Anyone else miss Bob Brown's Star Wars discussions?

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-02-25 12:54am

Anyway, one of those links in the archive actually has functioning pictures and such, but its from 2001. I wish the more recent ones worked.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2004-02-25 12:56am

Rogue 9 wrote:

Anyway, one of those links in the archive actually has functioning pictures and such, but its from 2001. I wish the more recent ones worked.

Click around on the left side of the screen (your cursor should turn into a hand or whatever). Basically, the archive shows the front page as just all white, so you've gotta know where the things were.
The page was set up with a menu bar on the left, and I think you should be able to find some interesting stuff there.

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2004-02-25 12:57am

Darth Wong wrote:
Galvatron wrote:I thought that was a vow of celibacy! You mean I've been abstinant all these years for no reason?!
Shit, looks like something was misinterpreted. Sorry about that

Come to think of it, I always did wonder why you were allowed to have anal sex and I wasn't...

Darth Wong wrote:Well, it's not too late to make up for lost time. You can start with the East German dominatrix, after she releases your testicles from the Constrictor.

Are you talking about FTB?

At any rate, despite his eccentricities and often scathing diatribes against the EU and George Lucas, I think the loss of Bob from the fold was a dark day for SW fandom...

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-02-25 01:07am

Galvatron wrote:Come to think of it, I always did wonder why you were allowed to have anal sex and I wasn't...

Mind you, opportunity is also important

Are you talking about FTB?

That is a truly horrible thought.

At any rate, despite his eccentricities and often scathing diatribes against the EU and George Lucas, I think the loss of Bob from the fold was a dark day for SW fandom...

It was, although his refusal to accept simple Newtonian kinematics or the scientific method in general limited his ability to do any kind of analysis that would require physics, as opposed to things like deckplan layouts and making technical analogues to modern systems.

But there was nothing anyone could do about it, short of building a time machine and preventing his participation as an extra during the AOTC shooting. His increasingly explosive attitude toward SW and GL from that moment on was a one-way ride to an inevitable outcome. It's one thing to say that you didn't like TPM or AOTC as a film, but he went well beyond film criticism. It became a severe emotional issue, and that's nothing that you, I, or anyone else but Bob himself could have changed.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2004-02-25 01:37pm

Ah, I remember when I posted my question about this. If I weren't so lazy I'd go look it up.

Anyway, he did have some interesting stuff. The "Star Wars as Greek Tragedy" thing looked promising, and from my vauge memory didn't have rants.

Basically, I loved him for his analysis, and skimmed over the rantings and ravings. Except for the Jedi Robes bit, which turned into a rant at the end, and even seemed to start that way. *shrug* I was tempted to post in his web board about that, just never got around to it.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-25 01:48pm

I used to read and occasionally post in his board a long time ago. I still remember there was some semi-nutjob named Frank Bitterhoff who had a bunch of weird, complex theories that didn't make much sense, such as there being like three engine systems associated with hyperdrives or such drivel.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2004-02-25 02:19pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I used to read and occasionally post in his board a long time ago. I still remember there was some semi-nutjob named Frank Bitterhoff who had a bunch of weird, complex theories that didn't make much sense, such as there being like three engine systems associated with hyperdrives or such drivel.

I remember that dude too. I never posted, but I would browse. I remember a semi-interesting starfighter discussion thread that went on in there...

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2004-02-25 02:42pm

I LOVED his analysis of the different lightsaber fighting style. He had a very excellent analysis on why Vader fought the way he did with broad sweeping strokes meant to overpower since he was no longer agile and great screenshots to illustrate his points.

He had a great parallel between Obi Wan of TPM era and his arrogant style, emphasizing leaps and kicks, to the seasoned veteran who "controlled the middle" during his duel with Vader on the DS1.

I must have missed the other lunacy since that was the only part of his site that I ever saw or read.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2004-02-25 03:22pm

RogueIce wrote:Ah, I remember when I posted my question about this. If I weren't so lazy I'd go look it up.

Here we go:

Robert Brown's site

For more of the same, and maybe even something new.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-25 04:46pm

Stravo wrote:I LOVED his analysis of the different lightsaber fighting style. He had a very excellent analysis on why Vader fought the way he did with broad sweeping strokes meant to overpower since he was no longer agile and great screenshots to illustrate his points.

"Vader fights like a bulldozer."

I loved that line...

Comosicus · Post by **Comosicus** » 2004-02-25 05:08pm

The reason I reached this site for the first time was BB's link to Turbolaser commentaries. And on his site I arrived looking for lightsabers

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-02-25 05:09pm

Galvatron wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:
Galvatron wrote:I miss the old mailing list that Curtis, Bob, Mike, and I were on (long before this forum existed). We had some great discussions and exchanges of ideas.
Shhh!!!! You have broken your vow of eternal secrecy! You must now accept 40 lashes from an East German dominatrix!
I thought that was a vow of celibacy! You mean I've been abstinent all these years for no reason?!

Hmm. Now I must find out your identity. *brings forth three East German Dominatrixes*

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-02-25 05:11pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Robert BK Brown was one of the three or four premiere Star Wars analysts, up there with Saxton, Poe, and Mike. He had a rather in-depth site called B-Squared's Star Wars Stuff, which among other things had a huge section on the Falcon and proposed internal layouts, and one concerning lightsabres: their operation and use, which benefited from his being a Kendo expert.

Unfortunately, he was also an OT canon purest in the strongest sense of the word and let everyone know it in his writings, and after AotC was released, he announced that he had given up on Star Wars completely.

*smacks Spanky upside the head* You forgot Brian Young.

Technically there are alot of others (Frank Gerrantana, Anthony Tully, Andrew Tse - some I know and some I don't) who are more "behind the scenes" but who also have had a substantial impact in their own ways.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-02-25 05:26pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Yeah, think of SW analysis in terms of a spectrum...

TheForce.net EU fanboys --- SD.net --- Mike and Saxton --- Bob Brown --- TheForce.net Purist Wankers

Thats a rather unfair generalization. I dont know if you spent any time there, but I have, and I found a number of people who were quite reasonable. The aforementioned and greatly esteemed (he in fact has had as much influence as Curtis, Wayne, Mike or Brian IMHO in SW analysis) Andrew Tse was a regular member, and he's not an "OT purist wanker" in the least. There was another person I remember going by the handle Saxman, and he always struck me as rather reasonable as well. And Painrack, who is present here, is not someone I would lump in with as a fanboy or "wanker." either.

However, there were others like Mister ORaghan and Frank Bitterhof (IIRC) rather odd. (ORaghan seems to have become worse since moving to SB.)

The board itself was, like ost sci fi boards, rather "cliquish" in its own way - a rather nice community for those inside it, but not realyl well received outside of it. Its not like say, SD.net, for example would not be viewed similarly by mainstream star wars fans (A bunch of people who analyze sci fi by acting as if it were real?)

Edit: Added Painracks name

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-25 10:08pm

Gah, how could I have forgotten Brian Young?!

Sorry. His name just totally slipped my mind...

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-02-25 10:14pm

Connor MacLeod wrote:*snip*

\

The comparison is not "to scale"--almost all of SD.net is much, MUCH closer to Mike and Dr. Saxton in analysis techniques--it is my impression they take strict application of realism from SoD and are more comfortable with regarding the EU as mostly second-rate historical documents often (see Saxton's rather controversial theories on the Imperial Starfleet, the Astrophysical Concerns page--including the UR-in-the-halo thing and Mike's comments about the NJO being nigh-irrelevent due to its chronological seperation from the Trilogies--at least that was my impression).

It is more like....

TFN Completists---------------------SDN-Mike-Dr. Saxton------Bob Brown--------------TFN Purists

When I say "TFN Completists" I mean the psychotic anti-Saxton EU = Movies faction lead by the regulars and mods in EU Lit; when I say "TFN Purists," I mean the faction which disavows anything EU on principle as somehow an insult to GL even though he's awknowledged it...

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2004-02-25 10:46pm

One thing I'd add is, I wish Robert would have made his Episode 2 war stories public. There was some fun stuff to read while it lasted..

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-02-25 10:51pm

Lord Poe wrote:One thing I'd add is, I wish Robert would have made his Episode 2 war stories public. There was some fun stuff to read while it lasted..

What war stories? Forgive my ignorance.

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2004-02-25 10:58pm

Stofsk wrote:
Lord Poe wrote:One thing I'd add is, I wish Robert would have made his Episode 2 war stories public. There was some fun stuff to read while it lasted..
What war stories? Forgive my ignorance.

Sorry to tickle your ass with a feather..

But they were during e-mail conversations. I don't know if he ever wanted them public. I haven't corresponded with Robert for quite some time.

Would have loved to see his rant on the Code 3 Falcon!

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2004-02-25 11:04pm

BTW, here's an update on Robert for anyone interested.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-02-25 11:05pm

Lord Poe wrote:Sorry to tickle your ass with a feather..

But they were during e-mail conversations. I don't know if he ever wanted them public. I haven't corresponded with Robert for quite some time.

Fair enough. From what I've managed to glean from this thread he was an extra Jedi (or something) in AOTC, so I can only assume he chucked a major spaz or some such... for some reason. It's not like it's any of my business, just curious.

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2004-02-25 11:55pm

Lord Poe wrote:BTW, here's an update on Robert for anyone interested.

Wow, he looks like Obi-Wan in Episode 3!

Kazuaki Shimazaki · Post by **Kazuaki Shimazaki** » 2004-02-26 12:47am

I want to see his two essays finished (especially "The Myth of the Dark Side".) Sounds like it might be an interesting read.

And can anyone explain to me how does getting a little role in AOTC increase one's hatred of SW EU and George Lucas?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-02-26 03:02am

Kazuaki Shimazaki wrote:And can anyone explain to me how does getting a little role in AOTC increase one's hatred of SW EU and George Lucas?

Only Bob himself could explain why, but I do know that corresponds to the time period when he seemed to go off the deep end.

I suspect it has something to do with various Kendo schools sending people to be extras in the film, and the director favouring the performers who favoured a "flashier", albeit technically inferior swordfighting style (ie- not Robert's style). This might have led to him feeling not just snubbed on a personal level, but also feeling that his entire sport (which is apparently a very big part of his life) was snubbed as well.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2004-02-26 03:28am

Lord Poe wrote:BTW, here's an update on Robert for anyone interested.

Hey thats my uni! I'll have to send a bomb or something...

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Anyone else miss Bob Brown's Star Wars discussions?

Personally...

Re: Personally...