eerily allegorical of this place.

The more I try to think of awesome musical characters to join in on the journey (using Wizard of Oz plot devices) the more the characters develop into ... you guys.

I already mentioned my character Erroneous Monk, a keyboard/synth player from a long line of classic/jazz pianists who forsook his family's legacy for electronic (and most likely goth-influenced) music earning him his title.

I also imagined a steam-powered robot who obsessively builds new instruments for all sorts of new noise making.

There are a couple of other ideas rolling around the ol' noggin which I have to admit all seemed to be inspired by this place.

So I guess what I am trying to say is, I am very unoriginal and owe most of my creativity to better imagineers than I.

This sounds like the greatest thing ever.

fear not, call your ideas "influenced by" like the rest of us.

What I do is, I know what I draw my influences from, and make sure that I make it different.

I am excited.


I am afraid I am not distinct enough to be rendered into a character in your musical venture, yet I will love it nonetheless.

You always say stupid shit like that when one of us talks about doing a project involving us. Just shut up and go with it.

Okay.
Well, I suggest you have a charismatic, bro-matic, automatic, systematic death metal vocalist up in there.

Actually ... I was planning on the story being a bildungsroman, which would mean I would need an "undeveloped" youthful lead character to build a formative tale around.




Also, I am pretty sure I may write characters based on most of use here, though all of them may not be a part of the main running crew. Another idea I had was to try and recruit some of you to play the parts that you essentially influenced. Making this a collaborative album written for and by Maplitonians.


Also, the smilie just made me think of a uber-metal playing space alien.


There are also talks between a graphic design/artist/sculptor friend of mine and myself about a graphic novel

I'm down with playing my part, assuming you write my dialogue.

I don't think that they would ever be necessary, but if there is a large demonic character with a speaking part, I figure I could do it mighty fine.

The voice of the great and powerful Oz, of course.

SILENCE, MORTALS!

And then, when the curtain is pulled I could go into my normal talking voice.



I suppose that the main bad guy could be some death metal nerd sitting behind a curtain with some smoke and mirrors show going.

That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

A death metal hipster, incapable of allowing himself to enjoy anything outside of his tightly-defined chosen genre.

Ideas, they are a'flowin.

And I would be writing any dialogue myself. I was thinking of using short rap interludes every few songs as plot devices to explain the story outside of the lyrics of the song. Essentially, a rapping narrator. I think I may get my broheim (like, actually blood-broheim) to rap for me.

This sounds like it's shaping up to be extremely awesome.

Also, an epic guitar battle at some point or another would be super sick.
Maybe between some super shredder and a minimalist indie hipster.

I really need to start writing an outline. Sounds like a good project for tomorrow ...

This whole concept has me more excited than pretty much any of my other half-assed project ideas. I can't decide what I want to happen though ...

I feel like I want to do something mid-apocalyptic ... as in shit's going down while shit's[i] going down.[/i] Which would mean I need to find a starting point, a reason for the world's demise and most likely a means of preventing it. Or better yet, not a means of preventing it but instead a means of preserving life/music/culture/existence through it.

So much to do, so much to do.

It is indeed a truly epic undertaking.
If you are short on inspiration or want advice, you know where to come.


Also, it is fairly imperative that there is a wise, old blues sage somewhere in there.

He will also be a cowboy.

I don't know if you've ever read the stand or know the basic plot outline, but something similar would be really humorous and inventive.
Two sides of musicians being drawn to polarizing figures in their dreams, in The Stand that being Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg (The Dark Man).
You could have the two for this story be an old, aging blues musician and this elitist death metal nerd.
Just a thought.

that 'twould be Crossroads, Steve Vai and Ry Cooder

Vai is not death metal, but gtave off the Satanist vibe for the movie, at least Hollywoods idea of it.