Question vs. Question: Tarbtano & Heatseeker X-51 · 12:10pm Oct 1st, 2016
This is a project I've had on my mind for a couple years, but always put it back on the shelf. But I mentioned it last week, and Tarb was all for it.
For those who may not know, Tarbtano is the author of the widely acclaimed Godzilla/MLP crossover story called, "The Bridge" And it's spin off stories "Sound of Thunder" and "Shimmer in the Dark"
wherein Godzilla and a few others get sucked into Equestria, and transformed into ponies. And a multitude of villainous Kaiju including Monster X, King Ghidorah, Gyaos, the Pacific Rim Kaiju, and many others are also featured. From the Description: "A massive war of titanic forces is taking place in the Kaiju's world. However, when two faction's leaders, the current Godzilla and his 'brother' Xenilla duke it out; humanity unleashes its most devastating weapon. Something beyond comprehension occurred and the boundary that divides worlds, if only for the briefest of moments, was torn to shreds. New forms are taken, new bodies assumed. But old hatreds die hard. But how well can hatreds continue in the world of love and tolerance? Especially with its own demons follow it there? "
First up, are my 20 questions for Tarbtano:
1. What do you think are the strongest and weakest parts of The Bridge so far? [plot/dialog/pacing/writing/etc.]
Tarbtano: My strongest field I feel is character development. I do try to keep a pace with these things, though it seemed to have worked out well enough. Given how many readers seem very fond of how the characters have progressed along their routes, like Cadance and Xenilla learning to respect each other, Junior learning forgiveness, Aria and X reconnecting to their comrades and leases on life; I'd say it's been in the right direction despite seeming VERY out of left field for some of those characters usual portrayals in the G-Fandom.
My weakest field I'd say is my dialogue is a bit stilted or melodramatic and one or two times I was subject to angry writing. Basically a few times I decided to specifically do a "Take That" to a concept or character and while some I feel were very justified, others like Bold Rush were a bit mean spirited and on the nose. If I redid the older chapters especially, I'd probably have done something different with Bold Rush.
2. When composing a chapter, what are your least/most favorite parts of the writing process?
Least favorite is outlining the damn thing because many times I have a semi-disjointed summary of the story arc I know I need to stick to, but often exactly what is needed in this particular chapter is often vague when I start. My favorite times are when the outline is all done and I can finally get to writing, it all flows pretty well.
3. Who has been your most and least favorite characters to write for so far?
Most favorite is probably Monster X, Aria Blaze, and the Alicorns sisters given how little material from Toho and Hasbro I was given, which really let me run wild.
Least favorite is hard to pick when it comes to core cast, as they all have up times and down times. I'd say it's probably Godzilla himself given in the early days I was paranoid as all get-out I was committing a fandom heresy and not having him as a human-hating force.
4. What was the hardest scene you’ve had to write?
Godzilla Junior's meeting with Moonbeam Glimmer at her parents' graves. I don't know why but it took me forever to get the dialogue right and I must have gone through four or five major edits and retries.
5. What part of the story did you intend to have the biggest reaction so far?
The reveal of Xenilla's intentions and Azusa's surprise visit. I had been doing little bits of build up and hinting to them previously, like doing the Mother's day special or showing odd behavior on Xenilla's part; but this was the big bombshell. The former was big because it makes you look at Xenilla's actions previously now that the mystery is revealed, and the latter because it fits but is so unexpected.
6. What reader reaction has surprised you the most so far?
Not in a million years did I ever anticipate the shipping.
7. What story element that wound-up getting the axe do you wish you could have included? [line of dialog/interaction/alternate plot sequence/etc…]
A lot of ideas on which kaiju would get imported into the core 10 were tossed around. One of them that just barely lost out was Orga. Always thought it be very interesting since we had a clearly incredibly intelligent being fighting like a brute. So the plot line for him/it was Orga's mutation was going out of control overtime and it was slowly losing its mind due to conflicting instincts and thoughts while trying to find a cure to stabilize its changes before its brilliant mind tore itself apart.
8. What would you say have been the three biggest influences on The Bridge?
The Hasbro'verse (tone and idea of a crossover), some comicbook crossovers given they're usually the bible on how to do a crossover; and a Jurassic Park RPG called "Live the Legend" which taught me pacing and character changes over a long time in a world with a ton of characters.
Also a bit of spite considering I was seeing a lot of the G-fandom at the time step on the lighter and goofier aspects of the Godzilla series. To each their own opinion, though doesn't mean I need agree with them. So I saw how their stories were usually super-dark and if they were an MLP crossover, ended very badly for the ponies. Made me think what I could do different to reconstruct those happier elements.
9. Is there a non-Bridge related story you’d like to write?
I actually already penned up outlines for both a unique story inspired by a Kamen Rider series and a Spectrobes crossover. They'd be fun to do.
10. What do you think is the biggest issue readers have had with your stories?
Probably keeping track of who's where and done what. I have tried to mitigate it by giving a lot of cast their own focused story arc to set up some something later, sorta like how most Avengers got a movie to themselves before the big crossover; but I can definitely see it getting confusing.
11. How much does your academic work influence your Bridge head canon?
Knowledge is a wealth of inspiration. One reason I think I come up with so many head canons is because I've studied so much history, zoology, paleontology; and culture. And not just from academia, but private study as simple as watching youtube videos and checking the sources. There's just something fulfilling about adding in bits of canon that are researched and thus work. Even the small stuff like when we saw ancient people from thousands of years back. Had I not known the science and study, I could have just made them look like any ethnic group of people. But because I knew the science, I was able to make it accurate by making them look like how people back then actually looked.
12. What character from either franchise would you have liked to include in this cast, but didn’t make the cut?
Aside from above mentioned Orga, there was debates on having other kaiju ranging from Yonggary or Gamera show up. As for MLP, there was an idea to incorporate G1Tirac a.k.a G1 Lord Tirek, as the Equestrian main villain. That got changed when the season 4 finale arrived and thoroughly sunk when we got FIENDship is Magic's early days for Tirek, because I like to keep as close to canon as possible. There was also a distant idea to use Starlight Glimmer instead of our created sibling for her, but Season 5 was still going on and I wanted to know more about her canon portrayal before bringing her in.
13. How much longer do you envision The Bridge going for?
Probably another year and a half to two years.
14. If you could expand the media for your stories, what would you like to do?
Videos be awesome to do, be it animations or voice acted readings.
15. When writing your chapters, do you find yourself doing much research for details, etc…?
Very frequently. Even if it's something small. I still make mistakes or blunders, but I try to keep as close to canon as I can on these sort of things so research is a must unless I know for sure.
16. To what extent do you allow your social/political views to influence your story?
I try to keep them out. They do leak in every now and then, but I largely like to think I keep things neutral and open to interpretation.
17. Is there a part of the story that you’re really eager to get to?
Oohohohoho ooooooooooh yes. There is a mini-arc I've so fittingly given the placeholder title of "S*** hits the Fan".
18. Are there any more spin-off stories we can look forward to?
I have outlined a crossover that's a tribute to the multiple MLP fanon worlds like the Lunaverse and Cadanceverse.
19. Some time ago you mentioned having songs be a part of the story. Have you decided against that, or is it still on the horizon?
It's an MLP story, it'sa comin'
20. Are there any big surprises you have in store for us Bridge readers?
*counts fingers*.... *runs out of fingers*... yes.
And now he turned the tables on me, with 10 questions of his own:
1. What first gave you the idea to do a Marvel and Godzilla crossover?
HEATSEEKER X-51: When I became a Godzilla fan as a kid, I kinda started to insert him into anything. I'd watch a show, and imagine what would happen if Godzilla were involved. This included Power Rangers, Primal Rage, and believe it or not, the older Gen My Little Pony. I got into Marvel Comics sometime in 2008/2009, via a friend of mine who was a Marvel buff. Eventually I wondered what would it look like if these super-powered heroes and villains went up against the giant monsters of the Godzilla universe?
The kernel of the story, was basically a huge Titanomachy-style battle with a bunch of the monsters fighting the heroes all at once. It started with just ideas of them doing cool things, and over time it morphed into having an actual story. And it never seems to have stopped.
2. Are you planning on doing any other crossovers or bringing in any other crossover properties to your stories?
I do have a few ideas for other crossover stories; like an MLP Pinky and The Brain story, which I've brainstormed on, and even taken a swing at starting the 1st chapter. And I have mulled the thought of doing a Godzilla/DC story.
As far as importing anything new into my Godzilla headcanon, It would have to not conflict with anything I've already established. Be it large or small, it would have to be complimentary in some way. When I do decide to bring something in, it's usually a spur of the moment kind of thing. The thought occurs, then I play with it to see if it fits.
Since we've only scratched the surface of the Godzilla/Marvel saga, I can say that yes, there are a few incorporated elements yet to make themselves known, and I'll probably find places for more as I go along. Just the other day in fact, I found a way to work in Shin Gojira
3. What are some of the works, fan or official, that lead to Path of the Unforgiven being made?
Since The Unforgiven Saga is basically a hero's epic, I had a fairly good base going by being familiar with stories like Beowulf, The Odyssey, Tolkien's Middle-earth, Norse mythology, Classical mythology. What was crucial however, was the musical influence. With music as varied as Metallica, Irish folk, Disney tunes, Bluegrass, Lamb of God, showtunes; it was really songs that birthed this story.
For instance, the title and theme of the story itself is inspired by Metallica's Unforgiven Trilogy, and Wanderlust quotes lines from "Wherever I May Roam", and "Master of Puppets" in the second chapter. But also, whole scenes, dynamics, plot points, and even characters are inspired by songs.
By the time I get into part 3 of the Unforgiven saga, you could very well label my story a musical.
4. Have you ever used your writing to take a jab at something, be it a real life occurrence, group, or view; or a fan work you disagreed with?
Well I'll assume this does not include posting on (((Facebook))) or Youtube. I'm sure I have somewhere, for example I once sent Hedorah to a certain Caribbean island that can't seem to get it's act together. And there's probably some other small thing I threw in over the course of so many years. But I generally do not bring my personal politics or gripes into my stories, as they often have nothing to do with the premise, or are just unnecessary. The story has to come first.
5. Are your main OCs in the Unforgiven series based off any persons real or fictional?
Wanderlust and Æclypse are original, though I suppose they take as much inspiration from any of their type in fiction. One is a world-traveler on a mission, the other is an exile in search of redemption, insert character trope here.
Servo and Crow are directly based off of Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot from MST3K, and so is another character in their backstory.
King Rubicon is loosely based on Tywin Lannister, but you know, a good guy.
Wiglaf is based on Woglaf from the movie "Beowulf".
Captain Skorn is walking pirate trope, with some Blackbeard thrown in.
And there are a number of others who haven't debuted yet.
6. As a fan of Marvel, a company infamous for crossovers, what is your favorite crossover Marvel has made with an outside company? (Parent companies or other groups owned by said parent companies can count)
The crossover with DC has to be the paragon of crossovers. They basically have every element of a crossover, to opposites fighting, to equals fighting, to star-crossed lovers, to character mergers. Anyone looking to construct their own crossover story needs to familiarize themselves with this event, it'll teach them so many lessons.
7. Has your personal experiences ever influenced your plot writing and character viewpoints?
Sure my military experience helps me to construct some scenes and dialog, but my life experiences I find, are largely inapplicable to the stories I write.
Though I will say that I am in the camp that every author puts a little bit of them self in every character. So I suppose you could find parts of me in my various OC's. But for the most part I consider my characters to be separate people, not vehicles to retell my own life.
8. What is the main Godzilla series or continuity, be it in film or extended media (video games, comics, books, etc.) that the Seeker'verse was inspired by or built off of?
Basically, everything. Imagine a number of different LEGO buildings, some big, some small, each of them unique. Now imagine me taking parts from each of them to build a new construct. I didn't take the Heisei series, or Save The Earth and add stuff. This is a whole new Frankenstein.
Since the Marvel side already has so much baggage coming into things, I figured I had to try and even things out a bit. So I scoured the various Godzilla canon in movies, comics, and TV for people, places, monsters. Then I expanded into Harryhausen and other monster movies. And I found some incredibly effective connective tissue by re-working Primal Rage.
One early influence of singular importance, was Matt Frank's "Godzilla NEO" series. Not so much story-wise, but character-wise. I probably wouldn't have my own Seeker-verse if not for having Frank's example of how one can reconstruct their own headcanon.
9. What are your thoughts on the MCU and All New, All Different Marvel?
I'm a huge fan of the MCU, It's a gravy train that I hope never looses steam.
The latest comic run however, is a mixed bag for me. It's their new retcon of the events following the new Secret Wars, where they basically created a new mainstream continuity from their multiple convoluted lines. So it's left me with some stuff I'm interested in, and some other stuff... not so much.
The new X-Men lines seem interesting, Punisher usually delivers, and I actually like a lot that X-23 is taking over as Wolverine.
But there's so much new stuff they're trying to do to stay hip and tap into demographics that just makes me shake my head. The controversy over Female Thor is well known, and to a lesser degree the Muslim Ms. Marvel, and now there's the super-genius girl taking over for Iron Man. So while I may not be the weekly customer they're trying to cater to, they're not doing very much to get me there by replacing known characters with younger, more (((diverse))) ones. And now they just seem to be right back into the hundred-different series for a few dozen characters problem that keeps forcing them to retcon.
10. What other series are you a fan of that you'd like to maybe write fiction for eventually?
I've actually got a number of ideas for a new series of stories featuring my versions of the Universal Monsters, like Wolfman, The Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon.
I've also got a completely different Godzilla universe as a base for a series called "The American Defense Construct".
I'm also tempted to come-up with a stories around Darkwing Duck and Hellraiser.
But something that is my first qualifier for writing a fan-fiction, is whether or not I can do it properly. If I don't think I can do a good job at it, do justice to the characters and tone, I won't do it.
Then there's my original stories I'd like to work on, but, I've got enough on my plate as is.
===============================================================
If any of you guys have any questions or comments you'd like to throw in, go ahead and leave em below!
And don't forget to check out "The Bridge" if you've got a few days to spare catching up!
And make sure you go over and check out my stuff here on FiMFiction,
on FanFiction
and on DeviantArt
BOOKMARK IT I SAID!
Oooh, interesting. I've been meaning to do a Q/A myself. I'm not sure if I should do this with one artist or just put up a blog and let others ask questions and whatnot.
Wait, MARVEL vs Godzilla?? I WANNA SEE THAT! Is there a link somewhere?
4431246 Here's a link to my FanFiction.
And here's the DeviantArt. (which come with a bunch of pictures and extra content!)
orig09.deviantart.net/c9d6/f/2016/284/c/a/teaser_1_2_for_worlds_collide_part_12__by_rmc1618-dakpypk.jpg
4431701 THANK YOU!!