I was reading a thread elsewhere on the board about quotes, and someone mentioned Doug having Bugs Bunny as sort of a personal totem. That got me to thinking about what songs there might be about Bugs, or any of the other Warner Brothers characters. I found four - all performed by Mel Blanc as far as I can tell - that look like must-haves for Doug, even if they didn't provide powers. Lyrics for all four can be found at the link given below.
1) I'm Glad That I'm Bugs Bunny: Unfortunately, the only one that I couldn't find the actual song to listen to. Creates a Bugs simulacrum...or turns Doug INTO Bugs (complete with Toon-style powers) for the duration?
2) Daffy Duck Rhapsody: Two immediate possibilies - either it creates a Daffy simulacrum that draws the fire of anyone around (regardless of how much they'd rather shoot at Doug, they HAVE to shoot at the duck), or else it causes everyone to aim at Doug, even those people on his side. Obviously, the first is the preferred interpretation...
3) I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat: This might create a sort of danger sense. For the duration, no one can sneak up on Doug without him spotting them. Of course, it could also make him bright yellow while it's in effect, but there's always costs, right?
4) Yosemite Sam: Creates guns for a stun effect, since guns loaded with gumdrops would probably not do TOO much damage. Though jelly traveling at Mach 1 could still hurt, I suppose. Alternatively, if Doug already HAS a gun, it might make him unable to miss anything he shoots at while the song is playing.
I wish I could find a copy of the song for Bugs. The other three can be found here, along with a lot of other interesting looking things.

Dave Menard sent me a new DW image, which I've just posted up on the DW gallery page. Go check it out!

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Dave Menard sent me a new DW image, which I've just posted up on the DW gallery page. Go check it out!

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

If you've read anything over in the "Other Game Writing" forum, you'll know that I try to sneak an in-joke into every book I write. Some I get away with, some the editor spots and nukes. I hadn't come up one for Shifters, as odd as that might sound.
Until this weekend.
I'm not going to describe it, except to say it's not a DW reference, but many of the people here will recognize it and get it if/when they see it. And I have a playtester to thank, who insisted, "You have to explain how to do X!" (Where X is something that would give away the joke if I said what it was.)
Anyway... just wanted to give you advance warning.
(Edit: Proper forum attribution.)

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Okay, I liked Jack McKinney's Robotech books--I did.
But, c'mon, you know that they made Robotech a lot better than it was. Look at all the Robotech fanfic out there, a lot of it is based on the McKinney books. Not the actual series.
And frankly there is just no comparison between Macross and Robotech.
mostly because the songs are better.
Okay, let's get to the brass tacks:
Macross is better than Robotech: macross saga. Dubbing was awful. Especially the songs. Good god, the SONGS! Everyone knows that "To be in love" is only to be used in the defense of the Wedge from hordes of hateful frat boys, that's it!
Macross Plus versus Robotech: Southern Cross--is this even a fair fight? No; okay, how about Macross II, the redheaded stepchild of Macross who is not acknowledged as an official part of the timeline--. . . while I despised Macross II, it's still better than Southern Cross. I mean, jesus, they had to cobble together a story with more holes than . . . than . . . than Macross II to get it to hobble through to Mospeada.
Macross 7 versus Robotech: Mospeada--okay, since i've never seen mospeada, i'll bow out.
But, out of the first two, it blows away the competition!

Oh, Kami-Sama, forgive me!
MACROSS
or
GUNDAM.
[Murmur sobs incoherently as he reaches new depths of anime geekiness for many, many minutes]
I'm not sure if you'd consider either series to be a "live franchise", even though Gundam is pumping out Gundam Seed and Macross has out the incredibly beautiful, fantastically animated Macross Zero (the anime that makes Wildstorm's Robotech look even worse in comparison). One series is an alt.uni, not set in the Universal Century, and the other is a prequel.
I suggest, for Macross, that you put it in in the Macross 7 era, an era that is done and finished and has the added bonus of having a pop group save the universe with the power of music.
As for Gundam . . . hell, set it whenever. Maybe he could hit Quess and Hathaway during Char's Counterattack. Cripes, they were annoying, especially Quess (little spoiled jailbait that she was--ooh, she deserved to die).
So, Macross 7--c'mon. I can see it now; Doug hitting Basara when he's too into his "Shut up, I'm being a surly artiste" mode and having a few beers with Ray and getting yelled at by the Mayor.

Why I love DW II (and hate it):
I know, I know; the last bit is harsh. Maybe a bit too harsh. I'll get to my problems with DW II in a bit. But first, the fulsome praise.
The greatest strength of DW II is, of course, the main character, Doug Blackblood. He is, unlike so many of the Mary Sues and S.I.s, he's a fully realized character, for good or ill--mostly good, sometimes ill but always compelling. He's funny and smart and doesn't take himself too seriously and, above all else, he deals with his problems without getting so damn angsty about it. Doug's a fun guy.
The writing, too, is great. Madigan is actually coming off as a sympathetic character. And the plot is going in directions I would not have guessed at. It's surprising, innovative, respectful of the source material but not derivative (or at least not so derivative that you'd notice without squinting and being bitter and even then you'd have to make up most of it). The characters from the series are the characters from the series and the original characters fit in the world well. Character, plot, dialogue--all great. But it all goes back to Doug.
So why would i hate DW II?
Again, it's Doug.
Here's the "ill" part of Doug--he's surprisingly self-righteous. For someone who claims that no-one who's good can ever be comfortable with their "good-ness," he's amazingly high-handed, preachy, and arrogant in his supposed moral high ground. His attitude is just wrong-headed.
All this goes to the whole "Boomers as slaves" analogy. And I say analogy because I think it is so. Should I be this turned-off from a work that I otherwise enjoy just because Mr. Schroeck has a different interpretation of Boomers than I do?
Yes. Maybe I'm being unfair, but there it is. I was thrown way for a loop when Doug accused the Knight Sabers of being slave-wranglers or whatever it was.
Mostly, it was just because during the course of the canon, the Knight Sabers were never seen to destroy ANY boomer that wasn't a) out killing people, "rampaging" if you will and b) part of a scheme by some group, most of the time GENOM or Largo.
And this also has to do with the fact that I don't see Boomers as being enslaved (except of course for those poor 33-S boomers in space) mostly because they are not sentient (except for a few exceptions, and those jerky military boomers. Man, are they jerks. And I'd argue as to their "sentience" there, too). And I realize that this is a lot of exceptions, but 33-S's and experiments like Cynthia are exceptions to the rule, boomers built with sentience.
This wouldn't be so bad if Doug wasn't so darn high-handed about it. Based on my take on Doug from the previous chapters, I kept on expecting him to sit down and have a spirited philosophical debate with Sylia Stingray on Boomer intelligence and the morality of it all.
I guess it just seems to me that this "conflict" was done simply to have Doug and the Knight Sabers fight. And I realize that Doug is from a super-hero inspired world, where conflict resolution and moral decisions are made in a giant fight. It just seems distasteful, and it lessens the Knight Sabers but it mostly just makes Doug into a badly preachy character, somewhat cliched and just not smart. It lessened Doug more than it did the KS and just seems so cliche. So . . . Mary Sue.
But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Doug's wrong. Maybe he's going to get his well-deserved comeupance soon. Maybe this was all done to show how Doug isn't perfect.
Or maybe it wasn't.
Could Mr. Shroeck have a different interpretation of Boomers and as such has his character do what is the right and noble thing and I should just accept it? Maybe. That doesn't mean that I have to like it.
But that doesn't mean that I'll stop reading, either, nor stop loving the things I love about DW II. And hating the things I hate about it, too.
So until Doug stumbles into the Telletubbies world, make mine DW.

Surrender By Cheap Trick
lyrics- www.cheaptrick.com/surrendr.html
though 'surrender is repeated and is the tittle of this song I'm not sure what this songs actions would actually be. Since it's not my call on what happens when a song plays I guess I'm in the clear.

I've been wondering about this song for a couple weeks. I've been trying to think of possible effects...but given the lyrics and song topic, it seems one that should be done in MegaTokyo at least once (though I know you said elsewhere that the songs are pretty much set already, Bob - just thought this one needed mentioned, even if you don't use it). The lyrics are below - what do you guys think?
Mr. Roboto - Styx
(Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto)
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Mata ah-oo hima de
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Himitsu wo shiri tai
You're wondering who I am-
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
machine or mannequin
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
With parts made in Japan,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
I am the mod-ren man
I've got a secret
I've been hiding
under my skin.
My heart is human,
my blood is boiling,
my brain I.B.M.
So if you see me
acting strangely,
don't be surprised.
I'm just a man who
needed someone,
and somewhere to hide
To keep me alive-
just keep me alive.
Somewhere to hide
to keep me alive.
I'm not a robot
without emotions-
I'm not what you see.
I've come to help you
with your problems,
so we can be free.
I'm not a hero,
I'm not a saviour,
forget what you know
I'm just a man whose
circumstances
went beyond his control
Beyond my control--
we all need control--
I need control--
we all need control--
I am the modern man,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
who hides behind a mask
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
So no one else can see
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
my true identity.
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo (domo) domo (domo)
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo (domo) domo (domo)
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.
Thank you very much, oh Mr. Roboto
For doing the jobs that nobody wants to
And thank you very much, oh Mr. Roboto
For helping me escape just when I needed to
Thank you-
thank you, thank you
I want to thank you,
please, thank you
The problem's plain to see:
too much technology.
Machines to save our lives.
Machines dehumanize.
The time has come at last,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
To throw away this mask
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
Now everyone can see,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
My true identity...
I'm Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy.

Given what Loon's trying to do in the BGC universe, this song just seems WAY too appropriate somehow....yes?

I need a little help for a section I'm adding at the last minute, thanks to a playtester request. Can anyone think of some superhero/supervillain shapeshifters? I wracked my brain today at work and came up with the following list; can anyone add any more?
Morphs
Martian Manhunter (DC)
Skrulls (Marvel)
Metamorpho (DC)
A female counterpart to Metamorpho whose name I can't remember (DC)
Chameleon Boy (DC)
Chameleon King (DC)
Warlock (Marvel)
Mystique (Marvel)
Changeling (aka Beast Boy) (DC)
Plastic Man (sorta) (DC)
Loki (Marvel)
The Dial-H-For-Hero kids (DC)
Impossible Man (Marvel)
The Wonder Twits, I mean Twins (DC)
If I remember correctly, one of the several Clayfaces DC came up with was also a morph, right?
Transformers
(Not as in robots, but as in they power up into a new form to become heroes)
Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family (Fawcett, later DC)
Sailor Moon
Thor (Marvel)
Beta Ray Bill (Marvel)
Wonder Woman (TV version) (DC)
Firestorm (DC)
Miracleman
Silver-Age Jimmy Olsen, every once in a while (DC)
Weres
The Incredible Hulk (Marvel)
The Lizard (Marvel)
The Man-Bat? (DC)
That can't be all of them. Ideas, anyone? Thanks!

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.