I love the idea of a villain who unambiguously dies at the end of every story but is unceremoniously just there, continuing in the next one, and it's never brought up.
I can totally see Landor and the Torrences developing a Bowser/Mario relationship where they’re “enemies” but meet to have a barbecue or play golf every so often.
Landor needs to try to recover an African flamingo in Texas that escaped from a zoo for medical experiments. Both of the Torrence couple are captured in Port Lavaca to be made into half-human half-flamingo monsters, but flamingo 492 attacks Landor and saves the Torrence couple.
Damn, Marcia and Anthony are a power couple actually. So resourceful, working together, and seemingly unbothered by these constant monster attacks. Kinda couple goals?
Yeah, when they introduced the couple, I expected Marcia to be the damsel in distress who has to be saved in every issue, but she's an active player in the story, doesn't mind getting her hands dirty and is a quick thinker as well. Also she has genuine chemistry with Anthony which is rare for those old comics, especially the shorter ones. Wouldn't have minded seeing those two get their own series where they perhaps could have faced off against other mad scientists of different flavors.
they're actually polyamorous and the whole thing where Landor kidnaps Marcia and Anthony rescues her is actually just a sexual fetish game the three of them are playing together.
I think the great thing about public domain superheros, at least for me, is that the person reading this comment can look for a completely different cast of characters to Austin's, and still make a great story. Not only because of the large number of them, but because of how underdeveloped most of them are, since you are the one who decides how to fill the gaps in those characters.
I like how Anthony (or Jack I guess) successfully manages to survive a bullet with no lasting injuries, defeat a Frankenstein's monster and later on a gigantic robot, shoot down several monstrous mosquitos with a simple handgun, collapse a cave, and then beat the shit out of a demonic Landor several times all on his own. Dude was practically a superhero only without a suit.
SECOND ACT PLOT TWIST - Landor is obsessed with Anthony because he is secretly one of Landor's own superhuman creations, but doesn't know it himself - DUN DUN DUUUUN
@@Kitsaplorax That’s gold! The twin (Jack) is the real creation by Landor. He replaces Anthony in person and in the woman’s memory as well. Meanwhile the real Anthony wastes away in captivity for Landor to study to create the ultimate monster! It would take a trilogy to really pull this off but boy howdy would it be cool!
I love the fact that Landor was able to casually defeat a major threat to national security in like an afternoon but somehow has failed to kill a couple who got on his nerves
Honestly I think you could make Landor into a really interesting villain. Considering how he's basically immortal, and can just create things out of no where maybe you could use him to bring other comic book villains in the public domain back to life
Maybe someone in the 2020s invents a machine that brings obscure heroes and villains from the thirties to the modern day and they fight to restore the socialist American values of their time. Minus the racism of the 30s, obviously.
I like how Landor abandoned basically any designs for achieving whatever it was he was trying to achieve and dedicates all his time and effort to trying to kill a random couple who really aren't even responsible for what happened to him in the first place, see the giant hulking undead beast that beat the crap out of him being the fault of no one but himself.
"Ahh, Mr. Torrance. What a pleasant surprise! Ahh! You are trapped! By societal conventions! See, we're in a fancy 5 star restaurant. Everyone knows to not cause a scene here. So sit down! I recommend the Chicken Marsala. It's one of my favorites." Landor Maker of Monsters issue #12.
I love this random, normal couple having their lives constantly interrupted by a mad scientist who is constantly defeated by them. It's like something out of the Venture Bros.
Landor's single-minded obsession with defeating a random couple that stumbled into his house one day is somehow refreshing. Villains today always seem to need you to sympathize with their complex motivations or follow along with some crazily complicated plan for world domination - it's frankly exhausting. Landor's just like "I hate these people - I will dedicate all my enormous resources and skills to making them miserable." I can respect that. :D
@@IkeOkerekeNews I think it's more that it's over done, and sometimes with the limited screen time available in a movie going to the trouble of establishing a backstory and motivation for the villain can get in the way of the actual story. And I mean, really, how many times can you sit through writers bending over backward to try and make the audience go "huh, maybe the villain was right" before it just becomes trite and the villains' motivations become ignorable? Like, sure sympathetic villains can be cool if it's done well, but when attempting it becomes the default the few that are actually good don't stand out as much as they could or should because we're all just so done with the concept. I'm not saying villains should be doing things "just because", but like, A, their motivations don't always actually need to be addressed at all for the story to make sense to the audience, WHY the villain does what they do is very rarely as important as WHAT they actually do, and B, greed, because they're a dick, jealousy, revenge, lust, a power grab, etc. are all perfectly valid reasons for your villain to do what they do, that take almost no time to establish, and fit easily within basically all of our worldviews. Also, whacky "for the evulz" villains are fun and we don't see enough of them outside of kids shows anymore, and even those are starting to bend toward the complex villains these days. Complex villains with interesting motivations and potential moral ambiguity can be really cool, especially when they are actually done well, but when they become the default, almost to the exclusion of all others, they become much less interesting overall, or boring as Mark Molino said.
@@jacobbissey9311 Nah, the “for the evulz” villains still suck, just like pure good heroes suck. Pure evil villains can still have at least SOME depth. I’d argue that most classic Disney villains have more than one character trait. They don’t have to be relatable, just understandable. Any type of villain can be fucked up if you write them wrong, and pure evil villains will get old real fast if people don’t understand why they can work well.
@@cosmicspacething3474 There's a big difference between having no reasoning given and what I was talking about. A lot of the time the reasoning can be inferred from the plot, like greed is pretty obviously the motive if they are stealing valuables, or a drive for power and conquest for a conqueror. It doesn't need to be complicated and it doesn't need to be incomprehensible. I'm just getting kind of sick of every villain and his mother needing a tragic backstory or to be the hero of his own story. Like just let the bad guys be bad sometimes. I just want some variety in my villainy.
As someone who spent most of their life in tropical countries, hearing "Super sized mosquitos" sends shutters down my spine. What monster would do that?
I didnt realised Landor had so many appearances. I'm really liking this guy. He needs a redemption Arc! He could be your answer to Loki! only better recieved.
Landor: BEHOLD MY TERRIBLE MONSTER! TRMEBLE AT ITS MIGHT! *cowboy gorilla shoots the fuck out of the monster, killing it* Landor: I...ahh...fuck. Dammit I have to make a new one. You fucks.
So, he's like the Wile E Coyote of mad scientists? That's pretty fun. Looking forward to seeing what you do with him, seems like he can be responsible for all kinds of wacky supervillain schemes.
Sounds like Ed Wood riffed on the 1st issue to get the plot of 'Bride of the Monster'. Hmmm. Landor himself meanwhile, definitely has a bit of a "I don't want to cure cancer, I just want to make giant monsters" complex that really needs to be addressed at some point 😀
I can see the story being modernized as Landor creating a monster son for himself and then the thing where he finds out Torrence’s wife calms the monster. He begs her to stay instead of kidnapping her and the Torrences instead freak out and say they’re going to report Landor to the police for his illegal experiments. Landor freaks because they’ll take his ‘son’ and maybe even kill the monster, so he takes out “Jack” and goes to sedate lady Torrence. Then it all goes down hill like in the comic, with Landor “dying” but in that moment, he finds out he has some sort of super healing ability and he sets out to use that and his knowledge of science to avenge his, now dead, monster son.
There’s a film starring the late great Vincent Price called The Abominable Dr. Phibes. A number movies have taken inspiration from this cult classic. It was even referenced in a episode of Freakazoid. You could use elements of Dr. Phibes to develop Landor, the Maker of Monsters into a more tragic character.
I really like it when you talk about the Public Domain. You should make more videos like that Batman one. About what you will and won’t be able to use. When other popular characters enter public use.
I think another comic to go to for villains could be the single-issue Green Giant Comics. In that, there are two stories of "heroes" who would easily be able to be turned into antagonists: Doctor Nerod and Master Mystic. The latter more than the former, really. Doctor Nerod in his story creates a sleeping sickness that is administered by flies which he uses to kidnap opposing armies and force them to sign peace agreements, trapping the leaders on an island afterward to keep them from going back on their deal. Master Mystic has immense mental powers, which he uses to basically terrorize the world into complacency.
Landor has absolutely got to be the origin point of a superhero in your universe. Maybe a minor one, but one of those monsters has to escape and become an angsty semi-antihero.
I always love when you make videos about these long forgotten public domain characters. I know for me they always serve as an inspiration whenever I go to write or draw something. So, I just wanted to say thank you for all the great videos and good luck when building your public domain cinematic universe, because I know these characters will be in good hands with you at the helm!
I think what happened with the Anthony/Jack situation is that Marcia used the whole Landor situation to do away with her first husband Anthony and, fire-wielding power lady that she is, she remarried a guy named Jack. Obviously Torrence is her maiden name and she made both her husbands adopt it, and when her second husband wasn't hot enough she made him get plastic surgery
I thought about making a short Landor story. He creates a monster but not to attack Jack, but to "revive" his late son. Even trearing it like it was his son. Then Jack comes & misunderstands the monster. The monster trying to protect his father fights Jack, but is ultimately killed. When Jack relishes in his victory he sees Landor crying. He doesn't say a word. He just carries his creation & buries it silently. The narration could be like this. "Though he may have terrorized the Torrances. He never succeeded in taking their lives. But today it was he who lost more than just another bout with his arch enemy. He lost again what he had hoped to regain. A loving son. Perhaps the one only left whoever truly understood him. He now weeps for a love lost...once again."
Imagine if the Copyright Law where to be restored to near his Original State The amount of Abbandoned Characters that would flood the Public Domain would be so much that some of them wouldn't become Public Domain simply because they are so much forgotten 😂
Landor, maker of monsters! his last few stories have him decidely doing things OTHER than making monsters. and also weirdly obsessed with murdering this one couple he met once. also I like how normal Landor looked in his first apparance. he didn'tlook like a typical mad scientist, just a dude with a moustache.
For the cinematic universe, when the time comes for the climactic avengers like team up movie, Landor should be the main villain. The heroes should be tasked with thwarting his latest scheme but the movie should end with Anthony ultimately being the one to defeat Landor, as he always does.
There is potential in this Landor character, what he needs is a coherent agenda, one that is NOT focused on the singular goal of revenge against the Torrances, and the monsters that he creates can each have a specific purpose in the execution of his agenda. The Torrances could use a little more character development along the lines of Nick and Nora Charles, or Mr and Mrs Smith, and they can have a series of adventures of their own not necessarily tied to Landor. Good luck with this endeavor, I cant wait to see what you do with it!
would be interesting if one of your heroes was originally a monster created Landor who either refused to go along with his schemes or eventually developed a conscious and defected after realizing he was hurting people... and now Landor is obsessed capturing him to be reprogrammed back into his perfect little minion. AND MAYBE theres an arc where Landor is successful in doing just that and the team have to work together to get their friend back
From your descriptions, it seems like Marcia starts off as a character with some good agency for a woman in a comic strip (she can calm the first monster and played a big part in the second) but then gets forgotten and left unused after that. I want justice for Marcia. I want her to play an active role in defeating this villain. Like maybe she's the one gathering intel on him or something. Just something _active_ , because she deserves it! Edit: Just after writing that comment was the story where Marcia was blinded. Could do double representation about a dedicated Marcia working hard as one of the brains trying to stop the man who blinded her. Badass determined blind Marcia doing OpSec on the guy with the help of assistive technology to make her just as effective as a sighted person, her iron will pushing her through the frustrations of a world not built for those without sight. The superheroes try and be gentle and pitying because of her disability but she's having None Of It and happily bossing them around and telling them what to do because she's the one with all the info on the guy. Maybe even have one of the superheroes ignore some of her advice on the first attempt to stop the guy, only for it to go terribly wrong because Marcia knew what she was talking about when giving those instructions! Now _this_ is a story I wanna see!
And of course Anthony would be working alongside Marcia, the brawn to her brains, though as he's not a superhero he hasn't been able to defeat Landor himself, which is why they've called in the superheroes. And Anthony and Marcia are an ultimate loving power couple who care and respect each other absolutely, a true model of a loving, supportive, equitable relationship. Though they do still have their quibbles, as they are still human. For example, Anthony is absolutely hotheadedly outraged at what Landor did to Marcia. Marcia has to keep pulling him back and reminding him that a) going in mad is only gonna get him killed, and b) its _she_ who was the victim/survivor, and therefore it's _her_ decision what to do as a result; he doesn't get to speak/act on behalf of her as that's just another way to take away her agency in the situation. Marcia is particularly sensitive to any perceived removal of her agency given her trauma around losing said agency, being kidnapped and experimented on by Landor.
I like the idea of sin staying alive or landor reviving her. They would be like a supervillain power couple. Maybe Landor is still obsessed with bringing down this random couple but Sin has bigger aspirations.So, they just help each other with their respective projects.
I kinda love the idea of him going from this just outwardly ridiculous and over the top mad scientist into a more somber, calculating villain after the death of the Doctor. It would be a really opportunity to subtly sneak in a very emotional and tragic character arc, it would be perfect compared to how plain ridiculous everything else is. You could also have a small montage of him attempting and failing to kill the couple over and over only for them to just beat the shit out of him
Landors character traits: - makes monsters - hates anthony and martia torrents, wants revenge () - love of his life wass killed by his own creation - High level necromancer with multiple clones to contain his soul should his current body die Anthony and martia torrent traits: - gun - military man and his wife - change name occasionally
BTW, Austin ... you are probably in my top 2 or 3 channels to whom I sub. Your eclectic choice of subject matter mixed with your delivery is perfect for RUclips.
It’s probably because both the first Landor comic and Rocky Horror take inspiration from the same source, that being the universal studios Frankenstein film.
Landor definitely seems like he could make for an interesting antagonist. Also, Anthony/Jack seems to be pretty cool for just a regular guy. Make him a hero, too.
I was wondering since I’d like to tell comic book stories, I was wondering if I could use the character of Landor(since he’s still in the public domain last I checked)? My idea is to make him a Thanos level threat that requires multiple heroes to work together to stop and also keep his original stories canon whilst giving him a new origin: Landor was born to a Belgian village in 1896, his name was unknown and unimportant, but what was important was that his mother died in child birth, he learnt about science and genetics from his loving father who died from Tuberculosis when the boy was very young! His Misanthropy came from his experiences in the First World War where he saw the worst of humanity believing that most humans were a mistake and his goal to create life is to create what he perceives as “superior life!” As for the Torrance retcon Jack would be explained as the brother of Anthony after Jack died, Landor would develop a Liquor of Immortality hence how he doesn’t age to death and survives throughout the centuries(though the serum isn’t permanent and doesn’t grant him a healing factor, it just keeps him alive hence his disfigurement!)
This is one of the greatest pursuits on the internet today. Nice find with Landor. One would think an easy way to keep tabs on him is to look for new castle construction permits in the area.
He’s basically the pseudo mad scientist creating monsters of the week and wacky inventions. Those were popular back then. I’m getting a real sonic and eggman vibe
Marcia is a girlboss I need in superheroes movies, just a normal woman who kicks the ass of an evil scientist who won't leave them alone, and she's in a wholesome relationship
Marcia and Anthony/ jack are like the best duo. Couple just fighting monsters again and again brinhinh justice an thers landor best /worst monster maker btw you should add marcia and Anthony in the Landor movies and finale as like sidekicks to the super heroes
I am excited for him to be the main villain. It would be hilarious if he creates monsters that are clearly Frankensteins or other famous monsters but he refuses to admit it and keeps saying he created original creatures
What I like about obscure characters is that you can do pretty much anything with them. I'm actually working on a story about one rn. For context, there was a children's book published in the 80s called The Legend of Rah and the Muggles. The book is most infamous for a lawsuit in which the author Nancy Stouffer sued J.K. Rowling for the use of the term "muggles" (which in Stouffer's book are basically giant babies) in the Harry Potter books. After Rowling won, a publisher tried to cash in on the whole deal and went bankrupt. The book supposedly tells the story of twin boys who were sent by their mother to the land of the Muggles. One of them, Rah, becomes their leader while the other, Zyn, (who I'm writing about btw) forms his own group of Muggle rejects called the Nevils. Except that Rah is a complete jacka** who lets his brother die on a deserted island. In the original story, Zyn became jealous of his brother for getting lots of attention and became a sarcastic jerk. Also he becomes more ugly throughout the book and gets sh** thrown over him. In my story, he's an edgy teen who became a vampire after trying to commit suicide and got expelled from his normal school for biting a lizard in science class. Thx Austin for bringing all this obscure stuff to my attention. I just subscribed to your channel. 🙂
By the square-cube law a giant mole would not be able to tunnel. But I think Landor is a worthy foe for Atlas. Do you know that Norfolk Virginia had a self appointed cosplay superhero and supervillain recently?
Not sure if anyone's mentioned it yet, but if you need some background for the Torrance Twins (Jack and Anthony, that is), Jack Torrance is also the name of the main character in Stephen King's THE SHINING. Which opens up all sorts of ideas on why the Torrance Twins are involved. Maybe they've got the shining and have psychic abilities. Maybe that's why Landor seems so obsessed with Torrance? I don't know. I'm just spitballing. But this imagined connection to the Stephen King Universe could also work for Landor, maybe by being connected to some of King's supernatural villains.
Honestly, I really wish you were giving this public domain cinematic universe the high effort treatment. I bet with the blockbuster treatment, these characters would actually do well. Landor seems like a great, fun villain. Sure, the whole "I hate this one couple in particular" thing was a bit weak, but he was making monsters before that, right? And he's apparently a master of it? A version of him that never met the Torrences could be great. His ability to make all manner of monsters means that he has the potential to be such a unique and varied character.
I could almost think I saw Austin/host of video in the store the other day. But it most likely was not. He says, “does this store give cash back?” They say ‘yes, like $50.00.’ The man who looked like Austin, pays yet gets no cash back. I could almost think the store forgot to give him the cash back. Side note: Public Domain Superheroes are good, and not only good, but, like me for instance - I would need others to use the foundations of trial and error. -Brendon
Did Landor kill anyone? I saw that the Torrence family is at least ok with murder (it looked like he did kill those two guys working with Landor), but it looks more like Landor didn't kill anyone, heck he didn't even get rid of a bad experiment when it failed, the Torrence family killed that one. The one he had a part in killing the one creation, but only after she tried to murder someone.
I love the idea of a villain who unambiguously dies at the end of every story but is unceremoniously just there, continuing in the next one, and it's never brought up.
"Did't you die?"
"I got better."
Were you killed?
Sadly yes, but I lived!
Eventually they don't even believe it anymore.
"I guess that's the last we'll be seeing of him--"
"No... It's not."
Evil Kenny
would get boring/annoying fast imo
I can totally see Landor and the Torrences developing a Bowser/Mario relationship where they’re “enemies” but meet to have a barbecue or play golf every so often.
Jack beats Landor in a game of Monopoly and then Landor runs off screaming "I'll have my revenge!"
We need a Landor slice-of-life comedy!
In all seriousness, he could become a cult hero like Doofenshmirtz
Or a Perry the Platypus / Doctor Doofinshmirtz relationship
Landor needs to try to recover an African flamingo in Texas that escaped from a zoo for medical experiments. Both of the Torrence couple are captured in Port Lavaca to be made into half-human half-flamingo monsters, but flamingo 492 attacks Landor and saves the Torrence couple.
= dr dofenshmertz
A winged 7-foot tall woman? So in addition to his scientific endeavors, Landor is man of culture.
I was thinking the same thing
@AngolaProductions tall women are hot.
@Writer_Productions_Maphope you kept your innocent mind safe these past 6 months
Damn, Marcia and Anthony are a power couple actually.
So resourceful, working together, and seemingly unbothered by these constant monster attacks. Kinda couple goals?
Yeah, when they introduced the couple, I expected Marcia to be the damsel in distress who has to be saved in every issue, but she's an active player in the story, doesn't mind getting her hands dirty and is a quick thinker as well.
Also she has genuine chemistry with Anthony which is rare for those old comics, especially the shorter ones.
Wouldn't have minded seeing those two get their own series where they perhaps could have faced off against other mad scientists of different flavors.
Yeah it's a 1930s W for female characters
I'm impressed
they're actually polyamorous and the whole thing where Landor kidnaps Marcia and Anthony rescues her is actually just a sexual fetish game the three of them are playing together.
I mean, they just keep burning down or blowing up Landor's house.
You mean JACK?
I love the idea of a cinematic universe where the all-powerful McGuffin, instead of being an infinity gauntlet or stones, is "A Gun".
So basicaly Call of Ctulhu ttrpg?
@@parableCahoot249 Only if the name of the game were "Punisher Vs. Innsmouth."
I think the great thing about public domain superheros, at least for me, is that the person reading this comment can look for a completely different cast of characters to Austin's, and still make a great story. Not only because of the large number of them, but because of how underdeveloped most of them are, since you are the one who decides how to fill the gaps in those characters.
Golden age comics are largely... Not amazing 😅 but they're so full of oddities and creativity that they make great creativity fuel
yoo i know you
They could be the same characters, and still have a great and completely different story.
I like how Anthony (or Jack I guess) successfully manages to survive a bullet with no lasting injuries, defeat a Frankenstein's monster and later on a gigantic robot, shoot down several monstrous mosquitos with a simple handgun, collapse a cave, and then beat the shit out of a demonic Landor several times all on his own. Dude was practically a superhero only without a suit.
SECOND ACT PLOT TWIST - Landor is obsessed with Anthony because he is secretly one of Landor's own superhuman creations, but doesn't know it himself - DUN DUN DUUUUN
@@lordhaku oh I like that
@@lordhaku Austin: Write that down! Write that down!
Are they twins? Is this the earliest polyandrous family in comics? What's the real story here?
@@Kitsaplorax That’s gold! The twin (Jack) is the real creation by Landor. He replaces Anthony in person and in the woman’s memory as well. Meanwhile the real Anthony wastes away in captivity for Landor to study to create the ultimate monster! It would take a trilogy to really pull this off but boy howdy would it be cool!
Landor really should have gone into castle remodeling. That seems to have been his real passion.
Who knows, he may have been creating the perfect interior decorator when the Landors first encountered him.
A thought: Jack changed his name hoping the monsters wouldn't be smart enough to get it.
Or started using his middle name instead of his first.
I dont get it
+.
I love the fact that Landor was able to casually defeat a major threat to national security in like an afternoon but somehow has failed to kill a couple who got on his nerves
Honestly I think you could make Landor into a really interesting villain. Considering how he's basically immortal, and can just create things out of no where maybe you could use him to bring other comic book villains in the public domain back to life
Maybe someone in the 2020s invents a machine that brings obscure heroes and villains from the thirties to the modern day and they fight to restore the socialist American values of their time.
Minus the racism of the 30s, obviously.
@@Bacopa68 interesting
Actually a good idea would be to use him in creating man-cat
@@mohammadalbader3538 I still haven't watched the original video where he talks about his own cinematic universe, so I don't really understand
Oh that's actually quite good.
Dude is still going despite the heart issues. Respect.
I mean it is paying the medical bills.
It's great to see him still doing what he loves!
😢i pray he gets better.
Honestly, if I had a potentially fatal disease i’d double down on my hobbies as well
I like how Landor abandoned basically any designs for achieving whatever it was he was trying to achieve and dedicates all his time and effort to trying to kill a random couple who really aren't even responsible for what happened to him in the first place, see the giant hulking undead beast that beat the crap out of him being the fault of no one but himself.
The Torrences and Landor have a really fun dynamic that gives me Doofensmirtz/Perry the Platypus vibes. I'd love to see it explored more.
That's what I thought as well!
Agreed
Terry the Husband!?
"Ahh, Mr. Torrance. What a pleasant surprise! Ahh! You are trapped! By societal conventions! See, we're in a fancy 5 star restaurant. Everyone knows to not cause a scene here. So sit down! I recommend the Chicken Marsala. It's one of my favorites."
Landor Maker of Monsters issue #12.
I love this random, normal couple having their lives constantly interrupted by a mad scientist who is constantly defeated by them. It's like something out of the Venture Bros.
Are they normal? We know there's at least one government connection. There could be a complex and dark set of back stories.
Landor's single-minded obsession with defeating a random couple that stumbled into his house one day is somehow refreshing. Villains today always seem to need you to sympathize with their complex motivations or follow along with some crazily complicated plan for world domination - it's frankly exhausting. Landor's just like "I hate these people - I will dedicate all my enormous resources and skills to making them miserable." I can respect that. :D
Agreed. That's why I often find MCU villains like Thanos, Ultron, Iron Monger etc ,so boring and uninteresting.
@@markmolino679
Why though? You just find motivations for villians in general to be boring?
@@IkeOkerekeNews I think it's more that it's over done, and sometimes with the limited screen time available in a movie going to the trouble of establishing a backstory and motivation for the villain can get in the way of the actual story. And I mean, really, how many times can you sit through writers bending over backward to try and make the audience go "huh, maybe the villain was right" before it just becomes trite and the villains' motivations become ignorable? Like, sure sympathetic villains can be cool if it's done well, but when attempting it becomes the default the few that are actually good don't stand out as much as they could or should because we're all just so done with the concept.
I'm not saying villains should be doing things "just because", but like, A, their motivations don't always actually need to be addressed at all for the story to make sense to the audience, WHY the villain does what they do is very rarely as important as WHAT they actually do, and B, greed, because they're a dick, jealousy, revenge, lust, a power grab, etc. are all perfectly valid reasons for your villain to do what they do, that take almost no time to establish, and fit easily within basically all of our worldviews.
Also, whacky "for the evulz" villains are fun and we don't see enough of them outside of kids shows anymore, and even those are starting to bend toward the complex villains these days.
Complex villains with interesting motivations and potential moral ambiguity can be really cool, especially when they are actually done well, but when they become the default, almost to the exclusion of all others, they become much less interesting overall, or boring as Mark Molino said.
@@jacobbissey9311 Nah, the “for the evulz” villains still suck, just like pure good heroes suck. Pure evil villains can still have at least SOME depth. I’d argue that most classic Disney villains have more than one character trait. They don’t have to be relatable, just understandable.
Any type of villain can be fucked up if you write them wrong, and pure evil villains will get old real fast if people don’t understand why they can work well.
@@cosmicspacething3474 There's a big difference between having no reasoning given and what I was talking about. A lot of the time the reasoning can be inferred from the plot, like greed is pretty obviously the motive if they are stealing valuables, or a drive for power and conquest for a conqueror. It doesn't need to be complicated and it doesn't need to be incomprehensible. I'm just getting kind of sick of every villain and his mother needing a tragic backstory or to be the hero of his own story. Like just let the bad guys be bad sometimes. I just want some variety in my villainy.
Missed the issue in which Landor creates a name changing ray and uses it on his arch nemesis. "Haha, you fool! Now you will be JACK forever!"
Jack: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"You'll be Jack forever... *Jack shit-!*"
A perfectly dumb one liner
As someone who spent most of their life in tropical countries, hearing "Super sized mosquitos" sends shutters down my spine. What monster would do that?
_war flashbacks_
I didnt realised Landor had so many appearances. I'm really liking this guy. He needs a redemption Arc! He could be your answer to Loki! only better recieved.
Hell no he needs to be the greatest villain to mankind
I like how many of Landor's monsters can be killed by just shooting them. He'd basically break even by sending normal goons half the time.
Landor: BEHOLD MY TERRIBLE MONSTER! TRMEBLE AT ITS MIGHT!
*cowboy gorilla shoots the fuck out of the monster, killing it*
Landor: I...ahh...fuck. Dammit I have to make a new one. You fucks.
I love it, Landor is Dr Frankenstein, the Phantom of the Opera, and Dracula all in one
So, he's like the Wile E Coyote of mad scientists? That's pretty fun.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with him, seems like he can be responsible for all kinds of wacky supervillain schemes.
Imagine being a villain so bottom tier you're the rogues gallery of just some random couple. Not a superhero, but just Tony and Marcia up the way.
Sounds like Ed Wood riffed on the 1st issue to get the plot of 'Bride of the Monster'. Hmmm.
Landor himself meanwhile, definitely has a bit of a "I don't want to cure cancer, I just want to make giant monsters" complex that really needs to be addressed at some point 😀
Man, you can't help but feel a bit bad for the guy, losing his lady like that.
I can see the story being modernized as Landor creating a monster son for himself and then the thing where he finds out Torrence’s wife calms the monster. He begs her to stay instead of kidnapping her and the Torrences instead freak out and say they’re going to report Landor to the police for his illegal experiments. Landor freaks because they’ll take his ‘son’ and maybe even kill the monster, so he takes out “Jack” and goes to sedate lady Torrence. Then it all goes down hill like in the comic, with Landor “dying” but in that moment, he finds out he has some sort of super healing ability and he sets out to use that and his knowledge of science to avenge his, now dead, monster son.
Cool. Then he just creates more monsters or “Children” as he calls them
There’s a film starring the late great Vincent Price called The Abominable Dr. Phibes. A number movies have taken inspiration from this cult classic. It was even referenced in a episode of Freakazoid. You could use elements of Dr. Phibes to develop Landor, the Maker of Monsters into a more tragic character.
By now I've just fully accepted that every new video is going to have the *newest* most RIDICULOUS story I've ever heard
I really like it when you talk about the Public Domain. You should make more videos like that Batman one. About what you will and won’t be able to use. When other popular characters enter public use.
Golden Age Comics have such a strange dream-like logic to them. Like a stream of consciousness, I think it's the limited punctuation.
I think another comic to go to for villains could be the single-issue Green Giant Comics. In that, there are two stories of "heroes" who would easily be able to be turned into antagonists: Doctor Nerod and Master Mystic. The latter more than the former, really.
Doctor Nerod in his story creates a sleeping sickness that is administered by flies which he uses to kidnap opposing armies and force them to sign peace agreements, trapping the leaders on an island afterward to keep them from going back on their deal.
Master Mystic has immense mental powers, which he uses to basically terrorize the world into complacency.
im so happy you're still going with the Bargain Bin Cinematic Universe
The landor project has to be live action, very stylistic and black and white, obviously drawing from classic universal poctures
Landor has absolutely got to be the origin point of a superhero in your universe. Maybe a minor one, but one of those monsters has to escape and become an angsty semi-antihero.
Maybe Six Gun Gorilla?
@@llewelynshingler2173Maybe! Or, heck, retcon Shock Gibson. It would be appropriate...
I always love when you make videos about these long forgotten public domain characters. I know for me they always serve as an inspiration whenever I go to write or draw something. So, I just wanted to say thank you for all the great videos and good luck when building your public domain cinematic universe, because I know these characters will be in good hands with you at the helm!
I like how American comic writers think everyone in Europe just lives in castles.
Well, there's the trick: is it even _set_ in Europe? Could be somewhere on the New Jersey coast for all I know.
I think what happened with the Anthony/Jack situation is that Marcia used the whole Landor situation to do away with her first husband Anthony and, fire-wielding power lady that she is, she remarried a guy named Jack. Obviously Torrence is her maiden name and she made both her husbands adopt it, and when her second husband wasn't hot enough she made him get plastic surgery
I thought about making a short Landor story. He creates a monster but not to attack Jack, but to "revive" his late son. Even trearing it like it was his son.
Then Jack comes & misunderstands the monster. The monster trying to protect his father fights Jack, but is ultimately killed. When Jack relishes in his victory he sees Landor crying. He doesn't say a word. He just carries his creation & buries it silently. The narration could be like this.
"Though he may have terrorized the Torrances. He never succeeded in taking their lives. But today it was he who lost more than just another bout with his arch enemy. He lost again what he had hoped to regain. A loving son. Perhaps the one only left whoever truly understood him.
He now weeps for a love lost...once again."
Imagine if the Copyright Law where to be restored to near his Original State
The amount of Abbandoned Characters that would flood the Public Domain would be so much that some of them wouldn't become Public Domain simply because they are so much forgotten
😂
i find it so funny that Landor is just obsessed with this one random couple
Landor, maker of monsters! his last few stories have him decidely doing things OTHER than making monsters. and also weirdly obsessed with murdering this one couple he met once.
also I like how normal Landor looked in his first apparance. he didn'tlook like a typical mad scientist, just a dude with a moustache.
LOL, I love the story of Landor! So glad you're making him the villain of our story, please do him justice! Landor deserves it!
Thank God the butler survived. I started to get really worried for a second!!!
For the cinematic universe, when the time comes for the climactic avengers like team up movie, Landor should be the main villain. The heroes should be tasked with thwarting his latest scheme but the movie should end with Anthony ultimately being the one to defeat Landor, as he always does.
Maybe they can even make Anthony his own hero or reoccurring character in the long run.
There is potential in this Landor character, what he needs is a coherent agenda, one that is NOT focused on the singular goal of revenge against the Torrances, and the monsters that he creates can each have a specific purpose in the execution of his agenda. The Torrances could use a little more character development along the lines of Nick and Nora Charles, or Mr and Mrs Smith, and they can have a series of adventures of their own not necessarily tied to Landor. Good luck with this endeavor, I cant wait to see what you do with it!
Poor Landor. I kept rooting for him the whole time.
I love the sound design of this video, just so charming.
That one story with the female scientist was sad. Reminds me of that one P&F episode where doof finds love and then gets heart broken.
please make more forgotten comics videos, way you present them is so satisfying
would be interesting if one of your heroes was originally a monster created Landor who either refused to go along with his schemes or eventually developed a conscious and defected after realizing he was hurting people... and now Landor is obsessed capturing him to be reprogrammed back into his perfect little minion. AND MAYBE theres an arc where Landor is successful in doing just that and the team have to work together to get their friend back
From your descriptions, it seems like Marcia starts off as a character with some good agency for a woman in a comic strip (she can calm the first monster and played a big part in the second) but then gets forgotten and left unused after that. I want justice for Marcia. I want her to play an active role in defeating this villain. Like maybe she's the one gathering intel on him or something. Just something _active_ , because she deserves it!
Edit: Just after writing that comment was the story where Marcia was blinded. Could do double representation about a dedicated Marcia working hard as one of the brains trying to stop the man who blinded her. Badass determined blind Marcia doing OpSec on the guy with the help of assistive technology to make her just as effective as a sighted person, her iron will pushing her through the frustrations of a world not built for those without sight. The superheroes try and be gentle and pitying because of her disability but she's having None Of It and happily bossing them around and telling them what to do because she's the one with all the info on the guy. Maybe even have one of the superheroes ignore some of her advice on the first attempt to stop the guy, only for it to go terribly wrong because Marcia knew what she was talking about when giving those instructions! Now _this_ is a story I wanna see!
And of course Anthony would be working alongside Marcia, the brawn to her brains, though as he's not a superhero he hasn't been able to defeat Landor himself, which is why they've called in the superheroes. And Anthony and Marcia are an ultimate loving power couple who care and respect each other absolutely, a true model of a loving, supportive, equitable relationship. Though they do still have their quibbles, as they are still human.
For example, Anthony is absolutely hotheadedly outraged at what Landor did to Marcia. Marcia has to keep pulling him back and reminding him that a) going in mad is only gonna get him killed, and b) its _she_ who was the victim/survivor, and therefore it's _her_ decision what to do as a result; he doesn't get to speak/act on behalf of her as that's just another way to take away her agency in the situation. Marcia is particularly sensitive to any perceived removal of her agency given her trauma around losing said agency, being kidnapped and experimented on by Landor.
Dang it Austin, if you don't give us these characters, I might just start writing them myself! And I don't have time to write them myself! 😅
My investment in this universe is unreal I want to see this come to fruition sooooo bad I’m more excited for this than any marvel or dc movie
I like the idea of sin staying alive or landor reviving her. They would be like a supervillain power couple. Maybe Landor is still obsessed with bringing down this random couple but Sin has bigger aspirations.So, they just help each other with their respective projects.
It looks like a tokusatsu comic where villain sends monster to destroy heroes
I kinda love the idea of him going from this just outwardly ridiculous and over the top mad scientist into a more somber, calculating villain after the death of the Doctor. It would be a really opportunity to subtly sneak in a very emotional and tragic character arc, it would be perfect compared to how plain ridiculous everything else is.
You could also have a small montage of him attempting and failing to kill the couple over and over only for them to just beat the shit out of him
I just thought about it. Landor is the first Comic book Supervillain to be the lead star in his own series. Which was rare back then.
Dang, Landor got the crap punched out of him so many times it's a wonder he can remember his own name, let alone build these crazy monsters! XD
My name is Dr. Landor. I cannot die.
Landors character traits:
- makes monsters
- hates anthony and martia torrents, wants revenge ()
- love of his life wass killed by his own creation
- High level necromancer with multiple clones to contain his soul should his current body die
Anthony and martia torrent traits:
- gun
- military man and his wife
- change name occasionally
soooooooooooooooo much wealth of goodies in here. you can go crazy with the Landor integration lol
BTW, Austin ... you are probably in my top 2 or 3 channels to whom I sub. Your eclectic choice of subject matter mixed with your delivery is perfect for RUclips.
Honestly, pretty solid villain. Just makes monsters to do his work. I can’t immediately think of a villain who does that.
You could totally re-imagine any of these characters into anything you want- it could be the most epic comic series ever!
Landor just became afton.
Is it just me, or was Landor's first story an inspiration for The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Sounds nearly identical
It’s probably because both the first Landor comic and Rocky Horror take inspiration from the same source, that being the universal studios Frankenstein film.
Landor definitely seems like he could make for an interesting antagonist. Also, Anthony/Jack seems to be pretty cool for just a regular guy. Make him a hero, too.
i like how landor just fucking hates the torrences
I was wondering since I’d like to tell comic book stories, I was wondering if I could use the character of Landor(since he’s still in the public domain last I checked)? My idea is to make him a Thanos level threat that requires multiple heroes to work together to stop and also keep his original stories canon whilst giving him a new origin: Landor was born to a Belgian village in 1896, his name was unknown and unimportant, but what was important was that his mother died in child birth, he learnt about science and genetics from his loving father who died from Tuberculosis when the boy was very young! His Misanthropy came from his experiences in the First World War where he saw the worst of humanity believing that most humans were a mistake and his goal to create life is to create what he perceives as “superior life!” As for the Torrance retcon Jack would be explained as the brother of Anthony after Jack died, Landor would develop a Liquor of Immortality hence how he doesn’t age to death and survives throughout the centuries(though the serum isn’t permanent and doesn’t grant him a healing factor, it just keeps him alive hence his disfigurement!)
Landor feels like if some sort of ancient mad scientist time traveled to modern times and just said "Eh, whatever, I can make this work"
This is my favorite channel, I'll do anything to save it
This is one of the greatest pursuits on the internet today. Nice find with Landor. One would think an easy way to keep tabs on him is to look for new castle construction permits in the area.
What about remodels or flipping castles? Interior decorator by day, aspiring scientist by night
We need to see that tiger man face off against Cat Man
He’s basically the pseudo mad scientist creating monsters of the week and wacky inventions. Those were popular back then. I’m getting a real sonic and eggman vibe
People might laugh, but when Austin is just getting his estate ready from when the inevitable reboot cycle exhausts all other options.
I like how the protagonist is just a guy with a gun. Maybe he could be like Hawkeye or Batman?
I actually decided to place this character as a secondary antagonist in a sci-fi action horror screenplay I'm writing
I'm using some of these public domain heroes and villains in my book about superheroes with crappy powers trying to save the day.
Marcia is a girlboss I need in superheroes movies, just a normal woman who kicks the ass of an evil scientist who won't leave them alone, and she's in a wholesome relationship
Marcia and Anthony/ jack are like the best duo. Couple just fighting monsters again and again brinhinh justice an thers landor best /worst monster maker btw you should add marcia and Anthony in the Landor movies and finale as like sidekicks to the super heroes
How the heck does Landor afford all these castles? The local castle real estate guy is making a great living off this villain.
your content was something I randomly stumbled upon probably a year ago. Such weird content that ends up being so entertaining. Love your videos :)
I love the editing for his commentary videos, it's like if Danny Gonzalez had a Hollywood budget.
Trueee
Can't wait to see how this will play out in your story
I am excited for him to be the main villain. It would be hilarious if he creates monsters that are clearly Frankensteins or other famous monsters but he refuses to admit it and keeps saying he created original creatures
What I like about obscure characters is that you can do pretty much anything with them. I'm actually working on a story about one rn.
For context, there was a children's book published in the 80s called The Legend of Rah and the Muggles. The book is most infamous for a lawsuit in which the author Nancy Stouffer sued J.K. Rowling for the use of the term "muggles" (which in Stouffer's book are basically giant babies) in the Harry Potter books. After Rowling won, a publisher tried to cash in on the whole deal and went bankrupt.
The book supposedly tells the story of twin boys who were sent by their mother to the land of the Muggles. One of them, Rah, becomes their leader while the other, Zyn, (who I'm writing about btw) forms his own group of Muggle rejects called the Nevils. Except that Rah is a complete jacka** who lets his brother die on a deserted island.
In the original story, Zyn became jealous of his brother for getting lots of attention and became a sarcastic jerk. Also he becomes more ugly throughout the book and gets sh** thrown over him. In my story, he's an edgy teen who became a vampire after trying to commit suicide and got expelled from his normal school for biting a lizard in science class.
Thx Austin for bringing all this obscure stuff to my attention. I just subscribed to your channel. 🙂
By the square-cube law a giant mole would not be able to tunnel. But I think Landor is a worthy foe for Atlas.
Do you know that Norfolk Virginia had a self appointed cosplay superhero and supervillain recently?
Man. Shock Gibson is really sleeping on the job allowing this Landor fella run amok like that.
This absolutely needs a B-movie movie remaster.
Love theses cinematic universe videos. Keep it up, and I hope your health gets better. 👍🏼
Not sure if anyone's mentioned it yet, but if you need some background for the Torrance Twins (Jack and Anthony, that is), Jack Torrance is also the name of the main character in Stephen King's THE SHINING. Which opens up all sorts of ideas on why the Torrance Twins are involved. Maybe they've got the shining and have psychic abilities. Maybe that's why Landor seems so obsessed with Torrance? I don't know. I'm just spitballing. But this imagined connection to the Stephen King Universe could also work for Landor, maybe by being connected to some of King's supernatural villains.
Love this universe! Thank you for the great content!
My favorite character so far! Landor is determined and focused. :)
So, they lived about a mile from each other in their separate castles?
Solid villain to add to the universe! I'm psyched to see what the next addition will be :)
Your absurd universe is absurdly inspiring
:)
And Jack Torrance later goes on to become a father, and takes up a job as winter caretaker, along with his family, at a Colorado hotel...
Honestly, I really wish you were giving this public domain cinematic universe the high effort treatment. I bet with the blockbuster treatment, these characters would actually do well. Landor seems like a great, fun villain. Sure, the whole "I hate this one couple in particular" thing was a bit weak, but he was making monsters before that, right? And he's apparently a master of it? A version of him that never met the Torrences could be great. His ability to make all manner of monsters means that he has the potential to be such a unique and varied character.
This series sounds like it would be really fun to read in a collection, not gonna lie.
I could almost think I saw Austin/host of video in the store the other day. But it most likely was not. He says, “does this store give cash back?” They say ‘yes, like $50.00.’
The man who looked like Austin, pays yet gets no cash back.
I could almost think the store forgot to give him the cash back.
Side note:
Public Domain Superheroes are good, and not only good, but, like me for instance - I would need others to use the foundations of trial and error.
-Brendon
Did Landor kill anyone? I saw that the Torrence family is at least ok with murder (it looked like he did kill those two guys working with Landor), but it looks more like Landor didn't kill anyone, heck he didn't even get rid of a bad experiment when it failed, the Torrence family killed that one. The one he had a part in killing the one creation, but only after she tried to murder someone.
This is an excellent observation