Master Plans and Invincibility
If you like “Skullcrusher Mountain,” you may also enjoy these things:
As evidenced by your many emails, most of you probably know about this already. But in case you don’t: Joss Whedon and his many minions are currently posting free episodes of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” a supervillain love story musical starring Neil Patrick Harris. It’s pretty great. I just read the manifesto over there and it turns out the motivation for doing such a thing was the writers strike. I always wondered why some folks didn’t take advantage of the Big Pause in Hollywood to just get together and create something for the internet, just make an end run around sleepy old media. Well someone did, and once you’ve seen it you’ll wonder how they ever could have convinced anyone to put it on television. Did I mention it’s a musical? And no, they didn’t contact me to see if maybe I had a good supervillain love song (hint: I do). Thanks for nothing Joss Whedon. Episodes are only free until July 20th, so get watching.
And speaking of supervillains and love, I was reminded recently of a book by Austin Grossman called “Soon I Will Be Invincible.” I met Austin in the car from the airport to Bumbershoot last year and he gave me the first couple of chapters in a little promotional pamphlet thingie. I read them and loved them and then forgot to read the rest of the book. This error has now been corrected, and I can confirm that it’s an extremely clever and darkly funny novel about superheroes and supervillains. Imagine the world of comic books is actually real, not real like a movie about comic books, but real like all the heroes and villains have to go to work every day. Plus, Austin rocks the chrome dome – respect.
Comments
Jer says
I've seen some links in my time (younguns) but the Dr. Horrible thing is a Good Link (tm). Brief but extremely satisfying, like a piece of Dove dark chocolate. Time to disseminate.
Jesse Thorn says
Austin was a guest on The Sound of Young America, and he was great:
http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2007/09/podcast-austin-grossman.html
MitchO says
I probably would have suggested NPH to star in JoCo: The Musical even before this, but now it's a necessity! The little twitches and smarky looks he gives Dr. Horrible is nothing short of brilliant.
jadelennox says
Hee. When I watched the first episode of doctor horrible the first thing I posted in my blog was a link to "The Future Soon" and a comment that Dr. Horrible's song sounded familiar.
Jon says
"The Hammer is my penis."
mymatedave says
Just read Grossman's book and Dr horrible. He's got a Phd in horribleness you know, both very cool.
Marcy says
Thanks, JoCo, this is really cool!
Alex says
That was so awesome. Can't wait for Act III!
twinschick1 says
Love it! I agree with MitchO, NPH is brilliant in this. Thanks for sharing this! :)
I just added Grossman's book to my holds list at the library the other day. Just waiting for it to come in...
Dan says
I spent most of the novel hoping Dr. Impossible would win.
Tabby says
*was just dropping by so she could link some folks who're gushing over Dr. Horrible to Skullcrusher Mountain*
HopefulNebula says
Heh. I just got linked to DHSAB, got reminded of you, and came here to be sure you knew about it. I guess so.
Austin Grossman says
JoCo - thanks for the mention! "Respect the dome" = my new motto.
Dan - I was hoping for that too. Kind of still am.
Ravenhawk says
The world needs more evil overlord love songs. After all, bowser complexes (as I call them) are so common amongst those both evil and overlording.
Joe says
It's an exciting thing for me when one of my favorite musicians posts about something by my favorite writer/show-creator. JoCo * Whedon is the intersection of awesome and win.
Demetrius says
It's good to know that TMBG's Mr. Horrible finally finished graduate school. :)
Demetrius says
"JoCo * Whedon is the intersection of awesome and win."
Winsome"
Wilson says
Sadly, Dr. Horrible doesn't have a low-bandwidth version. I only have low-bandwidth at home (not dialup, but slow DSL) and the thing doesn't buffer properly and is all jittery. I'm able to watch the current ones at work, but because Act III will only be up for 2 days (what's up with that??), I won't be able to watch it.
Thanks, Josh.
ChrisB in SEA says
It's funny how, when I watched the first episode, I could only think of "Skullcrusher Mountain" and during the second I thought that the show would fit quite nicely into the "Soon I Will Be Invincible" universe... and then I come here.
Timing!
Julie says
Wow, this is so very awesome! And I couldn't agree more with the whole "JoCo * Whedon" thing.
"All the birds are singing that you're gonna die."
Sheer brilliance.
Nicole says
I watched these and immediately came here, KNOWING there would be a thread of some sort.
I could not stop thinking about the parallels through the whole thing. It's nice not to be alone.
Bob L says
Soon I will be Invincible is an awesome book. I've been forcing copies on un suspecting friends :)
Javier says
I just watched Act III. Great!!!! :-D
I want morrrre!!!!!!!!!!!!! >-(
Cambiata says
Act III: Wow.
Cambiata says
Act I : Skullcrusher Mountain
Act II: The Future Soon
Act III: I Crush Everything
Kat says
Ditto for what HopefulNebula said... my boyfriend just showed me Dr. Horrible this morning and my first thought (well, after "Oh oh! Nathan Fillion, yay! DAMN Fox for cancelling Firefly") was "Hey, I wonder if Jonathan Coulton knows about this!?" Apparently so :D
Jim Leesch says
Wow. Just when you couldn't get any cooler. It's like this blog post was ripped right out of my conversation with friends Friday night. "Hey, you've got to go see this Dr. Horrible Sinalong Blog, and oh, by the way, have you read 'Soon I will be Invincible?'"
My hero.
kevin t. says
Jonathan-
Amazingly, when i watched Dr. Horrible, I hadn't even THOUGHT about you in a year or so (no offense - it's been a busy year!), and I immediately was reminded of your music and sense of humor, and was almost certain that you MUST have written the songs. I said to my wife - "I'm telling you that had to be the guy that wrote that 'did I say overlords? - i meant protectors' song... and that skull crusher song"
I'm still a little shocked that it wasn't you, to be honest...
Anyway, thanks to Joss Whedon, I'm a fan of your music again, and glad you've still got stuff up on Emusic :)
Laura Madison says
Yeah-->i did hear bout it and checked ti---good stuff! My best friend loves it!!! :)
Elie says
Met Austin Grossman last year at Comic Con. He was in a couple of panels and then at his publishers booth. I found him to be one of the most fascinating people I talked with at the whole con. After all the time I spent listening to him talk, I just HAD to get his book. I was not disappointed. I loved it so much, I got the Audible version. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended to EVERYONE!
Doug says
I cannot believe my eyes, how the world's filled with filth and lies. And it's plain to seeee, evil inside of me is on the rise.
Dr. Horrible is my hero. Er...villain. Whatever.
Keep your head up, Billy buddy.
Self-Aware SD Card says
I am convinced that the central theme and some portion of the song lyrics were JoCo-inspired.
Sample:
"And Penny will see the evil me,
not a joke, not a dork, not a failure.
And she may cry, but her tears will dry
when I hand her the keys to a shiny new Australia."
Woah, a complete "The Future Soon"/"Skullcrusher" vibe.
Jason C. Brand says
OMG... I love Dr. Horrible (had watched it from the 15th) and the songs are now stuck in my head... mostly Brand New Day and On The Rise. I also really enjoyed Soon I Will Be Invincible. And yes, both of them reminded me of both Skullcrusher Mountain.
Martha Garvey says
Yeah, they're addictive.
But so is the idea of NPH in a Jonathan Coulton musical. Please, God I do not believe in, make it so.
Dwight Wannabe says
I had serious "Skullcrusher Mountain" synapse whiplash as I watched Dr. Horrible.
Great little web gem, but it would have been even better if Jonathan had been tapped for a couple songs.
Self-Aware SD Card says
Joss has mentioned the possibility of more Dr. Horrible...
http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/07/25/dr-horrible-sequel-has-been-planned-dvd-contest-announced/
C'mon, Jonathan. Get some JoCo/JoWe colab goin'.
dr_brundle says
I posted this over at the Dr. Horrible community, but seeing as I got the idea from Cambiata there, I figured I'd better post it here too!!
Here's my Dr. Horrible vid, set to I Crush Everything.
YouTube Link
Poe says
I kinda thought Dr. Horrible was overrated, the reasoning being that your songs are so much better. As far as production value is concerned, Horrible sounded like an 8th grade play on tape. And lyrically, at best they occasionally got close to Skullcrusher's brilliance, but never really made it. It could have had such an awesome quality, but I feel like it just seemed... lame.
Music says
I never liked Dr. Horrible
Aaron Luing says
"Soon I Will Be Invincible" was a good book. I heard about it, and immediately went out to find a copy. I read it, and it ALMOST met my expectations. I'm not saying its bad, but I felt that it was leading up to something bigger than it did. And "Watchmen" does better in the whole "bringing heroes and villains to life" thing. As for Dr Horrible, it was AMAZING! I went in expecting a campy show, watched thinking it was going to work out in the end, and held my breath as I watched the last 7 minuets (not really, but you get the idea). It's not only a brilliant comedy, but wonderful drama, inspired music, and the best ending anyone could ask for. Skullcrusher Mountain was good, but I think Dr. Horrible beat you. Sorry.