Once Upon A Geek – Back to the Future comics #1-4 from IDW (2015)

7 responses to “Once Upon A Geek – Back to the Future comics #1-4 from IDW (2015)”

1. I have no experience with Back to the Future comics, up to and including knowledge of their existence prior to this episode. It was still a thoroughly enjoyable episode, though. You and Henry did a fantastic job displaying your joy for the characters and the franchise.

   I grew up with the first Back to the Future in our family video library, and, like the other 60-70 movies in that library, I watched it more times than I can count. I’m not saying I can quote the entire script verbatim like Henry can, but I bet I would give him a good showing. I didn’t own parts II or III so I didn’t watch them as much. I remember, though, not liking the second one the first time I saw it; it was dark and overly complicated, me thought. I did enjoy the third part, however, because it was more whimsical and lighthearted, despite the emotional friction at the center of the story. And now that I write that, I think the same assessment and formula applies to the second and third films in the original Star Wars trilogy and the Indiana Jones franchise. And just like with the Star Wars and Indy franchises, when I came around to Back to the Future Part II a few years later, I liked it a lot more, finding the nuance and heaviness really gripping.

   The only other comment I have specific to your discussion is my no-prize for what Henry described as the glaring plot hole in the first film. Before he leaves the Fish Under the Sea Dance, Marty tells George and Lorraine that if they ever get married and their son accidentally sets fire to the living room rug, to go easy on him. The obvious question is why didn’t they freak the hell out when this bizarrely specific prediction comes true a decade later? My no-prize answer is because in the new timeline that Marty created, that event never happens. George and Lorraine are much better off financially; their living conditions are considerably different in the new timeline. They practically employ Biff as a butler. It’s no stretch of the imagination to assume Marty wasn’t left unsupervised during that critical moment when he would’ve set the fire. Even more likely, that whole scenario wouldn’t even come close to occurring.

   The MUCH bigger question is why doesn’t George ever confront his wife in the new timeline about the fact that their son looks IDENTICAL to that guy they met in high school who brought them together. Lorraine, sweety, we need to have a serious talk.

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2. I never thought of that scene as a white guy (white guy Marty McFly!) inventing Rock and Roll. It was Chuck Berry’s own “Johnny B. Goode,” not “You Got No Place to Go”!

   I’m not even sure the song has become unstuck in time, like the watch in Somewhere in Time, or Kirk’s glasses that were a gift from McCoy (and they will be again, that’s the beauty of it). I’ve always had a question about how well music from a dance hall would go through a long-distance call on a ’50s phone. He probably just got an impression of it. This could be like that story Jerry Robinson tells about him and the other Batman artists watching Citizen Kane and seeing someone doing what they were trying to do. A feeling of validation. Or maybe a kick in the pants: get going before someone beats you to it.

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   1. Yeah I was going to say “Johnny Be Good” was done more as a bootstrap paradox joke thanks true bootstrap paradox of where exactly did Chuck berry come up with the idea as he didn’t hear enough of the song to just copy it and the people there could still think Berry had written it

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3. I’ve not read the back to future comics but I have to ask have you read the back to future transformers crossover comics and any thoughts or will that be separate episode ?
   Here’s a secret Question for you if IDW could one of the story arcs from the back to future comics for a Tim verse style animated movie which would choose and why ?

   Secret question 2
   Which IDW transforms crossover is the best and what franchise should have a crossover with transformers that hasn’t maybe Jem and holograms or jetsons or maybe you have other ideas ?

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4. Loved the Back To The Future Comics. Still trying to track down a few issues to have the full run but you’re right about them being hellish expensive in some places.

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5. Fun show, great guest. Those comics sound like a lot of fun. As far as your appreciation for BttF 2, well, as they say in these parts, Find Your Joy (I’ll be over THERE instead). No need to repeat myself, just re-listen to my episode of Siskoid Cinema on the trilogy.

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6. Re-reading these as a result of the show (because I don’t remember a damned thing about them). There was an article in Starlog YEARS ago whereby the writer established that there is a point in one of the films where there are something like 3 Delorean’s available to the Doc and Marty. I need to reread it. There was also an article from Bob Gale addressing the FAQ and it’s interesting that a lot of these stories were derived from that article IIRC. I also rewatched all the movies and all 3 of them still hold up and may be the most entertaining trilogy ever made.

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