You know you're addicted to Captain Scarlet when ...
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You know you're addicted to Captain Scarlet when ...
by Sage » Mon Sep 19, 2005 3:26 pm
Just fill in the blank 
Make them good reasons, explain them if you wish. Lets be loud and proud about our fandom.
My own symptoms...
1a. My first crush was on Captain Blue ... In fact I still think he's kinda cute.
1b. Perhaps that was why, as a child, I wanted to be Symphony Angel.
2. I count Gerry Anderson as one of the greatest influences of my childhood.
3. I have huge trouble writing a 1500 word essay for uni, but for some reason bashing out 7000+ words of fanfic doesn't phase me.
4. Was so absurdly delighted and honoured to be allowed into the writers group
5. I try to cover up my obsession by pretending to have bought merchandise for my brother, when actually yeah it was for me.
6. I have used to phrases such as 'thirty two original episodes' and 'original transmission order' in all seriousness.
7. Fill out those dumb internet surveys as the characters, and justify it as character development. (Get the feeling they're better developed than me)
8. Can follow the episodes saying the dialogue ahead of the characters.
9. I hear songs and associate them with various characters/events in the show. Hence the sonfics I guess.
10. I probably know the characters better than some of my friends.
11. New Captain Scarlet is the only reason I get up on saturday mornings.
12. I have walked around Winchester and wondered what will still be there in fifty years so I can include it in a fic.
13. I have submitted fanfic as uni course work, and got away with it.
As offshoot combined with my name obsession...
1a. I would in all serious name my children after the characters (well I like the names anyway, but still) or at least am very tempted.
1b. but I probably won't, for fear of them dying of embarrasement at realising they were in effect named after puppets.
2. It's surely only a matter of time before I start shortening by my brother Richard's name to 'Rick', just like it is for captain Ochre.
3. Uhh did you see the post where I gave them all middle names and stuff? [it's in fanfiction]
4. I've used name forums (intended to name real life offspring) to get suggestions for said middle names etc.
Make them good reasons, explain them if you wish. Lets be loud and proud about our fandom.
My own symptoms...
1a. My first crush was on Captain Blue ... In fact I still think he's kinda cute.
1b. Perhaps that was why, as a child, I wanted to be Symphony Angel.
2. I count Gerry Anderson as one of the greatest influences of my childhood.
3. I have huge trouble writing a 1500 word essay for uni, but for some reason bashing out 7000+ words of fanfic doesn't phase me.
4. Was so absurdly delighted and honoured to be allowed into the writers group
5. I try to cover up my obsession by pretending to have bought merchandise for my brother, when actually yeah it was for me.
6. I have used to phrases such as 'thirty two original episodes' and 'original transmission order' in all seriousness.
7. Fill out those dumb internet surveys as the characters, and justify it as character development. (Get the feeling they're better developed than me)
8. Can follow the episodes saying the dialogue ahead of the characters.
9. I hear songs and associate them with various characters/events in the show. Hence the sonfics I guess.
10. I probably know the characters better than some of my friends.
11. New Captain Scarlet is the only reason I get up on saturday mornings.
12. I have walked around Winchester and wondered what will still be there in fifty years so I can include it in a fic.
13. I have submitted fanfic as uni course work, and got away with it.
As offshoot combined with my name obsession...
1a. I would in all serious name my children after the characters (well I like the names anyway, but still) or at least am very tempted.
1b. but I probably won't, for fear of them dying of embarrasement at realising they were in effect named after puppets.
2. It's surely only a matter of time before I start shortening by my brother Richard's name to 'Rick', just like it is for captain Ochre.
3. Uhh did you see the post where I gave them all middle names and stuff? [it's in fanfiction]
4. I've used name forums (intended to name real life offspring) to get suggestions for said middle names etc.
Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves.
Brendan Behan
My fanfic100 table
Brendan Behan
My fanfic100 table
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by CaptainScarlet » Mon Sep 19, 2005 6:43 pm
...You use character names or parts of them for your passwords.
You're more interested in watching MOM than your children.
You buy the toys etc "for your kids"
You spend a small fortune trying to build a puppet replica...
You scan ebay for any items that you don't have (and don't necessarily need)
You scan forums like these to see if there are any cool updates on your favourite characters!
You're more interested in watching MOM than your children.
You buy the toys etc "for your kids"
You spend a small fortune trying to build a puppet replica...
You scan ebay for any items that you don't have (and don't necessarily need)
You scan forums like these to see if there are any cool updates on your favourite characters!
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by Mary » Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:06 pm
Even when you're all grown up, you tend to favor household or personal items in your character's color, even though they don't go with the rest of the decor... or you CHANGE the decor to accomodate more of them... 
"A brave man... and SO good-looking..." --Linda Nolan in CRATER 101
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Mary
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by steviep » Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:02 pm
The family PC's system name is Skybase Control Centre.... 
Maybe..... but not today.
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by Marion » Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:27 pm
You plead with your teenage daughter and your husband to sit through some ghastly kids' show every Saturday morning to record the new CGI:CS show for you - even when you don't like it all that much - just because IT IS Captain Scarlet and you have to go to work....
A disinclination to sparkle...
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Marion
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by shadokp » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:59 pm
You chase the cat around the house with your electronic Cheetah car toy.
You tend to remember people's names better when they are Paul, Conrad, etc.
You can't get the opening lines of Classic or New out of your head - "He's alive!!"
You can't quite keep the New Captain Blue action figure's hat on because it is a little too big and looks funny.
You wear a red shirt the day the second 'season' of New Scarlet premiered (These are just made up, right?)
During work and meetings, you visualize people you don't like with the Mysteron rings passing over them - that is why they are that way!!
KP
You tend to remember people's names better when they are Paul, Conrad, etc.
You can't get the opening lines of Classic or New out of your head - "He's alive!!"
You can't quite keep the New Captain Blue action figure's hat on because it is a little too big and looks funny.
You wear a red shirt the day the second 'season' of New Scarlet premiered (These are just made up, right?)
During work and meetings, you visualize people you don't like with the Mysteron rings passing over them - that is why they are that way!!
KP
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by White as Snow » Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:47 pm
Stopping at your local Shell garage for 20 B&H and a copy of Razzle you inadvertently demand "SPV 61 A2 immediately!"
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White as Snow
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by Chris C » Thu Sep 22, 2005 1:05 pm
You daren't admit to the kids that you have more CS toys on your desk at work than they have at home (well isn't that what a Christmas list is for??!)
When the kids ask what they can watch on telly and you helpfully suggest Captain Scarlet, and they shout 'Oh not again can't we watch something ELSE this time?'!!
When you find yourself getting sucked into The Great Mysteron Debate even though a little voice inside is shouting 'but it's only a tv programme'!!
But even worse, when you spend all week saying you are NOT going to put anything in this thread because YOU ARE NOT AN ADDICT and then this happens......
When the kids ask what they can watch on telly and you helpfully suggest Captain Scarlet, and they shout 'Oh not again can't we watch something ELSE this time?'!!
When you find yourself getting sucked into The Great Mysteron Debate even though a little voice inside is shouting 'but it's only a tv programme'!!
But even worse, when you spend all week saying you are NOT going to put anything in this thread because YOU ARE NOT AN ADDICT and then this happens......
".....and the old lady isn't as innocent as she looks...."
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by Elentari » Fri Sep 23, 2005 7:32 am
I wrote one of these lists up last year so here's some of my thoughts on the subject (apologies if I have covered any old ground)
You WATCH too much Captain Scarlet when…
You can’t wait to see the show again …so you order the DVD set from overseas – then you buy a (multi region) player…and a new TV to connect it to. Then the boxed set becomes available for your region so you buy that too.
The crush you had on one of the characters hasn’t diminished with time.
You can instantly match passages of the incidental music from the soundtrack to specific scenes without looking at the music titles.
What do you mean making puppets to human proportions was a mistake?
You can quote whole sections of your favourite episodes word for word - to the dismay of friends and family alike.
You’re glad when there’s nothing worth watching on TV so you can play the DVDs.
You always watch old obscure movies and black and white TV programmes right through to the end credits because you recognise the actors who voice the Captain Scarlet characters and you want to confirm you are right.
You consider complaining to the TV stations when they skip showing the end credits of those old movies.
You READ too much online Captain Scarlet fan fiction when….
You haven’t read a ‘real book’ in ages … unless you count fanzines, annuals and the Complete Book of CS.
You can type the website address faster than typing your own name or searching for the site under ‘Favourites’.
If the last story posted is one of your own that’s no good … because you’ve already read that one.
Reading the latest part in a serial fan fic leaves you wanting to nag the author to write the story faster.
Stories more than a hundred A4 pages in length, which could therefore confine you to the computer screen for hours, are viewed with glee.
Good Captain Scarlet stories left unfinished drive you crazy.
You’ve read every Captain Scarlet story you can find online so you order fanzines - sometimes from overseas.
You start to experience withdrawal symptoms when there’s nothing new to read.
You WRITE too much Captain Scarlet fan fiction when…
The story you’re currently writing has its own icon on your desktop, you always carry a back up copy on floppy disc, you also have a back up to the back up copy … and sometimes there’s a fourth copy as well … just in case something totally disastrous happens to all the other copies.
You bore your non-CS friends with the progress (or lack thereof) of your latest writing efforts.
The 1967 Captain Scarlet annual (ie: the biographies) now lives more or less permanently beside your computer ‘for research purposes’.
You now understand writer’s block … and you’re not even remotely a writer in real life.
You start to agonise over accuracy when describing the location and description of various areas on Cloudbase, technical data on Angel aircraft and SPVs …and the process of mysteronisation.
You also agonise about grammar, spelling and punctuation in a way you never bothered to at school or work… and the thesaurus becomes your friend.
You attempt to describe the satisfaction of spending hours and hours glued to the computer writing a story for a 1960s children’s puppet show for no fame or financial reward … to someone who has no idea what you are talking about but vaguely remembers seeing Thunderbirds - once - many years ago.
You start to consider incidents in real life, family members, people you work with, friends, news items and anything else you might come across as a potential source of ideas for the next story.
You buy expensive memorabilia under the guise of ‘research’.
Staying up to 3:00am (when you have to get up at 6:00am to go to work) is PERFECTLY REASONABLE when writing Captain Scarlet fan fiction.
Captain Scarlet stories are ALL you’ve ever written.
You LIVE too much Captain Scarlet when…
You use the characters’ real names (which you memorised as a child and have never forgotten) as handy computer passwords. When you run out of those you move on to other Gerry Anderson shows, TV21 characters, add numbers to the first passwords etc etc.
You can do all your regular activities at home during the day while listening to ‘White as Snow’, programmed on endless repeat play, without ever tiring of it. Ditto both end themes - just for variety.
You start to see parallels between the ‘futuristic’ ideas in the original programme and real life (Gerry Anderson was a visionary!) …but the real life version is often not as interesting.
Your family, while not in any way understanding your obsession, have finally given up hoping you will grow up and get over it.
Your boss and workmates however are just discovering your obsession and they hope you will grow up and get over it.
You start to factor Captain Scarlet memorabilia purchases into your weekly budget.
You know more about Captain Scarlet’s world than what’s going on around you in the real world - and you wonder if you can get on a TV quiz show with CS as your specialist subject.
Your computer has all the essential Captain Scarlet additions – wallpapers, icons, sound clips etc.
You try teaching yourself to play the theme song on the piano (tricky when you haven’t played the piano in years!)
Most of your bookmarked web sites are Captain Scarlet sites. And if they’re not, they’re at least Gerry Anderson related.
Pictures from Captain Scarlet - last added as labels to school books, pencil cases, library bag etc yonks ago - are gradually re-appearing on work folders, data CD covers, boxfiles etc.
G clamps and gaffer tape always remind you of those behind-the-scenes episode stills.
Coloured stationery items are chosen on the basis of your favourite Spectrum officer.
Anyone who really annoys you is immediately classified a Mysteron.
Of course some of these statements are just fictional on the past of this poster - OK?! :wink:
You WATCH too much Captain Scarlet when…
You can’t wait to see the show again …so you order the DVD set from overseas – then you buy a (multi region) player…and a new TV to connect it to. Then the boxed set becomes available for your region so you buy that too.
The crush you had on one of the characters hasn’t diminished with time.
You can instantly match passages of the incidental music from the soundtrack to specific scenes without looking at the music titles.
What do you mean making puppets to human proportions was a mistake?
You can quote whole sections of your favourite episodes word for word - to the dismay of friends and family alike.
You’re glad when there’s nothing worth watching on TV so you can play the DVDs.
You always watch old obscure movies and black and white TV programmes right through to the end credits because you recognise the actors who voice the Captain Scarlet characters and you want to confirm you are right.
You consider complaining to the TV stations when they skip showing the end credits of those old movies.
You READ too much online Captain Scarlet fan fiction when….
You haven’t read a ‘real book’ in ages … unless you count fanzines, annuals and the Complete Book of CS.
You can type the website address faster than typing your own name or searching for the site under ‘Favourites’.
If the last story posted is one of your own that’s no good … because you’ve already read that one.
Reading the latest part in a serial fan fic leaves you wanting to nag the author to write the story faster.
Stories more than a hundred A4 pages in length, which could therefore confine you to the computer screen for hours, are viewed with glee.
Good Captain Scarlet stories left unfinished drive you crazy.
You’ve read every Captain Scarlet story you can find online so you order fanzines - sometimes from overseas.
You start to experience withdrawal symptoms when there’s nothing new to read.
You WRITE too much Captain Scarlet fan fiction when…
The story you’re currently writing has its own icon on your desktop, you always carry a back up copy on floppy disc, you also have a back up to the back up copy … and sometimes there’s a fourth copy as well … just in case something totally disastrous happens to all the other copies.
You bore your non-CS friends with the progress (or lack thereof) of your latest writing efforts.
The 1967 Captain Scarlet annual (ie: the biographies) now lives more or less permanently beside your computer ‘for research purposes’.
You now understand writer’s block … and you’re not even remotely a writer in real life.
You start to agonise over accuracy when describing the location and description of various areas on Cloudbase, technical data on Angel aircraft and SPVs …and the process of mysteronisation.
You also agonise about grammar, spelling and punctuation in a way you never bothered to at school or work… and the thesaurus becomes your friend.
You attempt to describe the satisfaction of spending hours and hours glued to the computer writing a story for a 1960s children’s puppet show for no fame or financial reward … to someone who has no idea what you are talking about but vaguely remembers seeing Thunderbirds - once - many years ago.
You start to consider incidents in real life, family members, people you work with, friends, news items and anything else you might come across as a potential source of ideas for the next story.
You buy expensive memorabilia under the guise of ‘research’.
Staying up to 3:00am (when you have to get up at 6:00am to go to work) is PERFECTLY REASONABLE when writing Captain Scarlet fan fiction.
Captain Scarlet stories are ALL you’ve ever written.
You LIVE too much Captain Scarlet when…
You use the characters’ real names (which you memorised as a child and have never forgotten) as handy computer passwords. When you run out of those you move on to other Gerry Anderson shows, TV21 characters, add numbers to the first passwords etc etc.
You can do all your regular activities at home during the day while listening to ‘White as Snow’, programmed on endless repeat play, without ever tiring of it. Ditto both end themes - just for variety.
You start to see parallels between the ‘futuristic’ ideas in the original programme and real life (Gerry Anderson was a visionary!) …but the real life version is often not as interesting.
Your family, while not in any way understanding your obsession, have finally given up hoping you will grow up and get over it.
Your boss and workmates however are just discovering your obsession and they hope you will grow up and get over it.
You start to factor Captain Scarlet memorabilia purchases into your weekly budget.
You know more about Captain Scarlet’s world than what’s going on around you in the real world - and you wonder if you can get on a TV quiz show with CS as your specialist subject.
Your computer has all the essential Captain Scarlet additions – wallpapers, icons, sound clips etc.
You try teaching yourself to play the theme song on the piano (tricky when you haven’t played the piano in years!)
Most of your bookmarked web sites are Captain Scarlet sites. And if they’re not, they’re at least Gerry Anderson related.
Pictures from Captain Scarlet - last added as labels to school books, pencil cases, library bag etc yonks ago - are gradually re-appearing on work folders, data CD covers, boxfiles etc.
G clamps and gaffer tape always remind you of those behind-the-scenes episode stills.
Coloured stationery items are chosen on the basis of your favourite Spectrum officer.
Anyone who really annoys you is immediately classified a Mysteron.
Of course some of these statements are just fictional on the past of this poster - OK?! :wink:
Last edited by Elentari on Sat Oct 01, 2005 2:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
How fast do the White Stars travel? They move at the speed of plot. What of it!?
- J.M. Straczynski (during commentary on ‘The Fall of Centauri Prime’)
- J.M. Straczynski (during commentary on ‘The Fall of Centauri Prime’)
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Elentari
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- Location: Australia
by Marion » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:43 am
Ooops, Elentari - I can identify with far too many of that extensive list! 
Plus:
I have to admit at work that 'I'm not really reading anything, right now' - when they ask me to do a book review of my latest personal reading for display at my branch library... I just wish I could write reviews of all the wonderful fan fiction I get to read instead!
I worry that I might have to do 'out of working hours activities' to promote the library service - When else will I find the time to write???? 
I think if my husband ever gets totally fed up of the time I spend writing - he'll cite Captain Blue as the 'other man'... in our divorce (Oh, I wish... 
)
Ain't life grand? LOL.
Plus:
I have to admit at work that 'I'm not really reading anything, right now' - when they ask me to do a book review of my latest personal reading for display at my branch library... I just wish I could write reviews of all the wonderful fan fiction I get to read instead! I worry that I might have to do 'out of working hours activities' to promote the library service - When else will I find the time to write???? I think if my husband ever gets totally fed up of the time I spend writing - he'll cite Captain Blue as the 'other man'... in our divorce (Oh, I wish... )Ain't life grand? LOL.
A disinclination to sparkle...
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Marion
- Cloudbase Captain
- Posts: 2970
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:21 pm
by shaqui » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:30 am
You know you're addicted to Captain Scarlet when ...
...you supply the forum with a load of avatars you did 'for fun'... !
Enjoy!
...you supply the forum with a load of avatars you did 'for fun'... !
Enjoy!
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shaqui
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by Carrie » Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:41 pm
Oh Elentari..that's a splendid list....
I think you've just about covered every one of my obsessions as well...except perhaps for the one where all the artwork I do seems to be connected with CS...oh..and totally spot on with the writing stuff as well...I dont think you've left me anything to be original about! But I dont mind...I really enjoyed reading yours!!!
I consider CS to be a great learning tool...I bought Paint Shop Pro and never used it for three years until I got the bright idea of bringing my heroes to life and ahem..borrowing a few bodies...haven't looked back...
And I don't think I wrote a thing since I was 18 until I saw all the fan-fic on Chris's site...and now I'm obsessed with writing...er CS...FF
I think you've just about covered every one of my obsessions as well...except perhaps for the one where all the artwork I do seems to be connected with CS...oh..and totally spot on with the writing stuff as well...I dont think you've left me anything to be original about! But I dont mind...I really enjoyed reading yours!!!
I consider CS to be a great learning tool...I bought Paint Shop Pro and never used it for three years until I got the bright idea of bringing my heroes to life and ahem..borrowing a few bodies...haven't looked back...
And I don't think I wrote a thing since I was 18 until I saw all the fan-fic on Chris's site...and now I'm obsessed with writing...er CS...FF
"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." - Anton Chekov
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Carrie
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by FlicCity » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:26 am
I've got one. You know you're obsessed with writing Captain Scarlet fanfiction when, instead of dreaming that you turned up at school in your underwear, you dream that the homework you handed in has Captain Scarlet fanfiction written on the back.
Bonus points if you recognise which of your stories it is...
Bonus points if you recognise which of your stories it is...
Of course people make their own decisions. They just need someone to tell them how to...
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FlicCity
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by Marion » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:33 am
Even worse when you drop your diary in a business meeting and out fly the 20 odd pages of your latest Scarlet FF - that you printed out last night to edit in your lunchtime - and everyone helps you pick them up...
A disinclination to sparkle...
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Marion
- Cloudbase Captain
- Posts: 2970
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:21 pm
by Sage » Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:56 pm
LOL
You plot to get your roomates/friends addicted to CS, then actually pull it off.
You mentally rank episodes/fic on how much of a staring role your fave character gets.
I can't honestly remember the last time I wrote a non FF story, every time I try fic just distracts me.
The most utterly obscue things end up reminding you of the characters, in a word association type way... makes kind of a fun game though.
Your computer is named Sid (ala Lunarville 7)
You plot to get your roomates/friends addicted to CS, then actually pull it off.
You mentally rank episodes/fic on how much of a staring role your fave character gets.
I can't honestly remember the last time I wrote a non FF story, every time I try fic just distracts me.
The most utterly obscue things end up reminding you of the characters, in a word association type way... makes kind of a fun game though.
Your computer is named Sid (ala Lunarville 7)
Last edited by Sage on Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves.
Brendan Behan
My fanfic100 table
Brendan Behan
My fanfic100 table
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Sage
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- Location: Scarlet's ancestral stomping ground
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