 In which James, Bill, Stef and Mike list some of the comics, movies and TV shows that have been an influence and have fuelled some of the ideas that are gonna be explored at They Came and Shaved Us... If you haven't heard of any of them, then go check em out - especially before going to the Con. Please note that this list is in alphabetical order (in so far as I can be arsed to check). 2000 AD - I started reading this with prog 1, and it's still great stuff, for the most part, says Michael, and that is a sentiment all of us. 2000 AD was an introduction to many comics with an SF bent. Whether it was ABC Warriors, Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Sláine, Nemesis or Halo Jones, there was much on offer for all. These days the Megazine just has the edge, despite all the reprints. The Adam & Joe Show - A little-seen but brilliant late-night Channel Four show. These guys are our heroes! The older ones were best but you can also catch them doing the voice-overs on Shock Video. The Antipope, by Robert Rankin - The first and for many the finest Robert Rankin novel, we are introduced to the wonderful borough of Brentford, its strange, unusual and interesting inhabitants and join the protagonists, Pooley and OMalley as they do their darndest to beat strange supernatural forces. The pub setting, use of urban myths and wonderful laugh out loud humour makes this a great read. Robert is of course our Master of Ceremonies, so we think that if you haven't read one of his books, which we think is unlikely, this is a great starting point. Apocalypse Now - This movie gives an insight into how fandom (jaysus!) actually works. The quite insane character of Colonel kurtz depicted by Marion Brando, could be considered the senior truf (True Fan, bearded, old at heart, talks about politics in Fred Pohl novels, fun is washing balls in shower, which haven't been seen in decades etc.) type in con running. They want it to be the way it's always been, no change just run around with beards and stuff. Then there is Captain Willard the young sensible chap, with new fresh ideas yet not too outlandish, who is out to kill Kurtz, and replace his insane rambling shite, and finally there is Colonel Kilgore. Kilgore is a bit like us, a bit mad, bent on having a few beers, and a good time, even if there is a war going on. It's a good movie too. (Strange parallels in James' mind).
Blade Runner - Just to show that sometimes, very rarely, Hollywood gets it right!
There's never been a better sci-fi movie, and there probably never will be. Brazil - Terry Gilliam's finest hour! Even in the butchered, castrated and bowdlerised form that reached the cinema, this is a classic, and one of the few Robert De Niro movies I'd be bothered to watch. "27b16"
Cthulhu Mythos - H.P.Lovecraft's brilliant creation of an occult dimension of horror
swarming with such monsterous entities as dread Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth and
other malign supernatural beings has captured the imagination of millions of readers all
over the world. So who is the big C ? Cthulhu is a Great Old One. He and his brethren
ruled the Universe untold millennia ago, but now the stars are wrong and He lies
sleeping in his city beneath the waves, R'iyeh. When the Stars Are Right He will
emerge and feast, and we who worship Him will be elevated to our rightful places of
power, and will live forever in an orgy of feasting, fighting, and f... well, you get the
idea. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - This movie reminds me of most of the conventions I have been to. It's a bit of a road trip, based on Hunter S. Thompson's book of the same name. The main reason to watch this movie is to get the right impression of what Tobes' room will look like after the room party, that, the drugs drink and sex fuelled insanity. (Drink, drugs, sex, insanity, room party). From Hell (By Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell) - This phone book of a graphic novel is, in more ways than one, a work of art. it deals with the Whitechapel murders and the infamous Jack the Ripper. From the opening page it grabs you, the detailed drawings douse your mind in imagery of the time, you almost feel as though you are in Victorian London. The story examines the murders, victims and possible suspects throughout its 700 or so pages, with Moore's own reckoning being brought to light, but still a piece of fiction. From Hell (the movie) - This is a good movie. You shouldn't watch it before you have read the comic though, as it could be considered a poor adaptation of same. This movie is about Jack the Ripper, a subject we will be touching upon at the convention, and is based upon Alan Moore's fictional take on the whole history of the murders. Happy Tree Friends - Cute, cuddly, and horribly wrong... It's the Happy Tree Friends! They may be ultra-sweet but there's no way they'll escape their horrible fate! Cartoon Fun with Violence! Violence! Violence! Discovered last year, we haven't stopped pissing our pants yet! Jackass TV - The pie-in-the-face gag has come along way... and it's hardest, dumbest and most funny incarnation yet can be found on the MTV program Jackass. Whether you wanna see a guy in a portaloo that's upended, showering him in crap, a human bowling ball, downhill kiddy-toy racing, naked snowboarding, or arse-cheek piercing, these are the dudes to give it to you. A group of modern day jesters who gleefully risk abject humiliation and grievous bodily harm - EXCELLENT!
The League of Gentlemen - Right, well basically this TV series is the most strange,
weird and rather perverse TV comedy programme ever. All done by four guys, playing
a huge number of characters, it's key that all attendees at least get a chance to see
some of this wonderful surreal entertainment. Apart from knowing that Dundalk has been
twinned with Royston Vasey four years running, there are a few phrases that will be
helpful to you during the convention... Marvelman - I refuse to call this one by its American name! The art is pretty ropey in the second half of book two, and there's no point in reading it after book three (Alan Moore left and some impostor took over), but I still love it. Marvels - A very different view of the Marvel universe. Absolutely fantastic artwork by Alex Ross. If you're going to buy this, and you should, go for the hardback edition! You'll treasure it forever! Preacher (By Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, covers by Glen Fabry) - Preacher is one hell of a road trip. It stars Jesse Custer, a reverend who becomes possessed by a half-angelic, half-demonic being called Genesis, which gives him a power that no one, not even God himself, can ignore. He meets up with a past love, and an Irish vampire and goes in search of God, who has left heaven. It's a roller coaster of fast, brutal violence, irreverential humour and vulgarity. Pulp Fiction - Travolta becomes cool again and Samuel L. Jackson doesn't eat pork... You've all seen this one, so you know what we mean. "Royale with Cheese." Slaine - The King (By Pat Mills and Glenn Fabry) - A world of mists and magic and the ultimate Celtic warrior, Slaine. This classic comic tale of sword and sorcery is the epic saga that introduced 2000 AD readers to Slaine. In this collection, Slaine is exiled from his tribe and is forced to roam the land of Tir-Nan-Og with his dwarf, Ukko. He has to make much use of his famed warrior strength so that he can return victorious and claim his rightful place as King. Violence, Celtic mythology and a good dose of strange evilness is the order of the day. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut! - Because it's rude, irreverent, uses a lot of bad language, tackles difficult and controversial issues, is violent, nasty, bold, sex, drink, drugs, salty balls, full of kids, strange people, created by geniuses. (Sounds like They Came and Shaved Us, really). Spaced - This is a sort of Sci-Fi fannish reality created in an effort to parody all of us. The TV series isn't imaginary or anything, it actually exists which also makes it real, but it's based on the other real, that we live and do in rather than real as in Sharon is pregnant in Eastenders, although this is real for some people, in a real way. Unfortunately since the TV series, which I suppose exaggerated reality a bit, in an imaginary sort of way, people now try to emulate the unreal reality by emphasising the aspects portrayed and now there is a sort of real problem with that as emulating and emphasising something that is already an emulation of an emphasised trait or mannerism, or way of life is bad thing, cause it's not really that way. Is it? This is Spinal Tap - One of those rare comedies that's still funny after umpteen viewings. And you just have to get the DVD version with all the extras, including an in- character commentary from the band. "Bigger bread." The Tom Green Show - Before Jackass there was Tom Green. His own TV talk show with a difference - eating Vaseline matted hair cuttings, pouring a bag of kitti-litter in his mouth, riding a cow into a grocery store and of course Humping a Dead Moose at the side of the road (sung about by Slim Shady). This guy has such a great sense of humour he filmed himself having his cancerous bollock removed! V for Vendetta (By Alan Moore and David Lloyd) - It is 1998 (which was the future when Moore wrote this) and a Fascist government has taken over the UK. The only blot on its particular landscape is a lone terrorist who is systematically killing all the government personnel associated with a now-destroyed secret concentration camp. Codename V is out for vengeance. With a number of nods towards 1984, this comic shows what could have been, with a bleak outlook that permeated Britain in the early 80s. Watchmen (By Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins) - A multi-levelled story, rich in cultural allusion and historical pastiche. Considered the first comic to work as a novel. Loosely a superhero 'whodunnit' set in an alternate 1985 where Nixon won the Vietnam War. Moore's love for superhero comics is born out by this amazing story, as wheels turn within wheels, and we get to see how superheroes could have affected our world. Whitnail and I - This is another nod to Science Fiction insanity. The trip up the country is again rather like trips to conventions. This movie is especially notable for its reference to our kitchen sinks, strange people shouting out in the middle of the night, and drink. It's rather poignant and even a wonderful movie, and one of the stars is also a Doctor Who, for you Whovian completeists. (Drink, insanity, strange sex, nearly, kitchen sink).
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