Web hosting Custom Email SiteBuilder

The Future Shock Roundtable

In late November, Trevor Carrington, writer of Gen23: IFS and Hulk:MFS, caught up with just a few of the big names in the world of Future Shock. Yes, you've probably heard that term before, especially considering its newest spawn (no pun intended), Image Future Shock, just debuted on Haloween. Now we get to see all the, uh, magic behind the Future Shock groups, in this interview with Mark Peyton, Alex Cook, Robin Sutton, and Jacob Milnestein.

HEROES: For the less fortunate out there, tell us what Future Shock is all about.
Alex Cook: Shiot. Give us the hard question first why don't you.
Mark Peyton: It's one grand experiment that falls down sometimes but hasn't self combusted yet and is actually working better. It's an idea about doing a Fanfic site or three with no EiC No formal hierarchy. Where every one has a vote and every vote is equal.
HEROES: That... that was beautiful.
Mark: Heh.
Alex: It's our attempt to push the envelope of fanfiction a little. Everyone was doing the same old shit. FS turns a comics mythos on its ears, throws it in a blender, adds a few parts from some obscure comic book no one has ever read and bakes it all into one hell of a good time.
Mark: And quite a few of us had walked out of some sites and didn't want to go back to quite that style of doing things. Plus we're all weirdos.
Alex: Yeah... we are ALL weirdos.
HEROES: What, even moi?
Alex: HELLS ya.
Mark: Yep. You said the new bond girl was a bloke today.
HEROES: Hey, how was I supposed to know? Damn Brits and your beloved Bond. :)
Mark: It's already degenerated 8)
Alex: BOND sucks.
HEROES: What does 'Future Shock' Mean to you?
Alex: Future Shock means nothing more than... Shit, no clue. :)
Robin Sutton: Like, a shocking future? Well, to me, it means quality stuff I write. Hope other folks think that too!
Jac Milnestein: A short two page feature in the back of 2000 AD that Alan Moore, amongst others, used to write.
Mark: It means fanfiction set in the future? *s*
HEROES: There you go again being snooty.
Mark: It means taking some chances. Means not doing easy stories necessarily. It was the name of the site when we arrived. 8)
Alex: We had no part in the naming of the group. We just run it now. ;)
Mark: Nowadays it means more of a brandmark. It means series that are almost regular. It means no huge gaps between new issues going up. It means we'll put our hands up and say that's a mistake and so we'll sort it.
HEROES: So do you think the Future Shock groups take a lot more chances than the other fanfic groups out there?
Jac: Not really. I think sometimes the scope of things are a little broader but I don't think they take any more chances. This kind of thing is within a medium that has been founded because the people writing haven't had those chances. Fan fiction is a medium based on daydreaming and people saying 'Wow, what would it be like if *I* wrote comics! Gee whiz, I could be the next Stan Lee!' or something like that.
Robin: I'd need to read all the other stuff out there to decide that. We do try to be original, if that means anything.
Alex: Yes, I do think the FS groups take more chances. With characters as well as plots. We're trying to change the way people look at these stories, one issue at a time. No other group would turn Europe into a massacred land with an Iron Monarch at one end trying to destroy the other. No other group would hide the identity of Batman from its readers. And NO group would turn New York into a monolith full of vampires.
Mark: Well do you see nice easy X titles here? Wolverine perhaps? We don't go for the obvious choices of series. We work to make our characters unique and to make our continuity work. And for our worlds to evolve, develop. Nothing worse than a stagnant world. I happen to think Doom's a good guy in our universe too. Sometimes.
Alex: Doom sits on the fence. He's whatever he needs to be to get the job done.
HEROES: You mentioned Wolverine a second ago. Mind divulging us as to why he's been banned from MFS?
Alex: 'Cause we hate him? ;)
Mark: He hasn't. He's on our ugh list but we did almost have a Wolvie series. Punisher was on our Ugh list too but Jack [Bohtis] came through with a new twist and made the concept his. That and most of us do dislike Wolverine in any version other than Frank Miller's one.
Alex: Like Mark was saying, it's too easy of a choice. We're not looking for the easy way out. We're looking for the stories that make you go 'Fuck, I didn't see that coming.'
HEROES: Is that the official slogan of FS, Alex? ;)
Alex: LOL. Sure. It is now at least. ;)
HEROES: How did this FS phenomena get started anyhow? What brought about DCFS and IFS?
Alex: Mark, this one is all you. You're the one who conned me into this place.
Mark: The FS phenomena started with Michael Shirley and Jericho Vilar. They created the basic MFS world and asked me along. The basic ideas were there then I strated bringing people in like Robin and my brother, [Alex Peyton]. Things happened and Michael didn't have the time to get the work done and we switched from an EiC system to the one we have now. That started MFS in January.
Alex: Next thing I know, Mark's left the DCF over some bad mojo and he mentions to me the whole MFS idea.
Mark: DCFS happened quite blatantly because we'd been discussing amongst ourselves leaving DCF and Rob suggested we needed a world to house stuff.
Alex: I came aboard and found out about plans for the DCFS, which I jumped on. Jac then gets the idea to start the IFS and it's been working since.
Mark: Biohaz got dragged in because he started reviewing us and we felt we needed more honest opinions.
Alex: Yeah, that was it. I yelled and you listened
HEROES: And then Alex dragged me into it. Vicious cycle, that.
Alex: Yep yep. ;)
Mark: That's the thing we drag in people generally or we get people prop out the blue. By dragging we do end up with a sound foundation though which is how DCFS and IFS have been able to launch with the groundwork there.
Alex: MFS is the tried and true. DCFS is a bit off the beaten path, but still has strong roots in the DC mythos. IFS, heheh... that place is just Image thrown in a blender.
Mark: The key to why we did in the end start up the other sites was because there were gaps there and we thought we had the stories to tell.
HEROES: Would you say the FS groups are more strict on the level of quality put out by the writers, as opposed to other groups?
Jac: I think so, definitely as far as MFS and DC: FS are concerned. I think with IFS, as with Image itself, we're willing to take in any fucker who's stupid enough to put two words together in an email to us.
Robin: Definitely. We have had bad times over that, but in general we try to make sure that the quality is second to none. We've scrapped some ongoing series in the past because they did not meet the FS standard.
Alex: I know I harp harder on your guys then I do at the other groups I'm attached with. Other then that, all I can say is its the writers we have that normally push out the quality work. We're just here to catch the few errors that come up.
Mark: Probably because we're all such picky individuals. I've been kicked for issues that sucked. We all keep an eye on each other suggesting ideas pushing the others on or saying that doesn't work and here's why. We're lucky when we got people like Ali and Jac and others who are really good writers and so they push themselves. The quality is there, that's why we have a weird type of submission that we do whereby it comes in and sometimes the entire site will discuss the prop with the proposer.
HEROES: Earlier, you mentioned that you switched from having an EiC to having a larger democracy-type setting in regards to editorial things. Do you find this is the most effective?
Robin: Generally, yes, although Mark might not agree!
Jac: I don't think it makes difference, to be brutally honest. It doesn't matter whether you give yourself that title or whether the group forces you into a position where you are everything but an EiC. With every group there will always be an elite few who know much more than the others. It's what happens and you can either call them the EiC and his editors or you can call them just the editors, it doesn't really make much difference.
Mark: It's less egocentric. It means that no one person's voice rings through the whole site and that the site should be a nicer more fun place to work at with less of a them and us mentality.
HEROES: So would you suggest that other groups try this format, such as the big ones like MV1 and Marvel-X?
Jac: Only if it worked for them.
Robin: Yes. It means that more people know what is going on, and you get more feedback.
Mark: I think the reason it works for us is because we all talk or try to and a lot of us are friends so the site carries through past the fanfic. I've never worked at either of those two sites and don't think I'd want to.
Alex: MV1 is in a political nightmare right now. Branch Editors' egos getting stepped on, writers getting insulted. The way we do it, no one person has more pull then the other. Decisions aren't delivered from on high. Each person has a vote. There aren't any hurt feelings because no one can say they weren't heard, or their opinions were ignored.
Mark: Everyone which includes the site staff and when we get our new editor in at DCFS he won't be writing but he'll have a vote.
Alex: Luba and Morkai have votes, and they don't write. They never vote either, but they could if they wanted to.
Mark: Morkai has voted. Rob writes but he does get scared of voting sometimes 8)
Alex: It's up to the individual. If they don't want to vote, that's fine. They just can't get upset when a descion doesn't go their way if they don't vote.
Mark: Some of us get heard because we're the gobby ones, but it doesn't mean we are in charge.
HEROES: Switching subjects here... What's the most entertaining experience you've had with FS thus far?
Jac: The founding of IFS and actually seeing all these various ideas unfolding and actually becoming bloody good stories. Well, I think they're bloody good stories.
Robin: Most entertaining? Hum. Not sure. So much has happened. I think it probably has to be the arrival of Howard the Duck. Or the whole Galactus/Ewoks/Care Bears thing.
Mark: The Halloween roleplaying game that most of the English staff were present at. That happened because of FS.
HEROES: I heard about that, what the hell was it?
Mark: We played Vampire the Masquerade for 3 days. With only stopping for brief amounts of sleep.
HEROES: That's insane.
Mark: Yep, but lots of fun. I think the next one is scheduled about March to take in people's birthdays as part of it.
Alex: I was sooo jealous when they were playing too. I kept screaming at people to come talk to me on AIM.
Mark: Yeah, we went online and talked to Biohaz for a bit before evil GM dragged them into his murky mind. 8)
Alex: I guess my favorite moment would be the start of this x-over the MFS has been planning for a year now. This has been one hell of a bitch to put together, and I'm damn proud of it. In fact, it's in this issue of HEROES, so go read kiddies!!
Mark: 'X-over' is now a bad word not to be mentioned for 2 years after March. 8)
HEROES: That hellish, eh?
Mark: It's a grand story with so many twists and turns. We don't intend cheating people on the ending and if people have been reading MFS all year they should spot clues ahead of time.
HEROES: On the other side of the spectrum, what was the worst experience you've had with FS?
Robin: Having to move Nomad to one shots. I just lack the time to write all I want to at the moment. It'll get better.
Jac: Working my fingers to the bone on MFS. While I've got nothing against MFS or the people there, I wouldn't want to go through it again.
Mark: I'm not allowed to mention said person's name because he accuses me of stalking. 8) We've had one person who just didn't click with how we did things and that caused a lot of hassle for a lot of people.
HEROES: What about you, stinky 'Haz?
Mark: When he gets told he can't club innocent writers into submission. That always bugs him *g*
Alex: Same person that Mark is referring to would be my worst experience with the FS groups. It's lead to a LOT of drama none of us had really ever dealt with before. It's people like that that ruin this whole fanfic hobby.
HEROES: Okay, so now that we know what FS is all about, what's coming up in the future that'll interest people?
Robin: All sorts. IFS is going to grow, I have no doubt. And then the up and coming Sandman/Starman crossover might be fun. Really, I think that there is so much happening it's hard to say.
Jac: Hell on Earth, literally. The whole of the IFS universe being torn asunder, you can look forwards to that somewhere around August. Also looking forwards to 'Paradise Lost' over at MFS and they way that will work. A specific person has been talking about 'The Ray' at DC: FS and another MFS title - I'd like to see how they pan out.
Mark: There's Paradise Lost. That's the really big event in the foreseeable future at MFS.
HEROES: Anything upcoming in the brother and sister sites, DCFS and IFS?
Mark: DCFS there's me actually doing brand new issues of Starman starting off with a crossover with another book. There's also that vague hope one of us will guess who Batman is.
HEROES: No one's guessed it yet?
Mark: Nope. No staff actually know 8)
Alex: Nope. Ali's been playing Bats identity close to the chest.. not even his editor knows.
Mark: A few staff even know who the Master is in Starman but no one except Ali knows who Batman or Robin are. And Robin, from what I understand, is a whole different mystery.
Alex: IFS has a few big things in mind. A Spawn and Angels over Albion x-over that should lead to a huge confrontation in the heart of New York.
Mark: In Superman there is big things planned when you hit about issue 10. Alex has major plans on that which again his editor doesn't know yet 8)
Alex: Which his editor better learn damn quickly then.
Mark: His editor doesn't like spoilers 8) And IFS might have a Sparks/Hawksmoor series coming out of the current Ellis Authority series if he doesn't seriously kill one of the characters. Then there's planning for next years' MFS event. And some new series all over the shop.
Alex: That be about it. The rest is business as usual.
HEROES: At first glance, it might seem like all three of the FS groups are rather dark and brooding. Would you agree with that?
Robin: Hey, I'm a dark and brooding kind of guy. DC:FS isn't meant to be that brooding, it is set in a utopia. But we attract that sort of writer.
Jac: No, not really. I don't think DC: FS is 'dark' or 'brooding' at all, it has a very corporate environment that does all but bring superheroes into existence. I don't find that 'dark' or 'brooding' whatsoever, I think its fucking commendable that they would want to break away from the stereotypical 'Oh, it's a dark future, all our heroes are dead' type shite. With IFS, the darkness is all there is, it is that stereotype but taken to an absolute extreme with no possible redemption. MFS is a progression, MFS grows and people will probably see once 'Paradise Lost' comes out.
Mark: MFS and IFS both start off dark and mean. DCFS is a utopia almost honest 8) The starting worlds are not how they are going to stay. One of the big things we want to do is have our worlds evolve and develop. The re-emergence of heroes at MFS is already pushing rays of light for people to grab hold of.
Alex: IFS will stay dark and mean. The IFS is the Mature Audiences area of the FS. DCFS is a Utopia. The only one in fanfic if I'm not mistaken.
Mark: DCFS isn't perfect but the heroes are going to try their best there.
HEROES: So in MFS and IFS there's the potential for more... 'upbeat' type things going on? Things like happy endings, teen stories that aren't mauled by nasty things, etc.?
Mark: MFS definitely. Mysterio is me trying to do Spandex.
Alex: There's the potential, yes, but most of our writers are too screwed in the head to write a happy ending. ;)
Mark: I have a happy ending somewhere plotted.
Alex: Sure, Mark. We believe you.
HEROES: Hey, I almost had a happy ending in something, but Alex turned me over to the Dark Side. ;)
Alex: Welcome to the Dark Side Trev, and I ain't your father.
Mark: I have a nice ending for one bit of Excalibur. DCFS, you'll probably see happier endings. MFS I would like to see get better but it'll take time. These things don't happen overnight.
Alex: IFS.. hehehe.. like that will ever happen.
HEROES: Okay, now some things for potential new readers. How exactly could they get started in the FS groups? Reading them, that is.
Mark: MFS has the prelude which gave some nice footsteps into the initial ongoings. DCFS is only 3 months old that's not that much to read
Alex: MFS - Prelude.. Doom #1 AA #1. DCFS - Starman 1-12... Sandman #1, Batman #1.
HEROES: MFS is obviously the older group, so would it be easy if someone wanted to start reading MFS stuff, and immediately went to a new release after reading the prelude?
Alex: No, because most of the series have moved past the prelude parts. It's a new series by now.
Mark: Excalibur has what's gone before at the start of every issue to give some clue what's going on. It's a case with MFS of picking things that interest you and following trails to see where it leads you. Plus the message boards are there for any questions people want to ask as we're really quick at responding to posts and to mail. There will be jump-on issues but none of the series divorce themselves from all the issues that are done.
Alex: New warriors you could, but you'd be a little in the dark..
Mark: I don't think it's limited at all. Look at whole areas that have been left untouched. I mean how many of the Big 7 are at DCFS at the moment. MFS is a little trickier but we've worked with new writers and helped them in. There are massive areas untouched especially when Space gets allowed when Paradise Lost is done. IFS is not even a month old. There's masses to work with there.
Alex: Plenty of uncharted territory for a writer to come have fun with. Tommy Hancock, YesterYear guru and DCF slavedriver, is doing what he does best, screwing with the Golden Age at the IFS.
Mark: Anyone can prop or ask if a character is going free and we'll help any way we can or if an idea doesn't work we'll suggest a few that might.
HEROES: How can a person get started with writing for any of the three FS groups? It seems like it's become a bit limited, in terms of what's available for new writers.
Alex: We bend over backwards to get an idea to work.. how many nights did you and I hammer out Hulk:MFS, Trev? ;)
HEROES: Don't remind me. That was evil.
Alex: Hehehe. But you came out with an awesome series because of it. This may be a hobby, but you got to work at it.
Mark: New Warriors came about because Gary suggested an idea and Biohaz and I hammered stuff out and it now fits in evilly with things like the Avengers and Thunderbolts. A big area that hasn't been dealt with at MFS is the Avengers or the Iron Men. I have a stack of ideas for MFS that will never see the light of day but I'll throw those ideas at people. There's always the possibility we might throw an idea out as a competition for new writers.
HEROES: Okay, to finally conclude this long-ass interview, there's one more question... Any plans or hopes to create a fourth FS community?
Robin: *hysterical laughter* wibble!
Jac: On what? There was talk about an Amalgam Future Shock, round about the same time IFS was being planned but it all fell to shite because no could agree on anything that would have made up a central universe. I still think there's a lot of mileage in the idea but trying to get everything and everyone sorted was such a fucking pain in the arse.
Mark: And do what? We're covering the big 3 now. Dark Horse is even more fragmented than Image is now and there is a new Dark Horse coming.
HEROES: Well, there are things like Valiant, Ultraverse, etc. Not necessarily the best things, but a Future Shock twist would make it more interesting, perhaps.
Mark: Ultraverse hehehehe. I have an idea somewhere tucked away about Ultraverse 8) Valiant - I'd wait till after Unity reassembles it's timeline.
Alex: Valiant wouldn't work cause it already has a future timeline. Ultraverse just plain sucked..;) Malibu, no comment. Dark Horse wouldn't work either. There is ZERO continuity between the books.
Mark: Some of Ultraverse sucked. Firearm was nice.
Alex: They all sucked... Ultraverse bad!
Mark: James Robinson rises above all. 8) If we did something like that it would be a one off thing because one of us got a crazy idea. Now if someone paid us to do this maybe. I'd rather work on building the worlds we have because we created them to have fun in.
HEROES: Alright, I think that does it for the interview. Any final thoughts?
Jac: Read books.
Robin: Or any starting ones? I think that the FS communities are really meant to be separate, in that they should go their own ways. After all, Marvel and DC Universes don't try to copy each other so much. All I want is to see FS churn out more high quality works. Not too much to ask.
Mark: Yeah I want a Hawkworld or Green Arrow DCFS. Or Chase. That's my wish list at the moment. And to be able to give certain friends of ours who are fanfic writers not working on the sites yet time devices so we can get them doing series. None of the Future Shocks are static. I can't see any of them being exactly the same each year. That's the fun part.
Alex: Well, my wish list would be a Ghost Rider at the MFS. Chase as well, or Preacher (I know I know.. I'm already bending continuity rules with the Metropolitan series, so what) and some Wetworks at the IFS.
Mark: Ghost Rider we've been working at getting for a year now.
HEROES: I thought you were gonna do Ghost Rider, Alex?
Alex: Thought about it, and if I ever get off my ass to prop the series he was involved in a I will.
HEROES: Damn, if I knew that I woulda said 'screw Hulk.' :)
Mark: I want to see Midnighter at IFS but I know the person who wants to do it.
Alex: Me!
Mark: No. Robin.
Alex: Screw Rob!
Mark: Yeah Alex, prop DCINC already.
Alex: I know, I know. And I really want to prop it, but I've GOT to finish the FS Mag first.
Mark: I got the two people I really really want at IFS if still alive, but I have one other mad scheme there no one will ever think of.
Alex: Great, now I'm scared. Mark has a scheme.
HEROES: Oh, I forgot about that. Let's squeeze it into the interview, shall we? Speak to me about the FS Mag. Tell me your innermost fears!
Mark: FS Mag was a wild and crazy scheme I managed to give to Biohaz then hide 8)
Alex: FS Mag is a site magazine as well as an anthology.. It covers all three FS sites, offering columns and features as well as monthly series such as New Warriors:MFS. There will be a DCFS serial soon, as well as a twelve part opening to Jack Bohtis' WildCATs:IFS.
HEROES: Faaaaaaantastic. Okay, I think we're done. Please, god, say we're done.
Mark: There are other ideas to go in but we need time to do them.
Alex: We're done. ;)
Mark: I'm only half done shall I run around again?
HEROES: I think you need to put your clothes on first, buddy.
Mark: He's mean to me, Biohaz. Tell him to stop or I'll set Jenny on him. She's scary 8)
Alex: She is VERY scary
HEROES: With a name like Jenny, you'd never expect it...
Mark: Yeah we sweated blood over [the DCFS serial]. Or we got other people to sweat blood over it for effect. I know how Jenny met her husband, too. Heheheheh.
Alex: No comment.