It all started
out simply enough, but as we all know, things rarely stay simple. I
was holding down a full time security graveyard shift, & I wasn't
taking any classes, so I had no homework to keep me awake. So, as so
many others have done, I tried my hand at writing. I'm an avid sci-fi
& fantasy reader, so I tried to create a unique character along
these lines to build a story around. This proved difficult. Thus, I
decided I needed a familiar name to start with--one so old, it was new
again. I considered the new Star Trek Enterprise series, then shuffled
farther back with Voyager & TNG. After watching a few of the orig.
S.T. reruns, I found the name I wanted. Mudd. Harcourt Fenton Mudd,
who was a loveable, mostly harmless confidence man, & a thorn in
J.T. Kirk's side. I wondered why he had only appeared in 2 episodes--his
potential seemed unlimited! I wasn't the only one, for Mudd made several
more appearances in both comics & novels. The opportunity to introduce
an ancestor of Mudd to the Enterprise series crew was ideal. I instantly
started developing the needed character traits. He (sorry ladies) needed:
a rich voice, a bizarre, opportunistic thought process unique to the
Mudd gene, a seemingly insane collection of physical antics to keep
everyone on their toes, & the occasional need to be the instigator--but
only for fun! I created his crew as well, each of whom had interesting
possibilities. I had seen The Sting, but knew little else about real
confidence men, so research was required. I highly recommend P.T. Barnums
auto., & Drake's Fortune by Richard Rayner (heh, my first shameless
plugs! :^) I read other books on the subject, and all were very entertaining.
While considering the core essence of confidence men, by a lucky coincidence,
I remembered a framed poster I have on my apt. wall that I'd bought
a few years ago. Both hilarious & true, it lists 55 of the collected
Murphy's Laws. I realized that the first law as improvised by any wily,
opportunistic optimist would read: 'Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong--so
take advantage of it!' Murphy WAS an optimist (as stated by the poster),
& my Mudd would take his rules & lessons to heart! Since I started
writing this story, I've found 2 new books of the collected Murphy.
Picture it. The 2 books carefully enshrined beneath the poster, with
hundreds of votive candles on each side. Incense is provided in the
form of tightly rolled $1.00 bills--ah, the smell of money! Rising above
it all is the hypnotic, meditative chant of--a southwestern auctioneer
in the middle of a raging verbal wildfire. That's it, just picture it.
In reality, my den--excuse me, my apt. room--is already a firetrap,
& just looking for any excuse. The chanting wouldn't go over well
w/ my roommate, seeing as I listen to a wide variety of music, from
Aretha Franklin to the Squirrel Nut Zippers, & my preffered vol.
wears on his last nerve. As far as the incense goes...ARE YOU NUTS!?
Sorry. Excuse me. I'm on something of a budget. So where's Circe's Funhouse,
the pooka, the cotton candy, & the transformations? Hold your..er...I'm
getting there!
I worked up a basic plot outline, & used my reactions as a model
for Mudd's reactions, but really boogered up (excuse me, exaggerated)
the reactions & the important confidence skills. Such skills required:
the need for attention, intimate understanding of non-verbal communication,
presence, a personable way to influence all types of people, & of
course; he must ooze confidence from every pore--& orifice--of his
being. The other human traits such as: morals, patience, worries, fear,
& responsibility, etc.; I would flesh these in later as I developed
more of the story. One constant throughout Mudd's character would be
his energy level. His energy would be squarely between critical mass
& China Syndrome. This idea was based on an old Tonight Show rerun.
Johnny had walked on stage, rocked back on his heels as he grinned up
at the house lights, & said, "You can turn off the lights,
I glow in the dark!" Unfortunately, at this point I hit a serious
snag. Between my odd sleeping hours, graveyard shifts, & a seemingly
possessed VCR, I knew very little about the personalities of the Enterprise
series crew. If I was lucky, I had seen 1 show every 2 months--not enough
to gauge their various emotional reactions. I stopped writing for a
few weeks to reconsider the entire story idea. At that time I realized
I also needed a unique or unusual first & middle name for the new
Mudd as well. I mean, how do you compete w/ Harcourt Fenton for Pete's
Sake!?
I was helping my parents prepare for a weekend trip, & I was moving
in to watch their doxy. Their previous Dachshund had been taught to
sniff out & find paper money. Seriously! If you want to learn how
to teach your dog this skill, look for Money Dog by Joseph Two Dogs.
(What? I'm not getting paid for this? Well, crap!). Preparation completed,
dad grabbed me by the shoulders and said, "Roy! I'm signing us
both up as official members of the Cherokee Nation!" This was new."Uh,...okay,
but what does this mean?" "It means, we have an ancestor on
the Governments' Indian Registry Lists, & no matter how far back
he is; we qualify to be registered as Cherokees! We don't qualify for
money or land from the gov., but you and I could recieve free schooling
in Okalahoma & a few other states!" In other words, he found
a hobby in minor detective research. He pulled out a stack of papers
about 5" thick, containing copies from an old diary, a copy from
a few pages of the published LeBay family history, & 100s of names.
He pointed out a highlighted name, our 1st officially recognized ancestor
on the list--Percy Wyly Fields. Click! I heard everything dad told me
after that, but in my mind, the dynamo gears were already spinning.
Due warning: you're about to witness my thought process in action. No
one has been injured as yet, but don't try this at home. On the plus
side, it's kept my family in a constant state of puzzlement for over
a decade. Then again...do what you feel like doing! Hmm, Wyly--it's
not unique, but it is unusual. The fact that he's my ancestor, &
the spelling is different should keep the WB off my back about Wile
E. Coyote. Hmm, Coyote: a trickster (con canine) of Native American
folk tales & mythology. Tale? Why not? The name Tale is fairly common
in the various forms of fiction, but why knock classic nostalgia? I
hereby christen this character Wyly Tale Mudd!
I not only had a name, but I had found an alternate road and incarnation
for Wyly from sci-fi to fantasy. This required only a minor change in
character--from man to humanoid coyote, & some new traits. This
also meant placing the Enterprise version on ice. Not that I minded,
since writing with a working idea is what I wanted, & needed to
stay awake. There were a few choice sections I wanted to keep &
adapt to the fantasy story. One such section is the following collection
of exerpts from the original Enterprise version. Wyly & his father
had to pick up various black market parts from locations all over the
world, to be used in their biggest con yet. Wyly realized that this
could well be their last road trip on Earth, so why not pick up some
good luck charms on the way, since they might need all the luck they
could get! Imagine (and only imagine) Wyly rolling around buck-naked
over a huge patch of four-leaf clovers (those poor goats were scarred
for life). Picture him conning the shoes off of a descendant of the
horse Secretariat. Choke as he 'accidentally' swallows a chunk of the
Blarney Stone (this too shall pass). Now wish him luck as he touches
more than a bulls' horns at the Running of the Bulls (how was I to know
these cuffs would be caught by the horns?).
I still had
to make up a fantasy story outline, but first things first. I still
needed to flesh in Wyly's character traits, because he still had only
the exaggerated confidence mans' sneaky strengths, but no specific balancing
human-like traits. I usually carry a small notebook or a sticky pad
around with me--to jot down any sudden ideas. I made a note on the pad
of what I had for Wyly's traits thus far, plus a few other things I
wanted to think about, & sat myself in front of the T.V. I clicked
the television on, set the vol. on low, & let my mind wander. I
wasn't really 'watching'. After all, if you've seen one commercial,
you've seen them all. One ad, however, caught my ear first. "Come
on down to Circe's Funhouse, a unique & magical circus & carnival
for people and children of all ages! This wonderful place can provide
a much needed change from your routine, & perhaps the new life you
were meant for, even if only for the weekend!"
Circe's Funhouse? An odd name, maybe it's a fantasy convention? No,
a glance at the images revealed rides, restaurants, countless animals,
the usual costumed mascots, & a unique Greek theme. Seeing as the
Funhouse was only a half hour from my job sight, on a lark I decided
to visit the attraction. I could skip the usual pre-graveyard shift
nap as long as I had enough sugar and caffeine--things all theme parks
provide. I grabbed my pad, in case I might find some inspiration there,
& headed out.
Onward
to Chapter 2
Return
to "The Funhouse - As Seen By Others"