Enter into Fanger's realm and learn how the Paranormal Wolf-Being got his start. Not to mention meeting some of his 'relations' & 'acquaintances' along the way.
Throughout the FANGARIUS Series (1982-87), there was one little quirk I subtly infused within the Paranormal Time Lord: Parallel Universe Paraphenalia. Long before the concept was truly fleshed out with Sliders, I recall a little known comic poking fun at it called Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew.
Captain Carrot got its start when Superman ends up being propelled
into a parallel universe, ending up on a planet called Earth-C. There everything is an anthropomorphic realmfrom Superman's Earth.
Of course, Fanger accidentally ended up here once when the Time Collector's ChronoStaff extracted him from The Doctor's TARDIS.
Yet, I digress, as for Fanger himself, as with The Doctor, the Paranormal Time Lord began collecting an odd assortment of items from parallel universes.
Some of the items were in question: warped versions of Disney films on Vid-Discs (now DVDs) and VHS, Dracula authored by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein authored by Bram Stoker, The Twilight Zone being an anthological, comedic sitcom of weirdness (with Rod Serling as the main character), and other interesting curios along the way.
Sliders and Paranormal Time Lords
One difference between Fanger and The Doctor was the fact Fanger's TARDIS could travel into parallel dimensions. Usually either by accident, or by a desperate escape attempt, Fanger would find himself on odd versions of Earth and other planets.
At the time I really had never given the concept much thought, until I was in college and some friends and I were talking about the series, and Sliders had come up. One member had an idea involving the fact Quinn Mallory, Fanger and The Doctor all originate from the same Universe (Earth-Prime). And what if during Mr. Mallory's sliding, somehow he and the Sliders crew end up going back, but instead wind up within Fanger's TARDIS.
Composing a short spin-off story, I remember the tale was spun in this manner. While the Fourth Fanger performs some brief maintenance upon the TARDIS 2, a short within the Synchronic Omnidimensional Regulator causes the CVE Network (or Sliding Tunnels) to warp. Quinn's Timer is affected by the warp and he and the Sliders end up within the TARDIS 2.
Regrettably, this causes the TARDIS 2's Emergency Cut-Out Systems to kick in, rendering both devices useless. Another surprise is the fact Maximillian Arturo is related to Fanger. In reality, Arturo's a 'retired' Time Lord, but not because of his pompous ideas. Instead Fanger implies his uncle has a rare disorder which makes the relation unable to safely travel within TARDIS units or other dimensions.
Fourth Fanger [staring at Arturo]: So, I didn't realize you found a cure, eh?
Arturo [not looking at Fanger, but scowling]: Fangarius, I have not. And don't you start lecturing me.
F4: Wouldn't dream of it, Unc. But if I recall, you can't do what you're doing, let alone travel within a TARDIS.
Arturo [spinning round angrily at Fanger]: They never said 'can't'! (lowers his voice) They just said it wasn't recommended..
F4 (quizzically staring): There's a difference? (shaking his head) No matter, eventually, you'll have to inform Quinn, you know.
Arturo (silently speaking): I know, but know this, Little One, I shall tell him upon my own terms.
Later Fanger and Quinn discover the Daleks and F-Clones have been developing Parallel Dimensional travel, and attempt on conquering the Multiverse. To prevent this, Fanger and Quinn jerry rig the Timer to the Helmic Regulator and Sychronic Omnidimensional Regulator. The only drawback is, the powerful influx will propel the Sliders back into the CVE Network upon a randomized course. But faced with the dangers of a Multiversal Invasion looming, Quinn admits it's worth the risk. Activating the TARDIS 2 and Timer, the results work, trapping both Daleks and F-Clones' Multiversal Armadas into an isolated pocket universe.
However, as Fanger predicted, the Timer flings the Sliders out of the TARDIS 2, causing the TimeSpace craft to return back online, and sending them back on their randomized journey through parallel dimensions.
Although the story was concise, not unlike today's Doctor Who episodes, it did sort of lay the foundation for the Eighth Fanger's most wildest adventure, yet. And the inspiration, ironically, was not with Quinn & Co., but from a classic Doctor Who mini-series.
The Key of the FANGARIAN World Series
Although David Tennant and Matt Smith are currently becoming the new faves as The Doctor, many can attest the ultimate classic favourite is still, and foremost, Tom Baker. Mysteriously, if it had not been for one drawn out series, I doubt the new Doctor Who would have subtle story arcs per season.
In 1976, Graham Williams conceived the story arc called The Key to Time, in which The Doctor, K9 and the Time Lady, Romana, are employeed by the White Guardian in search of the ancient artefact in order to save the Universe from an entropic effect.
The series proved such an impact on me, I wanted to originally do something with Fanger along those lines, but it never really panned out. Mainly because I wanted a completely different tale where Fanger had to search for something equally important, but not being a blatant lift from this story arc.
When I started drafting Project FANGARIUS, the concept resurfaced as my friends and I recalled the short story and thought why not? Before I knew it, the Fangarian World Series - Sliders/FANGARIUS Crossover had begun in full swing.
Shortly after the events in PF, the White Guardian summons both Fanger and Quinn, informing them the Multiverse is endangered by the eight shattered TARDIS 2 Components. Combining the TARDIS 2 Tracker with Quinn's Timer (or CVE Transponder, as Fanger calls it), Fanger and the Sliders commence on their search throughout the dimensions for his TARDIS Components.
Except here, Fanger and the Sliders crew (now with Colin and Maggie) were no longer just limited to parallel Earths, as they also travelled to alternate versions of Skaro and Mondas. Also Fanger acknowledged the Kromaggs and their engimatic connection with the Cybermen and The Rani. And Rickman was later revealed as being one of The Master's failed Incarnates (apparently when The Master's essence took over Rickman, the encephalitis had transmutated into a degenerative brain disorder). Which also explained why Rickman killed Arturo, since Fanger suspected his uncle might've detected him and warned Quinn about the man.
There were eight tales in all (ten, if you count PF and the unofficial premiere episode) and in one of them, Fanger did encounter a mirror-image of himself called 'Gari,' who had fiendish plans for the TARDIS Component on Earth-Gamma.
Eventually, Fanger did finally reconstruct the TARDIS 2 and he and Quinn end up saving the Multiverse. Only to later have Fanger merge his craft with a Video Rental/Video Gaming Store as a means for preventing the Sontarans from opening the Cardassian Rift in Baytown.
Afterwards the Eighth Fanger did fall once more into obscurity, until about 2005, when Doctor Who was revived, so was Fanger, but in a way no one, not even myself would expect. One might even say I was Punk'd by what was yet-to-come.
As it was aforementioned in past entries, I never originally used celebrities as models for Fanger until his Fifth Incarnate. The Sixth Incarnate was genuinely a fluke since I wasn’t even trying to illustrate John Ritter, whereas the Seventh Incarnate was based on a rejected character by Martin Short. So how exactly did Jerry O’Connell wind up being the basis for the Eighth Fanger?
It all started with Mr. O’Connell’s first film and a bet I had made with my aunt. My Aunt Cassandra and I would stay up and watch late night movies. As a quirk, my aunt loved reading tarot cards on celebrities as we watched their movies, and she’d predict their futures. Turned out one night we were watching the classic ‘Stand By Me,’ with Wil Wheaton and (naturally) Jerry O’Connell.
At the time, you recall Mr. O’Connell’s role was Vern Tessio, the rotund boy who was usually picked on by the group. Yet, without him, I doubt the story would’ve gotten started, since he informed his friends about going and search for a dead body. In one scene, where the group has Vern carry their packs, the character fumes as he’s attempting to catch up along the tracks. At one moment when Vern grumbles, ‘I’ll show them all,’ my aunt was reading his fortune and noted in real life, Mr. O’Connell would actually become more famous than Mr. Wheaton.
Considering the time, I made a wager with my aunt, if her prediction came true, I’d base one of Fanger’s Future Incarnates upon Mr. O’Connell. Who knew ol’ Jerry would make it big with My Secret Identity and, later, Sliders?
Ironically, it was Sliders which not only rekindled the bet, but also inspired the Eighth Fanger on the rumour behind The Doctor’s return. Although the series had come out one year before the film itself, back in 1994, there had been murmurs about the possibility of Mr. O’Connell being cast as the US counterpart of The Doctor. Despite the fact there was no validity to the report, the concept had intrigued me, since Quinn Mallory did possess a bit of a Time Lord persona.
In fact, the Fourth Fanger had once encountered the Sliders due to a mishap with the TARDIS 2 and Quinn’s Timer (which Fanger identified as a Charged Vacuum Emboitment Transit). Thus, keeping my word with my aunt, when Project FANGARIUS was done, I had used Jerry O’Connell as the basis for the Eighth Fanger.
The Eighth Fanger
Absent for almost a decade, Fanger’s Eighth Incarnation would prove being somewhat of a challenge for me. Although I had the basis, I had wondered what direction I should take his new persona. One reason was because, if you’ve been keeping up, both the Sixth and Seventh Fanger had not been legitimately around for their personas to genuinely form properly.
Here’s was the condensed recap: The Sixth Fanger possessed a serious guise with a bit of a temperament to match, while the Seventh Fanger ended up being a bit more bohemian, if not erratic, nature. Thus, the main problem was, at the time, I absolutely had no idea on how the next Incarnation should act and behave. Not to mention I really had no scope model to go on.
Essentially, despite the fact Fanger ended up appearing like Quinn Mallory, I really didn’t want to make F8 into a clone of that character. Subtly as I was fleshing out the character’s initial design, I decided on adding a bit of elements from the previous Incarnates and see how it would fly.
Turned out the end result was the Eighth Fanger being somewhat of an inquisitive sort with a reckless innocent nature and a bit crotchety at times. Mainly because although Fanger did emanate a youthful appearance, in reality, he’s about (at the time) over 650 years old.
The interesting catalyst which helped his new persona was the lack of the TARDIS 2. Unlike Jon Pertwee’s Doctor being exiled to Earth, one interesting concept was when I deciding on starting the Fangarian World Series specials, was Fanger would not have his TimeSpace craft to rely on for getting him out of jams. Instead the Eighth Fanger solely relied on his resourcefulness, while transversing the Multiverse to locate his craft’s components and reassemble the TARDIS 2.
Although the specials were about eight episodes, they were enough to develop Fanger’s new self into a whole new character. Even if it proved in being a bumpy ride along the way.
The Summer of ’89 had brought about one interesting commonality between Doctor Who and FANGARIUS: both series had wound up within temporal limbo. Though one might say FANGARIUS was ‘unofficially’ cancelled in 1987, whereas two years later, Doctor Who had acquired the similar fate.
Consequently while the good Doctor had to contend with questionable BBC Programmers, Fanger’s fate originated on the fact, after about a decade of his intradimensional travels, I had simply gotten burned out with his adventures.
In the meantime, I embarked on other projects, like Enigma County Texas—inspired both by the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Steve Jackson’s Role-Playing Series Toon. During my college years, Fanger started appearing less and less in my strips, thus producing two other series for my college publications.
Snaps – Basically an updated version of Pogo in Baytown, Texas, but with a turtle as the main star (yes, you can blame the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for this). Fred Snorton – an anthropomorphic, canine version of a famous sanitation worker, made his debut here. Memu Emu, a high-society emu, also made an appearance as well.
UHCL Critters/Anything Goes! – Random nonsense about college life, which brought about Ted S. Loban, Einstein Wassameier (a hedgehog), and Chuckwing the Bloodfruit Bat. Although the Fifth Fanger (posing as a college professor) did make some appearances in this series, the real stars of UHCLC/AG! were Ted and Chuckwing.
Meanwhile Fanger himself had been lent out in far-out spin-offs by my college buddies. Two of which were considered part of the Underground Comix series:
Not FANGARIUS – Think Torchwood & Barbarella gone horribly wrong. NF dealt with an alternate version of Fanger – Fun Garias (aka Gari), a Paranormal Wolf-Being traveling dimensions, unwittingly ending up in some extremely sexual situations along the way.
Definitely NOT FANGARIUS – A perverse, adult version of the FANGARIUS series, not unlike Orgazmo (the comic, not the film). Except here, the lead was Francis (aka Ran), a Paranormal EroTime Lord from the planet Gallisex. According to this author, Ran’s constant nemesis weren’t Dalek-based, but erotic alien lifeforms called the Penai.
(Ed. Note: Wondering why no pics of these two series? Well, since Underground Comix were rather new to me, I never realized how uninhibited these series were. Otherwise I’d have better discretion on whom I lend out the character to, even if they did have the decency for altering their images. Anyway, once when my relations helping me clean out my archives, they had regrettably come across these two strips, which they both had promptly ended up in File 13 post haste.)
Nevertheless, despite some other off-beat tales of the Paranormal Time Lord (with Fanger visiting both the DC and Marvel Universe), Fanger had still remained in creative limbo.
Back in 1995, while I was dealing with some personal events (my Dad had experienced a stroke), I had been consoled by some of my friends back during my high school and college days. We had heard about the BBC and FOX Television reviving Doctor Who as a television film, and hopefully resurrect (or regenerate, as the case may be) the series. Because we were excited, we began talking about the DW RPG-Club and FANGARIUS. Secretly we always wanted to do a better special episode for the Seventh Fanger, since we felt the series itself had abruptly ended.
Almost immediately, my friends had suggested I formulate a new FANGARIUS tale as well.
Since FANGARIUS’ 20th Anniversary (1997) was approaching, I wanted devising a particularly special episode commemorating the Paranormal Time Lord’s creation. However, the problem was, I never liked conjuring forth ‘reunion’ stories because they always seemed to be something one finds in the Scooby-Doo Movies.
But as with all things in life, I never had imagined both a forgotten promise, a series and an anime film would become the vital components for an epic I denoted as Project FANGARIUS.
Project FANGARIUS – The Plot
Several months after the Kain Incident, the Masaki Household has not fully recovered from the dimension-bending experience. Tenchi Masaki has been having recurring nightmares about visiting what appears to be a planet, but yet, not a planet. Helmed by what appears to be a Juraian, the figure turns out to possess dark hands with claw-like fingertips and a wolf’s tail. Tenchi chillingly discovers the planet to be actually a TARDIS—denoted as La Genèse (Genesis)—and the pseudo-Juraian has plans for launching it.
Regrettably if La Genèse is launched, its power will threaten not just Tenchi’s Universe, but the Multiverse as well. Even worse, Tenchi awakens when the being gets word that the final component has been procured, and the one who has it is none other than Fangarius himself.
Meanwhile, all isn’t well with Ayeka and Ryoko, since both have their own reasons to be pensive. Enigmatically Ayeka has been summoned back to Jurai, and learns the Elders aren’t pleased about Kain. Inexplicably, Fanger and The Doctor’s name are mentioned as well as Rassilon and Omega. This makes the Juraian Princess ponder on how Gallifrey and the Time Lords are relevant to all of this, while Ryoko has other problems.
Seems during her pirate days, she was supposed to originally end up being the Sixth Fanger’s Companion, but at the time, she and Ryo-Ohki were attempting to escape from Salerion. Consequently, Salerion used a dimensional extrapolator to ensnare her within a pocket universe (in the form of a mummy), thus she never could warn the Paranormal Time Lord.
Kiyone could be having better days as well. Due to Kain’s escape, the Galactic Police end up suspending her and Mihoshi for allowing him to do so (apparently, Mihoshi forgot to inform her partner that she was responsible for the subspace prison containing Kain). However, Kiyone suspects something when her lineage to Fanger has been brought into question. And some research reveals the truth behind Kain, prompting her to head for Washu’s lab.
Washu has been feverishly working in her dimension lab, because she knows the truth behind Kain. The ‘Kain’ they fought was not the real one, but in reality a shadow constructed out of Strange Matter. When Kiyone enters, Washu reveals the truth as The Inquisitor shows up. Seems the real Kain was once a Jurai scientist helping out Gallifrey discover intradimensional travel. In essence, he had been Omega’s assistant when the first Time Lord had plunged themselves into a black hole. However, where Omega had perished within an Antimatter universe, Kain’s physical form had been converted into Strange Matter. Originally, Kain blamed Jurai and Gallifrey for the mishap and had originally exacted revenge on both, until Achika, with the help of the Clanstribes, had imprisoned him. But in truth, the Locanshites (first mentioned here) realized others might be looking for Kain. Thus, they ‘split’ him into two parts, keeping the intelligent, corporeal one locked away on Dragard, while the shadow form had remained within a subspace prison at the Galaxy Police HQ.
Secretly Washu knows more than she’s letting on, but The Inquisitor has sensed Tenchi’s dreams. From his own personal experiences, The Inquisitor realizes these visions are anything but fantasy…
Meanwhile, across the vast Multiverse, Quinn Mallory and company are discovering a disaster of their own epic proportions. Recently the last few Earths they’ve visited have started vanishing out-of-existence. The only clue they have to this malady is an alien force claiming only Fangarius can stop the impending doom.
Speaking of which, La Genèse looms at the Edge of the Universe, Salerion smiles approvingly at his latest innovation. Decked in his Juraian attire, he admits integrating both Jurai and Gallifreyan Tech for engineering this planet-sized TARDIS, while transdimensionally it literally harbors its own Universe. However, for now the vast TimeSpace vehicle remains inert until the last component is installed.
The familiar materialization sound resonates throughout the vessel as the TARDIS 2 appears, reverted back into the multicolored police box from its jade Oriental pagoda exterior. Escorted by Salerion’s own Jurai-grown guards, the Seventh Fanger emerges appearing with a strange crystalline device with a mercuric hourglass set within its center.
Identified as the Chronocosmizcon, it can ultimately provide unlimited energy to any time-space device, even TARDISes. Fanger’s innovation was actually a mechanization devised by Salerion, whom Fanger identifies as Fangexlcoatl’s brother. Although the Paranormal Time Lord warns La Genèse will destroy the Multiverse, Salerion admits that’s precisely what he wants to do. Rather than simply launch a massive invasion, the fiendish former Fangarian plans on cleansing every dimension, making way for a Paranormal realm of his design.
Before Fanger can protest, Salerion installs the device and activates La Genèse. At the same moment Quinn and his group enter the portal. The result causes the entire fabric of the Multiverse to rip apart. Sensing the Sliders’ agony, as well as infinite lives screaming, Fanger desperately initiates a last-ditch effort. Fortunately, Washu has been monitoring the situation and intervenes by blowing out the craft’s Helmic Regulator.
Utilizing his sonic screwdriver, Fanger disconnects the Chronocosmizcon and makes a desperate escape in the TARDIS 2. The getaway is ultimately short-lived as Salerion launches Hyper-torpedoes directly towards the police box. Buffeted beyond repair, the TARDIS 2’s Hostile Action Displacement System (HADS) activates, propelling the multicolored police box crash-lands in Houston, Texas, December 30, 2000.
Washu also quickly intervenes, saving the Sliders through a Dimensional Wave Generator Field. Although she manages to bring them to Earth-Prime (Fanger and Quinn’s Earth), unfortunately she scatters the team throughout Fanger’s Timeline. With one member landing inside the severely damaged TARDIS 2 and critically-injured Paranormal Time Lord.
Back at La Genèse, Salerion doesn’t consider Fanger’s motive as a setback. Since he can’t simply wait for his relation to create another Chronocosmizcon, Salerion decides on implementing the craft’s Timescoop to extract ALL of Fanger’s Past Incarnates from their Time streams. However Washu’s one step ahead, as she sends Tenchi and the others through Fanger’s Timeline.
As for the Seventh Fanger, his final days come as the Slider member and a strange person called Colin get him admitted to Hermann Hospital. Dr. Grace Holloway, a cardiologist on loan from San Francisco, learns about Hermann’s new patient with ‘two hearts,’ and immediate treats Fanger, mistaking him for The Doctor. Fanger ends up flatlining in the middle of the night, but before he can be rushed to the Morgue, he promptly enters into his Seventh Regeneration. Resembling Quinn Mallory, Fanger gets taken over by the ChronoSpirit, TimeStorm, who kidnaps the Slider member and Colin and shanghais the TARDIS 2. Piloting it to the End of Time, TimeStorm informs them this is the only safe haven from Salerion while the Eighth Fanger recovers and the TARDIS 2 regenerates itself.
The rest of the plot entails a tour de force of Fanger’s Past Incarnations as well as Past versions of The Doctor and Companions, including Sarah Jane Smith and Jamie McCrimmon. Salerion also acquires the unwarranted attention of some villains as well ranging from the Daleks, F-Clones, Sontarans and displaced Cybermen. Although they manage to foil Salerion’s Timescoop scheme, the Fourth Fanger (currently exiled with the Third Doctor) realizes until they confront his demented cousin, they’ll never be safe.
This action ends up getting all but Fanger’s Eighth Incarnate captured by Salerion. Fortunately due to Salerion’s short-sightedness, his mind probes fail to function since the Fourth Fanger he’s acquired was during the Third Doctor’s Exile. Meaning the Time Lords have not only blocked F4’s knowledge of TARDIS engineering, but also his own personal design to the Chronocosmizcon. Taking advantage of the anomaly, the Fourth Fanger immediately sends a message to his Eighth self, who takes his Companions back to La Genèse, for the final showdown.
Despite freeing his Past selves, they discovered they’re trapped as Salerion uses his craft to literally assault the TARDIS 2, using its Chronocosmizcon as its power source. Washu teleports Grace Holloway into the TARDIS 2, where she attempts to stop the process, but instead teleports the Eighth Fanger inside the craft. Dying, T2 informs the Paranormal Time Lord there’s only one solution to stop Salerion once and for all. Reluctantly Fanger knows as he and Grace head towards an ancient room past the Cloisters. Revealing the Heart of the TARDIS 2, Fanger takes his sonic screwdriver and thrusts it into its power source. Shattering the transdimensional craft, Fanger severs the connection causing La Genèse to start collapsing within itself. Before they can perish along Salerion within a pocket dimension, Washu uses Fanger’s BioData Extract to key in on all of his Incarnates and they teleport safely back to her lab with their Companions.
Washu promptly sends everyone to their proper dimensions in Time. Unfortunately Mihoshi accidentally hurls the Sliders back upon a randomized course through the Multiverse. Whereas Fanger, in his new form, laments over the loss of his craft, now stranded on modern-day Earth.
However.. two months later into the new millennium (2001).. Fanger receives a curious message from the White Guardian… something about the Paranormal Time Lord having to save the Multiverse from his TARDIS…
Thus ends Project FANGARIUS – and the beginning of new adventures for the Eighth Fanger.
Project FANGARIUS – The Anomalous Revisions
Although the plot was originally straightforward there were many revisions later, according to future episodes of the Eighth and (currently) Ninth Fanger. Here’s what some of them were:
·Originally the Sliders crew were going to be from Season One (Quinn, Wade, Arturo, Rembrandt), since I composed a FANGARIUS/Sliders short story where the Fourth Fanger encounters the group due to the TARDIS 2’s faulty dimensional stabilizer and Quinn’s malfunctioning Timer. In fact, Arturo turned out to be Fanger’s uncle (on his mother’s side) who was being punished for abusing his powers. However, considering when the actual story would be penned, it was decided Season Four (Quinn, Colin, Maggie and Rembrandt) would be the ones used in this story, for relevance to the timeframe.
·The aliens who warn the Sliders about Salerion were supposed to be the Zercurvians from the Acclaim Comics’ adaptation. But later it seemed more practical in using the Kromaggs instead, which the Eighth Fanger would later discover a horrifying connection between them and the Cybermen.
·Charlie O’Connell (Jerry’s brother) was seen as Colin Mallory later in Season Four Sliders, but the Colin Mallory here was originally an alternate persona generated by T2. In the original plot, Colin secretly leads Grace and Fanger towards the transdimensional source for the Paranormal Time Lord to shatter the TARDIS 2. But later when Colin Mallory was cast, the Eighth Fanger suspected something amiss when Colin pensively accepts Fanger as a Gallifreyan doppelganger of his brother.
·Project FANGARIUS started out as simply a Regeneration story, but since this was supposed to commemorate Fanger’s Twentieth Anniversary, it quickly evolved into a Eight Fangers tale with some of The Doctor’s past selves and Companions thrown in for good measure.
·Later Fanger admits Kain's incarceration setup was also known by both the ParaCouncil and Shadow Proclamation. The reason they did this was so no one would know about Kain's true plight and attempt to conduct inhumane experiments upon him.
Of course, nothing was more intricate than how exactly the Eighth Fanger had come into existence...
Although it sounds like something from Extreme Makeover, Project FANGARIUS was really about how Fanger survived the cancelation of his own series, and ended up continuing through his Eighth and Ninth Incarnation. Despite the fact the DW-RPG Club had been officially disbanded, FANGARIUS had only undergone under hiatus status.
Funny thing, when you work on a series, sometimes the characters end up in obscurity, and at other times they continue on through unusual means. In this case, the year was now 1988, and I was attending Lee College. Somehow, while obtaining a Liberal Arts degree, I had ended up on the college newspaper, The Lantern. Where I had not only composed articles, but illustrated editorial cartoons, some with Fanger as well as other characters.
Consequently, what had really gotten Fanger back on the scene were the odd parallels between his series and Doctor Who, and the fact I had gone to a Sci-Fi/Fantasy and ended up getting FANGARIUS a theme song.
Losing Fanger's Mind: FANGARIUS' Theme Song
During the late-Eighties, Galveston held a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Con, and some of my former members thought it'd be great if we attended it. I recalled they had a fanfic section where one could 'pitch' your version of famous shows and films. My friends had unwittingly submitted FANGARIUS for this little stunt, but due to their unexpected haste, had overlooked one minor detail: FANGARIUS had sorely lacked a theme song.
The real truth was I had always considered a theme song, but I wanted something a bit different than the typical sci-fi fare. Some members had considered a Twilight Zonesque theme, however, I had suspected it didn't really fit with Fanger. Whereas others had wanted something along the lines of Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica, but I had felt they were a bit too pretenous, and they really didn't describe Fanger's overall persona.
Since the DW-RPG Club had always gone straight for the adventure anyway, we had never given the theme song concept any more thought. Besides, who actually plays a theme song for an RPG, let alone a convention? Amazingly, Stephen Sondheim, Liza Minnelli and the Pet Shop Boys had gotten me out of a seriously, sticky wicket.
Now I should indicate they didn't directly help me out. In 1988, the Pet Shop Boys produced a song called, "Left To My Own Devices." Mysteriously, I had always thought the song fit with the film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Where I would envision Roger and all his friends saving Toontown from Judge Doom.
Nevertheless, about the time PSB was co-producing songs, they did one with Ms. Minnelli in 1989,called "Results." And in this collection, there was an updated version of a Sondheim song called, "Losing My Mind." I loved how PSB gave the classic a Whovian style with the tune itself. And whenever I heard the overture, I always mentally augment my own lyrics: Fangarius, where have you gone? Fangarius, where have you been?
Before I had realised it, I had ended up selecting a theme song for FANGARIUS. Strangely enough, if you listen to the original lyrics, the title and song sort of fit my character since I felt many Companions probably do lose their mind when dealing with the Paranormal Time Lord.
Throughout several years, there have been several mixes of the song, which have also kept with being FANGARIUS' Theme Song. Some which enigmatically describe each Incarnate's personality.
FANGARIUS: Lost Regeneration Plots & Missing Adventures
If you've been reading this blog so far, you'll note how FANGARIUS parallels with Doctor Who in more ways than one. Besides the turbulent Sixth Fanger/Doctor year of 1986, about the time I had entered into college, Doctor Who was about to enter the verge of cancellation, even with Sylvester McCoy portraying the Seventh Doctor.
Though the television series was about to go off-the-air, Virgin Publishing and the BBC had come up with a unique way of continuing The Doctor's adventures: The New Adventures. Basically, they kept on adding new stories as well as New Companions like Bernice. But it was Virgin's plan on creating The Missing Adventures which gave FANGARIUS a new leash on life.
Basically The Missing Adventures dealt with Past Doctor tales which took place within The Doctor's Timeline. Meaning writers could compose stories dealing with any Incarnate of The Doctor. And the same thing had occurred with Fanger as well. Yet, the first of the new tales actually dealt with some plots finally revealing what caused the Fourth Fanger into transforming into his Fifth Incarnate.
Fanger's Lost Regeneration Plots
Before I commence with this section, I do need to clarify on some points. When transposing the information from my memoirs to this blog, I had realized I had erroneously made a bit of an inaccuracy.
In reality, during the DW-RPG Club, the Regeneration thing had been unexpectedly dropped on me. The truth was, I had simply regenerated Fanger without rhyme or reason, with this being Fanger's unknown Regeneration since the Eighth Doctor regenerating into his Ninth.
Back then, Fanger and Nyssa had only hinted on what caused the Paranormal Time Lord's Fourth Regeneration. And considering the fast pace of the DW-RPG Club's series, we had never given it another thought. That is, until a former member attending the same college had suggested I pen some actual stories leading up to and revealing the cause for Fanger's Fourth Regeneration.
This time using my college life as a basis, Fanger's Fourth Incarnate and Nyssa find themselves secretly enrolled at Lee College, where they continued their adventures on Earth. More specifically, Baytown, Texas, and also ended up getting married, and of course, Fanger ends up losing his Fourth Incarnation.
However, the dilemma was how did he enter into his next form? Once again, the truth proves into being stranger than fiction. During February 1989, Baytown had undergone the worst freeze it had ever known. Experiencing this phenomenon, I was inspired in composing the plot, DeepFreeze.
DeepFreeze begins where Fanger and Nyssa start noticing how the planet is going through an unusual Northern trend. Especially when places like Malibu and Orlando are experiencing snow storms. However, when South America and Australia start undergoing subthermal weather, the Paranormal Time Lord decides to investigate.
Meanwhile, Nyssa notices Lee College has obtained a new satellite transreceiver dish from an unknown benefactor. Normally it's supposed to help track satellites and weather patterns, but she suspects something afoul when she discovers the places it has been tracking has been hit by the unusually-cold weather.
Fanger later discovers a new type of F-Clone, the Ice-Clones, are responsible for this sudden cold snap. Yet, the mastermind is not Davroan, as the Paranormal Time Lord suspects, but an unexpected adversary.
Glaceséche, the Last Frigidonian, decides on transforming Earth into the New Frigidonios, and making himself Emperor and Fanger his Prince. (Due to a miscomprehension, Glaceséche has decided Fanger is now his adopted son.) As usual, Fanger doesn't share his adopted father's plans, and desperately attempts a way for reversing the Global Ice Age.
Nyssa, and the Lantern Staff, provide the solution: Lee College's dish is actually helping the Ice-Clones transmit a signal to the satellites for controlling the weather. The only way they can stop it is if they can produce a powerful biofeedback force to override the signal. Regrettably, not even Fanger's TARDIS can provide the necessary force, so Fanger constructs a Parakinetic Interface and plans on using his powers as the source.
What ensues is a tour de force between Fanger and the Ice-Clones, with Fanger overextending his PK Limitations in the process. Though Glaceséche escapes before the Paranormal Time Lord unleashes an intense biofeedback signal of PK Force.
The entropic effect from the signal instantaneously destroys the Ice-Clones, but regrettably, the overextension ends up ravaging Fanger's body. Completely weakened, he manages to go back to the Journalism Office, where he collapses and begins entering his Fourth Regeneration.
Fanger's Missing/New Adventures
As I once mentioned, during FANGARIUS' High School Run, the Sixth and Seventh Fangers sort of got shafted when it came to episodes. Besides working on some odd episodes with the Fourth and Fifth Fanger, I also had let some of my members (now in college) come up with some missing or new adventures dealing with the Sixth and Seventh Fanger.
The Missing Adventures mainly focused on plot episodes or ideas I had thought about being a great tale concerning the Fourth and Fifth Fangers. Whereas some of the Sixth and Seventh Fanger tales focused more on filling in the missing years between the two Incarnates, like what occurred during the Sixth Fanger's Exile in the 22nd Century, and how he managed on regaining his travels. The Seventh Fanger focused more on his Bohemian nature while he investigated the supernatural and extraterrestrial as he continued his travels throughout Time and Space.
Some adventures went in-depth with Fanger's battle against the Conspirator, while some focused on him just coping with the typical monsters and such, including some battles with The Master himself.
The New Adventures continued where FANGARIUS had left off, where the Seventh Fanger was now dealing with the aftermath behind the Conspirator's plots. He also encountered advanced versions of the Cybermen and Daleks, not to mention the F-Clones. Also with the help of some members, the Seventh Fanger had some wild adventures in both the DC and Marvel Universes. Including one where a malfunctioning genetic device (later it would be the Chameleon Arch) transformed both into a Fangarian Realm (It's a Fangarian World, Baby!) and he had to deal with two imps upon getting things back to normal.
But it was the epic tales and a forgotten promise which brought about something with FANGARIUS: An entirely new Regeneration.
Rather than compose an endless blog entry about the DW-RPG Club's exploits (which would give me Writer's Cramp and a major headache), instead here's a brief Chronology on how FANGARIUSseries ran through its 'high school' seasons:
1983
During Doctor Who's Twentieth Anniversary, the DW-RPG Club debuts, heralding FANGARIUS' Series Premiere.
Although 25 plots were conceived for the Fourth Fanger, only 14 episodes were produced.
The Inquisitor (aka Bishop) makes his debut in Destination: ZERO. The Inquisitor would start making other enigmatic appearances throughout the series itself, and later become Fanger's Paradox Incarnate, Jidai Sakugo's adversary.
Next to his cousin, Kiptom, Fanger's older brother and sister, Dunestar and Zaralynn ('Lynn), make their debut appearances in different episodes. Not to mention revealing some of Fanger's secret Past.
The F-Clones--the Daleks' new mortal enemies--debut, becoming the most frequently recurring adversaries of the series.
The Michael J. Fox craze with the female members brings forth a completely-reinvented Alex P. Keaton. Mr. Fox's popularity also fleshed out many other characters within F4's era: Brannl (Rassilon's Son), Glaceséche (Last Frigidonian), and Grandier (Gallifreyan Ancient).
1984 (Spring)
After seven episodes, during an attempt saving Gallifrey, Fanger gets caught by the Time Lords. Placed on trial by the High Council, Fanger's found guilty of violating Non-Intervention Laws. The Fourth Fanger gets sent to Earth--during the Third Doctor's Timeline (1970s)--while the Third Fanger gets placed into a specialized SuspensRoom, completely sealed off from The Doctor, inside the TARDIS. Thus preventing any possible Paradox Effects from occuring.
Fanger's Exile ends (c. 1976-79) while persuing ANACHRONOS back to Gallifrey. On his homeworld, Fanger successfully dispatches the cybernetic intruder from the symbiotic computer, The APC Net (aka Matrix).
GENFAR, the confidential Fangarian BioSphere, is revealed as Fanger attends a special reunion with his Clanstribe and other Wolf-Clans in hopes of preventing another Great War from occurring.
The Fourth Fanger episodes draw to a close, as the members elect Fanger should undergo a Regeneration per school year. Consequently, since this decision came after the last F4 episode, Deathtrap (where Fanger and Nyssa--his bethroed--reunite, and later become married), the Regeneration Plots were transcribed as a means for bridging the gap between the Fourth and Fifth Fanger.
1984 (Fall)
Next to Fanger entering a new Incarnation, the first major change hits FANGARIUS: all episode plots are now limited to 18, rather than 25, as a basic preventive towards possible conflicts with school business.
After much deliberation and endless attempts, the Fifth Fanger makes his debut, appearing as a lupine Michael J. Fox. Besides being married to Nyssa, Fanger ends up having two sons: Fanstar and Ianstar. And later one daughter: Achika Barbara.
The first Fangarian Trilogy emerges in the series, The Fangarian Planets. The saga focuses on the Fifth Fanger saving the last surviving Tellurians (Earth) from The Great Fall Out. Afterwards, Fanger discovers and establishes two new planetary colonies: Fangaria and Earth II. Unlike the Fourth Fanger episodes, the three-episode saga contains major gaps in Time. By the end of the Trilogy, Fan, Ian and Achika are practically grown (reaching their 100s), and the Fifth Fanger uncovers a plot by the unknown Conspirator. Later, Fanger and Nyssa decide on resuming his TimeSpace travels, in order to save everyone from the Time Lords' unexpected wrath. Eventually Nyssa stays behind on Gallifrey, in hopes for keeping her husband safe from the High Council.
James Atkinson II --one of the Fourth Fanger Companions--makes a brief return.
While visiting a now-neglected AssaultLab base, Fanger receives an unusual Companion, Scott Compstar. Scott is actually a genetic-cyborg, once designed for militaristic combat, until the company behind his creation was taken over by the infamous MeglaCorp.
Returning briefly to the late-20th Century Earth, the Fifth Fanger teams up with a UNIT Operative, Harry Hupermeister (later changed to Harry Hooperman).
1985(Spring)
Since four members were becoming Seniors (meaning their Graduation rehearsal took precedence over our club), 1985 only allowed a few episodes.
In the final episode, The Genesis of the F-Clones, taking a page from Terry Nation's classic story, but The F-Clones are the antagonists. The Time Lords send the Fifth Fanger back to the point of F-Clone creation, where he finds the Fourth Fanger trapped within a SuspensCapsule. He discovers Davroan is really Davros' brother, and the F-Clones are actually mutant Thals within specially-engineered cyber-symbiotic automatons.
Although managing to foil the F-Clones' advanced development slightly, and saving his former self, the Fifth Fanger unwittingly gets ensnared within a neutron explosion. The intense radioactive exposure prompts another Regeneration, but in a way no one expects.
1985(Fall)
Fanger's Eighth Anniversary (1977-1985) - In celebration of this occasion, a special mini-series: The Ultimate Trial was done containing six episodes: the first four were simply undone plots of the Fourth and Fifth Fanger; the remaining two had the Sixth Fanger contending with The Inquisitor, Tris Gunhul and Omega.
In The Ultimate Trial, The Inquisitor is finally revealed as an unknown Future Incarnate of Fanger.
In conclusion to the Fifth Fanger's cliffhanger, Fanger stuns the members by entering a humanized Incarnation for the first time. The Sixth Fanger actually received his Incarnation through a BioData Transfer from Harry. Thus explaining why this new Fanger resembles John Ritter.
Even though the Sixth Fanger survives his harrowing ordeal, Rassilon and The Inquisitor decide on temporarily exiling the Paranormal Time Lord once again on Earth. Covertly, they both want Fanger to investigate the strange goings on in 2357-Earth. After about thirty-two episodes of FANGARIUS, the TARDIS 2's exterior is transformed from a multicoloured police box, into a blue telephone kiosk.
Stranger than fiction: Coincidentially, about the same time the BBC places Doctor Who on hiatus, leaving the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) in the lurch, FANGARIUS receives the same fate. The problem begins when two head members expel an unruly player from the club without my consent (my Choir duties kept me away from a majority of club meetings). Afterwards, word inexplicably leaks out about our club, prompting a local Anti-D&D organization to come and investigate on-campus.
1986 (Spring)
The DW-RPG Club resumes business, but only after promising the PTA it would be disbanded and FANGARIUS would end at the 1986-87 School Year.
For about ten episodes, the Sixth Fanger remained. The first five focused on his 2357-Earth Exile, while the remainder had him pardoned, allowing him to resume his TimeSpace travels.
While visiting another planet, the Sixth Fanger gets enigmatically poisoned by The Rani, prompting him into entering his Sixth Regeneration
1987
After another four-month hiatus in the Fall of '86, Fanger enters his Seventh Incarnation, this time resembling Martin Short.
The final episode was another mini-series, The Gallifreyan Connection, where it primarily tied-up loose ends and revealed some outlandish identities and secrets--especially the Conspirator's.
Although the DW-RPG Club's lifespan had been severely limited, FANGARIUS would still survive through the odd-assorted short stories, drawings and strips. In fact, though the role-playing game had cease, I had never imagined the Paranormal Wolf-Being would keep on travelling through my college years and beyond. Not only having some special stories, but also spawning two new Incarnates, one in the form of Jerry O'Connell, and the current one who was inspired by Ashton Kutcher.
