Past Editorials Out Of My Head, Too!

I'll tell you what the revolution WILL be though. Well-structered, quiet, and exciting. It's got to be. The 2099 Underground can't just die. That's not supposed to happen! So here I am one night, toodling and fussing with the new website (which would have been up a lot earlier if I hadn't made a fatal HTMLing mistake and had to redo the whole thing. That worked for the best though...) and JS is Editor and I'm the assistant Editor (all the work, one fourth the pay, kind of like a nurse, do NOT start calling me "nurse") and we're quietly instituting changes to the Ghostworks and UG and being ever so careful not to make the mistakes the UG has made in the past (I'm sorry this sentence was so long and replete with parenthesied statements.) when something quite powerful dawns on me. (By the way, parenthesied statements are cool.) This powerful thing was actually JS sneaking up on me with an anvil he intended to smash into my head. Luckily I caught him in time and told him to get his silly ass back to work. Our day is so filled with cartoonish assassination attempts against each other that it's frankly amazing we get anything done. By the way, Mike, the office poll says you're going to buy the farm first. Hah! So, anyway, the time came to seriously fix up the Underground's cluttered continuity. We were going to make the 2099 Underground the very best and most stable fanfiction group out there. Or at least I was. I don't know what JS wants to do. The same thing, assumably. Once he dries up, the stinking lush. I swear to God, his half of the room smells like cheap martinis and lemon-flavored vodka. I have to keep the window open most of the time. Even when it's raining. But...the continuity thing...so that's well underway and it gets me thinking why we're making the UG the very best there is. To attract new readers and drum up writer interest, obviously. But I realized then that it was much more than that. It was something much bigger. The 2099 Underground and its situation is wholly unique. The 2099 comics, when they were around, were the best damn comics out there. (I remember calling my local comic store daily to check when X-men 2099 #25 was coming in. When I got it I was so excited I read the whole thing in the car ride home.) The storylines were so...original. The writers and artists and editors were able to create a storyline of the future of Marvel and NOT steer towards the now-hackneyed cliches of usual comics about the future. The world they created was lush with storytelling potential. The characters and storylines were exciting. It was phenomenal. I don't think I have to convince you guys about this, you know it. And then...the bad thing came. The best damn comics in years, the only comics I've ever been truly excited about, were gutted like fish. Everything was gone in an instant. To extend the pain, 2099: World of Tomorrow was created. We, the faithful, hung on for dear life, hoping maybe the series would get better in the next issue...maybe the next issue...maybe the next issue...oh geez, let it end already. I remember being disappointed when I found out the series had been extended for two issues. The 2099 Underground faithfully kept the stories going. Here was a place where the world was right. When the UG first started, 2099 was still being published. But now it's years later. And here's where things get unique. It seems we've been holding onto the hope of Marvel putting out 2099 again for so long. Almost like we were writing the stories to keep ourselves from moving on. To keep the 2099 at least marginally alive. It's years later and 2099 is a memory. It's officially dead, Marvel has long since moved on with other future timeline stories and the tiniest trickle of news has dwindled out to nothing. There's nothing out there to keep people aware of 2099. So...and there came the realization...we have to buck up and be that presence. This is it, man. The 2099 is ours now. We're the driving force keeping it alive, much like Joey Cavalieri and the 2099 staff all those years ago. The torch has been passed. We might as well officially own the 2099 characters and trademarks for all it matters. With this in mind, I took a look at the 2099 Underground. What I see is almost perfect. We have a LOT of great writers. We have a LOT of great stories. We're already cleaning out continuity...almost as if we're gearing up to be official or something. This could work. We are in a unique situation, we were practically given a universe of awesome potential and we have the resources necessary on which to build on it. This is the kind of mindset I want to make widely known to the writers and readers of the 2099 Underground. We are so much more than a simple fanfiction site. We are practically a comics company unto itself. Our product? 2099. We have ample reason to be proud of the Underground. We are the shockin' undisputable best out there. And we're going to keep it that way. I gotta go now, though. JS has been blowing tiny tiki darts from a straw at me. One just hit me and I'm starting to blackout. Until next time, I remain... - *flump* ghbbbbbbbbbbbbnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (That Would Cost Extra) by Chris Lough