(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)
Yes, it’s done! The Pizza Generator is complete and ready for your culinary randomization!
This one was another generator where I went in for really deep analysis, and I think it paid off. Pizzas are a complex business, and I found specific “pizza patterns” that guided the generator’s design. There were also more than I expected, which got a bit complicated.
With this I need a bit of a break from food generators. They’re fun, but surprisingly complex, and I think because I love to cook I tend to get into them really deep. I’m not done yet – I at least want to do a candy bar generator – but I’m gonna need a rest.
As for other generators, well I’ve got plans . . .
– Steve
Peanuts has appeared before in Lost in Translation. The comic strip first debuted October 2, 1950 and ended February 13, 2000 after the retirement and passing away of creator Charles M. Schulz. It was his and his family’s wishes that the strip end with his retirement, but the strip is still going with repeats, with older strips gaining new readers who weren’t born when first published. Peanuts grew beyond the newspaper comics page, leading to a series of televised specials starting in December of 1965 and leading to the 2015’s The Peanuts Movie.
Released sixty-five years after the strip’s debut, The Peanuts Movie was the first to present the classic characters using computer animation. Schulz’s son, Craig, and grandson, Bryan, were involved in the writing and production of the movie. The movie follows the full cast, headed by Charlie Brown and Snoopy, over the course of winter and spring, as a new family movies into the neighbourhood. The new family includes a new classmate, the Little Red-haired Girl. Charlie Brown is smitten by the newcomer. He spends the rest of the movie trying to work up the courage to talk to her, stepping up to write a book report when she has to leave town and isn’t able to co-write the assignment, and learning to dance to impress her.
Snoopy and Woodstock work together to write about the World War I Flying Ace and his fight against his nemesis, the Red Baron. The Ace meets a French beagle who gets taken prisoner by the Red Baron, necessitating a raid deep behind German lines to find her. The Ace’s efforts mirror Charlie Brown’s; both struggle in their quests, but both persevere, overcoming obstacles.
The story is familiar, coming from Schulz’s works, including the comic strip and the TV specials. The take on the story line is fresh, not just through the animation but the writing. Every character who appeared in Peanuts gets a chance to shine, even briefly, on screen. Classic bits appear, including Snoopy as Joe Cool, Charlie Brown versus the kite-eating tree, and even, as an Easter Egg during the end credits, Charlie Brown trying to kick a football held by Lucy. The movie also re-animates some classic scenes from the specials, including skating on the pond and dancing from A Charlie Brown Christmas and the dogfight between Snoopy and the Red Baron from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The musical score is a mix of old and new, bringing in Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” alongside Meaghan Trainor’s “Better When I’m Dancin’“. The movie even uses recordings of Bill Meléndez, who passed away in 2008, of Snoopy and Woodstock to keep the feel. The one adult, teach Ms Othmar, is played by a trombone. The CG animation doesn’t detract from the characters. The facial expressions are straight from the strip, and the characters themselves are accurate in appearance. There is a visible effort to keep the movie true to the comic, to keep the simplicity of Schulz’s work.
The Peanuts Movie is very much a Peanuts movie. Schulz’s son and grandson took great pains to make sure that the film followed naturally from the decades of work already beloved by millions. It would have been easy to create a movie that paid just lip-service, but they went above and beyond, recreating the feel of Peanuts with a newer animation style without losing what made the comic popular.
I may not have time to participate in NaNoWriMo this year (I am writing, but not up for the challenge), but I figure I can make this contribution – my book “The Power Of Creative Paths” is on sale for this week! Hope that makes everyone’s life a bit easier.
Hope it helps out. Maybe I’ll participate next year.
To be honest, I sort of am envious people can participate. I usually have my book plans set out months or even a year in advance so I’d have to plan that. On top of it, NaNoWriMo seems more FUN when it’s fiction.
. . . or I could make a generator next NaNoWriMo. Hmmmm.
– Steve
The 80s aren’t just fodder for big screen remakes this fall. Alongside MacGuyver and the announcement of a Magnum, P.I. sequel, the silver screen is being mined for new TV series. Among the offerings is Lethal Weapon.
The original Lethal Weapon, released in 1987, starred Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs and Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh, detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department. They were an odd couple, except instead of one being a neat-freak and the other an utter slob, Murtaugh was a dedicated family man counting the years until retirement and Riggs was so deep in mourning his dead wife and child that he had a death wish. Combined, they solved a difficult case, albeit with extensive and expensive collateral damage in their wake. Lethal Weapon spawned three sequels and introduced Joe Pesci as Leo Getz, providing a break-out role for the actor. As the movies progressed, Riggs found a reason to keep living but still was reckless. Murtaugh loosened up a bit. Together, they fought crime and got the blame for the more expensive happenings in L.A.
This TV season, Lethal Weapon returned as a TV series. Its biggest challenge is to recapture the onscreen chemistry between Riggs and Murtaugh without shying away from the problems each of them have. Gibson and Glover as Riggs and Murtaugh took the buddy cop genre and turned it on its ear. They are a tough act to follow. The new Riggs and Murtaugh, Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans, are up to the challenge.
One benefit television has over movies is that there is more time to explore a character. The first episode shows how Riggs’ life is shattered and shows Murtaugh as a family man, contrasting them before they even meet. The contrast between them sets up the series. That the pilot takes its plot from the original movies isn’t a problem; adaptations bring a set of expectations and the Lethal Weapon movie series did change buddy cop films*. The pilot keeps the tone of the movies, not altogether serious but also not a comedy. Crawford portrays the loss and pain of Riggs, especially when he’s alone. Wayans fills in Glover’s shoes well, being the family man who has to worry about not just himself but his family if something should happen to him.
The Lethal Weapon TV series hit the mark running, capturing the feel of the movies and taking advantage of the change in format to delve deeper into the character’s lives without changing what made Riggs and Murtaugh an audience draw.
* Arguably, so did 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy, but Murphy’s Axel Foley was just visiting when he was paired with Judge Reinhold’s Billy Rosewood and John Ashton’s John Taggert, who were already a more conventional set of partners.
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)
It’s there, the Pizza Generator is in Beta!
I’d say it’s mostly done – at most I need to add some new ingredients, tweak the probabilities, maybe some formatting. So let me know what you think and go forth and pizza!
Here’s some samples:
- A pizza with Artichoke Hearts, Bannana, Romaine Lettuce, Capers, and Parsley, topped with Tandoori Sauce.
- A pizza with Capers, Zucchini, Roasted Fennel, Shredded Carrots, Bacon, Carnitas, Tuna, Salami, and Short Rib Meat, topped with Goat Cheese.
- A pizza with Chipotle Pepper, Pulled Pork, Sausage, Hot Dogs, and Jalapenos.
- A pizza with Meatballs, Salami, Prosiccuto, Steak, Chicken, and Basil.
- A pizza with Pinto Beans and Red Pepper, topped with Ricotta and Tomato Sauce.
- A pizza with Red Pepper and topped with Cheddar.
- A pizza with Romaine Lettuce, Almonds, and Kimchi, with White Sauce.
- A pizza with Tuna, Carnitas, and Meatballs, topped with Goat Cheese and Fontina.
- A pizza with Yellow Onion, White Onion, Capers, Romaine Lettuce, Pulled Pork, Buffalo Meat, Canadian Bacon, and Italian Spices.
- A pizza with Zucchini, Sauerkraut, Black Beans, and Roasted Fennel, topped with Havarti.
- A pizza with Bean Sprouts, Jalapenos, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Roasted Fennel, Hot Dogs, Clams, and Herbs De Province.
- A pizza with Buffalo Meat, Pepperoni, Tuna, Meatballs, and Parsley, topped with Mascarpone.
- A pizza with Carnitas.
- A pizza with Jalapenos, Bannana, Garbanzo Beans, Bacon, Chicken, Prosiccuto, Egg, and Cilantro.
- A pizza with Olives, Shredded Carrots, Butternut Squash, Chipotle Pepper, Roasted Fennel, Jalapenos, and Bannana Peppers.
- A pizza with Pickled Ginger, Yellow Onion, Black Olives, Red Pepper, Burdok Root, and Basil, topped with Paneer Sauce.
- A pizza with Pine Nuts, Pickled Garlic, Red Onion, Pulled Pork, Linguica, Buffalo Meat, and Tuna, topped with Goat Cheese.
- A pizza with Pinto Beans and Pineapple, topped with Fontina and Tandoori Sauce.
- A pizza with Salami, topped with Goat Cheese, Cream Cheese, and Mustard.
- A pizza with Steak, Butter Chicken, Canadian Bacon, and Ham, topped with Parmesian and Barbeque Sauce.
– Steve
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)
The pizza generator is very close to done. I’ve got to expand the formulas for meat/veggie combos and maybe tweak the probabilities, then it’s good to go! Check these out!
- A pizza with Apple, Pinto Beans, Zucchini, Pineapple, Natto, Garlic, and Roasted Fennel, topped with Fontina and Bulgogi Sauce.
- A pizza with Apple, White Onion, Salami, Short Rib Meat, Hot Dogs, and Bacon.
- A pizza with Artichoke Hearts, Broccoli, Cilantro, and Parsley, topped with Gouda and Pesto Sauce.
- A pizza with Artichoke Hearts, Mushrooms, Burdok Root, White Onion, Fennel, and Roasted Fennel, topped with Tomato Sauce.
- A pizza with Cauliflower, Jalapenos, and Herbs De Province.
- A pizza with Green Pepper, Cauliflower, Banana, Egg, Prosiccuto, Pulled Pork, Tuna, and Butter Chicken.
- A pizza with Ground Beef, Egg, Ham, and Banana Peppers, topped with Parmesian.
- A pizza with Pickled Ginger, Yellow Onion, Cashews, and Parsley.
- A pizza with Red Onion, Scallions, Zucchini, Pickled Ginger, Argula, and Red Chillies.
- A pizza with Romaine Lettuce, Kimchi, Red Pepper, Fennel, and Garlic.
- A pizza with Argula, Eggplant, Yellow Onion, Cashews, Roasted Fennel, and Cilantro, topped with Swiss Cheese and Tandoori Sauce.
- A pizza with Canadian Bacon, Linguica, Prosiccuto, and Bannana Peppers.
- A pizza with Carmelized Onions, Black Olives, Sauerkraut, Chipotle Pepper, and Herbs De Province, topped with Barbeque Sauce.
- A pizza with Clams, Pulled Pork, Salami, Herbs De Province, and Red Chillies.
- A pizza with Jalapenos, Burdok Root, Pickles, Potatoes, and Green Pepper, topped with Colby and Fontina.
- A pizza with Kidney Beans, Pine Nuts, Pinto Beans, Butter Chicken, Hot Dogs, and Tuna.
- A pizza with Mushrooms and Bacon.
- A pizza with Roasted Fennel, Bell Pepper, Olives, Black Beans, and Basil, topped with Colby.
- A pizza with Salami, Tuna, Garlic, and Italian Spices, topped with Cheese Sauce.
- A pizza with Zucchini, Caramelized Onions, Shredded Carrots, Pickled Jalapenos, Mango, and Cilantro, topped with Ricotta and Cheddar.
The updated version has options for any, meats only, veggies only, and of course mixes. It’s led to some insane stuff – but also some delicious ideas.
– Steve
In the tabletop role-playing game industry, Dungeons & Dragons is the 800 pound gorilla, the game that the general population knows by name. The game has had a cinematic adaptation that didn’t work as either a movie or an adaptation. However, the movie wasn’t the first adaptation of the game. In 1985, an animated series based on the game began airing on CBS. The series would last two seasons, with animation by Toei.
The 80s were an odd time for the game. Dungeons & Dragons had managed to break away from specialty game stores to appear in toy stores and book shops. At the same time, parent groups appeared to counter the game’s popularity, accusing the game and its publisher, TSR, of being satanic. One group, Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons headed by Patricia Pulling, managed to make some headway with law enforcement despite dubious research and math and even appeared on 60 Minutes in 1985. The D&D cartoon thus had some extra restrictions on it beyond the usual Saturday morning ones.
The opening credits of the cartoon told how the characters got involved. A ride at an amusement park deposits a group of friends into a fantasy world, where they’re immediately set upon by two villains, Venger and Tiamat. However, with the intervention of Dungeon Master, the group gains magic items that helps them escape. Each of the main characters represented a different character class. Hank became a Ranger, receiving a magical bow. Sheila, with her cloak of invisibility, became a Thief. Presto received a magic hat to become a Magic-User, the term used for wizards in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons‘ first edition. With the Unearthed Arcana also being released in 1985, character classes from that supplement were also used. Sheila’s younger brother Bobby became a Barbarian with a magic club. Diana received a magical staff, letting her become a Thief-Acrobat. And, finally, Eric became a Cavalier upon receiving a magic shield. After arriving in the world, Bobby befriended a young unicorn colt, Uni. Making a noticeable absence is the Cleric, but given the Satanic Panic around the game, leaving the class out meant feidling fewer calls from angry special interest groups.
Over the course of the series, the group of young intrepid adventurers sought to find a way back to their home. Dungeon Master would appear to provide guidance in the form of riddles, leading the adventurers into situations where they would use their abilities to help others in need. Meanwhile, Venger would appear to try to get the group’s magic items or Tiamat, former Babylonian goddess turned five-headed ruler of the evil dragons, would appear to menace. Dungeon Master was well-meaning but capricious, dangling hope in front of the adventurers, much like some actual DMs. Each of the main characters showed elements of their representative classes, from Sheila’s sneaking to Presto’s magic, though not exactly to the rules. Eric, on the other hand, didn’t show the Cavalier’s valour, though that was a decision made thanks to executive meddling. The rule at the time was to have teamwork, and anyone who went against the group was thought to be in the wrong. Eric was designated the one to be in the wrong, even if his idea, typically running away, was a viable choice.
The mechanics of AD&D were hidden, meant to be more the physics of the fantasy world than anything else. Monsters that did appear did come from the game. No one rolled a die to determine hit or miss, but such a scene would break immersion. Instead, the setting came from the rules, though not specifically Greyhawk, Gary Gygax’s home campaign. The adventures were aimed at a younger audience, the extreme low end of the “For ages 12 and up” range. However, some of the episodes wouldn’t be odd to have as an evening’s play session, even with D&D‘s fifth edition. Having Dungeon Master be a character in the series was an odd choice, but the role worked and showed potential players how to be a DM and still allow the players to have fun while working through a challenge.
The D&D cartoon was an odd duck in a decade that was defined by odd ducks. Few popular media ever faced a strong challenge by special interest groups as /D&D/ did, and, yet, the game remained popular. The cartoon followed in the game’s footsteps, creating its own niche and presenting a setting usable with the game without getting too bogged down in details.
(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)
So I’m back to work on the pizza generator, using all that data I collected before things got nutty. This one is coming along well, but the data structures are surprisingly complex, so it’s going to take a week or two more to finish depending on my schedule. However the results . . . well they speak for themselves!
- A pizza with broccoli, black olives, zucchini, mango, pickled ginger, egg, clams, bacon, and linguica.
- A pizza with butter chicken, linguica, salami, and ground beef, topped with fontina.
- A pizza with chicken, bacon, and roasted fennel, topped with paneer.
- A pizza with garbanzo beans, red pepper, kimchi, pickled garlic, apple, and egg.
- A pizza with ground beef and jalapenos, topped with asiago and havarti.
- A pizza with ham and butter chicken, topped with paneer.
- A pizza with hot dogs and cilantro.
- A pizza with mango, roasted fennel, canadian bacon, prosiccuto, ham, linguica, and pepperoni.
- A pizza with pickled ginger, kimchi, shrimp, pulled pork, butter chicken, and steak.
- A pizza with roasted fennel, steak, clams, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs.
- A pizza with salami, butter chicken, meatballs, tuna, and short rib meat, topped with mozzarella and brown sauce.
- A pizza with salami, egg, pepperoni, and shrimp.
- A pizza with short rib meat, garlic, and parsley.
- A pizza with spinach, shredded carrots, apple, pickled ginger, and argula.
- A pizza with yellow onion, argula, canadian bacon, clams, tuna, and sausage.
It’s a bit meat-centric right now (results in the end will split between vegetarian and meat results), but looking good and properly crazy-yet-possible.
So strap on, your culinary dreams will continue!
After this I may take a break from food generators – they’re surprisingly challenging. But I still want to do more, just maybe not one after another.
– Steve
ABC announced that it is working on a sequel to the 80s detective series, Magnum, P.I., with John Rogers and Eva Longoria as the showrunners. Longoria’s studio, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, has access to Universal TV’s catalog. The new Magnum will focus on the detective’s daughter, Lily.
The original Magnum starred Tom Selleck in the title role and ran eight seasons. Set in Hawaii, Magnum ran a detective agency while working as security for the unseen Robin Masters. Magnum had access to some of Masters’ possessions, including a Ferrari, but only under the watchful eye of Higgins, played by Jonathan Hillerman. Helping Magnum were his friends, bar owner Rick, played by Larry Manetti, and helicopter pilot TC, played by Roger E. Mosley; all three had served together during the Vietnam War. While the series had a light touch throughout its run, it did delve into the effect the war had on Magnum and his friends, and would go dark when needed. Later in the series, Rick’s gangster friend Icepick, played by Elisha Cooke, joined the cast.
The new Magnum, is a sequel, as mentioned. John Rogers has said that Tom Selleck is too iconic as Magnum to replace. A sequel leaves Selleck as the original Magnum and leave room for him to make guest appearances. The new Magnum, Lily, did appear in the original series, including the series finale. The character isn’t coming out of nowhere. The new Magnum isn’t just a gender-flipped version; she is part of the continuity.
The difficulty the Magnum sequel will have is getting the tone right out of the gate. It has to match the tone of the original series, not just season by season but also overall. The original Magnum‘s tone evolved as the series progressed over its eight seasons, starting light but getting deeper into Magnum’s history and relationships as the show aired. However, expectations of the new series may require mix the feel of both early and later seasons. It’ll be tough.
What the new Magnum has going for it is show runner John Rogers. Rogers has experience in television with series that can run the gamut between light and dark with the same season and even the same episode. His series Leverage, which can be described as a heist movie in under an hour, has fully-fleshed characters who have camaraderie that isn’t forced. Indeed, the characters don’t always get along, despite being on a team. Rogers has a good grasp on inter-character dynamics, something that the original Magnum also demonstrated.
With adaptations reaching saturation levels, getting buy-in from the audience will be critical for the new Magnun, P.I., but the sequel has several advantages that should help it keep people watching past the first episode. It’ll be a balancing act until the show finds its own way, but it should succeed.
Well it’s not generator related, but it is creativity related, and ties into Scott’s considerable work – my first pop-culture book, co-authored with my good friend Bonnie, is out!
It’s called Her Eternal Moonlight, and is a look at female Sailor Moon fandom in North America. It was pretty interesting to study this; interviewing people, finding common patterns, then communicating it as a book. It definitely gave me a lot of insights.
It’s also getting reviews here and there, and we’re also discussing it on podcasts:
Now with that done, maybe it’s time to get to some generators and creative writing – but there is going to be another study coming up starting next year . . .
– Steve
