlike for Iroh...old age caught up to him too fast.....
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BP's the optomist ^0^ But yeah...Ran's in the comic...and note everybody...this is Issue 1...meaning there are others to be made...and it's only 25 pages...so if Ran doesn't appear in this one...maybe he does later...and by then, maybe we can make an influence.
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Post by pitbulllady on Jun 5, 2009 19:19:56 GMT -5
Well, we have to look at the bright side of these kind of things. At least Randall is in the comic. I would not of been surprised if they would of just left him for dead. Maybe it could take a positive turn in the long run? I'm ambivalent about the whole "left for dead vs. brought back as the villain" thing. As the movie ended, we know that Randall would have surely been badly hurt at least, but AT LEAST it was still left up to us to decide whether he actually died or not. Now, even though it's obvious that he somehow survived, it appears now that the BOOM! comics, with Pixar's blessings, will turn him into one of those stupid, bumbling villain charicatures who is just plain mean and hates everyone and does not even need a motive to do bad things, and of course, who is always foiled by the Good Guy(s). I have said this before, with regards to an actual sequel, that I honestly would rather be left not knowing what actually became of Randall, and let my imagination fill in the blanks, and never see him again in anything associated with Pixar canon, than to have him become a Saturday-morning villain, in ANY media! At the risk of sounding like Wilt, I'm sorry, but this is NOT Randall! It's a cheap shot, a negative stereotype personified, and it shows a complete lack of creativity on the part of the writers(O, Chris Sanders, Where ART Thou?). There is absolutely NOTHING in the response of that BOOM! artist to indicate that I'd be happy, in any way, shape or form, with how this comic turns out. She all but told me, "DO NOT BUY THIS COMIC". If there is a surprise positive ending, with regards to Randall's fans, she gave no indication of it at all, no "why don't you just check it out; you might be pleasantly surprised" or even an ambiguous "I'm really not at liberty to say whether Randall is in it or what role he has or how it turns out, so you'll just have to wait until it hits the shelves and buy it and judge for yourself". There was just that "...I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed". At least she was honest, though, not trying to push her company's product on someone she knew would not like it. Unless she misunderstood MY inquiry, and figured I'd want to see Randall come back as this total Goody-Two-Shoes Saint Randy, when he only makes a bit of an improvement, it's clear that HE is the one causing all the problems in the factory and of course that means he's going to get caught and severely punished, or he'll get away, and just be a recurring villain throughout the rest of the M.I. comics and possible sequel, always foiled but never completely destroyed, like the campy Bad Guys on Saturday morning kiddie cartoons. pitbulllady |
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Post by RandallBoggs on Jun 5, 2009 19:27:24 GMT -5
*holds up finger* I just thought of something....with Pixar having churned out it's next several films...could it be they were unable to concentrate or be as involved with their BOOM! comics release and development? *blinks* Then again this was before UP was released...so....ahh I'm just spitting...
*scratches head* Lets all think for a moment....
HOW exactly does BOOM! comics handle their stories? And how did they handle the previous Pixar film-to-comic adapations?
And of the story in this....theft/destruction of props? That...doesn't seem to be Randall's bag. I mean he wouldn't be so direct....blaming Wazowski....why not blame them both? Apparently, if Boo is how she appears on the cover, this is a year at least from the film...
*shakes head* Little time for Randall to recover himself...but then again...the less he had to go through, the less he had to brood....
Ugh...so complicated...I'm trying to find SOMETHING...ANYTHING...to fix this....
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Post by pitbulllady on Jun 5, 2009 20:21:29 GMT -5
*holds up finger* I just thought of something....with Pixar having churned out it's next several films...could it be they were unable to concentrate or be as involved with their BOOM! comics release and development? *blinks* Then again this was before UP was released...so....ahh I'm just spitting... *scratches head* Lets all think for a moment.... HOW exactly does BOOM! comics handle their stories? And how did they handle the previous Pixar film-to-comic adapations? And of the story in this....theft/destruction of props? That...doesn't seem to be Randall's bag. I mean he wouldn't be so direct....blaming Wazowski....why not blame them both? Apparently, if Boo is how she appears on the cover, this is a year at least from the film... *shakes head* Little time for Randall to recover himself...but then again...the less he had to go through, the less he had to brood.... Ugh...so complicated...I'm trying to find SOMETHING...ANYTHING...to fix this.... Pixar gave their approval to those comics, which meant they KNEW what the BOOM! writers had written or were going to write. Pixar has far more employees than those that are working on their own scripts, people like lawyers who make sure that anything associated with Pixar meets their approval. The "preview" on BOOM's site didn't say anything about "props", but said that machinery and equipment was disappearing and being vandalized. Apparently, the others do not realize that Randall has returned, and assume he's either dead or permanently stuck in the Human World with no way to return, so they have no reason, initially, to suspect him. Unless this is the first M.I. comic of many(or at least two)and it's left "open-ended", that is, with the others finding out that Randall is back and of course, automatically assuming he's doing all the stealing/vandalism, but with the reader still not finding out what happens to him, therefore leaving room for some reasonable conflict resolution between all of them in the follow-up, I can't see a good ending for him at all. Speaking of Up, have any of you actually seen it?(Possible major spoilers ahead, so if you don't want to read 'em, stop right HERE). I haven't, even though it's playing at our local theater, because I can't even afford to buy popcorn right now. From what I've gathered, though, it seems that Peter Docter is a firm believer in the "Two Wrongs DO Make a Right" concept, or as I've put it, "Let's Get EVEN!" Is there not a villain in this movie, a Charles Muntz, who is sort of the stereotypical "mad scientist"? Is he not killed by the two heroes and his stuff taken by them, back to civilization, and no one even questions where they got those things from, or how? Even his pack of dogs, with the exception of the Good-Guy dog, "Dug", are of breeds like Rottweilers, Dobermans, Pit Bulls...dogs that are automatically stereotyped as "evil" or "vicious". Maybe Michael Eisner was not as much the cause of Randall eventually being type-cast as the main "Bad Guy" after all, but Docter WAS! pitbulllady |
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. Even though I never laugh at the moment again, a laughing moment would not bring death in to the equation anyway. 
His death was shown as plain as daylight with no extra content to make the rating go flying sky high. Being sucked into a plane turbine is a pretty disturbing way to go though.
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