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09-25-2017, 03:46 PM | #1 |
twitter viper
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SD
Posts: 4,909
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To promote the new book Sleeping Beauties, Stephen and Owen (SneakPeek) King were interviewed by Anthony Breznican for Entertainment Weekly.
Here is that snippet of the article. For more on the collaboration to write Sleeping Beauties head on over to EW. Stephen King, son Owen talk joining forces for Sleeping Beauties ... -beauties/ Then go pick up a copy of the TommyKnockers. It has long been a trivia question and legend amongst GIJOE fans. Stephen King and Owen King created Crystal Ball. The Vincent Price visage and the file card all came from a young Owen King who also chimes in about the creation of Crystal Ball. Quote:
THE COBRA HYPNOTIST
Sleeping Beauties may be the first book they’ve co-authored, but as mentioned above, it’s not technically Stephen and Owen’s first professional collaboration. That honor belongs to Crystal Ball, a villainous G.I. Joe character they concocted together back in the mid-‘80s, when Owen was a 9-year-old. Stephen wrote down a pitch, and sent it to Hasbro, which mass produced the toy in 1987 and put him in the Marvel comics. “It’s true,” Owen says, sounding a little bit chagrined, and handing the credit (or blame) off to his dad. “I think that he’s much better suited to explain because, I think my contribution to the creative element was more limited to being like, ‘Yeah, Dad, that sounds awesome.’” “Oh, I mean that is such bulls—,” Stephen King replies. “It was his idea! He had all the G.I. Joes and we watched it on TV, and we read the comic books.” Stephen has pretty specific recall on that day. He says it was winter, snowy outside, and the two were going around the wide yard on cross-country skis. “He said, ‘Dad, it would be great if there was a G.I. Joe who could read minds.’ And I said, ‘Oh, yeah, that would be really great. What would you call a character like that?’ And Owen said, ‘Crystal Ball!’” The character has a lenticular holographic shield and looks a little like Vincent Price crossed with Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos. HASBRO “I think the character that we wrote wasn’t particularly well-liked, which is the funniest part,” Owen says. “This is one of the reasons why I always feel like it’s dicey to even talk about this, because the G.I. Joe people don’t really like him.” This does not wash with Stephen King, who dropped a mention of the toy in his 1987 novel The Tommyknockers. “I think Crystal Ball was one of the most popular ones!” he insists. There’s a clacking of computer keys on his end of the line. “I’m looking right now on the internet…” “No,” Owen assures him. “He’s not particularly popular, but I like him.” Hasbro did, too, and the company was so grateful for the contribution that they named another G.I. Joe good guy, the recon ranger Sneak Peek, “Owen King” after the young fan. The typing stops. “I’m gonna make you very unhappy,” Stephen says, like a doctor who has a folder full of bad test results to share. “I just scrolled through ‘The Top 50 Greatest G.I. Joe Characters of All Time,’ and… he’s not on it.” “Would you believe — put this in the article somewhere — I don’t think Funko has sent him a Pennywise,” Owen says, eager to change the subject. “The most popular G.I. Joe is what, Owen?” his dad asks. A pop culture test for the child of the ’80s. Owen guesses Destro – the silver headed arms-dealing villain, who works with Cobra on its quest for world domination. “No,” Stephen says, with a tsk of his tongue. “Snake Eyes.” “Oh, yeah. That makes sense,” Owen replies. Crystal Ball may not rank at the top, but that dastardly hypnotist still stands for something special. Most dads can buy their kids a toy, but not many can invent one with their son.
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Take a load off and watch some GIJOE videos. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYF...fZnzjMATv1_JGg That's the way the Pogo Ballistic Battle Ball bounces. |
09-25-2017, 03:53 PM | #2 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: sitting in my tin can far above the world
Posts: 3,929
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lol. that's good stuff
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09-25-2017, 04:07 PM | #3 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Iowa
Posts: 4,254
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Good thing they didn't look up Worst Lists.
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09-25-2017, 04:07 PM | #4 |
Gunslinger
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MidWorld
Posts: 38,081
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So now the truth comes out.
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09-25-2017, 04:22 PM | #5 |
Heroes Sometimes Die
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Alaska
Posts: 812
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Come to find out Stephen King has a pile of GIJoe fanfiction
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09-25-2017, 04:34 PM | #6 |
twitter viper
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SD
Posts: 4,909
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Quote:
Don't be shy. Share!
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Take a load off and watch some GIJOE videos. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYF...fZnzjMATv1_JGg That's the way the Pogo Ballistic Battle Ball bounces. |
09-25-2017, 05:11 PM | #7 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: PA
Posts: 10,816
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Thanks, man. I was researching this hardcore last year and even sent Owen King a Facebook message, and he said he couldn't reveal anything about it at that time. I guess this explains why he was worried to say anything about it to me. He thinks fans were out to get him or something because they hated the character. But Hama has kept the character alive longer than a lot of the other post-Sunbow baddies so that's saying something.
I thought there were alternate code names out there for Crystal Ball though. Not sure where those came from if this was King's first choice for the name. CB made #115 on the Hisstank greatest character poll: http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-all-time.html Last edited by JediJones; 09-25-2017 at 05:14 PM.. |
09-25-2017, 05:42 PM | #8 |
B and H Comics
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,579
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Always loved the character and figure. Gave him Zanzibars hammer and he become the joe version of an evil Thor lol
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09-25-2017, 06:52 PM | #9 |
Hog Driver
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 12,235
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Oh yeah, who does he think the 634th greatest Joe is?!
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09-25-2017, 09:54 PM | #10 |
Bald Master
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wolverine Lake, MI
Posts: 15,128
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...but adult collectors dig him NOW! Watch for how much FSS Crystal Ball will go for, come next year!
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