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The Smiler

04:33 / 06.07.03

Regarding the character of the Smiler in the TRANSMET series, is it just me or does his apparence change quite frequently... sometimes from panel to panel? I'm not sure if this is deliberate as all the other characters in that series' apperances seem fairly consistent from panel to panel. Weird...

BeerMoose

09:13 / 06.07.03

I think perhaps it is mostly a result of how demonic Darick feels like rendering him on any particular day.

Ellis has stated that the Smiler is pretty much a direct portrayal of Tony Blair, whose only defining traits (he argues) are a chameleon-like temperament, complete amorality, and utter lack of personality beyond whatever is most politically convenient. Though really, there are any number of prominent politicians worldwide that such a description could apply to.

sleazenation

09:29 / 06.07.03

The Smiler is possibly the biggest flaw in the whole of transmet - he is a pantomime villain in what is supposed to be a sophisticated sci-fi world. To over-generalise that powerful politicians are completely amoral bastards who will do bad things all the time is to grossly over simplify the situation to an absurd degree.

_Boboss

09:44 / 06.07.03

sleaze, look around, no it isn't

sleazenation

09:52 / 06.07.03

Khaol - no man, to simply identify leading politicians as mad and bad lets them off the hook way too easily.

Ignatz_Mouse

10:10 / 06.07.03

I agree. Smiler is a Bond villain, pure and simple (and even identifies himself as such at one point) and to me sort of shatters any political statement Ellis is making through Transmet (a series I generally really enjoy). I found the Beast a much more convincing antagonist, as he actually had a position besides "make the world suffer"

12:35 / 06.07.03

Now that you mention it, I do wish they had given him a shred of personality or something. At least Ellis seemed to make some effort to make the Beast a more rounded character.

Still, I think the character works in an over the top kind of way.

Catjerome

16:12 / 06.07.03

Ditto. It undercuts Spider's character to have the Smiler be such a cardboard prop baddie. One thing I like about Spider is that you aren't entirely sure of him. Like when his former-assistant-reluctant-pornstar assistant was shown. Should you root for Spider? He's on the side of truth, but he's got these bad qualities too ... All of that great well-rounded character is hamstringed when his main adversary is essentially Ming the Merciless or some other cartoon villain who literally wanks in the American flag and stops just short of rubbing hands maniacally and laughing "Haw Haw Haw!"

Our Lady of The Two Towers

18:13 / 06.07.03

So, this would be Spider Jerusalem, who tosses smoke bombs into crowded areas, craps in the street and throws it at people, blows up buildings where there could well be people in, shoots people with a gun that makes them shit themselves and you're complaining that his adversary seems too cartoony and not like real people?

Next up: 'The Hidden Subtleties of Transmetropolitan'.

Ignatz_Mouse

03:24 / 07.07.03

Spider's a caricature, certainly, but the thing with caricatures, for them to work, they have to be based on real attributes. Spider's cartoonish characteristics are exagerations of the artist/journalists extreme behaviour. The Smiler, on the other hand, doesn't really seem to be saying anything, except that politicians are self consciously evil monsters, which isn't a particulairly insightfull statement. Besides, Spider's funnier.

18:03 / 07.07.03

Plus, at least with Spider you get a back story, too, so you learn a bit about the guy.

diz

19:34 / 07.07.03

wow. i totally thought i was alone on this. i totally lost interest in Transmet once it became the Spider vs Smiler show.

the series worked a lot better as a sort of gonzo commentary on a number of subjects (the media, religion, politics, etc) rather than as Ellis' ultimately masturbatory revenge fantasy against Blair. it was really sad to watch a series i really enjoyed get really boring, really quickly.

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