Gammin Gassette - Magazine idea and opinion poll

[Mason Barnes]

I had this idea for a while, though I'm not sure how well I'd be able to work on it because of my internet, so I thought I'd throw it out there. Feel free to use this idea, and I'd love to help as much as I can.

I know there is a good sized urchin populous here in New Babbage, so I thought after reading "Les Miserable" (my favorite book) again, why not a magazine for the urchins by the urchins? Most of the inspiration comes from the chapter in Les Miserable describing the Gammin (French for urchin) and their traits (Starting in Book 3, Vol 1, Ch. 6 - http://www.classicreader.com/book/268/152/) which intrigued me.

A summery of how Hugo described urchins:
*Generally has a home, but prefers to roam the streets.
*Very tough.
*Has no fear of heights, the rooftops are his highway.
*Jovial personality, even in the face of death.
*A serious injury is a badge- of honor. To be left handed or to have a squint is admired.
*Unique speech. "Eat dandelion root" is to die.
*To attend a execution is a duty.
*Knows all the cops. ("So and so's a cheat, so and so's great" and each term means a specific thing.)

I was wondering, does this sound like a fair assessment of what it means to be an urchin?
I'm not sure what this magazine would look like, but input would be appreciated.

[Loki Eliot]

I think many an urchin will identify with some of those traits. There is no one inspiration for the urchins of new Babbage. I'm sure if asked they will give a whole list of their inspirations, me for one - laputa, Oliver, thief lord, baker street irregulars....

A magazine sounds kool, there has been a few in the past, I still have the old Babbage Cog newspaper box. Urchins don't like to be tied down with work though, they like to play.

[Clarabella Lucy Corryong]

I mosty associate with characters like Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, Little orphan Annie with a lotta Nancy Drew and anime heroines mixed in.
I'm also insired by an old cartoon called Orson and Olivia which I haven't seen for years

[Captain Finley Twine]

Well, this is going to sound like the butt kissing of the century and I know that I shall not live it down...

Finley was inspired by DPB and Loki. When I (as Doctor Dayafter) met Jimmy, after being friends with DPB for a long while, I instantly fell in love with the idea of being an urchin. Jim, tossed me a link to Loki's blog and then to his Goonie island place... I shrunk Gus down (horribly so I might add) and went visiting. I loved everything I saw, but was far too busy with different things at the time to do anything. Then Bob came up with the idea of having a circus (really wished that went better) but there was no way that Gus would ever participate (as a character) in something like that. IRL I am quite good at stage magic and have dome clowning a lot over the years. My father and I went to clown college and everything. I went mainly so that I could do my Dad's make-up as he has not the steadiest of hands any more. So, I figured it would be great to create an alt that would be a clown at Bob's circus... then the idea hit me "I'm going to be an urchin clown!" Havin "listened" to Jimmy's accent for almost a year, at that time, I wanted to add something special to Finley. So, I started off with his gutter trash version of a Scottish accent and some grease paint. I found that I loved being Finley so much that it wasnt even funny. I started making friends with other urchins and with "grow'd ups" too.

Then, the circus fell through, sadly, and I had nothing else to do other than run the streets. I started hanging out at Loki's places in Babbage and got the idea that Finley should run the Gangplank (which at the time was under the control of the crew of the Seraph... and still technically is) because I thought an urchin being a bartender and listening to all the towns problems and doling out "wisdom" would be hilarious... and it was. That is where Fin sits right now. Of course, he became the youngest Naval captain in the New Babbage Vols too, and is now also an elected official (of which I do far too less and should be replaced, but I aim to remedy that soon).

I know that none of that has anything to do with a magazine, but this seemed the most semi-appropriate area to post all that. I'd not mind writing an article or two for the magazine though, that is for sure.

[Loki Eliot]

That's a wonderful example of how character and personal experience in SL can change and evolve over time, which I don't think you can get in any over mmo

[Jimmy Branagh]

My inspiration is right out of the 1968 film OLIVER!, with equal parts of innocent Oliver and street-wise Dodger.

I rather like the mag idea. Maybe quarterly or bi-annually? Like Loki said, urchining shouldn't become a job.

[Mason Barnes]

Your backgrounds for inspiration are really neat. It's fun to see how there are so many different inspirations.

I'm currently working on a novel with a character who is partly inspired by the Artful Dodger and Gavroche (from Les Mis)

I understand the desire to be free and play as an urchin. I guess what I'm thinking is I'd be the editor and people would submit articles and stories. I'm thinking it'd be bi- or tri-monthly (that is, quarterly) and not too different from the way magazines like steampunk magazine is run. Actually, "urchinpunk" is sort of a subgenre of steampunk.

I'd also work on some regular articles, though I have no idea what those regular articles might be. (This is mainly where I'd want input).

Also, I've never organized a magazine before, so if someone is knowledgeable about such things and is willing to give me hints that'd be great since I'm not exactly sure how to really begin.