Comics by Shaenon II

[Desius]

A little something I cooked up because I'm bored and on vacation before I go to that wedding.

To be read like a transcript from a TV show

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have for our interview segment, the up and coming Henchman, Desius Raize from the hit series, The Mad Science Wars.
Des: Glad to be here.
Dixie: Desius Raize, played by actor William Dempsey, writen by Andrew-
Des: Drew. Just... Drew. The Boss tends to be... a bit paranoid about his name floating around out there in the great yonder.
Dixie: Understandable, considering his profession, and how controvesial the character is.
But before we get into greater detail concerning the character, may I ask you some questions concerning your past performance these last few story-arcs.
Des: Certainly.
Dixie: Des certainly seems to be a bit moody, and we're never sure just exactly what he's going to be act like next. Any specific reasons on why he tends to be so dynamic?
Des: Dynamic is good way to put it. Des as he was originally written just simply wouldn't have worked in the Wars considering when he was introduced to the main broadcast.
Dixie: In what way?
Des: Well, we, that is the audience, all know that Des is a mad latent. In his original concept, Des wasn't intended to explore that facet of his personality until much later, after he had some time to carve out a nitch for himself with the regular cast. However, considering his introduction to the main storyline after that virus driving all latents mad had been spread about the earth, well... Drew, the writer, had to rapidly adjust his story to fit the current conditions.
Dixie: I see.
Des: This has had some... interesting side effects for Des. We've never really seen him in an enviroment that he's actually comfortable in, instead he's been whisked out and about, constantly dealing with strange and new situations. Eternally off balance, Des tends to deal mostly in the short term, and focusing so heavily on it tends to drain him, and then he gets snappy.
Dixie: Speaking of sudden changes to fit the events surrounding him, could you care to explain why he suddenly aquired such impressive gun skills.
Des: Absoulutely. Des always had some skill with a gun. From his time in the lounge he showed it firing at the extra staff before he jumped into the practice wars and eventually the main...
Dixie: Another rapid change that I suspect threw the writer for a bit of a loop.
Des: Exactly, Des didn't have much time to adjust to being a henchman in the Practice before the switch, so Drew was kind of off balance for a bit there. I think he did great adjusting as quickly, but it definitely made for some rough spots in his writing. But to the original question. Des has always have some gun skills. This is a reflection on the actual writer, considering Drew's own meager skill with firearms.
Dixie: Meager?
Des: Oh yes, Drew has wasted many, many rounds trying to be a decent shot, but the safest thing on the range tends to be the target. Drew himself comes from a redneck branch of the family scattered around the South. These reflections actually creep more and more into his character as he develops him, such as his own multicultural upbringing. But, Des has changed alot in the time he's been on the show. The writer had a rough outline of his backstory when he started, and only now has recently started filling in larger and larger sections of it.
Dixie: Such as the Twins?
Des: Ha! Yes and No. Originally, the twins were supposed to be thorns in his side that he's met before in a scraped backstory involving an underground ring of Mad-Science suppliers that tended to raid graves for fresh (or fresh'ish) supplies. Since then, and working with the writer behind the ever popular Tinkers, it's become something much, much more.
Dixie: How much more?
Des: Nice try, but thats a story for another day. I do believe that when the truth does come to light you shall be impressed.
Dixie: Why does the writer abbreviated everything?
Des: In what way?
Dixie: Well, you, the character's name is Desius, why do you refer to yoursefl as Des most of the time.
Des: You know I asked Drew that before, he laughed and told me a couple reasons for it. He said that it's a way to show intimacy with a character that has problems showing it in normal ways. It also reflects actual speech, Andrew tends to become Andy or Drew. Alexander becomes Alex or just Al. And he laughed and said the real reason is that he's lazy and doesn't like typing the extra letters when he can just shorten it.
Dixie: Focusing on the character himself, let me ask on some things concerning his relationships with the other cast members.
Des: Shoot.
Dixie: First of all, lets start with his boss.
Des: Chic? Well... where to start?
Dixie: Lets start with how he views her.
Des: Well, Des tries to be stoic. Fails miserably most of the time, and Chic is no exception. Des really cares for her. She seems to be a younger sister to him. Des tends to take those around him and make them family, a Tinker trait he picked up, and probally blames them for as a bad habit. The relationship can be confusing to follow however, since Des and Chic share varied levels of control.
Dixie: Control?
Des: Yes, at times Des is very subserviant to Chic, following her whims and at other times he'll disagree with her and get in her face. In a way they're actually like a real brother and sister. arguing with each other, but coming together whenever they face any sort of opposition.
Dixie: What do you say to the 'shippers suggesting some sort of-
Des: *Does a spit-take* I'm sorry, what?! That... that would be.. odd. And I suspect that Wally would be a bit miffed with that. No. As of right now, there isn't anything going on in that direction, at least from Des's end and I suspect Chic isn't going that way also.
Dixie: Speaking of relationships, Des has been pretty close to Fredric-
Des: No. Just, no. Fredric and Des are buddies, especially after Fredric was dragged along for Des's day through heck. But there isn't anything more going on.
Dixie: Well what about Narbon.
Des: This is where things get a bit more complicated. First of all everything I talk about is from Des's side. We have this clause in our contracts where we can't discuss Narbon's reasoning or motivations, I can guess and give my opinion, but thats about it.
Dixie: Alright, then what does Des think about her.
Des: Des has several mixed feeling concerning her. First, he's not frightened of her. At all.
Dixie: A bold statement, considering her noterioty.
Des: Des isn't the sharpest tool in the shed at times. A bit foolish considering that everyone else is afraid of her, and for good reason. Des has had an interesting childhood-
Dixie: With the Twins.
Des: No. This concerns things that happened before the Twins. Des only stayed with them for a brief, happy, but in the end, all too brief time before everything fell apart. Probally the only truely happy time he had.
Dixie: What happened?
Des: Well without giving too much away, Eric, Tinker's father died.
Dixie: Yes, fighting an unknown shadow organization.
Des: Not unknown to Des. How Des met the Twins hasn't been stated yet, but when it does you'll understand much more on why he feels all this guilt.
Dixie: I see. How long did he stay with them?
Des: It's still sort of vague right now, the timeline of events isn't set in stone. Probally only about a year and couple months. Des was 13 when he ran away, and 11 when he met the twins.
Dixie: But moving back to Narbon...
Des: Ah yes, Des has had an interesting and tragic childhood. This is probably the main reason he doesn't fear Narbon. He thinks of her as a spoiled rich kid. In his mind, she's only cashing in on her family name rather then earning it.
Dixie: But she's done some amazing things!
Des: No. In Des's eyes she's had other people do some amazing things for her.
Dixie: She unleashed a plague that almost killed off all the martians!
Des: She manipulated Zobot into unleashing it for her. In his eyes she's never had to take someone's life.
Dixie: But her-
Des: Mentor? The one she burned her house down around her? The one she didn't stay and watch her burn, that we now know is still alive and picked up Wally? Despite Des not knowing these things, from what he understands, Des sees her as someone who has others kill for her. She's never had to stand there and watch someone die. Or had to get her hands dirty and strangle a victim, stab them cold blood and watch them bleed out. Something vicious and brutal and bloody, not clean or quick like that. SoItBegins was killed by her, a fact that neither has actually gone and published, but even then her chemicals did all the work, and there was not death rattler, blood, or mess. Besides she knew he'd be back pretty soon.
Dixie: And Des has?
Des: Yes.
Dixie: When?
Des: *smiles* It's a secret. But needless to say he holds her in a bit of disdain. He's probally wrong. She's probally done quite a bit of dirty work herself. But he's never heard or seen any of it. But even then, he doesn't view it or her as something to be afraid of. He knows it's not worth worrying about. If she's better than him, he'll never know she's coming. If he's better than her, she'll never see him coming. So he doesn't think on it.
Dixie: And yet Des acts so cowardly at times.
Des: Who says Des likes getting hurt? While he's pretty cavalier at times with death, he doesn't exactly want to die anytime soon! This lack of fear is probally going to be his downfall though.
Dixie: In what way?
Des: Ahh.... well Des has a bit of a crush on Narbon.
Dixie: W-why?
Des: Ha! When she cured him and he linked them together so he could... well I'll explain that another day. She's in his mind constantly. He can't help but think of her. He has several commands that make him subservient to her and he rationalizes all this as she's so beautiful and stunning, he'd do anything to impress her. How can you think all that and not interpret it as some sort of infatuation?
Dixie: Heh, how indeed. What About Tinker?
Des: Well... it gets fun here. Andrew and Des are a time bomb waiting to happen. You see-
Dixie: I'm so sorry! We're out of time. Come back another time and do another interview segment for us.
Des: Love to.
Dixie; Thats all for today folks!
I'm Dixie De'Vil for MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network.
Join us next time for our exclusive guest, Professor Zobot!
And now a word from our sponsers.

"I don't want to blow up, I'm a Mad-Sci 'R' Us fan. From death rays to..."

If anyone else wants to do an interview with Dixe De'vil on the 'De'Vil's Advocate' show, feel free! Just remember to watch MS101.

[Professor_Tinker]

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have for our interview segment, the ever-populat Hero MadSci, Andrew K. Tinker from the hit series, The Mad Science Wars.
Andrew: Hello, Miss. De'Vill, it's a pleasure to be here.
Dixie: oh, please. No need to be so formal- call me Dixie.
Andrew: As you like, Miss Dixie
(Laughter from audience)
Dixie: Well, Andrew Tinker is played by Eddie Valent, and written by Lucas W. He started as one of the original characters, diddn't he?
Andrew: He did indeed! back when it was just a little skit show out on cable- A comedic back-and-forth between Tinker and the enigmatic So It Begins.
Dixie: Picked up after Jane Narbon was added, I'd say.
Andrew: Whew, i would say so! That was also when Fredric was introduced- Fluffy the Terrible was just supposed to be a quick joke, but the audience loved him.
Dixie: Well, I know he's one of *my* favorites. It was just after that that the show really expanded, didn't it?]
Andrew: Oh, yes. We got picked up for a big contract- imagine our surprise. A little cult show being offered a prime time slot, full creative control, a budget- first thing we did was start looking for new talent with the 'Practice' Wars. Wonderful actors, I really adore them.
Dixie: Speaking of the characters, would you mind if I asked you about yours? Andrew Tinker and his family have proven to be quite the fan favorites, are we going to be seeing more of them?
Andrew: Which ones? There's a lot of them now.
Dixie: *laughs* Hmm, well, how about Alpha and Beta? The Evil Twins are super fun, and I know I'd like to see more of them.
Andrew: Oh, you can expect to see more of *them* for sure- they're the greatest to have on the set. We've got a sub-arc planned with them at he Awards trying to 'help' their 'leetle Nepewz'. Also, there's been talk of giving them a separate special mini-series, like the one done on Eric Tinker.
Dixie: Oh, those were so sad.
Andrew: I know- there was hardly a dry eye in the room when we screened it. Luc- the writer- wanted people to see the man that left such a hole in Andrew's life and, well, he succeeded.
Dixie: What about who killed him? Can you tell us *anything*?
Andrew: I'm sorry, I really can't. But I can tell you we haven;t seen the last of them- Luc and Drew have been working together on something thats going to explode, let me tell you.
Dixie: Sounds thrilling! Now, I have to ask you- Andrew is getting a lot of love for being an openly homosexual character- do you see him getting any romance in the show?
Andrew: Well, yes and no. I think he'll have his moment, but not wih any of the current caracters.
Dixie: Really? Well, i know that the Desius/Tinker fans were disappointed when it turned out they were cousins, but what about So It Begins, or the other hero, Toboz?
Andrew: *laughs* I really don't think so. So It Begins isn't a character you can *have* a pairing with- even if Andrew didn't view him as dangerous. As for Toboz, even if- I'm not saying anything- Andrew viewed him that way, It;s really very doubtful. For one thing, Andrew is all to aware that he lost his memory, and wouldn't ever take advantage of him.
Dixie: Hm, I suppose that's the problem with 'Hero' characters. Well, moving on, let's hear about Fredric- the character has expanded since his inception a great deal.
Andrew: Well, at first he was just a basic puppet, but the decision was made to have him start talking- to give Andrew someone to play against-, so we put out a hunt for a voice actor. We found Nathan, this marvelous young English man, who just fit the character like a glove. he actually did his reads on set, so it was only a matter of time before Luc wrote out a way for Fredric to go humanoid.
Dixie: making himself a number of female fans in the process- that cute punk-rocker look is pretty cute.
Andrew: *laughs* Oh, don't I know. Nathan is a wonderful actor- and he really plays that guitar, too. He even ad-libs a lot of his lines- Luc has taken to just writing 'Fredric says something sarcastic' and let Nathan go nuts.
Dixie: His pairing up with Desius earned a lot of approval- are we ever going to see just what happened on their adventures?
Andrew: Probably not- sort of a 'the Incident' thing. Whatever you can come up with is probably more interesting than what they could have shown.
Dixie: I have to ask you- what do *you* think of Andrew? As a person?
Andrew: Well, thats an interesting question. I see him as a nice guy trying to excel in a world that's stacked the odds against him. He just wants to keep his friends safe, and protect people in a universe that tends to try and lash against him. Its hard for him, because of his family background that was revealed in one of the 'Eric Tinker' mini-episodes, and also because I feel like he never quite got over his Dad's death and the events around it- Particularly his cousin and best friend Desius abandoning him. I think he wouldn't have gone mad if Desius hadn't left, and that that's why he didn't remember him later- because Desius hurt him so badly by leaving when he needed him. It;s not in Andrews nature to hold a grudge- so he repressed the memory's a little.
Dixie: Wow. Do you think this will come up later.
Andrew; I think so. And I think we're going to see a part of Andrew that we have only seen glimpses of before- the part of him that he trys to hide.
Dixie: His evil side?
Andrew: No. His pain. I can't really say more than that.
Dixie: Aww. Well, how about Jane Narbon? What does he think of her?
Andrew: Honestly? He respects her a lot. I think that if he liked women, he would be very attracted to her, but as it is he is pretty fond of her in an odd way. He sees her as a contemporary, and he's probably one of the few people who knows just how dangerous she is.
Dixie: Really? How?
Andrew: his odd sort of 'sixth sense' that he uses t keep track of 'the story'- he knows just how much of things she's manipulating, even if he can't tell just what. But she should be careful- he's more dangerous than he lets on, and if she or anyone else crosses him too hard then- well. It won't be pretty. The Notebook isn't the only trick up his sleeves.
Dixie: then the Evil Twins got it right, huh? He really *could* rule the world?
Andrew: If he wanted to? Yes. But even if he *was* evil, he wouldn't. As it is, he just wants to keep people safe.
Dixie: well, that's all the time we have now. I hope you'll come back soon!
Andrew: Of course.

[Professor Zobot]

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have for our interview segment, the elusive David Toboz, one of the many stars of the series hit, The Mad Sci Wars.
David: Hello Dixie. I'd like to mention this is my first interview ever, so I'm a little bit nervous.
Dixie: That's true! Now as long as we're on the subject, David, we had you scheduled for an interview on an earlier show, but at the last minute we had get Andrew Tinker instead. Any comments on your sudden cancellation?
David: Well, it's true that I typically don't consent to interviews, but...
(The camera zooms back, showing David tied by rope, dangling over a vat of acid. Dixie is standing on a platform next to him, exactly level with him)
David: ...You twisted my arm.
Dixie: We sure did! Now then, before we get to the serious questions, there's something a lot of fans have been begging us to ask. Longtime viewers might remember that before David Toboz, there was another "fourth" character in the original cast of the Mad Sci Wars. Care to comment on that?
David: Ah... you're talking about Purpleknight, aren't you? Well, It's really not my place to say anything...
Dixie: *Points down at the acid* I should point out that So It Begins refuses to comment on this subject, and every interviewer we sent to Narbon never came back.
David: Well, if you're that curious... I wasn't really around for most of it. I only met the man a few times, you understand. At his best he was lively and energetic, but at his worst... well, he often claimed that Tinker had no talent, SiB didn't pull his weight, and Jane Narbon was only in the show to draw the male crowd.
Dixie: So he was fired because he didn't play well with others?
David: Yes. Although I heard it was more than that. There were rumors about things. To anyone watching the episodes he was in, it was clear that he was quite purple, sometimes even flagrantly so. What people don't know is that it wasn't all-natural.
Dixie: So he was artificially purpling himself?
David: If you believe the rumors, yes. They say he was fired after SiB caught him in the bathroom with a can of purple spraypaint he was shooting up his nose. But that sounds somewhat silly, don't you think?
Dixie: Dark news if it is indeed true, Dave!
David: Don't call me Dave. Please. Anyways, whatever happened, I wish Purpleknight, wherever he is, the best of luck. He didn't seem like that bad a guy, just...erratic.
Dixie: Let's move on. Now then, a lot of strange pairings have been suggested by fans during the show's run, including one between So It Begins and the fan dubbed "Zobot Arm." Any comments on relationships between your characters and the rest of the cast?
David: Ugh, that shipping again. I can guarantee that one's not going to happen. As for other romances, I don't see them myself. It doesn't seem like the show needs the subplots.
Dixie: So you're saying that none of your characters could ever fall in love?
David: Well... there's the obvious Elleb/David pairing, although it wouldn't work out. Elleb has a crush on David, that much I think has been made obvious by now. But if David were to get involved with anyone in the cast at this point, it would either be Prof. Tinker or Jane Narbon. David is attracted to Narbon, but at the same time he's smart enough not to think with his pants around her. She'd have to do something to earn his trust before any relationship could form. And he definitely looks up to Tinker. There's a element of respect and an element of hero worship there, and I think that if he discovered that Tinker was a human just like him, he could easily grow to care about him
Dixie: Interesting. So David is bi?
David: The character is loosely based off of myself, so probably, yes. It's not canon yet, mostly because David's never really taken any time to examine how he feels towards other people, but that's the conclusion I imagine he'd come to, anyway.
Dixie: Changing the subject a bit, would you care to elaborate on the connection between David Toboz and Zobot? Is it true that David is merely Zobot with amnesia?
David: Who said he had amnesia? *Grins*
Dixie: It's been addressed several times in the story as such...
David: I won't comment either way on this. But I'll point out something: Tinker was the first one to call him "David." Everyone assumed he had amnesia. David's yet to have a flashback of any type. All that's been told is that he doesn't remember anything between his childhood and the moment he woke up in the lab. Everything else is essentially things David assumes based on how others treat him.
Dixie: But David Toboz and Zobot look very similar.
David: That can easily be explained away many ways. I will say that in coming chapters, all will be revealed.
Dixie: Alright. So what would you like to see happen with the character of Toboz in coming chapters?
David: I'd like to see David connect a bit more with the rest of the cast. He's been a loner for far too long, and I think he needs to make friends and possibly even enemies. I'd also like to see him come more into his own as a Heroic figure. He was going in the right direction during the Hero's Quest storyarc, but of course all his progress disappeared when Prime overwrote his mind.
Dixie: Well, thank you for a wonderful first interview, David, and we look forward to seeing you and the rest of the cast of Mad Sci Wars every weekday night at 7 PM!
*There is a snapping sound, as David plunges downward out of view of the camera, and suddenly there is a loud splashing sound, as well as several screams, which quickly die off*
Dixie: Well, the rest of the cast, anyway. And whoever they get to replace you! This is Dixie De'Vil, signing off!

[chicgeek]

Miss Dixie DeVil here, with 'You'll pay!" for the mad science network. Today our latest in the series of interviews from the smash hit, Mad Sci Wars,
Miss Chicgeek!

CG-Thanks, it’s great to be here.
DV-So, how do you feel about your character having the most ‘exposure’ of the cast so far?
CG-(Snickers). Oh, it’s been a hoot! Blame SoItBegins for that one. I know the shippers have been having a field day.
DV-Let’s start with that. Is what’s been going on typical for the character?
CG-No, not really. It was a natural development from the Elleb storyline. Plus we had the best sweeps week ever!
DV-But there’s been a hint of romance with Wallycaine’s character almost from the beginning of her introduction.
CG-That was originally going to be developed slowly, over time. And since we’ve already mentioned shippers-No, there are no romantic entanglements, or plans for any, with any other cast members.
DV-Not even the evil twins? Chic seems quite…taken with them.
Cg-(Grins)Nah. Maybe if she’d met them first…(smiles wickedly)let’s move on to something else.
DV-Very well. I notice Chic has finally started calling herself a hero, but ‘ not a nice person’. Can we get you to elaborate on that? As was the character intended to be heroic from the beginning?
CG-Now it gets complicated. No, in the original script, she was meant to be a villain. But the character changed almost overnight. She starts as a madsci just beginning her career. She has a base, and immediately starts work on getting a nemesis, and worrying about a plan for world domination. Because she thinks that’s what a madsci should be doing.
DV-Let’s explore that a minute. What about her nemesis, Dr. Dana N. Amino?
CG-Oh, a wonderful character, a true pleasure to work with. Chic isn’t actively plotting her downfall, but let’s just say they won’t be lunching any time soon.
DV-So, back to heroics. What changed?
CG-I’d like to blame a fair amount of it on Andrew-Professor Tinker. The way he put himself on the line when her zeppelin crashed near his home impressed her. If he was just a few years older, Chic would see him as a father figure. As it is, she looks up to him. But honestly? Deep down, she’s just not as evil as she thinks.
DV-Speaking of fathers, why don’t you tell us more about her background. And why so much angst for such a cheery character?
CG-Contrast, for one. And no, nothing like that was in the writer’s past. Although the writer did have an older sister who was made to turn down a scholarship to MIT, because her father said it would be wasted on a girl, she’d just get married and have babies anyway.
DV-No! Really?
CG-Yep. Her father changed his tune, when the sister went on to earn more money than he did. But getting back to Chic…
DV-Yes. A ‘hero, but not a nice person.’
CG-She’s much tougher than her outward appearance and giggling would suggest, for one. Outspoken and blunt upon occasion-too much of her youth spent on virtual tiptoe saw to that. She’s had to take actions she’s not proud of, but would do again. And she’s ruthless when it comes to protecting those she cares for.
DV-That brings up two related questions. First, define ruthless.
CG-Well, you know how it’s a staple of heroic literature for the hero to nobly sacrifice themselves to save a loved one? Chic would, if she had to. But she’d be more likely to kill or maim the one doing the threatening, first. Even if the person she saved would be horrified by the actions taken on their behalf.
DV-That’s…not very heroic, true. And protecting those she cares for? She seems to have taken the Tinkers as her own, treats her henchman more like a brother, and seems to be head over heels with Wallycaine.
CG-All true! She has no living family she’s close to, and never had much of a family life to begin with, frankly. So she’s quite happy to have fallen in with that group, and has indeed taken them for her own.
DV-Now, what I’m sure our audience really wants to know-what’s with all the hints about the evil family?
CG-I can’t tell you too much now, but it’s going to be explored in future episodes. To recap what was shown in our popular ‘Tales of Madness’ feature-Mother dead, father in prison for unknown reason. It’s mentioned that Chic was the one to find her body. Evil uncle, who appears to be highly placed at the family firm. A grandfather is referred to, but not if he’s said uncle’s grandfather, or Chic’s. Munitions manufacturers, with government contracts. Chic has just found out that she’s been closely watched by the people she left behind, and that apparently they’ve almost always know she would someday go mad. Periodic attempts to break into her base-not all of which she knows about. And it seems the evil twins know something-how much is yet to be revealed. Lets’s just say-even if it seems the truth is coming out, there will be more to the story.
Remember-the truth itself is the best lie of all.
DV-Wow. Will she be confiding in anyone about this?
CG-Desius can’t help but become involved, being her henchman, but she’ll try to keep it from the rest as long as she can. She doesn’t want the people she’s come to care for seeing her with horror and disgust. It's more that, than a lack of trust that keeps her quiet.
Dv-And why would they be horrified with her?
CG-You’ll just have to stay tuned.
DV-It’s pretty well hidden, but does Chic have self esteem issues?
CG-Maybe a little. She’s perhaps a wee bit sensitive about her appearance-she’s been dismissed as ‘pretty little thing’ by people who don’t give her credit for having brains. Chic knows she’s a chica muy Linda, but darn it, she was making patent worthy devices while still in elementary school!
Dv-On a lighter note, what’s up with the coffee pot, and the mechanical vine?
CG-Hee! It was Desius’s idea to made the coffee pot a character in it’s own right. And while Chic may not consciously be aware of its intelligence, she’d never dismantle it. So she may deep down suspect something. And Mecha? Originally a weapon developed by Andrew, and given to Chic, who took to it right away. He didn’t plan sentience for it, I can tell you!
DV-They’ve certainly been a fun addition to the cast. Once more, we’re out of time. Thanks for the interview, Chicgeek, and we hope to see you again.
CG-My pleasure.

[Professor Zobot]

This is breaking the theme a wee bit, but I'm doing a second interview because I got an idea in my head that wouldn't leave.

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have a surprise guest for our interview segment. Everyone give a warm, evil welcome to what fans have been calling "The Zobot Arm!"
(Applause)
Arm: Hello Dixie. It's good to be here on the show.
Dixie: Yes, we were very excited to hear you wanted an interview. What most people don't know is that, unlike most of the special effects on the show, The Zobot Arm isn't done with CGI animation. It is in fact, an actual mad scientist's creation that has become a friend to mankind after the timely intervention of the Skin Horse government organization.
Arm: That is true. I learned that I did not need to rampage to be loved.
Dixie: Let's get to the questions, shall we? Now, we've been told that "The Mad Sci Wars" is your first job in the industry. How did you land the role?
Arm: My good looks and charm? To be honest, they let me audition mostly because my humanitarian efforts had directly helped one of the writers back when he was going through a rough time. But the role itself was created because the show was going through some changes just before the Martian invasion.
Dixie: Interesting. Care to elaborate on that?
Arm: Well, a lot of the writers had felt the show was in a bit of a rut. They felt that it more potential than just the singular dynamic of "Four mad scientists trying to kill each other." and called for a strike so that they would be allowed to make their changes. And despite being thrown into a pit of lions by management, they STILL wouldn't give. So shortly after the end of the second season, with Zobot's lair being destroyed, they retooled the show a bit.
Dixie: So what sort of changes were made?
Arm: A lot of it had to do with the characters and their roles. Fluffy talking was decided by the beginning of "Day of the Deranged Do-Gooder" and we held auditions while shooting that season. They replaced the original actor of That Guy with a European prettyboy with little experience, to save money. Jane Narbon was slated to grow her hair out longer. The only character that was drastically retooled was Professor Zobot. The creative team behind the show felt that they already had enough meglomanical evil scientists in the cast, and Zobot was easily the most cliche of the lot of 'em. So the character was retooled and given a more protagonistic slant, which changed the central dynamic of the show. I personally feel it gave it more options, and not just because it allowed me to get in on the fun.
Dixie: Interesting. But then they added more evil scientists in the third season.
Arm: Well, by the time the younger cast was added, we felt the show had grown enough to justify them. Wally, Chic, Desius, Amino, and Lord Dave gave "Mad Sci Wars" a creative shot in the arm, so to speak.
Dixie: So, moving on, your role in "Wars" has been strange thus far. Your character seems very willing to help David Toboz, its "master" but at the same time it seems to have a dark agenda of it's own. So what is Project Tanglebox, anyway?
Arm: Well, to understand the project first you need to know that-WAIT A SECOND! I'm sorry, Dixie, but I'm not allowed to give away any spoilers. I'll just say that Project Tanglebox was originally inspired by a children's fantasy story with a similar title. While the similarities between the two are few, the project was definitely rooted in the story.
Dixie: Tantalizing! So, between your character and Elleb, who is more evil?
Arm: Elleb has her moments, but she's a prankster, not a villain. Actually, I think of all 4 characters written by the same guy, Robert Anarmi is probably my stiffest competition.
Dixie: I'm not familiar with the character. Who is Robert?
Arm: Oh. I keep forgetting that he hasn't actually appeared in the show yet. Only in a few teaser advertisements as a reference. Well, Robert is...well...he's shy. Let's just leave it at that.
Dixie: Let's talk about behind the scenes, shall we? There have been a lot of reports stating that you have had differences with one of the other actors working on the show. Is there any truth to this?
Arm: Ugh. I hate to admit this, but yes. I have had several violent rows with the actress that portrays Chicgeek.
Dixie: So the two of you don't get along?
Arm: Well, we've had several differences of opinion, and I can't say I agree with her politics. But I think we've both taken it too far. As long as I'm on the air, I'd like to take the opportunity to apologize. I'm sorry, Chicgeek. I didn't mean it when I said you or any human was just "A bloated sack of no longer usable water." And I don't think you really meant it when you called me a hack. We've both said some hurtful things, and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
Dixie: Aww...isn't that sweet, folks? Ok, Arm. One final question, if you would. Is it true that while your contract has been renewed for the next season, the contract with David Toboz has NOT been?
Arm: Well, being dropped into a vat of acid does have a tendency to make negotiations difficult.
Dixie: I meant, with the replacement that's been called in to fill the role.
Arm: Sorry, Dixie. I can't comment on any of the other characters or their situations. All I can say is that negotiations are proceeding forward, and that there will be another season after "The Mad Sci Awards" is over.
Dixie: Well, that's all the time we have for today! I'd like to thank you, Metal Arm #46651278, for coming onto the show! Good luck with your new charity!
Arm: Good night, world!

[Desius]

In the vein of Zobot's arm (Ha! I made a pun!), and because I found it so funny, here's another comedy interview for you.

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have a surprise guest for our interview segment. Everyone give a warm welcome to a fan favorite: The Coffee Machine. Better known as Marvin, the Coffee Machine has won the hearts of millions. Welcome to the Show!
Marvin: *Shoots out a puff of steam*
Dixie: Fortantly since very few people speak Marvin's language we bring back former guest William Dempsey, who plays the role of Desius Raize, to translate.
Des: Nice to be back
Dixie: Before I ask Marvin some questions, let me ask why are you able to understand Marvin so fluently.
Des: *Laughs* Well, this isn't the first show I've been apart of. Standard fare for the MSAG [Mad Science Actor's Guild] in the early 90's was the installation of universal translator chips, though they've since been discontinued.
Dixie: Why?
Des: Something about the recipients hearing voices and eventually snaping and killing everyone around them.
Dixie:......
Des: Anyways, so I can understand Marvin fluently, I just can't speak his language. In the show we merely passed it along as an aspect of Des going Mad, but Marvin won the hearts of the audience and well, like most of the one shots who make it big, has become a part of the regular cast, albeit, a smaller one. Luckily, Marvin understands perfect English, and actually has a Doctorate in Mad-Sci derived Literature. His only problem is that he's lacking any apparatus to actually speak English. It's only through his ingenuity that he developed his own personal language of cues, bells, puffs-
Dixie: Fascinating. Fascinating. But we really need to move along. I see that he's been in several shows before.
Marvin:*Puffs*
Des: Yes, he says that its been mostly bit parts. *listens* He says he's been type-cast alot.
Dixie: For what?
Des: Umm... coffee makers. Big demand for them, suprisingly. *Listens* He says his biggest part till now was as a transformer in the Micheal Bay film. Unfortantly they had to use CG for when he actually transformed out of the machine aspect.
Dixie: I see. Probally the best known segments involving Marvin for the show revolve around the 'poker game.' How did that come about.
Marvin: *starts puffing frantically, indicating laughter*
Des: *turns red* Umm... Can we skip that?
Dixie: No.
Des: *sighs* Well that actually is Marvin's fault. *Listens* He says that he was a bit of a card shark in his less than pristine past. I had actually brought up the idea of a friendly game to past the time between shoots, especially when they film the other characters segments. Marvin wanted to play. *listens* He umm... tricked us. Originally it as just me, the actress playing Jane, Marvin, and Zobot's Arm. Mecha hadn't actually been introduced yet. He was an intern helping everyone, really we made him go get coffee for us.
Dixie: Get coffee? But Marvin's a-
Marvin: *hisses loudly*
Des: Ya! Look lady, I don't know if you worked with Mad-Sci creations before, but they're people too! You can't just pour water and beans on someone and expect them to give you coffe for free, why should he? Besides standard MSAG contracts state we have to pay him overtime if we work him as a coffee machine. The bosses don't believe in overtime, unless its of the unpaid variety.
Dixie: I'm.. I apologize.
Des: I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to jump up on you, but Marvin's my best friend. I was his best man at his wedding.
Dixie: Congratulations!
Marvin: *puffs*
Des: He says, Thank you.
Dixie: Back to the subject at hand, how did the game become part of the show?
Des: Well, as I was saying, he started it up to kill time. Jane went out first, Let me tell you, terrible at poker. Then Zobot's arm busted. Just me, Mecha, and Marvinl left. *Listens* I hear you buddy, we didn't know it at the time, but one of the camera men had some extra tape and started filming us for the blooper reel. And...umm... Mecha and Marvin were schooling me big time. And so I started... umm, pleading, you know just trying to get an edge,
Marvin: *puffs and hiss excitedly*
Des: I was not whining like a school girl! Look I didn't know you and Mecha had worked out a system to bust me out man. That was my month's paycheck there!
Dixie: So they just played that segment live?
Des: No they had to edit the names we were calling each other, and do some cuts here and there to make it more dramatic, but, ya that pretty much was live.
Marvin: *puff*
Des: Ya, after that mecha was introduced to the main show, considering we couldn't cut him out, and the producers LOVED that segment.
Marvin: *Puff*
Des: He says, they have us playing during the closing credits now. At least its not for money anymore. Personally, I think Marvin just likes beating the pants off of us and whoever they invite in that week as a joke. I think after that Elleb fiasco, they're going to keep her as a main player.
Dixie: Ah, yes, the 'Elleb Fiasco.' I understand that it almost got your show pulled off the air. They lost a week of show times becuase of the lawsuit.
Des: Ha! Did wonders for our ratings, though.
Dixie: Care to explain how it happened?
Marvin: *Puff!*
Des: Well, he says, that it all bega-
Dixie: Oh I'm so sorry, that's all the time we have for today.
I'm Dixie De'Vil for MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. Tune in next time, as we continue to bring more cast members from the hit show, "The Mad Science Wars!"

[Professor Zobot]

Dangit Des, how is it that you managed to out-outrageous me?

That coffee maker one was one of the best yet!

[That Guy]

Dixie: Hello. You're watching MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. And I'm Dixie De'Vil. Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have another guest from the hit series "Mad Scientist Wars." Yes people today we have Nicky Cevez, who plays Thaddeus Guy.
That Guy: Thank you for letting me be on the show Dixie.
DV: Yes you did request a spot on the show. Why was that.
TG: Well, Dixie I'm sure you remember when Mister 46651278 came on the show and called me a European prettyboy and how our little fight was blown out of proportion due to the press. I just came on to let everyone know that Robotic Arm and I have settled our differences, and that the reports that we both were leaving the show were unfounded.
DV: Now that you've settled that, I must ask you why were you brought in for the part of Thaddeus. There were rumors it was for more than just monetary reasons.
TG: Quite right. It was partially for money at first. From what I hear Ryan Boes the actor playing Thad before me started asking for a higher paycheck. The producers threatened to fire him unless he agreed to compromise. Anyway he refused to compromise but after they fired him he went crazy. Started thinking he really was Thaddeus Guy. They brought me in, but kept him on as a general assistant. Now he'll do anything we tell him, as long as we use a powerful voice.
DV: Which brings us to our next question. The Guy family. What prompted Mr. Bones to write up such a complicated background for the character?
TG: Well, it was really part of the retuning done before the Martian bit that Robotic Arm mentioned. You see Thad was originally meant to be a part for Tinker to play off of, and to evil him up a bit. You see it was originally thought Tinker was too nice. Then Frederic started talking, and they ran in the opposite direction with Tinker's character. So my character's writer Ray M. Bones has to work fast. They gave him a short time to give the character more depth. He really did a number on him there.
DV: So, why was it brought into play that he was also a Latent Mad? And, what fans really want to know: How is it going to fit into the future of the show?
TG: Yes. It was also part of Thad's redesign. Ray really wanted to angst him up. As for the second question, I can't say much. But Thaddeus is being worked on as a major Villain for at least a little while in the show.
DV: Now something that has been a discussed a lot. Thaddeus' trip through Hell.
TG: You want me to talk about it. Well it was put in the show to give it a bit of foreshadowing for when Thad eventually goes mad. Though the popular 'Tales of Madness' feature really does that a lot better.
DV: That was a bit dramatic if I do say so.
TG: Yes, anyway a few clues were left in the Hell scenes for dedicated fans. Especially the part where Thaddeus looks up information on the others. If you tape those bits and pause it during a clip of the screen you can read some tantalizing hints.
DV: We have just a small bit of Time left. I have to ask about Izydora.
TG: Well she was brought in mostly because the spots usually filled with material about Thad were left out. I was only doing a couple of scenes because they couldn't get as much out of the Hell storyline as they thought. Then when Tinker's writer thought up Sayasuke they used it to bring him back.
DV: So then what will she be doing now.
TG: Well I don't want to give it away but she'll be the center off a-
DV: Oh, we're out of time. So that will have to go unanswered. I'm Dixie De'Vil for MS101 "You'll Pay!" The mad-sci news network. That's all for today, but tune in next time for more of 'De'Vil's Advocate.

[SoItBegins]

Ok, here goes.

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have as a guest here in the studio SoItBegins, the creator of the smash hit, "The Mad Scientist Wars".
SiB: Glad to be here.

Dixie: So what was the original impulse that led to the genesis of the story?
SiB: Well, The Mad Scientist Wars kind of started out as a really silly thing. Actually, I was fooling around with a video camera, and I hired an actor and made a silly skit with a reference to Narbonic, which was one of the shows I liked to watch. The skit came out great, so I tried sending it to the Narbonic team, and lo and behold! They actually ran it, kind of in the way you used to be able to see cartoons before the feature in a movie theater. Anyway, we tried keeping the skit going, and it worked great!
Dixie: So how did you get from skits to actual show?
SiB: With the addition of Jane Narbon, we were having so much fun that the segments started to grow longer and longer, until the producers of Narbonic told us we were being distracting and that we should try to find a time slot of our own. We also decided that we needed an actual studio space (digitally tweaking the area outside local buildings just wasn't cutting it.)
Dixie: What happened then?
SiB: Well, we tried for a contract with this place 'The Nice', but that fell through-- I suspect the contract is still moldering somewhere in their mailroom. So instead, we founded Studio Comics by Shaenon ("Studio CbS").
Dixie: What fueled your decision to expand the series?
SiB: The same thing that drove me to bring in the character of Jane Narbon-- variety. Eventually, 'four Mads fighting each other and/or other enemies' gets kind of old, even if you add Martians to the mix. So, we set up a 'Practice Wars' studio, where anyone who wanted to could come in and play at being Mad, and we'd make the best ones an offer. That about brings us up to where we are now.
Dixie: Ok. (pause) You know, I've always been wondering about your character. He's so... enigmatic. Actually, we don't really know anything about him at all. Any enlightening remarks?
SiB: Well, he's kind of a shadowy-very-powerful-type figure. I guess he just naturally evolved into that. Actually, all four original characters have evolved quite a bit compared to where they were back then.
Dixie: How so?
SiB: Originally, I was more Chemicals and Jane Narbon used both those and Nanobots. Also, the character profiles weren't quite as shaped up as they are now-- Jane wasn't quite as much of a femme-fatale-type character, and I was a bit less enigmatic and more open. I also hadn't fully developed the character of Prime.
Dixie: Hmmm... let's start with Jane Narbon. You seem to be a bit... familiar with her.
SiB: She's nice to work with. And she does her own stunts.
Dixie: I mean, if the shippers were to, possibly...?
SiB: Maybe. Both would have to get over the fact that she's been responsible for the majority of his past deaths, though. Stay tuned!
Dixie: Speaking of shipping, there's been a rumor going around about you and Zobot's ar--
SiB: No.
Dixie: Ok, let's see... Just a minute ago you mentioned Prime, the hyper-powerful AI that lives in your lab. Or is it in your head? I'm confused.
SiB: It's actually kind of both at the same time, really.
Dixie: Isn't Prime a little overpowered of a character?
SiB: Well, yes, kind of. I made my character a bit more powerful than most of the others, mainly so I could keep the story from going off the rails if I had to (without resorting to doing anything too drastic or out of character). Also, Prime handles all the CGI effects, so it kind of has to be that powerful. It doesn't mind doing the CGI-- I think it's (for it) the computer equivalent of Cross-Country racing.
Dixie: It can't ever pull a Hal 9000, can it?
SiB: No. For all practical purposes, it's a computer version of me. And I don't do that sort of thing.
Dixie: Interesting. (pause) Moving on, is it true that you plot out the story a long time in advance?
SiB: It depends. The minor stuff is often ad-libbed (although it can become pretty major in its own right), but the really major storylines, such as the Awards, I tend to plot out a chapter or so in advance at the least. Also, I try to lay what I call 'story hooks'-- little things that I can use as handles to build future storylines on-- several chapters in advance.
Dixie: Just how much of the story is you writing, how much is others writing, and how much is made up on the spot?
SiB: Well, I tend to work on mostly major storyline stuff, (of course) anything involving me directly, and really whatever catches my interest. I also sometimes help with Jane Narbon's lines as well. The rest is either handled by the other writers or made up live, though I do get the final say.
Dixie: You said the minor stuff could become major in its own right. What did you mean by that?
SiB: Well, the first example that springs to mind is Chicgeek, Wallycaine, and one pesky fairy. (grins) Basically, it means that descriptive details, or running gags, might be expanded on and used to create whole new story elements. For instance, the entire Martian storyline was based on a scripting remark that said that 'the laser beam can be seen heading in the direction of the planet Mars'. It also led to the creation of the redneck storyline. (rolls eyes)
Dixie: I take it you weren't as fond of...
SiB: Let's just say that I wasn't expecting it. It really arose by ad-libbing more than anything else, it kind of caught me off guard, and it wasn't really what I had intended. Of course, on the other hand, it let me cast a few more story hooks-- for example, the Martian who survived, and also all the stuff about the mysterious Project blueLight.
Dixie: Ahhh, I'm glad we got to that. I'm going to say it right out, because at the office here we've all been speculating to no end about it. What is Project blueLight?
SiB: (with a grin) Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. (laughs) Seriously, though, I think I'd rather keep most of it under my hat for the time being. All I will say is this: when you find out the truth, you will be in for a very, very big surprise. That'll have to wait a chapter or two, though.
Dixie: So then what's coming after the Awards?
SiB: 'What's coming'... good choice of words. Well, let me just say that the presence of Mad Scientists in the area tends to attract the most fearsome species of being you could ever imagine.
Dixie: (gasps and turns pale) Not... door to door salesmen?!
SiB: (grins) Oh, you'll find out. Soon.
Dixie: (recovering) Well, we're still going to have to get through the Awards first! It's obvious that it's going to end in a huge brawl, but that's self-explanatory. Do you have any idea who's up for the awards?
SiB: Of course! I know you're probably getting tired of hitting up against "I can't tell you", but I have to keep this quiet. You never know what could happen!
Dixie: (does the Puppy eyes) Awwww... can't you just give me one little hint? Just a tiny little hint about Maddest Scientist of the Year?
SiB: Oh, well... ok, I guess. Let's just say you will not see it coming at all... (winks at the camera)

This is Dixie De'Vil, with "De'Vil's Advocate." See you soon!

[Professor_Tinker]

(Disclaimer: The views of this exaggerated mouthpiece for this writer do not necessarily reflect those of the, um, writer.)
Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we were lucky to get one of the reclusive writers of the show, Luc W. himself!

Luc: Thanks, Dixie! I'm a big fan of the show- but let's be honest, you just asked me here to see if I would tell you what SiB won't.
Dixie: Will you?
Luc: Hey, It I knew myself, maybe I would. But fact of the matter: I have almost no clue.
Dixie: But you;re one of the writers!
Luc: yes Indeedy. But we each write our own bits. I know nothing about what BlueLight could be, and I'll never tell him who killed Eric Tinker. Never! You hear me, you Lord Megabyte wannabe!! *shakes fist*
Dixie: Actuall,y that brings me to a good question-
Luc: Listen, I'm not telling. Pretty much all the clues are out there if you look closely, okay? Me and Drew have been working together on this one, and we're really looking forward to how it turns out.
Dixie: not even a hint?
Luc: ... fine. Most of the Hints are in the Tales of Madness two-parter 'The Night Eric Tinker Died'. All I'm saying- Drew'd kill me if I said anything else.
Dixie: Ah, the 'Eric' pieces- some say your best work. What inspired those?
Luc: Well, it was after me and Drew started planning 'stuff', but it kinda wrote it;s self. I realized that we see the people who were hurt by Eric Dying, but not him. I wanted to show the man that had been so horrible for the world to loose.
Dixie: It was such a sad piece... I had never found myself so tearful over a Heroic last stand.
Luc: Yeah. I cried when we shot it, honestly. Thats what I think really makes a Hero- that sort of incredible, insane bravery and willingness to do what it takes. It's funny- of all the fan mail I get, maybe 45% of it is requests to bring him back somehow.
Dixie: Will you? It's been established that there are several ways it could be done- Andrews Notebook, or the new character Sayasuke...
Luc: No, as much as I sometimes wish I could. It would cheapen it too much, for one thing, and for another neither option is really available. Andrew dosn't use his Notebook to do that- Sayasuke was his own character that he, himself wrote up. he ended up liking him so much that he wrote him into Life, weaving him into the world in the process. If he were to try to bring someone back, he would only be able to create a copy of them, using what he knows of the. It wouldn't be them at all.
Dixie: I see. And Sayasuke's ability to bring back the dead?
Luc: Well... he could do so, but it would be temporary. Theres some limitations on bringing back the dead- they have to still have trace organic material on Earth- that is, their bodies. Even just a few molecules is enough, but when Eric Tinker died, there was nothing left- just dust from his clothing.
Dixie: ... you do this to annoy the fans, don;t you.
Luc: Well, it;s just not a proper morning without the sweet screams of anguished fanfic writers everywhere, you know?
Dixie: Speaking of which, any comment on the shipping wars?
Luc: Sure! Bun/Gun shippers- well, at least they *admit* it'll never happen, especially as we now know that Desius and Fredric are *related*.
Nanobot/Pen shippers: NO. No, no, no. Never happening. Get over it.
Twinshippers, let alone Yin/Yang shippers.... Gah.
Clockwork/Pen shippers are delusional in so, so many ways. Andrew is GAY, people. Seriously, he couldn't be much more so.. And I think Chic and Wallace are *ahem* doin' pretty good.
Gun/Pen.... well, I can see the logic. But they're cousins, people.
And last but not least, Enigma/Gun shippers are going to kill me in my sleep, and Pen/Hero shippers are in for a real treat.
Dixie; Well, that's all the time we have for today, so one last question: Are the Evil Twins Jagermonsters, secretly?
Andrew: I just like the accents, 'kay? But we might get to see jusht how dangerous dey can be, ey?
Dixie: well, this is the Devils Advocate, see you all next time!

[Wallycaine]

To avoid strongarming, here's an interview.

Dixie:Hello, Dixie De'vil with MS101 on De'vil's advocate. Today's interview is with Jaques Du, writer and actor of the character Wallace Caine in the series The Mad Scientist Wars.

Wally: Thank you for having me.

Dixie: Just to get it out of the way, what's with the name Jaques Du?

Wally: Oh, that's just a psuedonym. Of course, it's not much use if I tell you what it stands for.

Dixie:Alright then. Well, before we start talking about the character, is there any particular reason you're both the writer and actor for Wally?

Wally: So the studio saves a lot of money? Actually, it's part of the reason Wally's the way he is. When I first came up with him, he was just a mad scientist version of me. Of course, as soon as I started acting him, he took on a life of his own and started running away from my original concept. I don't think he's stopped running yet.

Dixie: So you're saying that you have no idea what's happening with him?

Wally: Not exactly. I know what's going on with him right now, I just don't know where he's going or how he's getting there. He's kinda like an electron in that. *dead silence* Alright, no more physics jokes. Anyways, about 90% of his backround is pure improv, based on various reactions.

Dixie: That reminds me. We haven't exactly seen much of Wally's past. Are you planning some big reveal soon?

Wally: Wally's the youngest of the mads, and he doesn't have any big dark secrets in his past. He actually grew up pretty normal.

Dixie: You didn't answer the question.

Wally: Do I have to reveal anything now?

Dixie: I suppose not. Speaking of revealing, Wally and Chicgeek?

Wally: *sighs* "And it all started with a bag of tomatoes." It certainly took me by surprise. I expected a few more months of angsting, but things certainly accelerated quickly. It all started out with just trying to introduce myself around the studio, in character. She was the only one who acted nice, even if it was just in character. The fact that she was really pretty certianly didn't help matters.

Dixie: Uh huh. And how are shippers taking recent developments?

Wally: Quite a few were happy to see a pairing canonized, although anyone who wanted Clockwork/Pen was dissapointed. I heard some were throwing me into their stories, with interesting results, but for the most part they've moved on. I saw a definite increase in Pen/Paintbrush pairing, for one.

Dixie: Speaking of Tinker, how does Wally feel about becoming part of ever-growing the Tinker family?

Wally: He's really happy. As always, it started out simple. I talked to Lucas in the lounge about being in one of Tinker's classes, and I basically became his apprentice. That, and Nathan really liked talking to Angelia. She plays Lagos, and really brings her to life.

Dixie: Interesting. Do you still do most of the writing for Lagos, and how much does she make up?

Wally: You know, I think she wants to come on the show on her own, so I'll let her talk about Lagos.

Dixie: Alright then. Anything else you'd like to talk about?

Wally: Oh, yeah, I'd like to apologize to Zobot's arm. It was dark, and I didn't see which hand I put on. And when I...

Dixie: Well, that's all for tonight. Have an evil night. See you next time.

[Jane Narbon]

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!"
Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have as a guest here in the studio Jane Narbon, one of (shall we say) the most memorable characters in the smash hit, The Mad Scientist Wars.

JN: I'm very glad to be here.
Dixie: Well, I guess we'll start out with the basics. How would you yourself describe Jane Narbon, the character?
JN: Femme fatale. Definitely. Above of everything else, above her madness even, she is without a doubt a cunning, wily evil seductress who can manipulate at will, and who'll stop at nothing to achieve her ends.
Dixie: Sounds like you're not all that thrilled about it.
JN: What? No, just the opposite! Jane Narbon is incredibly fun to play. Not only do you get the satisfaction of repeatedly putting one over on the rest of the cast, but every so often there's a chance to ham it up in classic style, with lightning, Madness, and the traditional maniacal laughter.
Dixie: So what are the downsides?
JN: Onscreen, it's a matter of reputation; basically, Jane Narbon has so much of a reputation built up that anyone with a weak mind will either run or hide when she walks into the same room. This can get a bit annoying. Also, there's a few... other small matters which haven't happened yet.
Dixie: Such as...?
JN: Be sure to watch the award ceremony. That's all I'm saying.
Dixie: Ah yes... the awards. So do you have any idea which ones you'll be up for?
JN: Well, Most Attractive Femme Fatale, probably. I'm personally hoping for Best Puppetmaster and Best Evil Laughter, myself. Who knows, though-- I could even end up carrying off Maddest Scientist of the Year, one way or the other!
Dixie: Do you actually know which awards you'll be up for?
JN: No, unfortunately. That decision is entirely the province of SoItBegins, and he's keeping it secret.
Dixie: All right. I'll be sure to-- "...one way or the other"?!
JN: (enigmatic grin)
Dixie: Ok, let's move on. What's coming after the awards?
JN: Well, I won't give everything away yet, but let's just say that Miss Narbon is due for a change of pace. Don't worry-- she'll most likely pop up when, and where, you'd least expect it.
Dixie: Hmmmm. Well, I'm sure it'll be great. That said, I was thinking in the line of everyone's favorite conspiracy. Project blueLight.
JN: (laughs) You should talk to SoItBegins about that.
Dixie: (grumpily) I have. He was about as forthcoming as a brick wall.
JN: That's my SiB. Here's a hint: It's canon that Jane Narbon killed her mentor. Permadeath, no less. However, she reappears at the end of Chapter 8. Could it possibly be...
Dixie: Yessssssss?
JN: ...that SoItBegins and Zobot's arm--
Dixie: NO! NO! NO! NO! GOD NO! Ever since I made the mistake of actually thinking about the rumor I was peddling, I've had to fight to avoid being consumed by it!
JN: (grins her trademark evil grin) Well, that should teach you something.
Dixie: No comment.
(Dixie closes her eyes for a moment, then starts speaking just slightly too fast to be natural.)
Dixie: So, moving forwards, you were apparently the first ever character to be added to the story. How did your character come about?
JN: It was kind of complex. The story needed more variety, as the original idea behind the skits was in danger of getting old. A character of the opposite sex was a kind of 'obvious' choice, but the description was left fluid to begin with. And it went uphill from there.
Dixie: Is there anyone that you particularly decided to try to base our character on when it became obvious that she was becoming a femme fatale?
JN: Hmm. Well, I suppose my biggest influence has been Saffron from Firefly, but there were some others. I read The Three Musketeers to get a feel for the personality of Lady De Winter. However, a large part of it is just this sort of... twistedness you feel when you're on stage. Like, well, you're... evil.
Dixie: Oh. So, since you are a femme fatale, you don't mind being made into fanservice occasionally?
JN: My character's policy on that sort of thing is to get annoyed at it if she's dropped into it, but cold-heartedly do whatever it is as necessary if she's trying to manipulate someone, or if she's carrying out a plot of hers. As for myself, I've mainly worked with the other writers to minimize that sort of thing... generally.
Dixie: So for 'generally', what are the exceptions?
JN: For the 'Hero's Quest' mini-arc, everyone who was going to play a boss got free reign to design their own 'boss form'. I thought that I'd poke a little fun at the game industry with the 'Catsuit of Darkness' (and to be fair, the satire is, unfortunately, not too far off!)
Dixie: I see. (pause) Let's talk about shipping. Could it really be possible for you and Desius to... you know... get together?
JN: I doubt it-- there's some things that we're very, very gradually leading up to, and they kind of have to run their course instead.
Dixie: So if not him, then who?
JN: Well, it could be anyone. Maybe even That Guy, or SoItBegins!
Dixie: You mean--
JN: I said maybe.
Dixie: Oh. So...
JN: (smiles) So, to find out you'll just have to keep watching The Mad Scientist Wars!
Dixie: This is Dixie De'Vil, with "De'Vil's Advocate". See you next week!

[Desius]

Dixe: Hello! Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!"
Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' our guest is De'Vil's advocate veteran, William Dempsey, who plays the role of Desius Raize.
Des: Glad to be back.
Dixie: Lets start first with the issue of Des and identity.
Des: Des's core concept as a character is based on identity. Des is alone, yet not alone. He's a henchman, a rare breed with the fatalities that happen with the job, even considering how many of they recover from death. This makes him the minority in the cast, with only a couple of other henchmen or women played. As such, Des feels alone and disconnected.
Dixie: Hence his network, it allows him to be connected.
Des: Yes and no, its also a symbol for the lack of identity. When you're apart of the network there isn't a "one" or and "I". there are instead "many" and "we".
Dixie: Odd bit of symbolism there
Des: Well, Des plays with a lot of symbols involving identity and duality.
Dixie: Like what?
Des: Well, masks for one.
Dixie: But he's only used the clockwork mask at the convention.
Des: One could argue, and it was intended, that the fishbowl hemlet was a type of mask, seperating him from the outside. It only when he is forced out of his mask that he created the network to hide behind. However these symbols also wore in the opposite manner. You could argue that the mask seperates him and it only after he discrads it he can finally connect with people. The struggle is also reflected in Des's demeanor. Des has a hard time showing emotion, though he often fails and it breaks through.This makes him hard to approach, but his inner circle of trusted people are closely bonded to him. Again, connection and disconnection. Which oddly enough works perfectly with his cousins. Andrew is ALWAYS in controls, and reacts poorly when he's not. Chic is the opposite reaction, often given to flights of fancy as she struggle to gain any control at all.
Dixie: Was this planed out?
Des: Ha! Not from Drew at least.
Dixie: How about the identity issue?
Des: That actually was planned out. Alot of the symbols, however were developed as Drew wrote. Drew as a writer loves to incorperate as many details as hie can from the posts, often making his character motiffs out of these details. Heh, Look at me sounding like I know what I'm talking about. Drew, the writer told me it really doesn't matter if you intended or not to drop symbolism into any piece your working on, the mind tends to structure it that way to begin with. We tend associate characters with certain things. Now reconizing these symbols and turning them into more than chance occurances is hader, and some people prefer to have set symbols from the get go and try to organize the story around such symbols. Both I and the writer recommend the graphic novel, "Watchmen" by Alan Moore. Phenominal work involving symbols. And Roschach is one of the major influences to the character.
Dixie: What other symbols of identity does Des use?
Des: His guns for another.
Dixie: Really?
Des: Des straddles too worlds in more than one way. The gun he prefers is a normal, everyday weapon. Normal. As in, without any connection to Mad science, yet he's shown to use Chic's lightning gun alot, a weapon solely from Mad science. These are also symbols for the inner turmoil of Des as he tries to hold on to the normal life he craves and the mad life he loves.
Dixie: Any others?
Des: Oh yes, there are a bunch. The cracked reflection in the bathroom scene when he cracks the mirror. The book on the table in Mad Des's dreams. Heck, Des and mad Des are another such symbol.
Dixie: Care to explore Mad Des more?
Des: Sure. Mad Des as a character concept has drastically changed.
Dixie: How so?
Des: Originally, Mad Des was going to be based on sound.
Dixie: Sound?
Des: Yes, like Voice from Frank Herbert's Dune novels, and amplification of soundwaves to liquify concrete, use vibrations to punch through steel, stuff like that. However, Des became all about the mind-^%#.
Dixie: Why?
Des: Several reasons. At that time, Drew was trying to incorperate a way to introduce Mad Des, and then get rid of him. Des wasn't supposed to go mad at all, remember? Thankfully Luc, Tinker's writer got the hints that Drew was dropping around the office. See, the producers wanted Mad Des around, more as a way to drive ratings. Luc however agreed with Drew, and introduced Narbon and her Cure into the mix. Des was cured and we moved on.
Dixie: But Mad Des continues to be a large part of Des's identity as a character.
Des: Too much at times. It's a balancing act. Des has to be his own voice, unique and seperate, almost as likeable and important as his madness, ortherwise the duality of the struggle between them is lost. Much like Superman and Clark Kent, too much of old Sup's and we lose sight of the man who wants to be normal.
Dixie: Back to the question though, why did Des change to more mind tricks.
Des: It isn't so much as mind tricks as social networking. While it has influence from psychology inculding Freudian and Jungian terms, its more about the group rather than the individual. But Des kept a few tricks from his original arsenal. The Voice, something he hasn't done in a while, is more of a pure Mad thing than something Des can use. The mind tricks as you call them were originally designed to help Drew work a way were he could be cured, pure and simple. This has since snowballed.
Dixie: How so?
Des: The network for one. Drew didn't have a true structure for or about his network when he first worte it, using it as a crutch to help him move events along. Sloppy writing, something Drew continues to lament about. And trust Drew when Drew starts ranting, make sure you're comfortable, you're going to be there for a long time.
Dixie: What can you tell us about the network that isn't obvious?
Des: Well the rules for one. Proximity. Proximity, Proximity.
Dixie: Excuse me?
Des: It's all about how close you are. Des can't influence you if you're not there to be influenced. It's not a computer network in the sense it's broadcast. This range however increases with every Node, or another mad he's connected to, nearby. Originally there were only four people Mad Des had influence over, this has... changed recently.
Dixie: Wait. Des's range is boosted when he's connected to others?
Des: Yep.
Dixie: The only person he's connected to... right... now...
Des: Miz Narbon.
Dixie: Then at the convention, when she... oh god.
Des: No comment further on this. Concerning proximity, however, Des needs to be close to place his suggestions. Once placed, a key word or simular event can act as a trigger. The further away and longer you've been without contact, the weaker the suggestion is. The other parts of his current network involve suggestions. Mad Des, fully awake and in control, can layer suggestions that can pretty much force people to respond to him. Sleeping like he is right now, he can't he can only use suggestions that influence others but can be ignored. But Mad Des has a grand knowledge of how people work and several Mad Theories concerning that. As such expect commands placed to make people hesitate or are designed to work opposite his goal only to be ignored by astute mads determined to prevent his goals. Which are which you may ask. Simple, I'm not telling.
Dixie: What are his goals?
Des: It's a secret.
Dixie: Why the return of, albiet 'sleeping' form, of Madness?
Des: Drew has dropped several hints that Des is someone to be careful of. He feels it's time to put up or shut up.
Dixie: So we can expect a Mad Des plot for the awards?
Des: Ha! No. Mad Des's scheme is slow going. Expect minor dropping of clues here and there, but not much else in the immediate future. Much involving Mad Des is still needing clearance from SoItBegins.
Dixie: Why do you refer to Mad Des as 'sleeping.'
Des: Several reasons. Stylisticly, sleeping makes sense as it implies he's just below the surface. Also, it just sounds cool when you rationalize all the ploting and scheming as nothing more than the fitful dream of a slumbering Madman. It also suggests the inevitably of him waking. Secondly, Drew has decided to shift focus for Mad Des as a more slumbering evil motiff, much like Cthulhu, who spreads his poison and madness as a method to wake him up, and to inspire fear as if this is a slumbering evil, able to do all this now, imagine what he could do awake.
Dixie: Does Des still have control over the Shade he yoinked from Narbon? Could he have placed hidden commands in it that are now entering SoItBegin's network?
Des: Maybe. Though anything major would be detected by Prime.
Dixie: What about commands from the Redneck crusade?
Des: *grins* What about them?
Dixie: Are they there?
Des: If they are, and this is all conjecture, with no connection with what could have really happened, I doubt Prime could or would know about them them considering the state Prime was at the time. Any unusual difference in brain scans would have been ignored considering the new information and experiences SoItBegins had at that time. Besides, So was rebuilding prime from backups. Who is to says he didn't follow a command that made him reprogram Prime slightly to ignore Mad Des's commands? So the answer is a definite, hundred-percent, Maybe.
Dixie: You're not going to be helpful anymore are you?
Des: *grins* Maybe.
Dixie: Well thats all we have time for today. This is Dixie De'Vil, with "De'Vil's Advocate." See you soon!

[Professor Zobot]

Dixie: Hello, Dixie De'Vil here with MS101 "You'll pay!" The mad-sci news network. Today on 'De'Vil's Advocate,' we have for our interview segment, the actress that plays the fan favorite, Elleb the fairy! Everyone, please welcome Lady Deidrich Valhassa Matthews!
(A tall lady with waist long brown hair and eyes that constantly shift colors walks onto the set. She is wearing a pink (non-sentient) sweatshirt and some blue jeans)
Elleb: Thankies! Hi hi everyone! It's wonderful to be here!
Dixie: We're glad to have you on the show. So, let's start simple. How do you get so small to play the role? Do they use computer special effects?
Elleb: Not at all! You see, I'm actually a fae in real life, so whenever we're shooting, I just shrink down to the right size and play my part.
Dixie: You're... really...a fairy? Ha ha...you're kidding! Fairies aren't real!
Elleb: Nope! And the term "fairy" is innaccurate. Only our children are called "fairies."
Dixie: You must be kidding. You don't have wings, nor do you have magical powers, and you've been in the business for decades and still look young...wait...
Elleb: I do too have wings! You just can't see them under my sweater! Ugh!
(Elleb's sweater shifts and squirms, and then starts to rip apart. Dixie looks shocked, and cries for the cameras to black out as her top falls to the floor, large insect-like wings shoot up from her back.
Elleb: See?
Dixie: Cut! Cut! Get Make-Up and Costumes out here now!
(The cameras fade to black as Dixie rushes in front of Elleb, now topless)
Announcer: We are experiencing some technical difficulties, please stand by.
(Cameras power back up. Now Elleb is wearing a blue t-shirt that is cut to allow her wings to pop out the back)
Elleb: I don't see what was such a big deal. It was just a wardrobe malfunction...
Dixie: We almost got pulled off the air! Anyway, cameras are live, so we may as well just go on with it. So you're actually a supernatural creature and you were summoned here twenty years ago by a Mad movie director?
Elleb: I was GOING to head back home eventually, but you mortals are so...interesting. So I just kept taking acting roles. And I never got around to going back to the Faerie court.
Dixie: I see... so you have weird supernatural powers?
(Elleb is murmuring something. Suddenly, there's a flash of light, and Dixie's ears have turned into calico cat ears)
Elleb: I'm sorry, did you say something? I was bored.
Dixie: MY EARS!
Elleb: You look prettier this way! Heeheeheehee.
Dixie: Er...um...well...uh... Moving on, tell us about your first experiences with the Mad Sci Wars!
Elleb: There's a funny story behind that! I didn't actually audition like everyone else did. They were looking for ways to reinforce the "Zelda" parody that they had written in for David during the Mad Sci Awards, and when some of the writers got into a bit of an argument, I sensed the chaos and drew near it. They saw my wings and thought "Fairy!" immediately. The rest is history!
Dixie: So fairies are drawn towards chaos?
Elleb: Yes. We also are naturally attracted to cupcakes, magic, and idyllic forest groves with springs of the purest water.
Dixie: Well... your character, Elleb, has built up an extraordinary cult following in a few short weeks. Why do you think that is?
Elleb: Well, she's a cute little supernatural being with a tendency to stir up trouble between the main cast. I'm not sure there's a quicker way to become a fan favorite. It helps that I'm unnaturally beautiful!
Dixie: It probably does. Recently, Elleb let slip that she's "the 89th daughter of..." and such, Would you care to elaborate on that?
Elleb: Of course! The writers based that off of the actual court of the Fae. Elleb is the 89th daughter of the queen of all fairies, and the 95th child out of 129. As such, she's a royal princess, although an unimportant one. She's a bit pampered, but young and precocious enough for it to not really affect her too much. You mostly see it in the speech of some of her earlier scenes, although she's adopted a more casual tone since then.
Dixie: Wow! This question is for all the fairy/hero shippers out there. Elleb has shown before that she has a crush on David Toboz. She's also implied that other fairy/mortal parings have occurred before. I'm probably asking for trouble mentioning this, but can you tell us how exactly a relationship between the two would WORK?
Elleb: Well, it wouldn't work as anything more than a friendship right now. Elleb is written like "real" fairies are, so it's reasonable to expect that she ages as one too. She's not big enough for a human, and wouldn't be for another 200 years or so.
Dixie: Can you go further into that, please?
Elleb: It's difficult to put into terms you can understand, but ok. Fairies typically grow in spurts, when they've accumulated enough magical energy from the world around them. That means that Elleb could age very quickly if she was around some great magical relic, but she'd still mentally be as mature as she always was. As for relationships themselves, the best way to explain it is already in many of your mortal stories. A mortal fairies find pleasing is typically kidnapped into our realm and kept there, young and unchanging, until the fae's passion fades and they lose interest. Then, if the fae in question still remembers they exist, the human is dumped back into their own world to rejoin their kind. This usually takes about two to four hundred years, from what I've seen.
Dixie: Don't humans ever find ways to escape from such things?
Elleb: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa....*sniff* You're funny!
Dixie: Err...yes...well...anyway, moving on, what do you think lies in the future for Elleb, as a character?
Elleb: Good question? Beyond learning to speak human...I mean, English, sorry, I don't actually know.
Dixie: Oh?
Elleb: The writer for Elleb is the same as the writer for David Toboz, and the character was never intended as more than a one-shot gag. She sort of grew into a character on her own, and the whole thing was unplanned. I'm not even sure if she'll remain in the next chapter of the story or not!
Dixie: That'd disappoint a lot of fans, I should think.
Elleb: You mortals would get over it in about a decade or so. You're so shortminded. But anyways, it might be best that she leave, anyway. The next few chapters will see some...interesting twists in David's life, and she might not be able to stand some of them.
Dixie: Ooo... care to go into that in some more detail?
Elleb: Sure! Well, first, David's going to...*She cocks her head, looking at Dixie* You know, you're pretty cute. How would you like to serve as my handmaiden in the Faerie court for a hundred years or so?
(Elleb walks towards Dixie, who backs away)
Dixie: No! Wait! Please!
(Elleb touches Dixie, and there's a flash of bright light. Then the two are gone. A fat camera guy runs on stage)
Camera Guy: Holy crap! They're gone! Well fans, I guess this is it... we'll be back with more interviews next time, right after we hold auditions for a new interviewer!

[Dr. Amino]

Trixie: Hi, I'm Trixie De'Vil here on 'De'Vil's Advocate', with MS101 "You'll pay!" Today we'll be interviewing Dana N. Amino from the hit TV series, The Mad Scientist Wars.
Dana: Heh. Good to be here, Trixie. I'm so sorry about what happened to your sister.
Trixie: Yes, it's so sad what accidentally *wink* happened to her. So, how did your character get to be a part of The Mad Scientist Wars, anyways?
Dana: Well, after MSW went from a being a small-time skit to a big-time television show, I knew I had to be a part of it. When the producer put out a call for new cast members, I auditioned, and here I am.
Trixie: Can you tell us a little bit about your character?
Dana: Dr. Amino is a character full of extremes. She never does anything in moderation. She can't just be angry, she has to be full of rage. She can't just be mad at someone, she has to swear eternal vengeance. She can't just clone a chinchilla once, she has to make an entire army. And this extremism is what makes her character so funny.
Trixie: I see. Now, around this time in the Mad Scientist Wars some of the other characters have been sorting through their alignments in the categories of Good and Evil. How would you classify your character?
Dana: Well, Dr. Amino is very childlike in many aspects, including this. Technically, she's not so much 'evil' as immature in the sense that she wants to make mischief and take things instead of buying them. However, in traditional terms she's definitely Evil.
Trixie: Huh. Also, other characters have been discovering their Dark and Mysterious Pasts in this story arc. Does Dr. Amino have a mysterious past waiting to be revealed?
Dana: The writer won't tell me much, but all I know is that if she does, it won't be revealed for a few story arcs. The writer has something else planned in the meantime.
Trixie: Ooh, can you tell me more about that?
Dana: Sorry, Trixie. No spoilers.
Trixie: Of course. Okay, last question: what does the 'N.' in Dr. Amino's name stand for?
Dana: Wish I knew. The writer refuses to tell me.
Trixie: That's a shame. Well, that's all the time we have for today. Join me, Trixie De'Vil, not Dixie, next time on 'De'Vil's Advocate'!

[Professor_Tinker]

Trixie: Hi, I'm Trixie De'Vil here on 'De'Vil's Advocate', with MS101 "You'll pay!". Today we have with us Umber Finn, actor for the Fan-favorite character Eric Tinker, from the hit show The Mad Science Wars!
Finn: Thank you, Trixie. Please, call me Finn.
Trixie:So, despite being a posthumous character, Eric Tinker has received a lot of attention from the show and the fans. Why do you think this is.
Finn: Ho! That's an easy one. Hid death was a major turning point in the plot- It drove Desius to run away, both triggering Andrew going mad which, in turn, cemented his resolve towards good. A character who's very absence could cause this had to be important, so Lucas decided to write a two-parter about him. I had been cast as him before for a brief flashback, and got asked if I would like to come back to the role.
Trixie: Which then expanded, as there have been several additions for the Eric Tinker Series, or as some fans call it the 'Life of Epsilon', since then.
Finn: Yep, and we have more in the works- Luc told me that he tends to just write another one when he feels like it, and that it's fairly often. I think it's a nice break for him from the current plot lines.
Trixie: Do you enjoy acting as Eric?
Finn: Oh, immensely. He's- he's really a complete character.We know who we was when he was a child, a teenager, a man- we just get to see him in all these times in his life. But it's heartbreaking- It's so sad, you know, because we know how it all ends.
Trixie: What about the rumors that Eric will be coming back? Do you have anything to say about that?
Finn: actually, yes! There are plans for the very next plot line, as it happens. It will only be temporary, but It won't be a one time event.
Trixie: So you'll be a part of the man cast for the first time.
Finn: Well, reoccurring guest star. I was at the MadCon we had last week though, so I got a chance to talk to the fans. They're... *laughs* interesting people. I got to see these brothers who went dressed up as the whole Tinker Family- Alpha to Omega. And one great woman gave each of us a box of candy.
Trixie: Any questions that they had that you'd like to answer?
Finn: Yes. Eric and Ethan never kissed- I swear, Eric was straight! Honest!
Trixie: ... so no Entropy/Quantum
Finn: No, no, and no. Quantum/Orchid people, please. He's Married people! Luc has their wedding vows- There's no 'Tll death do we part' line, even.
Trixie: Pft, you're no fun. So then, why id Eric coming back? Big calamity? Disaster? Ethan Entropy taking over the world?
Finn: No. He just thinks his family really needs him right now.
Trixie: Well, that;s all the time we have for today. Great having you, Finn!

[Professor Zobot]

Trixie: Hi, I'm Trixie De'Vil here on 'De'Vil's Advocate', with MS101 "You'll pay!". Today we have with us Jeffrey Ryans, the original actor for the character David Toboz, from the hit show The Mad Science Wars! Now, Mr. Ryans has already done one interview with our show, but we dredged him up from the acid for a second one. Mr. Ryans...what do you think of the political situation in Istanbul?

(Trixie holds a microphone down to a dripping, wet skeleton)

Trixie: I see. Care to comment on your character on the show, and the actor they hired to replace you?

(She holds the microphone down again, and there is silence for a few minutes)

Trixie: Very sporting of you! Let's end this with a hard one. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

(Again, the skeleton doesn't respond)

Trixie: That's all the time we have for today! Join us next time, when we try to actually find someone worth interviewing during Sweeps week! This is Trixie De'Vil signing off from what has been our shortest, sweetest interview ever! Hopefully next time we'll get some questions answered!

[chicgeek]

Hi, it's Trixie DeVil here with MS101 "You'll Pay", the Mad Science Network with another episode of DeVil's Advocate. Continuing our series of interviews with the cast of the hit show The Mad Science Wars, let's welcome newcomer Chimera!
Chimera-Hey, it's great to be here.
Trix-So, what lead to Chimera being added to the cast?
Chimera-I wouldn't say added to the cast just yet-more of a bit player. Although we've gotten good response from the fans so far. It started when the writers thought the character of Chic had gotten too serious.So, hey, why not do a lighthearted episode from her past?
Trix-Yes-the 'on the road' episode.
Chimera-Heh. The ratings were so good we had to do another one-but from the end of the road trip this time.
Trix-So we have two high school buddies, who both eventually become mad-but neither is during the trip. Yet improbable things keep happening.
Chimera-We've been having lots of fun dropping hints about their unseen adventures.
Trix-Will we ever see the bar top dancing/flamethrower story?
Chimera-Probably not-it's more fun to use your imagination on that one.
Trix-Speaking of imagination...
Chimera-I knew this was coming!
Trix-Yep. A character that can shift from male to female, any human form,it seems, even a lizardman-and perhaps more than that. The shippers are having a field day! Any truth to the rumors of a clockwork/shapeshifter...
Chimera-Gah! They're buddies,people! Fellow outcasts who bonded in school. And if Chimera ever had a crush-
Trix-Aha!
Chimera- -she kept it to herself.Besides, with both being mad latents-knowingly or not-that made a bond,too.
Trix-So what about Chimera's family? Where does she get her madness from, that the experiments awakened?
Chimera-That's a secret for now-it might be explored in a future episode, so I can't give too much away.
Trix-Aw, come on! Just a hint
Chimera-I'll say this much-going mad may not have been completely unexpected. And that's all you get.
Trix-Will we see anymore on the road episodes?
Chimera-Maybe, if the writers get a really good idea that can't be told another way. But it's a big maybe. Twice was fun-more than that? It could get stale real quick. We'll continue to drop hints, and make the occasional reference to past outlandish adventures.
Trix-It's interesting that Chimera's name is Jess. That could be male or female.
Chimera-(grins)
Trix-So, what's in store for the character now?
Chimera-Someone for Chic to hang with, an ally to call when needed, shot of humor, possible plot hook for the future-again, she's not a regular member of the cast.
Trix-I see-wait, what was that about a plot hook?
Chimera-Oh, just a little forshadowing...heh.
Trix-You know, we've gotten through an entire interview, and we still don't know much about you!
Chimera-You'll just have to turn in to future episodes.
Trix-Hmmf. Well, once again, we're out of time.Join me next time, Trixie DeVil-that's Trixie, not Dixie!-with Devil's Advocate.

Hi, it's Trixie DeVil here with MS101 "You'll Pay", the Mad Science Network with another episode of DeVil's Advocate. Continuing our series of interviews with the cast of the hit show The Mad Science Wars, let's welcome back Luc, co-creator and writer of the show.
Luc: Great to be here, Trixie. Really. Honest. Now, will ya lossen the ropes just a teeeeeny bit?
T: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, we suspend you over the shark pool. We let you sit in a chair, didn't we.
L: Very well, then. Get to the @#$! questions.
T: .... how do you even pronounce At-Pound-Dollar-Exclaim like that?
L: With hatred. Get on with it!
T: Very well then. So, 'Primary Xerox', the character from one of the earliest Tales of Madness specials has made a comeback. any comments?
L: Ah, well, I always wanted to have an excuse to bring him back- he's such a great character. Just this sarcastic, annoyed man who aspired to nothing more than a job doing paperwork, who got shoved into this insane job. Also, he's kinda a recycled version of an old character of mine- Aaron. I never use him anymore, so I sorta turned hm into Xerox and worked him in.
T: And... well, okay seriously. The hair.
L: Just something to make him stand out- everyone of my characters has that. But also, it;s one more thing to bug hm, you know? He was inspired a little by a character from the original Narbonic- Zeta. Easily my favorite, after Artie. Just this person on the outside who gets dragged into the madness and resist at first.
T: So does that man he might later end up being connected to everything?
L: Ah, maybe. But I doubt it- he's just the Head of M Division, and that's plenty complicated for him. Also, since Fredric is accep