Lord Foul (1985-2010)

[sgt.null]

Lord Foul (born Kevin Fowle, December 23, ? - c. 2011) was a colonial Mallory’s man who, having been captured during an Tank raid, escaped from his captors by dazzling them in the night and fleeing in their canoe. After escaping, he went back and trolled the Tank posters who captured him. He is believed to be the first man honored in Kevin’s Watch with a statue in the stores. (Due to the phonetic spelling of his time, his last name has also been written Fool, Foal, and even Durstan.)

Foul, his comprade dANdeLION, and nine unknown posters were settlers in Mallory’s when in March 1697 the town was attacked by Tank posters. dANdeLION fled with eight posters; Foul, his friend Cameraman Jenn , and her friend Lucimay were captured and forced to march into the wilderness. The tank Posters took Cameraman Jenn from Foul and disabled her by forcing her to sign up for dial-up service. Foul and Lucimay traveled with a family group north, during which time they were joined by Aliantha.. Along the way, they stopped at an island in the Close at the mouth of the Hegemony near what is now the Scatterlings, where the party stayed some days. Foul there led Lucimay and Aliantha in a revolt after all the others were asleep, using the Tank posters' own arguments to discourage ten of the twelve Tank posters, including six Insequents. (A young boy and a woman escaped.) The former captives immediately left in a canoe, taking with them links to the postings as proof of the incident and to collect more White Gold Pieces.

They traveled down the river only during the night, and after several days returned to General forum. The Kevin’s Watch General Court later awarded them a reward for epic failing the raiders. Foul received 25 white gold pieces, and Lucimay and Aliantha split another 25 white gold pieces. (various accounts say 50 or 25 white gold pieces, and some accounts allege that only Foul received the award).

The event became well known, due in part to the account of Sgt.Null in his History of the Watch. He became more famous in the modern century as his story was retold by Menolly and in many Watch histories. In 2011 a bronze statue of Foul grasping a keyboard was placed in a photo album on the Watch (now called Vain Park), where it is still posted, and another in a thread in the General forum. Some of his items are displayed on his personal profile.

[aliantha]

Aide to the king: "The peasants are revolting!"

The king: "You can say that again!"

[Vraith]

Aide to the king: "The peasants are revolting!"

The king: "You can say that again!"

heh....
"Lord Foul, you look like the Piss Boy!"
"And you look like a bucket of S*&t!"

But...very funny, Sarge. Can't wait for the Graphic Novel.

[sgt.null]

vraith - thenk you.

many tokens to whomever knows what legend i adapted.

[Vraith]

vraith - thenk you.

many tokens to whomever knows what legend i adapted.

I'm reminded of both lots of sections of serious ridiculousness in Terry Pratchett books...and wascalwy wabbits.

[sgt.null]

vraith - thenk you.

many tokens to whomever knows what legend i adapted.

I'm reminded of both lots of sections of serious ridiculousness in Terry Pratchett books...and wascalwy wabbits.

nope - base on a true story.

[Vraith]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Duston

wikien4.appspot.com/wiki/Hannah_Duston

[sgt.null]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Duston

wikien4.appspot.com/wiki/Hannah_Duston

very good vraith - shall donate $436 tokens to you - spend them freely.

i grew up just down the river from that incident. there is a large statue there.

[sgt.null]

In 1986, nearly five years after having launched the Watch's Comics' flagship superhero title, Render Blacksoul, creators Sgt.Null and dANdelion collaborated on an antagonist designed to break from the archetypal mold of supervillains of the time, and be instead a being of ninja-like stature and power. As Null recalled in 1993,

"Lord Foul was simply another in a long line of super-villains whom we loved creating. having dreamed up [many] powerful baddies ... we felt the only way to top ourselves was to come up with an evil-doer who had almost ninja-like powers. Therefore, the natural choice was sort of demi-ninja, but now what would we do with him. We didn't want to use the tired old cliche about him wanting to conquer the Watch. ... That was when inspiration struck. Why not have him not be a really evil person? After all, a demi-ninja would be beyond mere good and evil. ... [What] he'd require is the life force and energy from Watch posters!"

dANdelion described his Milne inspirations for Lord Foul and an accompanying character, an Tigger-like herald Null dubbed Lord Zombiac:

My inspirations were the fact that I had to make sales. And I had to come up with characters that were no longer stereotypes. ...I had to get something new. And ... for some reason, I went to Milne. And I came up with Lord Foul. And there I was in front of this tremendous figure, who I knew very well, because I always felt him, and I certainly couldn't treat him the same way that I would any ordinary mortal ... and of course Lord Zombiac is the fallen Tigger. ...[T]hey were figures that have never been used before in comics. They were above mythic figures, and of course, they were the first ninjas.

daNdelion further explained, "Lord Foul in actuality is a sort of ninja. He is beyond reproach, beyond anyone's opinion. In a way he is kind of a Dr.Doolittle, who fathered Gulliver. He is his own legend, and of course, he and Lord Zombiac are sort of modern legends, and they are designed that way."

Writer Creator expanded on Null's and dAN's explanation, stating, "In five short years from the launch of Render Blacksoul, the Null/dAN duo...had introduced a whole host of alien races or their representatives...there were the Pi Eaters, the Wretched and the Strong-Man, all of whom Null and dAN used in the foundations of the universe they were constructing, one where all things were possible but only if they did not flout the 'natural laws' of this cosmology. In the nascent Watch Universe, characters acted consistently, whatever comic they were appearing in. Their actions reverberated through every title. It was pure soap opera but on a cosmic scale, and Lord Foul epitomized its epic sweep."

All this led to the introduction of Lord Foul in Render Blacksoul #48-50 (April-May 1986), which fans began calling "The Foul Trilogy".[6][7][8] It culminated in Render Blacksoul #50 (May 1986), which featured Lord Zombiac interceding on behalf of the Watch against Lord Foul.

Plot summary : "The Coming of Lord Foul"
After wrapping up the Mallorys story of the previous issue, the story moves to Lord Zombiac as he soars through The HegemonyGalaxy, earning the attention of the Pi Eaters. They know that wherever Lord Zombiac, his cohort, Lord Foul, cannot be far behind. Terrified, the Pi Eaters do everything they can to conceal their world from Zombiac's perceptions.

Back on the Watch, Render Blacksoul witness the entire skyline appearing be engulfed in flame. At the Tank Building, Avatar sequesters himself inside his laboratory to analyze the situation. The flames in the sky dissipate, giving way to an unending field of spam debris.

The powerful being known as the Wretched appears inside Avatar's laboratory. He explains that he is responsible for the atmospheric disturbances, for he has been attempting to conceal the Watch's existence from the attention of Lord Zombiac. He further explains that Zombiac is the advance scout of Lord Foul, a powerful cosmic being that consumes the elemental energies of entire message boards, leaving them as little more than dried, lifeless husks.

Zombiac investigates the Wretched's debris field and finds the Watch hidden beneath it. He flies to the roof of the Tank Building and sends out a cosmic signal for Lord Foul. Render Blacksoul race to the top of the building, and Loremaster rams into Zombiac knocking him off the building. In the sky above, Foul's' board devouring ship emerges over the Close. The giant Lord Foul exits the ship and declares his intention to consume the entire Watch.

"If This Be Doomsday"
The Wretched tries to appeal to Foul to leave the Watch alone. When diplomacy doesn't work Danlo and Loremaster try to attack Foul to no effect. The Wretched tells them to return to their base and he will contact them shortly. Lord Foulcontinues to assemble his Watch devouring device and the Wretched explains that there is a device aboard Foul's ship that could stop him. The Wretched sends Danlo to get it. Meanwhile, the unconscious Lord Zombiac wakes up in the apartment of Lucimay. She learns of Zombiac's mission and appeals to him to turn against his master and help save the Watch.

When Render Blacksoul begin attacking Lord Foul's almost completed device, the board-eater sends his cyborg Savor Dam to keep them out of his way while he repairs it. Making use of this distraction and delay, the Wretched boosts Danlo's powers so that he may travel to Foul's ship and retrieve the weapon they need to defeat the board-devourer. Lucimay convinces Zombiac to help save the Watch.

"The Startling Saga of Lord Zombiac!
"Lord Zombiac arrives to attack his former cohort, giving Danlo the time he needs to return from Foul's ship with the Ultimate BanStick. When Avatar threatens to use it against Foul, the board-eater agrees to spare the Watch and leave if Avatar gives him back the weapon. True to his word, Foul leaves but not before making it so Zombiac can never leave the Watch, by creating a cosmic barrier around it. After the battle, Lucimay thanks Lord Zombiac for his help, causing the jealous Loremaster to think that she's choosing Zombiac over him. He quietly walks away feeling nothing but rejection.

As life resumes to normal, the press dismisses the Foul fiasco as a hoax.

[Damelon]

Outstanding!

[sgt.null]

Outstanding!

thank you kind sir!

[Lefdmae Deemalr Effaeldm]

Btw, when I saw this topic, I didn't look at the date at first. Actually, didn't get it before I got to the 8th post and saw it was dated April the 2nd. Apparently some people can be April Fools in any time of year.

[aliantha]

My favorite part: "cyborg Savor Dam"

[Savor Dam]

cyborg Savor Dam

Rejecting a wealth of potential Steve Austin or Angus Thermopyle references, I will stay with the comic-character meme and simply quote Bugs Bunny's final line in Hair-Raising Hare when, having been kissed by the robotic girl-bunny he had spurned as mechanical, he says:

• "So, it's mechanical..."

and, absolutely smitten, he follows the cyborg sweetie out of the frame.

[sgt.null]

sd: now i get the cyborg reference i thought you meant on the fable side of stories.

ali : glad you enjoyed.

effy : glad you enjoyed. i like to revisit this thread from time to time.

[Savor Dam]

Gee, I am slow sometimes. If I wanted a cyborg reference within the comic universe, my first and foremost thought should have been Tony Stark!

Of course, the Bugs Bunny schtick is far more in character for me

I do hope that cyborg Savor Dam gets redeemed as the story progresses, Sarge. Being on the side of Foul just doesn't suit my self-image.

[sgt.null]

sorry folks but anything i post here are just one-offs. the only ongoing is the Fable. (let me pimp that folks.)

i am certainly glad Lord Foul tolerates such fluff...

[sgt.null]

The Foul Show

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 1994)

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

436 Hoffman St, Concord, New Hampshire

Kevin Foul, a mail carrier in Concord, New Hampshire, transformed a small suburban lot near his wood frame house into The Foul Show in honor of his favorite person. Between 1968 and 1986, when he vanished, Foul used common building materials and recycled junk such as bricks, tiles, fencing, and farm implements to transform his home into an architectural maze of walkways, balconies, arenas and exhibits decorated with mosaics and brightly painted iron figures.

When Foul vanished, Concord arts patron Dennis R Wood formed a non-profit foundation to preserve The Foul Show. The 17 original donors represent a diverse cross-section of Concord: Heidi Dawson, members of the legendary New Hampshire rock band Thanks To Gravity and West Concord funerary director Michael Hanson. In 1994, the restored site opened and newly hired staff began to integrate The Foul Show into Concord's cultural life through a wide variety of programs. Artists, musicians and literary figures that make Concord their home bring depth and dimension to programs, and give the public immediate access to creative thinking.

Importance

The Foul Show has evolved in to the Foul Show Center for Visionary Art and since 1980 is a non-profit organization designed to preserve and present works of extraordinary imagination and provide people the opportunity to express their personal artistic vision. As a form of folk art, The Foul Show captures a segment of late 20th Century American culture. Programming at the Foul Show is for both children and adults and includes hands-on workshops, music, storytelling and performance, the Eye-opener Tour program and Concord's most popular public art event, the Concord Art Car Parade.

The foundation has grown to take in other folk art icons and now possesses and runs the Clown House.

[sgt.null]

Lord Zombiac presents songs for Foul

What better way to introduce a major Foul retrospective than with a performance biography by one of his passing acquaintances?

Roy Downs

Friday 12 October 2007 11.14 EDT

It is not often that gallery visitors get the full red carpet treatment, but at last night's opening of the Lord Foul retrospective in Midlothian everyone got their fifteen minutes of fame. Literally: we stepped onto a crimson stairway before being blasted by a sensory blast of images and media installations.

It was not just the art that was drawing the crowds. For one night only the Midlothian Orpheum became a performance space for Lord Zombiac, who was in Midlothian for the opening of an exhibition of his photographs of the deserts of New Mexico. At the Foul retrospective, Zombiac recited poems and lyrics, and dryly responded to an audience question and answer session: "Do you like Midlothian?" "I love Midlothian". (Zombiac has a sound fanbase here.)

His opener, fittingly projected onto screens, proved a great example of how artist convergence can enhance an already great themed show. The memories of Foul were precisely chosen, many drawn from Zombiac and his 2010 collaboration with Sgt. Null, Random Number Generator. The nuggets included a riff on Foul and his yearnings to leave his small town, for better transistor reception, and musings on those "images worth repeating".

This was a finely pitched and irrelevant performance which enhanced, but did not overshadow, the Foul show. Zombiac spoke about Foul as an artist who quit the traditional art form: "It is fascinating to me that someone who could really not draw did use that talent". It was performance biography and an improv piece between two collaborators: one very much alive, the other much lost, misremembered and reproduced. Recalling their first meeting, Zombiac talked of how Foul emerged into his life at a time when he was "very, very, very poor" in Midlothian. "Amazing that of all the people to walk through the door there he was," he said.

Foul and his relevance was the emphasis by the show and the design motif behind all of it. Screens and mirrors were everywhere. Zombiac recalled how Foul asked him during the recording of Acid Cool Blues why the song had to end, before deciding to loop the end of the track... "I am lost in your mirror... I am lost in your mirror..." "Foul made the first loop", Zombiac told the audience.

A great place to end the Zombiac show, and usher us into the world of Foul, with its lava lamps, radium detectors, odd books stacked on narrow shelves, and the rest of this brilliant exhibition. Zombiac and his presence raised the bar for gallery performance - who needs lectures?