OWARI FAQ
People never ask questions, but if they did, here's what I imagine they would ask.
Q: Who are you? What is OWARI?
A: I am
Christopher Elam if you hadn't guessed from the name of this site. I am aka Chris Elam, C. Elam, and "celamowari" (a common username of mine). I have been writing for public consumption since 1994, and blogging in some fashion since 2003.
OWARI (Japanese for "The End") was founded as a fanzine in 1995. As times have changed, the 'zine has been phased out, but
OWARI continues as a vehicle for my interests. This version began in January 2009, and debuted in its current form in January 2019.
Q: Who created your logo/avatar?
A: The
OWARI logo was designed by
Rob Perchaluk in 1996. My
Captain Satellite avatar was created by
Wandering Kotka in 2016.
Q: What is all this Captain Satellite business?
A: Captain Satellite is a project chronicling the characters and happenings of an original superhero world dubbed “the Owariverse.” The Owariverse is highly-fictionalized, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek. Though the majority of the tales of the Owariverse are set in the present-day, it is very much in the vein of a “retro future” worldview.
Q: Why is it called the Owariverse?
A: It needed a name, and “Owariverse” was coined by the readers of this very blog. I just ran with it.
Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: I’ve been creating original characters since I was 5 years old. The first incarnation of Captain Satellite was born in the 6th grade. I’ve been posting material about Cap online since 2004, but this particular iteration of the story began in 2019.
Q: What’s the deal with your art?
A: It’s lousy. I had almost no art instruction in school, and I don’t think I have much inherent ability, either. However, my art is sincere and from the heart, and I use it to express my own ideas as best I can. Some like it; some don’t. I thank my guest artists for helping me bring these characters to life in a way I’m not sure I could.
Q: You contradicted something you previously wrote!
A: Not a question, but I understand what you mean. Part of the impetus for relaunching this project (again!) was so I could have a clearly defined point where I blew up everything that had gone before. I’m in the process of putting the pieces back together in a new and hopefully exciting way. Much of it will be the same, but there will be differences and contradictions from previous versions. Sorry ‘bout that.
Q: What happened to all the old stuff?
A: If you're speaking about blog posts prior to the January 2019 revamp, they are still here. They can be accessed via the blog archives just like in the past. Though all pre-2019 labels have been hidden, they are still active. No entries have been removed from
Christopher Elam's OWARI. In fact, many have been reformatted to match the new layout (you're welcome).
Now, if you mean content from the
Captain Satellite Tumblr, that's a slightly different story. For one thing, it is being gradually added to
OWARI and that will necessarily take time. However, since I am essentially starting over, some things will be relegated to the apocrypha and may not make the cut. If you desperately miss something I've chosen to excise from my mythos, let me know and I'll try to hook you up
Q: Why did you leave Tumblr?
A: I have had a love/hate relationship with Tumblr for a long time. I decided I no longer wanted to be an active participant on the site due to changes enacted there. And in all honesty, the
Captain Satellite Tumblr had grown stagnant. It was time to do something new anyway.
Q: What is Satellite Blue?
A: Satellite Blue is a companion blog to
Christopher Elam's OWARI. It serves as a showcase for material which is a bit too spicy for an all-ages blog. Updates will be sporadic and announced on the main blog when they happen. Or you can just bookmark or follow
Satellite Blue to make sure you don't miss a thing!
Q: Is there a book?/Will there be a book?
A: I self-published
Captain Satellite Number Zero in 2011. It was meant to be a definitive guide to the Owariverse, but really, it’s anything but definitive. I won’t discourage you from buying it, as it is very cool to have despite its flaws. However, it should be viewed as an artifact of its time, and not as the last word on the subject.
There are no plans at the moment for additional Captain Satellite books, but anything’s possible - especially if there is a demand.
Q: May I do fan art of your characters?
A: Yes, absolutely! Please make sure to let me know if you do! Thank you if you choose to draw my characters!
Q: Isn't there another Captain Satellite?
A: Yes. Bob March portrayed "Captain Satellite" on a kid's TV show that aired on Oakland, California's KTVU Channel 2 during the 1950s & 1960s (and possibly into the early 1970s). Not being from the Bay Area, I had no idea about this until relatively recently.
I think two Captain Satellites can happily coexist in the world, especially since mine isn't going to make me a bunch of money. I've chosen to recognize Bob March by naming my Captain's home base "March Mansion." There will be an in-story explanation, but the real reason is because my Captain is following in Bob March's footsteps.
Q: You didn't answer my question. What do I do?
A: You could always leave a comment here and I'll try my best.
