Whenever you happen to might perchance well also unbiased have learn my outdated blogposts, you’re going to clutch that I’m no longer keen on the IDW reboot of M.A.S.K. – now under the “M.A.S.K. – Mobile Armored Strike Kommand” title trademarked by Hasbro. The simplest part that used to be correct relating to the comics used to be just some of the conceal art work.
Overall, the narrative telling, the premise, the adjustments and mostly the merging of all Hasbro owned properties into one universe, correct did no longer work.
Even handed one of primarily the most divisive complications surrounded the M.A.S.K. crew chief, Matt Trakker. Within the “right” M.A.S.K. from our youths, it did no longer matter whether the cartoon, UK or US comics, Matt used to be a dumb 20’s/early 30’s, prosperous, white billionaire philanthropist. Within the IDW carnage, he grew to modified into a younger, difficult, unlit formative years. Whether you really liked or hated them, we also no longer and Scott and T-Bob who are central to M.A.S.K.
I’ve heard two differing causes for the exchange. The first used to be that the author of the droll, Brandon Easton, wanted the exchange. The opposite is that Hasbro desire properties that don’t have a white main resolve to entice the more Politically Exact world that we uncover ourselves in.
So, in expose to have a key African American personality, they favoured to exchange the central personality of Matt from White to Shaded to fit some agenda. Maybe it used to be Brandon Easton who determined to build up the exchange – if it used to be, this would mirror a extraordinarily unhappy writing resolution on his share. Why exchange the chief’s ethnicity if it is probably going you’ll perchance also unbiased have a easiest personality in Hondo MacLean that you just’re going to have no longer even integrated to your droll?
I’m no stranger to a M.A.S.K. script having written one of my salvage – unfortunately, I did no longer score very a ways with Hasbro on it. I attain contemplate that quite loads of the IDW adjustments had been as a result of DIC setting up the characters within the cartoons – giving them their acquainted backstories that we know and like – and Hasbro might perchance well also unbiased want to exchange it so as that they are no longer in an infringement with the unique owners of DIC. This might perchance well perchance be share of the reason my script did no longer score very a ways with them as my script saved similarities to the distinctive M.A.S.K.
So, why attain I contemplate Hondo is known to a M.A.S.K. Movie?
After I wrote my script, it used to be left on a cliffhanger – one of the critical personality’s fates is in limbo and we are in doubt if she is ineffective or alive or even where she is. This used to be then going to be the catalyst for the sequel.
As nicely as that concept, I was also engaged on a idea of a standalone movie that would centre around Hondo MacLean. As any fan of M.A.S.K. will know, the total vehicles have a dual feature – there is the “illusion” of a fashioned everyday car and the “actuality” of an armoured assault car or the same.
Even handed one of Hondo’s vehicles, Typhoon, is a irregular one to are attempting to shoehorn into a story.
In my contemplate, there is only one of two ways that a M.A.S.K. movie can whisk – either it is place in it is fashioned time of the mid-80’s – this has labored extraordinarily nicely for Stranger Issues and Bumblebee – or it desires to be of now. The style and vehicles of IDW’s droll used to be neither – counting on basing the vehicles on technology stolen from Transformers – and they also glimpse shit.
Typhoon doesn’t in actuality fit into either the 1980’s or the 2020’s – it is miles a ’57 Chevy and might perchance well unbiased glimpse misplaced. In my idea for a standalone movie, it would be place in Cuba with Hondo being the main personality.
Cuba is a nation of Station Traditional 1950’s American Vehicles. Placing Hondo on this atmosphere with Typhoon’s illusion of a ’57 Chevy would work extraordinarily nicely.
Many M.A.S.K. fans have repeatedly really appropriate M.A.S.K. as being a aggregate of G. I. Joe and Transformers…. I’ve repeatedly felt it used to be more reminiscent of James Bond. Hondo being undercover in Cuba would be a extraordinarily James Bond-esque premise.
I don’t contemplate IDW had been artful sufficient to provide validity to M.A.S.K. – they attain no longer know the characters, they attain no longer know the vehicles and they also attain no longer know the Masks (they attach no longer give the masks their names – these now seem like code-names for the characters????).
If I had been to jot down a M.A.S.K. script now, I would undoubtedly exchange it. If the myth requires an African American Chief then Hondo would must be key. So, what would I attain?
The fashioned sequence of the cartoon differed slightly from the 10 Racing Series, the free mini comics with the toys, the UK Comics and the US Comics. Within the first sequence, Miles and his V.E.N.O.M. cohorts do no longer know the M.A.S.K. crew. There might perchance be one episode when they steal a crystal cranium that offers them this perception but, by the end of the episode, all is forgotten.
Within the entire other discipline materials, collectively with the Racing Series, Matt and Miles labored collectively on the M.A.S.K. venture till Miles double-crossed Matt and stole half of of the weapons. What if this came about and Hondo then started to rely upon the validity of the M.A.S.K. crew?
What if Hondo questions whether Matt is share of Miles’ knowing and turns against him? What if Hondo place up his salvage crew no longer trusting Matt and Miles – combating against each?
We’d tranquil have the M.A.S.K. we know and like – but, with a third rogue a part of Hondo. Many tales feature the battle between correct and wicked. But, more and more tales, movies, comics, books glimpse into the grey command between correct and wicked.
Who did no longer like Captain The US Civil Battle when it used to be a story of two teams who each idea they had been unbiased correct be being manipulated by a third occasion?
M.A.S.K. vs V.E.N.O.M. vs Hondo’s crew….. A classic trilogy that I contemplate would add more to the narrative telling. Clearly, in some unspecified time in the future, Hondo’s crew would eventually merge relief into M.A.S.K.
As an alternative of changing the ethnicity or gender of our heroes, this would enable for unique various characters to enter the fold. I’m the first to admit that there don’t seem like sufficient feminine characters in M.A.S.K. and as various as it used to be, perchance just some of the personality names (Ali Bombay and Nevada Rushmore) don’t seem like that various?
If, has been reported, the F. Gary Grey is going to be the custodian responsible of bringing M.A.S.K. to existence, I contemplate that he desires to provide the fans what they’re wanting ahead to. In any other case, this can tumble flat on it is face.
What are your ideas? Please leave them below or over on my M.A.S.K. Comics Net page.