Prime Time Replay:
Jeff Gomez
on Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Other Projects
MsgId: *emedia(19)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:03:08 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 205.186.166.214
All right! It's 9 pm--and time for Omni's "E-Media"! Tonight's guest is Jeff Gomez--and, if you don't mind, Jeff, can you describe your work? (I have a tendency to forget this, so I'm using this part of the show to explain just who our guest is and what you're known for...) :-)
MsgId: *emedia(21)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:06:18 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Sorry about the delay! I'm a writer of video games, comic books and all matter in between! What Hollywood calls a "multi-platform content provider"! My biggest success has been with the "Turok Dinosaur Hunter" Nintendo 64 video game. I've also done a Magic: The Gathering - Battlemage game.
MsgId: *emedia(25)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:08:39 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.163.205.33
cool
MsgId: *emedia(26)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:08:39 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I consult on other games for Acclaim Entertainment, and I'm in charge of getting Acclaim Comics super hero characters translated into good video games. I'm also working on what's now called "persistent universes" -- these are entire worlds that can be played in on the Internet.
MsgId: *emedia(27)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:08:46 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 205.186.166.214
And then there's MindGame, which was a best-seller. Of course, anything dealing with the mind is of big interest to me! What is "MindGame"? How did you come up with the idea for it? How long have you been developing video games?
MsgId: *emedia(29)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:11:01 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.163.205.33
I interested in comics. Could you take us step by step through the making of comics?
MsgId: *emedia(30)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:11:51 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Actually, I've never written something called "MindGame", but both BattleMage and Turok have been best sellers, with Turok in excess of 1.5 million copies!
MsgId: *emedia(31)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:12:46 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 206.214.174.10
Do you have any plans to take Turok, Magic the Gathering or any of your other projects to Film? zowsos (d.a.)
MsgId: *emedia(32)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:14:18 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I've been writing games for nearly 15 years. Video games for the last four.
MsgId: *emedia(33)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:15:06 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 205.186.166.214
Sorry about that! By the way, as questions come up from the audience, you can answer a few, or answer mine.... However, the question about your beginning in comics is a good one. As well as how you became a video game creator. Was jumping from comics to games a natural progress? Are you a digital artist as well--or pen-and-ink primarily?
MsgId: *emedia(34)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:16:32 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
My concentration has always been in writing. Over the years, I've developed the skills to get good artists to create what I envision.
MsgId: *emedia(35)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:17:03 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
This makes for good comic book making, and has been a natural in jumping onto video games.
MsgId: *emedia(36)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:17:56 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I love role-playing games, and have developed storylines in several fantasy worlds over the course of decades! These become my inspiration for storytelling in other media.
MsgId: *emedia(37)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:17:56 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.163.207.135
Hi Jeff! This is Stephen. I'm one of your fans!
MsgId: *emedia(38)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:19:19 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 205.186.166.214
How did you begin working with Acclaim? What did you originally see yourself becoming when you were younger?
MsgId: *emedia(39)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:19:52 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
While I've enjoyed playing in other people's playgrounds, d.a., I'll be taking my own projects on to movies and TV.
MsgId: *emedia(40)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:21:37 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Acclaim came along just when I needed some job security! (Read: health insurance!) I'd been a freelance writer before then.
MsgId: *emedia(41)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:22:04 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
When I was very young, I wanted to be a paleontologist!
MsgId: *emedia(42)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:22:34 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
But then in high school, I had trouble with the math and chemistry!
MsgId: *emedia(43)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:23:10 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
It was easier to write about dinosaurs! Imagine my luck when my publisher wanted me to try to make a story for Turok!
MsgId: *emedia(44)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:23:33 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I was actually an assistant to the editorial coordinator (which basically meant FedEx boy), when the Acclaim Comics editor-in-chief and publisher approached me about the possibility of adapting one of our comic book characters into a video game that utilized a brand new type of technology. The tech was code named "Project Reality," and the character was an old, dusty 50s Native American dude named "Turok: Son of Stone." Project Reality was Silicon Valley's code name for the Nintendo 64 game engine. My job was to combine Turok and this amazing 3D graphics tool to come up with a story that gave players a bit more to do than the Doom-style first person shooters. The Campaigner/Chronosceptor story is the result. It seems a lot of people are happy with it!
MsgId: *emedia(45)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:24:37 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 205.186.166.214
Paleontologist, huh? How many times have you seen "The Lost World" so far? Have you ever written books on paleontology--comics or otherwise?
MsgId: *emedia(46)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:26:13 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Ha! Only once so far, but you can bet I'll be back to check it out again! The closest I've gotten to writing about dinos is Turok and its sequel.
MsgId: *emedia(47)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:26:58 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
A sequel has been finished. It's called "Turok: Seeds of Evil" and it will be out next March.
MsgId: *emedia(48)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:27:34 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Also, I'm editing Fabian Nicieza's novel, "Turok: Bleeding Fossils" which will find a publisher next year.
MsgId: *emedia(49)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:28:33 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
One of the things that I'm looking forward to working on is adapting some of the worlds that I've developed into online environments. The first of these is called "The City Knights(tm)" and is currently being shopped to game publishers and online content providers.
MsgId: *emedia(50)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:30:07 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
"The City Knights" is a fully navigable game "community" where you'll be able to hang out with cyber-friends at a local bar, or go out exploring and battling evil in an elaborate urban environment.
MsgId: *emedia(51)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:30:39 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 206.214.174.10
What were your major inspirations to writing for Acclaim and do you have any other writing (novel) projects due out?
MsgId: *emedia(52)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:31:14 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 205.186.166.214
With "Turok", did you expect the video game to be so popular? Did the book's sales give any indication of how well the game would sell? What games have you written that didn't start out as comics? (Of course, this is for those online who aren't familiar with your work--or who don't have your bio [:-)]....
MsgId: *emedia(53)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:32:30 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I had an idea that Turok would be a best-seller, but Acclaim wanted to be conservative.
MsgId: *emedia(54)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:33:12 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
The comic's sales are steady, but in no way prepared us!
MsgId: *emedia(55)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:35:10 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
My inspiration was mostly drawn from having a tough life! I was raised by a single Mom on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and I draw a lot from our struggle to get out of a bad situation. My characters and stories often involve a similar kind of passion.
MsgId: *emedia(56)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:36:55 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I'm currently working on a new concept for Acclaim Comics, and I'm waiting for some notes from HBO about "The City Knights" as an animated feature! You heard it here first!
MsgId: *emedia(57)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:38:25 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
The "Game World" concept I've come up with uses elements from both role-playing and arcade games, as well as elements from such popular fare as soap operas. I think this will make gaming on the web more accessible to people who wouldn't ordinarily sit down to blow away dinosaurs!
MsgId: *emedia(58)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:39:35 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 205.186.166.214
Well--now it means you have to explain "The City Knights"! And, can you elaborate more on the "persistent universes" games you're developing?
MsgId: *emedia(59)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:40:32 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 206.214.174.10
Can you elaborate on the gaming concept you spoke of earlier about the internet.
MsgId: *emedia(60)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:40:33 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
A persistent universe is an elaborate "meta-fiction" like the Star Wars or Star Trek universe...
MsgId: *emedia(61)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:41:32 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
...the term was coined in the gaming industry's attempt to adapt these universes onto the Internet and the web.
MsgId: *emedia(62)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:42:14 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
When playing a game on the web, you need a very elaborate body of content. These universes provide it.
MsgId: *emedia(63)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:42:53 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
What I've done is take the huge amount of notes and stories I have about the gaming universes I've run my players through at home...
MsgId: *emedia(64)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:43:50 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
...and organized it using my research into what's now possible in client/server technology.
MsgId: *emedia(65)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:44:38 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 206.214.174.10
Have you done any gaming (role playing) projects yourself, and did this help you in your current writing ? (d.a.)
MsgId: *emedia(66)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:45:16 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
"The City Knights" is my effort to instill as sense of meaning, chivalry, even nobility (and certainly an involving storyline) into this type of play. It makes it more cinematic, and might involve people who don't ordinarily play these games.
MsgId: *emedia(67)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:47:35 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I've written a number of "Dungeons & Dragons" style pen & paper games. (Some for Palladium Books, for example.) And I've gamed with friends for nearly 20 years! They've been the best at helping me develop ideas and flesh out these worlds, whether they're the fantasy realms of Corondor, or the urban gothic of "City Knights."
MsgId: *emedia(68)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:49:53 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Corondor, in fact, was a continent on my "D&D" game world, until it was needed for my work on Magic: The Gathering. Now Corondor is a fully realized continent on the world of Dominaria -- which is the major venue of action for Wizards of the Coasts collectible card game.
MsgId: *emedia(69)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:50:33 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.35.216.141
Sorry--I froze for about five minutes. But "The City Knights" project sounds interesting. Are any of your projects based on people in your life, or all they all, for the most part, from your imagination? What are some of the "persisent universe" games you have so far?
MsgId: *emedia(70)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:50:44 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.201.193.84
Hi Jeff!
MsgId: *emedia(71)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:50:45 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
My Mom always was on my back to throw away all the papers in my room! She's sure glad I never listened to her!
MsgId: *emedia(72)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:50:46 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 199.183.47.76
Jeff- When and where will City Knights client/server game be available?
MsgId: *emedia(73)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:50:59 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.201.193.84
Hi Jeff! from stephen
MsgId: *emedia(74)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:51:27 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.35.216.141
And (yet another question), explain "Magic: the Gathering"...
MsgId: *emedia(75)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:51:46 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
While there are a few publishers looking at the property, as it stands it's very expensive. They're more apt to go with Star Wars for now. Still...if there's anyone out there...
MsgId: *emedia(76)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:52:20 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 206.214.174.10
You mentioned that you presented City Knights to HBO? Is there a novel out on this story, and if not can we expect one soon. (d.a.)
MsgId: *emedia(77)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:52:41 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Ha! Magic is a trading card game, sort of like "War" with cool fantasy images on the cards. It's sold in decks and booster packs, and is all the rage!
MsgId: *emedia(78)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:53:37 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I've written Magic comics, and the story I started in the books has jumped to video games for the big wrap-up battle!
MsgId: *emedia(79)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:54:11 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 199.183.47.76
Hrrumph! I guess I'll have to keep my self happy with gaming over e-mail with my friends "Twilight Kingdom" campaign. If you want a marketable game concept, you oughtta take a look at that!
MsgId: *emedia(80)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:54:34 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
While there are tons of notes and stories for "City Knights" there is no novel yet. Making it a major media presentation is the fastest way toward getting it noticed by game developers and movie moguls!
MsgId: *emedia(81)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:55:17 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Hmmm..."Twilight Kingdom" huh? Sounds...interesting...
MsgId: *emedia(82)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:56:03 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I think I've got a few friends out there!
MsgId: *emedia(83)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:57:22 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.173.255.64
What are we chatting about?-sg
MsgId: *emedia(84)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:58:06 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.35.216.141
How can a young and hopeful artist best start in comics (either as a writer or illustrator)? Have you ever lectured on writing for comic books or taught at any art schools which have cartooning programs--such as the School of Visual Arts? Where do you see comics heading, in terms of characters and media? I don't think that's too much for you to answer in a minute--is it? :-)
MsgId: *emedia(85)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:58:21 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 199.183.47.76
In your work for Acclaim, do you see any opportunities for a game concept to make it to the movies? Or isn't the movie that usually comes first?
MsgId: *emedia(86)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:59:30 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Before I go, I wanted to point out that I've been supported tremendously by a few groups of people who've worked night and day to help me bring these visions to life: the Iguana guys in Texas did a tremendous job on Turok; the folks at Acclaim Comics are doing fantastic work on the new Valiant Universe; and the gangs at Image Refinery and Atomic Paintbrush have helped me create fantastic video, music, and graphic presentations to those Hollywood type folks. It pays to have talented friends!
MsgId: *emedia(87)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:59:52 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.35.216.141
It's Jeff Gomez, writer/creator of Magic: The Gathering and "The City Knights", with Acclaim Entertainment.
MsgId: *emedia(88)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:00:30 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Young and hopeful artists need to get in touch with sympathetic editors! Do that, have talent that you work on night and day, and time will get you what you want.
MsgId: *emedia(89)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:01:27 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
I've lectured at SF Conventions and public schools with my "Cosmic Streetcorner" seminar on making it in the creative fields, but I'd love to do something similar at SVA, etc.
MsgId: *emedia(90)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:02:28 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
In the future, I see media converging. The tech-heads will realize that we need CONTENT in these web sites, and innovators in comics and book fiction will be there to provide it!
MsgId: *emedia(91)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:03:29 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
While movies and tv shows are coming first these days, it won't be long before the game concepts and comics provide the content more and more often. Let's hope good science fiction literature also provides it, too!
MsgId: *emedia(92)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:04:02 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.35.216.141
Time's up! Thank you, Jeff Gomez, for coming on tonight and speaking about your work with Acclaim Entertainment. Again, Jeff Gomez is the creator of "Turok" and "Magic: the Gathering", and is working on Internet-based games, as well as an HBO series. Good night--and thanks again!
MsgId: *emedia(93)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:04:31 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
20th Century Fox, for example, is allowing its interactive division to come up with game concepts that might translate to movies. One of these has been completed and it's a doozy!
MsgId: *emedia(94)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:06:10 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Thanks, people! You've been great!
MsgId: *emedia(95)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:06:17 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 38.26.32.66
Jeff, this is Ellen Datlow and I want to thank you for coming on the show....should you want to stay a few more minutes and take a couple of other questions go ahead.I'll be here to close up shop.
MsgId: *emedia(96)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:06:48 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 38.26.32.66
Otherwise, thanks and good night.Ellen
MsgId: *emedia(97)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:06:55 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
Feel free to contact me at Carthalion@aol.com with more questions and comments! Thanks, again!
MsgId: *emedia(98)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:13:09 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.163.194.9
bye
MsgId: *emedia(99)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:15:02 EDT 1997
From: guest At: 152.163.194.9
MsgId: *emedia(100)
Date: Mon Jun 2 22:15:52 EDT 1997
From: Jeff Gomez At: 152.163.205.167
G'night!
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