Major Spoilers

    Major Spoilers Question of the Day: The Prototype Edition

    Matthew PetersonBy Updated:3 Comments1 Min Read

    A recent discussion with Major Spoilers EIC Stephen somehow led to the topic of ‘Frisky Dingo’, making me realize once again that the show is just a prototype for the later, more successful ‘Archer.’  Both shows feature a jerk protagonist who is inexplicably good at what he does, furious skewering of adventure storytelling tropes and a childish (in ways good and bad) sense of humor.  ‘Archer’ manages a better grasp of story, though, and succeeds where ‘Dingo’ failed, leading to today’s exemplary query…

    The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) finds it interesting that Slapstick (a fourth-wall breaking wacky cartoon-physics funster hero from the early 90s) is very much a proto-Deadpool, asking: Which shows/books/etc. feel like they’re just a prototype for a later, better version?

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    Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.

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    3 Comments

    1. Malone_hasco on

      I always felt like Firefly had potential it never reached and then it ended. On the other hand, it probably feels like it could have been great because they didn’t make it more. Kind of same thing as with True Detective: It had great inspiration and cast and result was one of the best TV shows pretty much ever. Then they made season 2 without anything that made the first one so good.

    2. Toric on

      The recent video-type game No Man’s Sky feels like more of a proof of concept regarding the game engine than a fleshed out game. It’s still great fun for someone with my gaming taste, but I’m looking forward to a future game that uses this engine but has a more structured plot than “Journey to the center of the universe because there.”