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ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1217
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| Posted: 30 November 2023 at 6:42pm | IP Logged | 1
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(One of my ideas in the formation of Kitty was that she would find Kurt disturbing. This was forgotten after “Days of Future Past”.) I loved that idea! Really hit home the "fear" aspect of what they were fighting. What if it's internal? Great contrast with the fact that Logan wasn't thrown by his appearance at all. Or his bubbly personality.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134275
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| Posted: 30 November 2023 at 8:40pm | IP Logged | 2
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You’ll notice I don’t use “elf” in ELSEWHEN. Didn’t make sense to me. “Hobgoblin” seemed a better choice.
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Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4635
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| Posted: 30 November 2023 at 11:12pm | IP Logged | 3
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I've said how I disliked some of the 'cute' things that would turn up in Cockrum X-Men, even though I also dislike the overly 'dark' thing of a certain time later on, but I did enjoy the two issue Starjammers comic Cockrum drew and it's humor a lot. That was not written by Claremont however... and maybe if it'd been part of regular X-Men issues while I was reading it I might not have thought it so fun, but as it's own side thing it was neat! If the cutesy fairy tale story had've been a one-shot and not so soon after they had gone through the death of a longtime core member (being sent-up in the fairy tale)... it probably still wouldn't have been my thing, I'd just have disliked it less (if I somehow had gotten it anyway, which I probably would not have). The smurf-like 'Bampfs' would've been cute as a letters page only thing, but like Gerber's 'Elf With A Gun' business it also did seem out of place in the actual comics undermining Nightcrawler's reality (and this from somebody who that the Ewoks were cool).
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6867
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| Posted: 30 November 2023 at 11:45pm | IP Logged | 4
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Yes, there were a number of huge parts of these characters that had been
so abandoned that Elsewhen was like seeing old friends come back after
being reported dead. They lived and breathed again. Particularly Kitty,
Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Cyclops. And Jean, Professor X, Peter and
Storm. “Particularly” every single character you brought in, frankly.
Edited by Mark Haslett on 30 November 2023 at 11:46pm
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Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12891
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| Posted: 01 December 2023 at 12:58pm | IP Logged | 5
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That "Kitty's Fairytale" issue is a testament to both Chris Claremont's excellence and his inability to leave well enough alone.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 02 December 2023 at 1:34pm | IP Logged | 6
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The transformation of Nightcrawler from his debut reflects something fairly common in American comics. Unless the talent is particularly careful, they will slip into a kind of “comfort zone” around the characters, presenting them as if everyone IN the stories operates on the same level as those in charge of crafting the stories. Public knowledge of Superman’ double identity is an early example. Even as a kid I wondered when he’d been dumb enough to tell the world he had a secret identity. It wasn’t something that civilians might assume, after all. Unlike most other costumed characters, Superman did not wear a mask. At Marvel this took the form of “Fozzie Thing” and Spider-Man slipping into genric adventures—especially in MTU—that carried him far from his street-level loner characterization. Which brings us to Nightcrawler, who became more and more bubbly and bouncy, despite his hideous appearance.
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6867
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| Posted: 02 December 2023 at 3:32pm | IP Logged | 7
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It’s interesting how literalizing the general points of Nightcrawler’s
appearance in the movies more or less eradicated any glimmer of a “fuzzy
elf”— it is hard to imagine how they would ever have gotten there from
where they started.
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Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4922
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| Posted: 02 December 2023 at 3:53pm | IP Logged | 8
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If you look at the frightening Nightcrawler in GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1 and compare him to what he became, you begin to wonder if they understood the point of the character. His appearance quickly became "generic guy with black fur, fangs and a tale, and evolved into the "Fuzzy Elf". And, hard to believe as it wwas, it was Cockrum making the changes!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 02 December 2023 at 4:39pm | IP Logged | 9
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When Paul Smith put Kurt in a bubble bath with his girlfriend(!), my first thought was Yum! Wet fur!
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Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4922
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| Posted: 03 December 2023 at 12:10am | IP Logged | 10
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Always a good look/smell/clog.
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ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1217
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| Posted: 03 December 2023 at 3:33am | IP Logged | 11
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I always took the perception of and reaction to Nightcrawler to be meant to contrast with that of Beast. I thought that was the point, otherwise it makes the character somewhat redundant, especially being blue and fuzzy. Kurt staying creepy (he DOES come with a tail and brimstone funk) is right up there with Logan staying (occasionally) crazy.
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