TELL THE DAMN STORY, ep 431: Writing Mastery: Balancing Originality and Reverence in Iconic Heroes

How far can you change an iconic hero before you lose what made that hero iconic?Alex and Chris turn their attention to HBO’s LANTERNS and the enormous challenge of writing characters with decades of history, millions of fans, and more than one accepted interpretation.Drawing upon the first three episodes, they examine the new portrayals of Hal Jordan and John Stewart, the show’s multiple layers of mystery, and Chris’s intriguing theory that Hal may be less of a troublesome veteran and more of a “Space Columbo.”But the larger question is one every writer working with an established property must face: What do you preserve, what can you change, and when does creative reinvention become disrespect for the source?Alex brings the perspective of a writer who has worked with Batman, Superman, Tarzan, Archie, Scooby-Doo, Sherlock Holmes, and other established characters. Together, he and Chris explore the responsibilities writers have to the story, the characters, the owners—and the audience.Is LANTERNS pulling off a daring act of narrative sleight of hand, or setting itself up for a spectacular pratfall?SPOILER WARNING: The episode discusses events from the first three episodes of LANTERNS.Have any questions, comments, or suggestions?Then, please leave them in the Comments Section.Write: [email protected] follow us on ...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TellTheDamnStory.comwww.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠