Hi all, I know this is the day for it, but I promise I'm not making a joke. I've been working on a Battle of the Planets site for the past few years and I'm happy to finally say it is open. I have an intro page there, so I'll let that do most of the talking. But briefly, I've tried to create the most in-depth site about Battle of the Planets for fans to reference. Some things may never be answered - like most of the characters' last names - but if you want a long list of every named part and function of 7-Zark-7's cluttered innards, it's there. I'll be glad to hear anyone's thoughts about it here at Gatchamania or via the e-mail address on the site's welcome page. But if you notice any problems like broken links, images that don't load, typos or things of that nature, please send me an e-mail. I'd rather not clog up the boards here with reports of things to fix. Also, please understand if I don't respond to each and every letter. I'm a one-man operation. But I'll do what I can to get back with anyone who writes. I hope the site will be informative, useful and most of all, fun for all of you to poke through. Enjoy! www.battleoftheplanets.net

Jason, I have not had much time to do more than skim through your site, I hope I will find the time this weekend but I think this is going to be a great resource. Thank you for taking the time to create it.

Jason, it's terrific to see your site up and active - and I know that more than one person here will bless your little cotton socks that all of your knowledge is now available online! I know that when questions arise, a common theme remark is along the lines of "Now what did Jason say about that?"

Jason, this is an awesome site! I've already used it as a reference for my fanfics!

Jason, you've created such an awesome site! As CD, I only had the chance to view it in a hurry, but I'll surely visit it when I'll have some more time! As I'm one who doesn't know that much about BotP, since I've grown up with Gatchaman, this site of yours will really be a big help for me to understand things related to BotP better! Thanks a lot!

Wow. There's a wealth of information here, both for all the episodes and characters -even minor ones whose names were hitherto unknown- and also for how the whole series was made! And all handily cross-referenced with links!! This is a truly impressive accomplishment, Jason -thank you!

I shall add my compliments to those above -- I went on briefly and was greatly impressed by the wealth of knowledge there. And ... :whispers: thank you for not making Cronus out to be worse than Zoltar .. and for including one of my favorite quotes from him!

Amazing, amazing site! I've just spent quite a while pouring over it and it is fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing your talents with us, Jason!

Oooooh! Wow! I know many have already said thank you, Jason, but let me throw my voice in as well!! I think a many happy hour will be spent trawling so.... Bookmarked! LOL

Hi all, Thank you everyone for your nice compliments, I'm very happy to finally have the site open and glad to hear it's already been used for reference for more creative work!

Originally posted by lborgia88 Wow. There's a wealth of information here, both for all the episodes and characters -even minor ones whose names were hitherto unknown- and also for how the whole series was made! And all handily cross-referenced with links!!!

When I started looking through various series materials, they proved to be filled with tons of cool on and off screen details that I knew had never been revealed. I figured other fans would be just as thrilled to learn "new" character names and terms, correct spellings and all sorts of other information. I'm really looking forward to seeing reactions to some of the things tucked away in the pages. The cross-referencing seemed to make sense as some of the sections started getting more involved. I'm glad you like that, it makes flipping quickly between things a breeze.

Originally posted by RIgirl thank you for not making Cronus out to be worse than Zoltar .. and for including one of my favorite quotes from him!!

Ahh, that's such a great quote for him. It was the only one I ever considered to lead off his section. Thanks again everyone!

Originally posted by The Other Jason I'm really looking forward to seeing reactions to some of the things tucked away in the pages.

Ah, even more incentive to keep reading... I did find the "long list of every named part and function of 7-Zark-7's cluttered innards" -holy cow, I hadn't realized just how many parts he has! A very handy reference for writing any Zark scene, that's for sure.

Originally posted by The Other Jason The cross-referencing seemed to make sense as some of the sections started getting more involved. I'm glad you like that, it makes flipping quickly between things a breeze.

Yes, it does. So often I can remember something significant being said/shown about a character but I can't remember what episode it was said/shown in. Your links to specific episodes from the character pages are an especially helpful feature.

Jason, your site is wonderful. The wealth of information you've gathered is invaluable. Thanks for sharing it!

Thats an AWESOME website, easy to navigate, I think i'll be spending time over there doing some reading. Thanks for the link, its in my favourites!

Originally posted by The Other Jason I'm really looking forward to seeing reactions to some of the things tucked away in the pages.

I found your revelation, at the bottom of his character page, about how Keyop is referred to and described in the series pilot script (and almost described by Chief Anderson in "Mission to Inner Space") very interesting! It makes such a good explanation for his speech patterns too (as well as his unusual body temperature). I often wish there were more canon details about all the team members' origins, but then, much being left mysterious or unknown does leave the door open for creative speculation, especially in fics.

Great site, Jason! This is a wonderful fandom resource. Thank you!

I was so excited to see it had finally opened and loved perusing through the various sites and photos. Brought a lot of fond memories to the surface, can't wait to have time to look through it more thoroughly.

Originally posted by Pufles65 Brought a lot of fond memories to the surface, can't wait to have time to look through it more thoroughly.

I have to agree completely with Puffles. I have been spending a bit of time here every day and have really been enjoying my time and the memories, as well as the reminders of what I had forgotten. It always surprises me how much I have forgotten and how much I have "altered" so it fits into my own AU.

Originally posted by clouddancer I have been spending a bit of time here every day and have really been enjoying my time and the memories, as well as the reminders of what I had forgotten.

Me too. I was reminded that I'd forgotten all about Cronus having a wife and infant son "Timmy" in the "Peaks of Planet Odin" episode. But then, they were never really mentioned again in any other episode. I suppose if you don't follow the Sandy Frank production order, but rather the order where "The Conway Tape Trap" is the final episode, one might be able to claim that "Timmy" is who Mark means when he says "Brother" in front of that grave in "The Awesome Armadillo" and solve the "What happened to Timmy?" (and possibly the wife too) question in a grim sort of way...

Originally posted by lborgia88 I suppose if you don't follow the Sandy Frank production order, but rather the order where "The Conway Tape Trap" is the final episode, one might be able to claim that "Timmy" is who Mark means when he says "Brother" in front of that grave in "The Awesome Armadillo" and solve the "What happened to Timmy?" (and possibly the wife too) question in a grim sort of way...

Good point LB, I had never thought of that. In my AU there are several reasons I tend to want to follow the Gatch production order rather than the Sandy Frank one. Although I guess I could work in the "brother" comment from Mark in some other way.

I got to admit that those are the two biggest questions regarding Mark and Cronus and family. Are there two brothers or just one. One episode suggests a younger brother, but the other episode suggests an older one. What happened to them?

Hi all, Wonderful! I'm happy to hear all of your kind words and thrilled the site has brought back some good memories.

[i]I found your revelation, at the bottom of his character page, about how Keyop is referred to and described in the series pilot script (and almost described by Chief Anderson in "Mission to Inner Space") very interesting! It makes such a good explanation for his speech patterns too (as well as his unusual body temperature). I often wish there were more canon details about all the team members' origins, but then, much being left mysterious or unknown does leave the door open for creative speculation, especially in fics.

That was one of the major things that surprised me. I wish those origins had been referenced somewhere else within the series, or even within production materials in order to confirm that the idea carried through. But if so, I haven't found another example. Much of what made it to the screen in the pilot episode can be dismissed, but this was an important point that I think could be taken as relevant to the rest of the series. It at least gives some kind of reason for Keyop's many differences from others. As it is, it's just one more unanswered question. But as you say, the ambiguity provides for a rich field for story writers! (I love your "fist-fighting" G-2 by the way! )

[i]I got to admit that those are the two biggest questions regarding Mark and Cronus and family. Are there two brothers or just one. One episode suggests a younger brother, but the other episode suggests an older one. What happened to them?

I'm pretty sure they're referring to two separate people. We know Mark and Cronus helped rescue Cronus' son Timmy and his wife at the end of "Peaks of Planet Odin." What I'd like to know is their relation to Mark. Are they his brother and mother? His brother/half brother/stepbrother and stepmother? I tend to think they are his stepmother (otherwise, other characters referring to her would have said she was Mark's mother) and probably half brother, since Timmy is an infant. I also find it interesting that after all the agony Mark went through about his father, he never mentioned his mother. Why not? As for the other person, we don't even know if the grave site Mark visited is that of an actual brother or a brother in the sense of a close comrade. It has been a while since I've looked at the script for the episode, but I'll try to do that and let you know if there are any additional clues. I don't think so or I would likely have made note of it, but I'll check again to be sure. Also, if anyone has suggestions for additional sections to add to the site or topics to cover, just let me know. One thing I'll add soon are Sandy Frank's official episode synopses. While they won't really provide any crucial information, I think they'll be fun to at least have available. I just have to finish typing them all in. Thanks again!

Originally posted by The Other Jason Much of what made it to the screen in the pilot episode can be dismissed, but this was an important point that I think could be taken as relevant to the rest of the series.

I agree, it does at least show what they had had in mind for Keyop when his character was first being designed, and though it was never directly stated in any episode, it was never contradicted either. If there's a "significant but not exactly canon" category, I guess this would go there. Though, some "canon," I suppose, is never stated in an episode. The ages of the Science Ninjas are never mentioned in any Gatch episode. We only know, say, that Jun is 16 at the series' beginning, because Tatsunoko provided the info elsewhere.

Originally posted by The Other Jason I tend to think they are his stepmother (otherwise, other characters referring to her would have said she was Mark's mother) and probably half brother, since Timmy is an infant. I also find it interesting that after all the agony Mark went through about his father, he never mentioned his mother. Why not?

"Step-mother" does seem to fit best with Mark's lack of interest in her compared to his "agony" with Cronus, especially if he's never even met her. If Timmy weren't an infant, I'd be inclined to think him a step-brother that Mark has also never met... Though it's never stated in "Peaks of Planet Odin" how long Cronus has been married to this woman -maybe it's only been a month and Timmy is, in fact, Cronus' step-son? It strikes me as a bit odd that Cronus, as related in "The Sky is Falling Part II" had to leave Mark (and presumably Mark's mother) when he took on his undercover mission on Riga because he "worried that his family might be harmed." But then, later, he has a new family anyway -the wife and Timmy mentioned in "Peaks of Planet Odin"! Granted, the fact that his wife and Timmy get kidnapped indicates that his earlier worries were not unfounded, but if he's willing to put family members -a (presumed) civilian wife and a helpless infant- at risk, why couldn't he have let Mark know, much earlier, that he was his father? Mark, after all, was certainly capable of looking after himself, and was already being targeted by Spectra anyway as the Commander of G-Force -he'd have been in no greater danger knowing Cronus was his father. I guess we must assume he didn't want to distract Mark from his G-Force duties. That's always seemed the rationale for Red Impulse not letting Ken know his secret, even after Ken's become a Science Ninja.

Originally posted by The Other Jason As for the other person, we don't even know if the grave site Mark visited is that of an actual brother or a brother in the sense of a close comrade. It has been a while since I've looked at the script for the episode, but I'll try to do that and let you know if there are any additional clues. I don't think so or I would likely have made note of it, but I'll check again to be sure.

It hadn't occurred to me that "brother" here could be more metaphorical than literal -that would clear up one mystery! There's just never any way, it seems, to completely make sense of Cronus, and Mark's other possible relations, though it does make for fun speculation, trying to reconcile all the disparate, ambiguous facts. That's what makes us fans!

Of course, what makes all of this interesting is that the entire premise of BOTP when it began was that all five members of the team were orphans. I can see that being a factor for Sandy Frank et al... Oops, we said they were orphans, and now, only 19 episodes in, we find out that the Cronus guy is supposed to be his father. Uh... let's re-write that... As for Keyop, even as a kid, I always figured that there must be something alien about him. Frankly, his speech made him seem like he wasn't very bright... as a human, that was the impression he had on me. I couldn't reconcile that with his being on G-Force. So in my mind, he had to be somewhat alien, because why else should a mere kid be part of the galaxy's elite fighting force?

It's a pity that the writers didn't get to sit down and really think things through. Had they made Cronus Mark's brother (a la Racer X and Speed Racer), then all of the rest of the story as they had it would have made more sense. Mark at a gravesite, saying "brother" would have implied the one he thought dead (that being Cronus). It would have also made Cronus's wife and son Mark's aunt and nephew, and it would have kept the premise of Mark being an orphan as Cronus would have left Anderson in charge of his younger brother when he went on that mission to Riga. And Mark would have still had a reason to be upset when they finally killed off Cronus. Just a thought.

That's a good idea, and would have worked well! The writers would have had to explain who this woman holding Mark is in "The Sky Is Falling Part I" She looks rather young to be the mother of Cronus and Mark, but that might have still worked. Especially as, if I recall, Ken's memories of his parents aren't included in "Peaks of Planet Odin." But they could have said she was Cronus' then-girlfriend, or the nanny or something like that.

Or could have been a middle sister who actually did die when Cronus was supposed to have died as well ... You're right, most of Ken's memories of his parents were cut from BOTP, but when Cronus wakes Mark up, he does say he was dreaming of his father .. but that could have easily been changed to have him say his brother.

It's a good hypothesis, RIGirl, and one they could have used.... had they known.

The folks at Sandy Frank probably never imagined that they'd receive any episodes in which the familial relationship would drive the plot. And given the speed at which they were churning out scripts, they probably just forgot that they'd killed Mark's father about halfway through (the 'Gartz' episode), and given Cronus a wife and son on Odin. Sigh.

Actually, UW, if I remember correctly, they saved Cronus at the end of "The Sky is Falling," only to kill him off in the Gartz episode, when they must have realized Mark was mourning his father. (And I really wish they had at least let him have his moment, instead of having him murdered in his sleep, which was just so ... wrong. Even as a kid, I knew Cronus did not survive after "The Sky is Falling.") I think they gave Cronus the wife and son prior to realizing that Mark was his son (oops).

That is what I always remember as well RIgirl ... that Cronus was murdered in his sleep. Although in my AU, I use that as another ruse used by Cronus so he could infiltrate another Spectran cell/base before he returns again to "torment" the team (and Mark.)

Not "torment" CD, "help"; he was only helping... *snicker*

In the Sandy Frank production order, The Raid of the Red Scorpion took place lllooonnggg before The Sky is Falling!. The folks at Sandy Frank never knew what they would get in the mail, or in what order. So they likely never suspected they'd get the episodes where the Mark/Cronus relationship would be important.

I seem to have the "production order" in my head these days, where the last episodes that feature Cronus are the two "The Sky is Falling" episodes, where Zark says at the end that Cronus survived. Maybe I just like to see things ordered by their (real world) chronological history -I also get perturbed when I see the Chronicles of Narnia numbered such that "The Magician's Nephew" is #1. Found a thread where the differing orders and their effect on Cronus' fate was discussed... http://www.gatchamania.net/thread.php?threadid=2722&sid= And a site that offer five different viewing orders, though some more obscure. http://www.angelfire.com/ky/darthmaul/1.html

But - if you follow the Sandy Frank viewing list for BotP (and I always believe we should) the Gartz episode comes before Odin. I also believe the "brother" Mark mentions is a comrade of some sort or a mentor rather than a true brother. I love your idea that Cronus would hae been better to be Mark's older brother than his father - and like your idea about the picture that it could be a middle sister. Why do I believe we should use the Sandy Frank list for BotP? Because that's what it was designed for. The Gatch storylines don't work in BotP and if you try to apply the Gatch order to BotP storylines you only get contradiction after contradiction and confusion. But - if you use the Sandy Frank order for BotP it does actually make some sense. Too many times, I think fans try to retro-fit BotP to Gatch - and you just can't do it.

The confusion probably stems from the Rhino DVD set, which follows the Gatch order. There are still plenty of contradictions in BotP. If they'd had a little more time, some of those might not be there. The most glaring contradiction is the 'Gartz' episode, given the later revelation about Cronus.

No, I believe the confusion lies is how the broadcasting company who were given the BOTP tapes showed US(the viewer) the order. As James has pointed out on several different occasions not everyone across the continent (or even the same region) saw the same viewing order or the correct viewing order based on the Sandy Frank production. You may have seen episodes 1-5 the first week 6-10 the second etc, where as the broadcast region beside you probably saw 6-10 the first week and then 1-5 the second. So in my childhood eyes what happened may be very different from what you saw and how Sandy Frank produced the series. I do not know what happened in other countries for viewings so I can not speak to that, but I do know there are several things I see very differently because of the order I viewed the series as compared to how Sandy Frank says the series should be seen. Some of the events I DO see in the Gatch order, and some are in the S.F. order, while some only make sense because of the order I saw the series as a child.

You make a very good point CD. Add to that the confusion because the episodes cycled and were played over and over again... and not necessarily in the same order! If yo ureally want to mess things up, Attack of the Alien Wasp is episode 19 in the Sand Frank production order. In that episode, IIRC (Can anyone confirm?) Zoltar says that Cronus was killed by his agents. And Cronus is simply described as Mark's 'good friend'. That's long before these other episodes.

I think with Cronus, we can safely say, unless we actually see his dead body (which we know in BotP is not likely to happen), we can assume that most death reports are false. Some may be put out by Spectra to disrupt the Federation, possibly Mark or Anderson in particular, and some may be done by Cronus or Anderson to allow a Cronus a cover.

I can't really recall having any notion of the episodes' order from when I saw them as a kid, other than being a bit confused about who Cronus was exactly. I think I must have seen an episode where he was stated to be Mark's father, and then one where he was just an old friend of Mark's from Riga... Who knows what order the episodes were being aired in, in Nova Scotia? And then there's "Awesome Ray Force" where Gatch's Masaki becomes Cronus. I don't remember what I thought of that but no doubt it added to the confusion.

I recall wondering why Cronus looked different!!!!

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Originally posted by The Other Jason Hi all,

Originally posted by lborgia88 It strikes me as a bit odd that Cronus, as related in "The Sky is Falling Part II" had to leave Mark (and presumably Mark's mother) when he took on his undercover mission on Riga because he "worried that his family might be harmed." But then, later, he has a new family anyway -the wife and Timmy mentioned in "Peaks of Planet Odin"!

Definitely strange since things don't appear to have gotten better since Mark's time as a youngster. So... how many years before Chief Anderson opens his lab doors to find Timmy's been dropped off there?

Heh, a rather disturbing notion!

LB! You got the perfect shot for that!

Let's just hope Timmy doesn't turn out like ep 3's Makoto...

I love it!! I could see Zark as a sitter....run kid!!!

Lb, you are finding great shots and doing really well at coming up with funny captions for them.

I'd venture to say that LB is fast approaching the Gatchafunny level of Sosai Tim! Zark as a babysitter... Yikes! (Wait... is *that* what haooened to Keyop? )

Originally posted by Transmute Jun I'd venture to say that LB is fast approaching the Gatchafunny level of Sosai Tim!

I was thinking the same thing, the two of them need to do some collaborating.

I think Tim is still far ahead of me! Come on, you just knoooow that if Timmy ended up with Chief Anderson and Mark, they'd stick the poor kid with Zark during missions. And Zark is, after all, conscientious to the point of neurotic, doesn't sleep and doesn't expect to get paid -the perfect babysitter! Not. Maybe the notion of "Timmy joins G-Force" amuses me because I've seen a fair number of TV shows, after a season or two, try to shake things up by adding a new character -all too often a "cute" little kid. It seems... bizarrely plausible.

Don't forget, Zark doesn't raid the fridge! That makes him unique as a babysitter...

Great funnies LB! The first one is cute, but I really like the second. Zark as a babysitter! I wonder if Jason would conveniently leave tools where the kid could get to them.

Originally posted by amethyst Great funnies LB! The first one is cute, but I really like the second. Zark as a babysitter! I wonder if Jason would conveniently leave tools where the kid could get to them.

Well we already know 1-rover-1 has a wrench! Maybe that could be left around.

1-Rover-1 eats the wrenches! So Zark must have a never-ending supply. You know, here's a question that's always distrubed me... if Rover eats the wrenches... where do they go? Does he have.... metallic poop?

Gosh can imagine what Zark and 1Rover1 would try and feed a toddler! I know my two little pre-schoolers would drive him nuts... getting into everything.... pulling apart electricals....

Originally posted by Transmute Jun 1-Rover-1 eats the wrenches! So Zark must have a never-ending supply. You know, here's a question that's always distrubed me... if Rover eats the wrenches... where do they go? Does he have.... metallic poop?

Maintenance always did wonder where all of those little rivets lying around came from ...

Princess looks like a little girl herself in that pic. Sick Timmy on Jason. Mark - "Jason would love for you to eat your ice cream cone in his car."

Originally posted by Becky RockSick Timmy on Jason. Mark - "Jason would love for you to eat your ice cream cone in his car."

Mark must not like his younger brother very much. RIgirl, the rivet comment was hilarious. Thank you for the laugh.

Hi all,

Originally posted by Transmute Jun LB! You got the perfect shot for that!

Ha! Absolutely, that was hilarious! As were all the rest of the comments.... Seeing them made me wonder if 7-Zark-7 was around when the rest of the team were being trained. I can just imagine him trying to make Jason behave. I finally had a chance to look for more information on Mark's "Brother" comment from The Awesome Armadillo. Unfortunately the script does not help solve the mystery. However, for those curious, the important part reads: "EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - LAKE AND HOUSE BEYOND with flowers in f.g. and a portion of a tombstone at left. PAN TO shot of tombstone and we see Mark's foot in EXT. CLOSEUP as he steps on some flowers in f.g. MED. CLOSE - ANGLE UP AT MARK He is out of uniform and stands staring down moodily at the tombstone. MED. SHOT - TOMBSTONE AND MARK as Mark moves toward the tombstone and gets down on one knee beside it. MED. CLOSE - TOMBSTONE It has some writing on it and what appears to be an etching of a bird or plane in flight. REVERSE ANGLE - MED. CLOSE on Mark, as he looks o.s. at headstone. MARK (fervently) Brother. CLOSE SHOT - TOMBSTONE ETCHING Mark's hand enters and he runs his finger along the etching. CLOSE PROFILE SHOT - MARK as he speaks MARK I come to you because I have no one to turn to." Not that that really adds anything to what we see on screen, but I thought it would be fun to share that little snippet from the script. The tombstone is mentioned one final time when Mark stands up from it to talk with Princess. But that's it. I wish there was more though. More soon.

Friends call each other brothers, but I can't see them using the word brother without meaning exactly that. What if Mark had an older brother who followed in dear old Dad's footsteps by staging his death to go undercover? Fic fodder.

Originally posted by Becky Rock What if Mark had an older brother who followed in dear old Dad's footsteps by staging his death to go undercover? Fic fodder.

That's always the way, I interpreted it, but I suppose there is plenty of room to see things differently. Fic fodder. I think it is definitely there. The whole family dynamic thing. How would Mark handle going from being an orphan to a younger brother, to being the middle brother?

Originally posted by amethyst [quote][i]RIgirl, the rivet comment was hilarious. Thank you for the laugh.

That's my sense of humor ... and I just couldn't resist! Glad it made you smile Amethyst!

Originally posted by RIgirl That's my sense of humor ... and I just couldn't resist!

Are you saying you have toilet humor?

Don't we all, but some are better at expressing it in a humorous way. I'm too deadpan.

Or some get reprimanded when they try, and it comes out in the wrong way. (Or gets heard in the wrong context.)

Originally posted by Becky Rock I'm too deadpan.

You're not the only. My father and my uncle both had/have dry, sardonic humors. In fact my uncle claims to be the perfect asshole. I've never been able to pull it off as well as them, but they definitely influenced my own sense of humor and what I find funny.

Originally posted by amethyst

Originally posted by RIgirl That's my sense of humor ... and I just couldn't resist!

Are you saying you have toilet humor?

Sometimes ... when the situation presents itself ... after all, TJ started it ... :snicker:

*I* started it? WHy do I always get blamed?????? I've definitely developed a bit more sense of 'potty humor' since having kids, that's for sure!

I can remember some really gross songs we sang as kids dealing with body functions - I'm sure the kids today sing the same songs.

Oh, this could too easily go off-topic. Back to the topic: Jason's great site. FemKatse was patterned on Kim Novak? Vertigo will never be the same....

Originally posted by Becky Rock I can remember some really gross songs we sang as kids dealing with body functions - I'm sure the kids today sing the same songs.

They probably have worse ones. Just glad I can't think of any, otherwise I'd probably be thinking them, or maybe even singing them myself, right about now.

You're right, UW. Jason, you said it took years to get the site together. I know it took years to gather all the info, but how long did it actually take to create the site?

Jason, I love the site and have already perused the extensive list of terminology for parts of the Phoenix (holy moley, there are a lot of parts to that ship!) and found out that Don's mother was named Myra. Very helpful! Personally, I would like to see a listing of the specific problems that we see Jason suffer with in G-Force Defector and Strike at Spectra. I don't think there are any other episodes that specifically deal with his health issues in BotP (although I've certainly stretched a few to fit my needs), but it would be nice to have a canon list. And, back off topic, Becky, I started a fanfic once down that direction, with Mark having lost an older brother to the Red Rangers. If you look at the ship on the tombstone that Mark traces with his fingers, it looks like a Rigan fighter jet. I should dust that one off too ... Julie K.

Of course it looks like a Rigan fighter jet... it was originally suppled to be RI's jet! Julie, if you look in the character description for Jason on the BOTP site, you'll see a decription of his 'on again off again' medical problems.

Oh, thanks TJ. I didn't know that (about Jason). And I should have remembered that about RI. Julie K.

Hi Becky,

Originally posted by Becky Rock You're right, UW. Jason, you said it took years to get the site together. I know it took years to gather all the info, but how long did it actually take to create the site?

They're sort of intertwined. I loaded the splash page saying it was "coming soon!" back in December, 2004. I hadn't been planning on a site before then, but the domain's previous owner handed it to me and I decided I should make good use of it. I've been working on it ever since. I probably had the majority of its look designed by 2008. It wasn't solid nonstop work that whole time. There were long breaks in between due to my other jobs, including a huge book project that finally got completed last year. After that, I found myself with some time and was finally able to give the site my uninterrupted attention to get it to this point. I got the majority of it loaded at the end of last year and did troubleshooting on the live pages with the help of a few friends. Now I can give my modulators a rest, while keeping one actuator open of course! Hmm, maybe I've seen a little too much Zark in too concentrated a time...

Hi Julie,

Originally posted by jublke Jason, I love the site and have already perused the extensive list of terminology for parts of the Phoenix (holy moley, there are a lot of parts to that ship!) and found out that Don's mother was named Myra. Very helpful! Personally, I would like to see a listing of the specific problems that we see Jason suffer with in G-Force Defector and Strike at Spectra. I don't think there are any other episodes that specifically deal with his health issues in BotP (although I've certainly stretched a few to fit my needs), but it would be nice to have a canon list.

Thanks for your thoughts! As TJ mentioned, all the details about Jason's ailments are in his character page. I don't think there is any more to find out about them unfortunately. I'm glad you enjoyed the Phoenix pages. I couldn't believe the huge amount of information there was for the ship either. More soon.

Both Battle of the Planets and Jason's website are being held up as examples to help writers with "Conflict and Characterization," in a blog post by Carolyn Kaufman (Katsesama here). http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2011/08/conflict-characterization-lessons-from.html An interesting read!

Thank you for the link to a great read. It is nice to know she still sees the new information coming out, even if we do not see her around these days.