THE GUIDE TO THE HOME OF THE LEGION OF NET.HEROES
Created by: Scavenger (kogutt@ucsu.colorado.edu)
Drizzt (barnejd@wkuvx1.wku.edu)
wReam (sl859@cc.usu.edu)
Martin Phipps (cxmp@musica.mcgill.ca)
Tori Fike (vcf1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu)
Jeff Coleburn (jecoleb@eos.ncsu.edu)
Mark Friedman (crimson@ihz.compuserve.com)
Brian Perler (bxp1628@hertz.njit.edu)
Steph Savoie (003695@dragon.acadiau.ca)
Ken Schmidt (kenaschm@silver.cs.indiana.edu)
Mike Escutia (mre@christa.unh.edu)
Russ Allbery (rra@leland.stanford.edu)
Rob Rogers (edml@delphi.com)
and many others.
Administered by: Drizzt (barnejd@wkuvx1.wku.edu)
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Contents:
* 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION AND GREETING
2.0 GLOSSARY OF COMMON TERMS
3.0 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
4.0 OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
.1 Netiquette
.2 Types and Imprints
.3 Reserving Characters and Storylines
.4 The Looniverse
.5 FTP Information
.6 LNH Subgroups
5.0 HOW TO JOIN AND TIPS FOR WRITING
6.0 HELP!
* 7.0 WHO WRITES WHAT
Updated information is preceded by an *.
The FAQ was last updated: 5/3/94
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1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION AND GREETING
From a post by Rob Rogers (slightly editted):
A short definition? My dear sir, that would be equivalent to
pouring the sands of the Sahara into a half-filled thimble. It would be
comparable to funneling the waters of the Pacific into a broken wineglass.
It would be like placing the collected works of Dave Van Domelen into the
onboard memory of an Atari 800...however, this is the task you have set for
us, and therefore I shall endeavor to elucidate.
The LNH, or Legion of Net.Heroes, is a society of those beings who
emulate the spirit of adventure and undying quest for justice while clothed
in spandex and a never-ending stream of bad jokes. In short, we are
super-heroes, or at the very least authors who spend what spare time we
have writing about super-heroes. Our stories are serious (Legion of
Occult Heroes), comic (Writers Block Woman and Mouse), tragicomic
(Decibel Dude and Vigilante Guy), lyrical (Tales of the LNH),
or simply strange (Surreal Tales). They all take place in the same
universe (except for wReam's, since he lives in his own), and authors
and characters often interact with each other.
Anyone can join, although new authors can expect a bit of heckling
in direct proportion to the number of times they mention the X-Men.
Guidelines for writing can be found in the FAQ and then conveniently ignored.
Your best policy is to read some of the stories for a number of weeks before
writing your own. Most authors are willing to respond to e-mail questions
about their stories, and many will even let you use their characters in stories
of your own. Only wReam, however, has the power to validate your parking.
So welcome to the LNH. I hope this isn't the last we hear
from you. Good luck, and get reading.
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2.0 GLOSSARY OF COMMON TERMS
Beige Noon - a horrendous occurrence during the Summer Gap. See 3.11.
BTW - By the way
CRY.SIG - the ultimate cosmic storyline
FAQ or FAQL - Frequently Asked Questions List
FTP - File Transfer Protocol. It's how you can get archived editions of
almost all the old LNH stuff. Just FTP to eyrie.stanford.edu.
FWIW - For what it's worth
IMHO - In My Honest/Humble opinion
IRC - Internet Relay Chat. May LNHers can be found on #comics, #superguy,
or #lnh.
LNH - Legion of Net.Heroes
LNHQ - LNH headquarters (Drizztspeak). AKA LNH HQ or LNHHQ
Looniverse - the LNH universe
NWC - Non-Writer Character - the LNH equivalent of an RPG NPC. Sort of.
Persona - A writer's LNH ID, same as a WC
RAC - rec.arts.comics - the now-defunct original home of the LNH
RACC - rec.arts.comics.creative - the new home away from acl for the LNH.
RAC* - The rec.arts.comics Hierarchy
RACM - rec.arts.comics.misc
Retcon - retroactive continuity - changing or redefining a character
by revealing some previous "hidden truth" which reveals all
we've ever known about them was a lie
Retcotheric energy - magic
TEB - Trade Ether Back - a collected format of a LNH story
UN - Ultimate Ninja
WC - Writer Character - a character which is the net persona of
someone. Sort of.
wReam - Evil and entropy incarnate.
WWW - World Wide Web. Enter the world of multimedia computing. The
LNH has a page at http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~rra/lnh/lnh.html.
:-) - Smiley - the writer is speaking sarcastically, or should not be
taken seriously
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3.0 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
.1 What is the LNH?
.2 Why should I care about the LNH?
.3 What if I don't read comics?
.4 Is there a roster of members available?
.5 Well, this is all great, but I can't get alt.comics.lnh on
my system. Should I commit harri-kari?
.6 How do I join this noble assemblage?
.7 How is the LNH expanding beyond Usenet?
.8 Who is the most powerful LNHer?
.9 What are the rules of the LNH?
.10 What sources of LNH information are there?
.11 What is/was the 2 1/2 Month Gap and Beige Noon?
.12 What is the NTB, and how does it relate to the LNH?
.13 What is the New Reader's Oath?
.14 Why not split the LNH?
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* * * * * * * * *
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Q.1 What is the LNH?
A.1 The Legion of Net Heroes is a collaborative comic writers group.
Everyone takes on a net.persona. These heroes join in a variety of
experiences, provided by all that write. Essentially everyone that
posts in this newsgroup is defining what it is.
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Q.2 Why should I care about the LNH?
A.2 Well, If you don't, there's a good chance that wReam will bazooka
your home. :-)
Seriously, the LNH is a place where you can create great
adventures, without the pressures of being serious, formal, or good.
This is not to say that LNH writers aren't good. They're wonderful,
but that is not a pre-requisite. Also, some of the nicest net.people
can be found in the LNH. Try us, you might just make a friend.
Besides, it's cheaper than therapy.
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Q.3 What if I don't read comics?
A.3 To be honest, if you don't read comics, you will probably miss out
on much of the humor in the LNH. We are a comic related newsgroup. But
even if you don't read comics, feel free to read along, or even join and
write. There are people out there who read the R.A.C.* hierarchy just for us.
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Q.4 Is there a roster of members available?
A.4 Why, yes there is. Four of them, in fact: LNHers, Wild Cards &
Independent Heroes, Solo Villains, and Villain Teams. See Section 6.0 for
more details (hint: look under "Rosters").
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Q.5 Well, this is all great, but I can't get alt.comics.lnh on
my system. Should I commit harri-kari?
A.5 Nope. First off, there is a gopher site which carries all the news
groups. Just telnet to gopher.msu.edu. Note that this is read-only access.
If you want to post to the group, there is an auto-poster at the University of
Indiana. Mail to: alt.comics.lnh@news.cs.indiana.edu.
Second, if you can get rec groups on Usenet, try rec.arts.comics.
creative, which passed in the not-so-distant past to broaden the audience for
the LNH (among other reasons).
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Q.6 How do I join this noble assemblage?
A.6 Sending money to Drizzt is a good way to start. =)
Actually, Section 5.0 goes into this in detail.
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Q.7 How is the LNH expanding beyond Usenet?
A.7 This is the providence of "THE GREAT LIVE LNH PROJECT" (GLLP--
pronounced "glip").
There is currently a MUD in the process of being created under the
guidance of Tori, Dave, and Josh. Josh is working on communicator thingies
for LNHers. There is currently a skeleton Net.ropolis in existence
according to Dave. It is on TIM at yay.mdc.com 5440 on telnet. For
further details, email Dave Van Domelen.
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Q.8 Who is the most powerful LNHer?
A.8 This is of course open to much debate. Could Continuity Champ
beat Plot King? [depends on who wrote the story =)] It's all sorta
beside the point. The LNH is not about who can beat who, but rather
telling good stories in the super hero genre. Or even telling bad stories
in the superhero genre...
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Q.9 What are the rules of the LNH?
A.9 There are no rules, per se. However, suggested guidelines for
the group are discussed in Section 5.0.
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Q.10 What sources of LNH information are there?
A.10 There are many LNH-related lists. These include:
The Rosters (see 4.4 and 6.0) **
The LNH Author's List **
The LNH Timeline **
The Typo Lad Dictionary
The Cliche Dude Cliche List
Kid Kirby's Guide to Cosmic Beings (by Jameel) **
The Writers' Guide to CC&DDs (by Drizzt) **
The History of the LNH (by Martin) **
The Official How to Write Typo Lad (**)
The Official How Not to Write Rebel Yell (**)
The Official How to Write The Fan.Dom of the Alt.Ra (**)
The Official How to Write Sig.Lad and Acton Lord (**)
The Official How to Write The Ultimate Ninja (**)
The Official How to Write Kid Kirby (**)
The Official How to Write Sing Along Lass (**)
The Official How to Write Particle Man (**)
The Official How to Write Constellation (**)
The Official How to Write Mi-T Big Characters (**)
The Official How to Write Lurking Girl (**)
The Official How to Write Continuity Champ (**)
The Official How to Write Panta (**)
The Official How to Write Pocket Man (**)
The Official How to Write Master Blaster (**)
The Official How to Write Sister State-the-Obvious (**)
The Official How to Write Obscure Trivia Lad (**)
The Official How To Write Fan.Boy (available only by email)
Most of these are posted on a regular basis along with this Welcome
Post [yeah, right -D]. If you need something, either contact the person listed
or, if the list is marked with a (**), ftp it from eyrie.stanford.edu.
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Q.11 What is/was the 2 1/2 Month Gap and Beige Noon?
A.11 In real world terms, the 2 1/2 month gap was the 1992 summer break,
during which the LNH vanished from the net. In LNH terms, it is a
period during which untold horrors happened to the LNH, resulting in
its members being scattered throughout the Looniverse.
Beige Noon was one of these (actually the biggest) of these untold
horrors, which caused much of history to be changed. Some of these
changes were the creation of L.E.G.I.O.N., the Crossover Queen coming
into existence (possibly), and the changing of the planet H'yddee'uz's
name to H'yyydde'uz.
Basically, Dekay and Diskolor, the Bryttle Brothers, found the
Looniverse and started altering it to their whims. The LNH and 4-Color Kid
were able to defeat them, but the changes they wrought still remain. See
_A Lurk of Faith_ for more details.
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Q.12 What is the NTB, and how does it relate to the LNH?
A.12 Sometime in February of 1993, a conversation thread started up on RACM
about trenchcoats. Several people decided they wanted to form their own
group, a group of people who wore trenchcoats and were involved in the *really*
weird stuff. These people were fans of more mature, eerier comics such as
Sandman and Swamp Thing. They called themselves the Net.Trenchcoat.Brigade,
and planned on meeting at a bar in Chicago.
Fictionally, though. They started writing, coming up with a
series of events that would lead up to their meeting. They called the
story "Wrath of the Administrator".
It was huge.
Really huge.
About 500 K. Over 150 pages when printed out. It was their first
story, too. Only Retcon Hour has ever exceeded it.
Both groups continue to thrive, with the LNH courteously allowing
the NTB to "live" on a.c.lnh, and both continue to crosspost to the RACC
group. Things are moving at full steam, and neither group is about to stop.
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Q.13 What is the New Reader's Oath?
A.13 Here it is as posted by Russ "Eagle" Allbery (with a few minor
modifications):
I, being of sound body (I'm reading alt.comics.lnh, so I can't be sure about
my mind), do hereby solemnly swear:
To attempt to read at least the majority of the stories posted,
Not to spell Stephane's name with an "i",
Not to confuse Kid Kirby and Kid Anarky,
To vote for the creation of rec.arts.comics.creative in any upcoming
vote,
And to occasionally provide feedback to the authors, telling them
what I thought of the stories.
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Q.14 The LNH seems a bit crowded. Why don't we split it into individual
teams?
A.14 What a great idea! Too bad it's already been thought of and dismissed
roughly a billion times. The reasons it wouldn't work are varied and sometimes
complicated, but a few of them are:
(1) We have a hard enough time getting names straight without having
to remember Limp-Asaparagus Lad is with the LNH West Coast team, and Canadian
Smelling Guy is with the LNH International, etc. In such chaos, only wReam
could thrive.
(2) A majority of LNH writers and hang-arounders don't want to.
(3) Such a split is really not needed; the LNH is already sub-grouped
pretty well (see section 4.6).
(4) Such a split would destroy a lot of the uniqueness of the LNH.
It helps new writers to have a central team to "play off" of. The continuity
it provides helps to establish new legends, even as many of the older ones
branch out to explore the rest of the Looniverse.
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4.0 OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
4.1 Netiquette/Guidelines
4.2 Types and Imprints
4.3 Reserving and Reserved Characters
4.4 Net.Earth and the Looniverse
4.5 FTP Information
4.6 LNH Subgroups
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4.1 Netiquette/Guidelines
NO FLAMES. This is a biggie. The LNH is made up of friends. We
can discuss problems rationally, without resorting to name-calling
(unless in jest). If you dislike something, say so AND say why.
Personal attacks on other writers WILL NOT be tolerated.
Propriety: Writers are encouraged to write for a general audience, keeping
in mind the varying sensitivities of the readers. Explicit sex,
profanity, racism, sexism, etc., offends many "regulars" here; needless
to say, the group in general frowns upon pointlessly offending people.
Generally, if this type of story (s&v) is what you like, the ACROPHOBE imprint
is where you need to go, though the extreme examples of the above will
probably not be welcome there, either.
Respect for each others' characters and a willingness to share the
spotlight with others are also considered desirable.
Try to build on what was written before you. Don't destroy a plot
or subplot, don't completely ignore it, don't split the net.earths into
alternate realities in order to avoid what has come before. If you
don't want to build on it, then don't write on it.
Don't add *too* much; we don't need a 100-villain slugfest every
time. Not every story should threaten all of reality - parts of it is just
fine.
When using another's WC in more than a cameo, it is considered
good netiquette to email the character's owner, though this is not
usually necessary. Please try to get a "feel" for the character before
writing them (ex: OTL speaks of himself in the third person, Typo
Lad misspells virtually every word, etc.). Major changes to
characters *definitely* require an email to the owner first.
Grab a copy of the roster before you do the story. Use it to make
sure that you have powers and especially names right.
Remember, one of the basic parts of the LNH is the ability to laugh at
one's self. Do not take any story events personally. At the same
time remember that all of the LNH are representations of real people,
so don't try to offend.
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4.2 TYPES AND IMPRINTS (based on "Types, Genres and Imprints" by Scav)
The LNH has several different types of stories, namely:
MINIS: these are 1 (maybe 2) writer stories. Generally speaking,
others do not add on to the story.
SHORT STORIES: These are like minis, but are only 1 or two posts
long. Character introductions and the _Kinda Big Darkness Saga_ fit
this category.
MOSAICS: These are the big multi-writer deals. There are two kinds
LIMITED: These have a few, set writers that do the story.
Electrocutioner's Song and Integrity Quest are examples.
UNLIMITED: These are the big free-for-alls that anyone can
write into. The most recent example was _The
Three Day Lull_, which had eight writers involved.
and different imprints, namely:
LNH LOONIVERSE: These are the regular, mainline stories, much
like those of the DC or MARVEL Universes. CRY.SIG is one of
these.
ELSEWHIRLS: These are stories outside the plot stream. Examples
include LNH: Girl's Night Out and _What If Kid Kirby Had Died
During Comics Connection_.
PULP: (Pre-War Ultra-human Literary Pantheon) These are stories patterned
after the 30-40's pulp heroes (the Shadow, Doc Savage, the Avenger,
the Spider, etc.) They currently only have thematic and subtle
reference links to the LNH. AGENT OF P.U.L.P. is the current
example.
ACROPHOBE: This is the "mature" line. Like DC's VERTIGO,
ACROPHOBE stories tend to focus more on characterization than
on epic battles. The format of ACROPHOBE allows the writer to
go beyond the constraints found in stories that follow the comic
code.
A NOTE ON WRITING ACROPHOBE STORIES: They should
ALWAYS be in good taste (this holds true for ALL LNH stories).
"Porno stories" are NOT allowed. Cursing is allowed, but use good
sense when doing it. Only words that you could find in issues of
SANDMAN or HELLBLAZER are appropriate (ie. do not use f**k or
other similar words). This option should only be used in an
attempt to make speech patterns in characterization more realistic
(for those times when "ahh shucks", just won't work). If your
reason for writing an ACROPHOBE story is so you can use curse
words, you're better off just not doing the story.
[I, personally, have used the words h*ll and a*****e in
stories without specifying them to be under the Acropho imprint,
for example. - MFP]
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4.3 Regarding Reservation
Plot "seeds" may be reserved for future use, as well. The best
way to do this is, once again, to stick a note on the end of your post
to that effect. It is usually best to then e-mail the keeper of the
dangler list, provided one exists (a problem at present).
You may also reserve the right to have reservations about the LNH.
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4.4 Net.Earth and the LNH Looniverse
LNH adventures take place on one of the many earths in many of
the dimensions in a galaxy far, far... wait a second. It takes place on
"an" earth in the omniverse in the present time. Which isn't to say
that it can't be moved to other planets, other dimensions, and other
times.
The LNHQ is located in the city of Net.ropolis in the Loonited States
of America. Little is known about exactly *where* Net.ropolis is,
though. Other cities include Net.York City (where the Sewage refugees
like Spoon fled to after the Cosmic Plot-Device Caper), Net.lanta, and Coastal
City.
The LNHQ is a sprawling complex containing rooms for all present
LNHers, guest rooms, a monitoring room, a central command center, a
high-tech war room, a Peril room, a shuttle bay, transmat chambers,
HoloDecStations, swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), vault,
prisoner holding cells, laboratories, and any other convenience you
can think of. It sits on a nexus to all realities, so these realities at
times overlap into the LNH's with slight vibrational differences. This
causes the slight annoyance of phantom images, which explains how
deceased or otherwise inactive/occupied characters seem to pop up
from time to time. Martin keeps an unofficial floorplan of LNHQ, which you
are free to use, modify, and/or discard as you see fit. The ever-changing
layout of LNHQ is a running joke (as is who the receptionist(s) is (are)).
There are other planets with their own populations as well.
Webster's World, for example, is the home of Spelling Boy, while the
planet Qwerty (home of Myk-El) was destroyed by the Logic Bomb of the
Dvorakian Empire. Another known planet is H'yyydde'uz (post Beige Noon
spelling), former home of Crossover Queen.
The various alt, rec, etc. groups exist, as the LNH visited alt.fan.dan-
quayle during Cry.Sig. The Crossover Queen is currently trapped in
rec.org.sca. There have been various cross-overs with alt.cyberpunk.chatsubo,
alt.fan.suicide-squid, and alt.fan.bugtown. Several characters are known to
derive their powers from a region of existence known as the Dyslexia
Dimension. Alt.ernate timelines have also been found. Other dimensions
also exist (such as the "evil LNH" dimension).
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4.5 FTP SITE FOR LNH STORIES
Jon Arvid Lovstad has provided an ftp site for us. To use it, type "ftp
ftp.hiof.no", give "anonymous" as your username and your e-mail address
as your password. The stories are in the directory pub/Comics/Fanfiction/LNH.
Use the commands cd pub, etc. to get to this directory. It is also available
via gopher to gopher.hiof.no. Jon requests that you please do not use the
FTP site between the hours of 3:00 AM to 1:00 PM CST (4 AM to 2 PM EST). Russ
Allbery is, as of December 1993, uploading all posted stories into the archive.
Also, there is now a second archive for LNH stories, once again provided for
us by the ineffable Mr. Allbery, at eyrie.stanford.edu. Russ writes:
>LNH stories will continue to be archived as before, and LNH writers do not
>need to include an X-Archive: header (because I'll decide where the stories
>go myself). Because I have to do some extra work with LNH stories, putting
>them into the Timeline and Authors List, new LNH stories will go into
>/pub/lnh/incoming until I have time to get to that. If you are looking for
>a new LNH story in the archive, you may find it there.
>All of the stories on eyrie.stanford.edu are going to be compressed using
>gzip, *not* compress. This is a change from the previous standard. gzip is
>more readily available for different operating systems and isn't based on a
>patented technique so it is freely distributable. If you do not have gzip
>on your system already, ftp to prep.ai.mit.edu and get the file
>README-about-.gz-files in the /pub/gnu directory. There is even an
>executable available for VMS systems. I will be converting the compression
>on the existing files within the next couple of days.
>The /pub/Comics/Fanfiction directory on ftp.dhhalden.no is no longer going
>to be a separate archive site. It will now be a mirror of
>eyrie.stanford.edu. This will take some time to set up, and Jon will be
>extremely busy until October 26th. Until then, ftp.dhhalden.no will *not* be
>current, and will not have the new stories that eyrie.stanford.edu has.
>From this point on, eyrie.stanford.edu is the *main* ftp site for racc and
>aclnh; please use ftp.dhhalden.no as a backup only. gopher.dhhalden.no is
>still the only option for people who want to use gopher, however.
>Due to disk space constraints, I cannot handle gif or jpeg files at this
>time, so there will no longer be a place for those in the archives. I may
>be able to make some temporary space for them on request, but do not expect
>them to be regularly archived, and they will be the first thing to go if I
>start running out of space. I have plenty of space left if I just archive
>stories, but it's going to disappear fast with 400K gifs.
>eyrie.stanford.edu is not a permanent name, unfortunately, and will quite
>probably disappear as of June of 1995. That's long enough to change FAQs for
>though, and I may be able to work something out then.
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4.6 LNH Subgroups
BACKGROUND: The Net.Patrol was the original LNH subgroup. Other
subgroups have formed either through the process of bringing together
old LNH characters, the creation of many new characters or both.
LNH subgroups differ from independent groups in that LNH subgroups
consist of actual LNH members (although not necessarily in entirety).
See the full LNH roster for details. Current LNH subgroups are:
i) The Net.Patrol: Kid Anarky, Panta, Kid G, Curly, and Lost Cause
Boy (deceased).
ii) Ultimate Ninja's ninjitsu class: Cannon Fodder, Cheesecake Eater Lad,
Parking Karma Kid and Special Bonding Boy.
iii) Dvandom Force: Sig.Lad, Sidewinder, Squidman, Rotanna, Kopikat,
Cheeez Arrow and Kid Macro.
iv) Kid Kirby and Sing Along Lass.
v) Legion of Occult Heroes: Green Trenchcoat, Leviathan Lass and
Demon Boy.
vi) Load Island Renegades: CAW (CARBORUNDUM ARMORED WEAPON),
Digressor, The Squeaky Flying Rodent, Swordmaster, The Whip and Warbabe.
vii) Decibel Dude and Vigilante Guy.
viii) Unlikely Aliens: Hybrid, Zagyg Ygraine, Ur-Grue, Wyrd and Pack Rat.
ix) ElfForce: Elf, Mormon Chick, Lord Vampire, Texas Louisiana and
Clown.
In addition to these "official" subgroups we also have the following
(note the deliberate overlap in some cases):
x) Triple Players: Hooded Ho`'od Win, Catalyst Lass, Innovative Offen se
Boy, Ordinary Lady, Deductive Logic Man, Invisible Incendiary, Captain
Napalm and Nomex Man.
xi) The Drizzt's Defenders: Continuity Champ, the Drizzt, Judak, RetConan,
Crossword Master, Obscure Trivia Lad. Feel free to use them; just email
Drizzt first, please.
xi) The Saint Squad: Pocket Man, Organic Lass, Sarcastic Lad and Elvis Man.
xii) Net.Titans: Kid Mysticism, Plot Device King, Research Lass, Lurker Lad,
Browsing Boy and Linguist Lass.
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5.0 JOINING THE LNH (by wReam)
To join the LNH one simply has to come up with one character that they
feel epitomizes their life - drab, simple, fun, or what not - that usually has
something to do with the net or with comics. For example, If people accused
me of having a drab and boring personality that was limp and not very exciting
I might become Limp-Asparagus Lad! (Yes, the man with the powers and
personality of LIMP ASPARAGUS! ) Generally those more fun and more unusual in
character type are the kind that make the best characters.
Many people think to join the LNH you must have something to do with
comics. This is not necessarily the case. Many readers, at least people on my
campus who I have been trying to get join, don't read comics, and at times,
this can be a pain, because they don't get the jokes, but for the most part,
they have lots of fun as well. The LNH is steeped in comics. It was born in
the now defunct newsgroup rec.arts.comics and still is crosspost to
rec.arts.comics.creative (all messages in that group should have the prefix
LNH: ) and therefore characters such as Lost Cause Boy, Kid Kirby and Marvel
Zombie Lad are some of the most popular characters in the LNH.
Likewise, since the net is the home of the LNH, the net and net based
characters have become a mainstay! Characters that are associated with
computer types in general are great fun. Multi-Tasking Man, Lurking Girl,
NetLurker and Captain CoreDump are all names that come to mind that follow a
more netbased type of story. If you are on a machine that spazzes occasionally
and locks the CAPS on you become CAPTAIN CAPITALIZE in an instant!
Other characters that don't follow this mold also work. The LNH is a
chance to become a whacky hero that perhaps seems stupid but is a part of you,
and that others will relate with.
THE LNH CHARACTER CREED:
"The secret to acceptance in LNH is getting your character used!!!"
If your character is used, that means people like it. If your character
isn't used it doesn't mean that you are a loser. It just means that there
are too many characters to choose from and your character didn't strike the
author in question as being the one to use in his story.
OTHER THINGS THAT KEEP A WRITER FROM USING YOUR CHARACTER:
1) If you refuse to let them use your character or tie him (or her) into
a really complex plot that no one dares mess up. (Rebel Yell and Lurking Girl
are currently in Lurk of Faith, and are untouchable. If you try to write them
into a story, SCAV will bite your head off, then spit it out, stomp on it, and
then shoot it with a bazooka! [needless to say this wasn't a pleasant
experience for me --MFP])
2) Make your character OMNIPOTENT! Yes! That's right! We realize
that many want to play Munchkin roleplaying with their characters, but the LNH
is NOT a place for such shenanigans. We are NOT a roleplaying forum, there are
already too many of those on the net, and this just isn't the perfect place for
it. There are too many seemingly-omnipotent beings in the LNH already and they
are a pain to write for... You may like your Dungeons and Cyborgs and Horror
RPG, but this group is not the place to live your characters... We are not
a forum for roleplaying, there is no advancement or levels or any other
of that senseless drivel. The LNH provides a forum for creativity, a chance
to write a comic book of your own using some really fun characters... A chance
to relax and meet other heroes on this petri.net we call home...
3) Get upset when something bad happens to your character. If your
character gets trounced for a plot point, the best way to turn others off to
your character is to make a big fuss about how it was incredibly out of
character and that there is no way your character could be put in this
situation. Usually when someone kills or mangles your character, they intend
a rematch with your character and the same set up where your character wins!
4) Do something tasteless! The LNH has a simple moral base under
which few things are really tasteless, however we do have our limits. Although
it is now only LNH legend mention is made to the Integrity Questers and the
"Woody Scandal!" One of the few times the LNH has come together to say,
"Whoa!!"
5) There are plenty of ways to make people mad and make them not want
to have anything to do with you. Usually the polite thing to do is to send
the character's person an email message about what you intend to do.
6) Orphan the character. Introduce him/her, write a small story, then
never touch it again. One of Drizzt's personal pet peeves. Don't
introduce a character unless *you're* willing to write them.
Well now that you know the DON'Ts, let me focus on a couple of DOs and
then let you decide how you wish to be the part of it all.
Firstly, Fill out an application and send it to one of the
administrators...
>---- CUT HERE ----<
ROSTER TYPE: (LNH, ASSORTED WILD CARDS & INDEPENDENTS, INDEPENDENT
VILLAINS, VILLAIN GROUPS)
NAME:
TYPE: (NWC or WC) CREATED BY:
POWERS:
ADD.NOTES:
STATUS: (alive, dead or away on vacation)
ENEMIES:
<---- CUT HERE ---->
You can send your characters to
Martin -- cxmp@musica.mcgill.ca
In filling out this application, do not be afraid to ask what
something means. A WC is a character that you are associated with. It doesn't
necessarily mean you write a lot for that character, it just means that you are
associated with it.
Secondly, write some type of introduction to your character to the LNH.
If you have chosen to be a villain, write some plot that will help you to be
introduced in that way. Either way, you need to be introduced to the group so
that others can start writing your character into their stories, as saying that
you are so and so of the LNH! That will spark others into getting involved.
If you can convince them to use your character in the stories, then you have
more than one person writing your story!
Thirdly, as a courtesy to us roster-keepers, PLEASE keep roster
entries short. It is recommended that if you feel you need more space to
describe your character you create an "Official How To Write..." piece.
Fourthly, well, likewise, any type of publicity to the LNH is greatly
appreciated. We want this to be a fun place for people to come and enjoy
themselves. To have a chance to vent their frustrations about school, comics
or the net! Be a Mover and/or a Shaker! Have fun with it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.1 TIPS FOR WRITING LNH STORIES (by Martin, slightly revised by Drizzt)
1) RESPECT CHARACTERS. Let's face it, whether they're Writer-based
Characters (WCs) or Non-Writer-based Characters (NWCs), someone
created them. That means there is a right way and a wrong way to
write them. There are five ways to help ensure that a character is
done right: 1) read the roster, 2) email the creator (if known),
3) read stories that feature the character in question, 4) email
the author and 5) don't portray a character in a way that could be
considered insulting.
2) DON'T DO ANYTHING TOO SUDDENLY. People tend to have long term plans.
Sometimes their long term plans will involve your character in some
essential way. Give the net some advance notice of what is going to
happen to your character and be prepared to compromise. Some of our
veterans have dined on fried newbie after said newbie has decided to remake
the Looniverse in their image. Also, start out with only one, two, or maybe
three new characters at first; let the readers get to know them, then slowly
bring in more. Nothing turns off many people quicker than dumping 15
berzillion new characters on them in your first issue. Also, you'd be wise
not to do more than an issue or two a week; a faster pace will cause some
people not to read.
3) BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT OTHERS HAVE WRITTEN. You have some leeway
here: for one thing, it seems that the size of any given room varies
directly with the number of Legionnaires in it; similarly, the conference
table in the Central Command Centre appears to adapt for the number of
Legionnaires around it. Nevertheless, some effort has been made by
certain writers to visualize Legion Headquarters as having a lobby,
a cafeteria, laboratories, HoloDecStations, etc. Some consistency in
their description would surely be appreciated.
4) FOLLOW CONTINUITY. This is tricky: on one hand, you should place
stories in continuity; on the other hand, the story might not fit where
you want it to. You have four options: 1) make changes and repost,
2) have Doctor Stomper explain the continuity error way :) 3) declare
your story a dream / Elsewhirl or 4) negotiate a compromise with the
conflicting writer to the effect that at least one of you can make the
necessary changes.
5) DON'T START A STORYLINE YOU CAN'T FINISH. The exception here is a
subplot: people can feel free to write subplots for no other reason
than to inspire others. For example, a couple of recent McLaughlin
Man subplots in _Deja Dude and Master Blaster_ set the stage for the
use of McLaughlin Man in Ultimate Ninja #10 and LNH: Open House.
6) FOR LEGION STORIES, USE EXISTING LEGIONNAIRES. Feel free to create
your own characters for your solo stories but for stories that take
place inside Legion Headquarters, chances are the character you have
in mind is already in the roster. This, of course, will make writing
more challenging but, then again, you'd be more likely to receive
feedback this way.
7) MAKE USE OF THE CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN YOUR STORIES, the exception
being Useless-Background-Character Lad. Don't just have Canadian Smelling
Guy, your great new creation, appear in one issue never to be seen again.
No need to overpopulate the Looniverse. =)
8) USE YOUR CHARACTER WISELY. Your stories will give people an idea of
how your character should be used. Assuming you want your character to
be used, it's a good idea to appear useful.
9) READ LNH STORIES. Obviously the roster won't tell you everything.
One thing to look for is how the characters interact. The best way to see
this is to read previous stories. It's also a good idea to write the
character's owner and make sure you're portraying the character well.
10) HAVE FUN. No one is forcing you to write. Hopefully, if it's good
for you, it'll be good for us.
================================================================================
6.0 HELP! (or, who to see for what)
Author's List..............................???
Characterization...........................cxmp@musica.mcgill.edu
FAQ questions..............................barnejd@wkuvx1.wku.edu
FTP........................................jonal@gyda.hiof.no
windrider@cs.stanford.edu
How-To-Writes..............................barnejd@wkuvx1.wku.edu
IRC........................................barnejd@wkuvx1.wku.edu
Plot ideas.................................barnejd@wkuvx1.wku.edu
Roster.....................................cxmp@musica.mcgill.edu
Technical advice...........................crimson@ihz.compuserve.com
================================================================================
7.0 WHO WE ARE WHO WE PLAY WHERE WE ARE
al Khafiz, Jameel Kid Kirby ha09+@andrew.cmu.edu
Antoon, Marie Glitch Girl marie.e.antoon@students.miami.edu
Armstrong, Robert Nearsighted Boy rwa@gandalf.baylor.edu
(The Mystic Mongoose)
Barnes, Jeff (Drizzt) Continuity Champ barnejd@wkuvx1.wku.edu
Bartels, Hubert Panta hgb@catalina.opt-sci.arizona.edu
Bingham, Ray (wReam) Ultimate Ninja sl859@cc.usu.edu
*Coleburn, Jeff Multi-Tasking Man vsp@unix2.netaxs.com
Condon, Andre' Kid Chivalry ajc1@christa.unh.edu
*Drayer, Rebecca Organic Lass radrayer@panix.com
Enright, Jamas Fan.Boy enright_j@ix.wcc.govt.nz
Escutia, Mike Pliable Lad mre@christa.unh.edu
*Fike, Tori Lurking Girl vcf1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu
Fitzgerald, Charles LetterinG MaN cffitzge@iastate.edu
Friedman, Mark NetLurker crimson@ihz.compuserve.com
Gearman, Patrick Dr. Surreal gearman@viper.engr.scarolina.edu
*Geurink, Josh Occultism Kid fgwn27c@prodigy.com
Hardy, Paul enubf@csv.warwick.ac.uk
Henry, D dhenry@plains.nodak.edu
Hutchison, Steve Invisible Incendiary hutch@ibeam.intel.com
Ihimaera-Smiler, Writer's Block Woman ihimaera_j@ix.wcc.govt.nz
Jessica (Jaelle)
Johnson, Scott zagyg@io.com
Kogutt, Todd (Scav) Rebel Yell scav@eyrie.stanford.edu
Lucke, Kyle Cheeezarr lucke@plains.nodak.edu
McCoskey, Jeff Agent of PULP jjmcc@ix.netcom.com
Milan, Peter (Tick) Decibel Dude pmilan@fscvax.fsc.mass.edu
Parillo, Wayne (Poet) ELF wep@titan.usc.umass.edu
Perler, Brian Obscure Trivia Lad bxp1628@hertz.njit.edu
Phipps, Martin Deja Dude cxmp@musica.mcgill.ca
Porell, Ian descrii@aol.com
Rogers, Rob EDM Lite edml@delphi.com
Rossi, Matt (Badger) MR.9767@acc.rwu.edu
Rawluk, Ben ad140@freenet.unbc.edu
Schmidt, Ken Tsar Chasm kenaschm@cs.indiana.edu
St. Lawrence, Gary Pocket Man saint@express.ctron.com
Sturgeon,Eric(Stirge) Errand Boy ESTURGEON@EAC.CC.AZ.US
Savoie, Stephane Kid Anarky 003695s@dragon.acadiau.ca
Van Domelen, Dave Sig.Lad dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Villareal, Rene Dog-Boy rgv00@mondrian.csufresno.edu
Whitson, Jennifer mistlock@aol.com
Wilcox, Kevin Aeneas Boddy kmwilcox@iastate.edu
Wright, Patricia Vulcana pwright@unixg.ubc.ca
* = "Are you still alive?"
[NOTE: Several people were deleted from this list after mail to their
former accounts bounced. If you're still on line and want to remain
in the FAQ, email me with your new address. These people are:
Bergstol, Steinar Reaper steinarb@stud.hedmarkdh.no
Petersen, Matt mattp@matt.matt.ksu.edu
Pierce, Ben Marvel_Zombie Lad v124jw4y@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu
Sheibeler,John(uplink) uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu
Spitzer, Arthur arthur-rvelks@nova.novanet.org
Sypal, Chris csypal@unomaha.edu
I know some of you are on line, but mail to your accounts at the above
addresses bounced.]
================================================================================
7.1 WHAT WE WRITE
a) Active Titles
_Agent of PULP_ by Jeff McCoskey. A dry parody of 30's Pulp novelettes,
starring the Pulp Institute.
_C.H.E.E.E.Z. Corps_ by Kyle Lucke. A series featuring everyone's favorite
Cheeezy net.hero team currently working out of Wisconsi.net.
_Continuity Champ and The Drizzt's Defenders_ by Drizzt. The original
cosmic-powered LNHer, his romantic interest, his barbarian rival, his liquid
metal sidekick, a nerd with a living costume, and an eccentric cosmic entity
have adventures on a somewhat irregular basis.
_Decibel Dude & Vigilante Guy_ by Tick tells the tales of two people who
have no business fighting crime together. D-Dude is an upstanding
hero with the powers of sound energy (plus the superhero basics--
strong, can fly, nigh-invulnerable), while Vig is a lunatic
who has way too many guns. Picture a cross between _Green Lantern
& Green Arrow_ and _The Young Ones_ and you've got the general idea.
_Dvandom Force_ by Dave Van Domelen. Sig.Lad and friends in Silver Age-style
adventures, with some obscure humor tossed in for good measure.
_ELF_ by Poet. [Wayne wrote an absolutely beautiful summary,
which I promptly lost. So, read the book! =) ]
_Elsewheres_ (an Acraphobe title) by Jamas Enright. This series takes a look at
the not-so-nice side of life outside Net.ropolis.
_Errand Boy_ by the Stirge. Follow the adventures of Eric Barnes, a.k.a.
Errand Boy, as he runs errands for the LNH and gets himself loads of trouble
thereby.
_Fan.Boy_ by Jamas Enright. The adventures of a self-called hero as he deals
with life outside of his own dimension.
_Glitch Girl & the ALT.TER.NET.TIVES by Marie Antoon. The adventures of one
Net.Hero and four Almost-Net.Heroes.
_Kiwi Kommandos_ by Ian Porell.
_Legion of Occult Heroes_ by Paul Hardy. Two women and one man are stranded
on an alien world. A world that looks curiously similar to their own. They
are superheroes. They are ordinary people. They appear in the title that has
the longest issues and the most serious themes. The title that won far too
many rAccies for its own good. The title that will end with #12. Shopping
trips. Burnt Net.ropolis. A missing grave. The death of a hero. Communist
witch hunts. Prisoner references. Only in the Legion of Occult Heroes.
_LNH Comics Presents_ by Various. An anthology featuring various LNHers
in various situations.
_LNH Triple Play_ by Jeff McCoskey. Three-way LNH teamups [get your mind out
of the gutter =) jdb], usually featuring Hooded Ho`'od Win.
_Misfits_ by Jennifer Whitson.
_Miss Ng In Action_ by Eric Sturgeon. Angst, angst, angst, and They Might Be
Giants. What more do you need in a series?
_Swordmaster And The Load Island Renegades_ by Badger. Imagine a group of
absolute misfits. Now, give them powers and/or lots of weapons. They'd STILL
be better off than the Load Island Renegades. Led by Swordmaster, who is
only a net hero because he got sick of listening to his dad, they fight the
menaces too relentlessly ridiculous for anyone else. Oh...And there's been a
lot of CLONING, too! So, if you LIKE the Spider-Clone storyline, you'll love
this! (Plus, I'll have an easier time finding you later...hehheh.)
_Spite Grrrl_ by Michael Friedman. The fun-loving adventures of a hacked-off
chick who wants things her way. Mix one part Tank Girl, one part Milk &
Cheese, and one part author. Chill. Serve under glass.
_Surreal Tales_ by Specter. A blatant rip-off of Strange Tales. It's not my
fault. Blame society.
_System Crash_ by Specter. Villians who want to destroy the Net and the
heroes who hate them.
_Tales of the LNH_ (starring Panta) by Hubert Bartels. One can imagine that
this was the original LNH title that has since been taken over by
Panta.
_The Adventures of Easily Discovered Man_ by Rob Rogers. Easily-Discovered
Man and his sidekick, Easily-Discovered Man Lite, struggle to become
superheroes without any real super-powers, gadgets, gimmicks, or medical
insurance. Many bad jokes and three or four mildly interesting situations
ensue.
_Unlikely Aliens_ by Scott Johnson. Five rather improbable heroes (and a
raven) deal with life in a strange Looniverse, the hazards of living with
people selected by a random universal summons, and a violation of the fourth
wall or two - and still occasionally make time for a bit of superheroics.
_Writer's Block Woman And Mouse_ by Jaelle. Writers Block Woman and her
sidekick and daughter Mouse (AKA Subliminal Girl) fight crime, lawyers,
insurance rates, bad taste, and occasionally each other in this rather silly
and at times completely incoherent series.
b) Serieses On Hiatus
_501 BLUES_ by Scavenger includes The Long Road to Nowhere,
parts 2,6 and 10 of the Electrocutioner's Song and Lurk of Faith.
_Aeneas Boddy Chronicles_ by Kevin Wilcox.
_Kid Kirby and Sing Along Lass_ by H. Jameel al Khafiz.
_Particle Man_ by H. Jameel al Khafiz.
_System Corruptors_ is an anthology piece for anyone who wishes to write a
villain story.
_U-Force_ by the Mystic Mongoose.
_Ultimate Ninja_ by wReam features Ultimate Ninja (duh), Cheesecake
Eater Lad, Parking Karma Kid, Cannon Fodder and wReamHack amongst
others.
c) Ongoing Minis and Maxis
_Birds Fly_ by Jameel and Russ.
_CAW! The Limited Series_ by Badger. You want me to EXPLAIN this? Well...
Ask the Tick. I'm bitter.
================================================================================
That ends the official welcome to alt.comics.LNH. If you still have any
questions, feel free to contact anyone you see posting to the group. And
remember: The LNH -- it's not just a job, it's a bunch of nutcases running
around in long underwear!
Back to the LNH page.