This project was originally called "Bugbots: The Mansect Rebellion!". Vicki and I developed it starting in '92 and worked on it til '99 when I foolishly signed a bad contract that tied it up for a few years. Also, late in the development process, a friend whose judgement I trust looked it over and said two things that I took to heart.
He said, "I don't like saying 'Bugbots'."
He also said, "I don't like saying 'Mansects'."

Well, "Mansect" was always a problem that we never dealt with because the plural sounds kind of icky if you don't say it very carefully. No way around that. And "Bugbots" doesn't really roll off the tongue either.

So for a variety of reasons I've been playing around with renaming the whole project. I really like "Nightcrawlers" because it catches the flavor of their origin story on Earth. Plus it's not taken except for a couple of regional rock bands.

The Mansects became Weevils, which previously referred to just the 'bad guy' Mansects, but this caused some confusion in the early versions, as to who the rebels were and if the bad guys were not mansects, what were they?

The big bump was what to call the Bugbots, the giant insect-shaped robots that are the heart and soul of Weevil technology. Hard to come up with a cool sounding name that wasn't already taken. We've come up with the following and are still deciding:

Sectobots
Secbots
Sekbots
Entomatons

So all this is still a work in progress seventeen years later and counting! Yikes!

I still think "Bugbots" has much merit.

ROBUGS!

Bugers

I always thought 'Bugbots' was inspired.

Maybe the thing is to keep them "Bugbots", just not in the title. Hadn't thought of that.

I would stay away from any combination involving "sect" completely. There is no combination of that form of the word that doesn't have the potential for... uh... dangerous mispronunciations.

Don't forget an alternative word for "insect" is "arthropod". Arthropod is a wicked cool word. It does include more than just insects but insects are the largest part of that group. "Pod" is a VERY popular word right now as well and I don't think you can get in trouble for using it.

"ManPods"
"PodBots"
"ArthroBOTS"
"BOTPods"
"ArthroDroids"
"ArthoRoids" - scratch that. Sounds like a... uh... medical condition that requires an inflatable seat cushion
"DroidPods"
"Manarthrodroidpodbots" - say that ten times fast.
"Podroidarthromanbots"
"ArthroiPodoBotoids" - hmm... that really rolls of the tongue. Pronounced: "arthro-eye-pod-oh-boat-oids"

-vern

Bugbots. It says what they are without getting complicated. I don't see what the objection is; if somebody is uncomfortable saying bugbots they'll be uncomfortable watching the show, and they aren't your audience.

How many eyes and appendages do the mansects have? Could you call them Arachnoids?

ROBOBUGS!

Ooh, I like "Arthrobots" and it works well with the name of the Weevils' adopted planet, Arthropoda

Or maybe "Arthropods"! Hmmm.

Bugbots seems to be the franchise.
Perhaps the title can change with the focus of the episode?
Then, in effect, you'd have as many titles/franchises as episodes.

I'm not a big fan of subtitles in movie titles but perhaps there is a way to avoid that.
I understand the importance of franchising though so if it works it works.

I like the episodic nature of titles. Some examples:
- Scarab's Revenge
- The Astrobugs of Center City
- Centepete and the Driver Ants
- Midge's Folly

These would also lend themselves easily to derivative products; coloring books, comics, books about bugs, etc.
Everyone would know that underneath it all runs the theme of the Bugbots which would tie it all together.

Do I understand you to say the term 'Bugbots' is still tied up in a contract?

If the term Bugbots isn't tied down, don't listen to your friend, he doesn't know a good thing when he sees it.
Respectfully agree to differ.
'Bugbots' will roll off everyone else's tongue quite well.

Oh man! I got that in Mexico once. Was sick for 2 days.



-vern

Bugbotz (sic.)

Much catchier.

RE:

Of course that title would be a lot like 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Jedi'. It just wouldn't fit.
Scarab is the the man man... the hero... of the Bugbots. He pulverize them but... nicely.

Vern... are you really sure you are over that condition?
You see, I've heard these rumors around the Wawa for years...

Funny Wawa story. Was about to enter the store. It has one of those "vestibule" areas, like an "air lock". I had the outer door open and there was a guy just going through the inside door and was holding it open when one of the managers started SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS! He turned red and was ROARING,


This went on for about 5 minutes. There was absolutely no gradual escalation. He went from 0 to 11 in a split second. I almost had to change my pants. I was afraid to come in... and... well I really needed the coffee so I was quivering mass of indecision and just stood there trying to look invisible. The guy he was yelling at would not leave and was blocking the door. Apparently he had been caught shoplifting there many many many times in the past. They have him on tape and yet... he keeps coming back. He insisted on coming into the store so the manager called the cops and then chased him out into the parking lot. This manager by the way was in the military for many years. He looks like an ordinary sort of fellow but... wow... I saw the military training jump out in full force that night. I have to wonder now what rank he had before he retired. I will NEVER argue politics with him again that's for sure.

If I didn't have a case of "Scarab's Revenge" before that I certainly had it afterwards. I was "clenching" all the way home that night I tell you.

-vern

Good story... "There's trouble afoot at the Circle K!" (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure)

OK, now we know what to get Vern for Christmas...a coffee pot.

Hey, I like "Bugbotz" too! I should have posted this topic here months ago!

Vern, I would say your last post was not appropriate, but you apparently had some kind of...

bug.

Sorry for the off topic posting... I forget where I am and sometimes... overshare.

-vern

I had a thought the other day about renaming this project, instead of "Nightcrawlers", "Nightcallers". Less icky, more mysterious, and hearkens back (again!) to their origin on Earth, when most humans, who tried for years to ignore their existence, learned of them through their habit of singing their droning, cicada-like songs all through the night until dawn broke.

Also, a Google search of "Nightcallers" shows that the word is nearly nonexistent on the internets.

sounds like a winner!

thanks Rob. My wife likes it too! I think I'm on to something!

Wow, SOMEONE'S paying attention. this forum got renamed overnight! Yesterday I registered the domain name "nightcallers.net" because even though, as I said, the word "nightcallers" is practically nonexistent on the internets, some NY corporation is squatting on "nightcallers.com". Go figure. Probly planning a porn site.

Here's a sketch idea I did a couple weeks ago.

This reminds me of a domain name a friend of mine registered several years ago. She was into Native American stuff and a big Native American word is "Aho" (of Lakota origin I think), meaning - well it has a lot of meanings - but basically a salutation and anything in the affirmative. And she was also into "peace". So she registered the domain name "peaceaho.com" and everyone who saw it thought it was a link to a porno site .. as in "pieceaho" ... as in "I got your piece right here buddy" We were all rolling on the floor.

It's not much really but I've got a placeholder up at http://www.nightcallers.net. Just so's ya know.

I just worked up a new logo for the website. It's still a placeholder but a better looking one...

Looks great, Gerry!

I like the look of that.

Looks terrific - I really like the concept, the drama! but it's a little difficult to read 'Nightcallers" - even knowing what it was supposed to be.

Perhaps somehow back lighting or rimlighting the letters - or widening them some? Not sure how to make it more readable...

EDIT: went to the website - somehow the image is more readable on your site than it is here...don't know why..strange

BTW, ALT-0169 (numeric keypad) will get you the © symbol for your storyboard page. That's on a PC, but I'm sure there's a Mac sequence to do that too.

thanks, everyone. Nance, I've got the layered Photoshop file so I can always tweak the lighting etc. for legibility. I think the figures could use more detail as well so I'll be working on that. Rob, thanks for the © tip. yep, there's a mac shortcut for that too. Details, details!

Nice.... very nice! Seeing that makes me want to see more.
A doodle here, a sketch there, whatever you got.
That'd satisfy my need to see more.

In short... More Nightcallers Gerry!!!

very dramatic, good composition, perfect.

Thanks and thanks! Rodney, you will indeed be seeing more here. In fact I was working on rigging Midge this afternoon when someone actually brought me WORK to do! Of all the nerve! But then I am at the office.

My next step will be to not only standardize the rigging to some extent, but to finally deal with the mechanics of rigging the shoulders. I have a feeling that once I figure that out they will actually be easier than regular human shoulders since the torso and arm are not continuous mesh (but you already knew that didn't you) and won't require the same kind of deformation.

That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

Looks great so far, Gerry!