The Rise of the Dragon: An Altered History of the World Wrestling Federation

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Personally I'd go for a young Regal imagine a healthy heel Regal against Steamboat that says money to me and in 88 he was still working for World of Sport which is about to go down the tubes in the next year or so and while he does a worldwide tour and ends up in WCW in 93 in this time he could do the tour and end up in WWF.

Not a bad idea. Maybe Mick Foley could go to WWF instead of WCW when he finally went professional. Preferably as Cactus Jack.
 
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Well, life is a little bumpy right now, but I hope to have the next update finished next week. Until then, I have a big backlog of questions to get to!

Yo, Walkman! Long time lurker and first time poster here! As someone who mostly follows wrestling from a distance, I have to say that this story of yours scratches an itch in my being that time spent trying to play simulators like Total Extreme Wrestling just don't. It's great to see you still working on this piece after five years on the trail and with no end-point yet in sight. I hate when authors of fiction I like tend to get slower with the updates, but I can also relate as a struggling writer myself. Life and other such obstacles seem to appear more frequently the farther you are from port, and it takes a steady hand to keep the ship on course, so I'm happy you're keeping at it, what with everything you allude to. :D

Thank you for the kind words, good sir! It's something that's sometimes tough to do, taking care of real-life priorities and finding time to write at the same time. However, I'm constantly getting inspiration for this timeline from almost everywhere, so you can be assured that I'll keep on coming back to it for a long time to come.

Some things I wanted to ask, not necessarily related to wrestling but to how it could affect pop culture: considering Jim Hellwig's name change in NWA, it makes me wonder about the naming fate of a certain web-slinger's nemesis who'll be making his debut proper in the next couple of volumes of AS-M ITTL. Granted, I also don't know how popular Hellwig has managed to become in the different promotion, or if he's got upper-card status prepared for him in the coming months.

Since there have been no quibbles about Sting sharing his ring name with a popular British guitarist ITTL, I can safely assure you that the naming of Marvel Comics' Venom is as OTL.

Quick note, Backlund defeated Duncum Sr., not Jr.

Otherwise, I have a few clerical errors I want to point out from past posts: the number for Don Muraco's second IC Title run is wrong (it should be 385 days), and also in the last roster listings you posted, you forgot to include the Midnight Rockers in the WWF section, which I'm a little shocked nobody else noticed until this point. :hushedface:

Thank you both for spotting the errors! Sometimes little stuff like this slips through the cracks, and I do appreciate people pointing out stuff that makes this timeline a more coherent read.

Just thought I should let you all know that Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/bruno-sammartino-wrestling-legend-dies-82-150905681.html

RIP, Bruno. As if this hasn't been a bad 24 hours already, what with Barbara Bush dying and now Bruno Sammartino...

If it's any consolation, at least Sammartino lived a good long life, a far cry from the unfortunate drug and steroid-related deaths of many wrestlers over the years... :(

Also, as a side note, having been a long time reader of this scenario before joining, I'm fascinated by what you did to Demolition. Maybe We'll see a reverse of that at some point, like having one of the forgettable 90s teams turned into WWF legends?

Keep reading!

Sounds to me like WWF needs itself some fresh, new talent. Vince might want to think of picking up someone like Ken Shamrock or Eddie Guerrero early.

Shamrock didn't even start MMA until 1992 while Eddie's hasn't been CMLL for even a year yet. They're both no names at this point in time.

As AK47Productions pointed out, Eddie is just starting out, and Shamrock is four years away from his martial arts career, so they're not going to factor into TTL for at least a while. The WWF will be getting an insurgence of new talent soon, however--stay tuned!

Always heard of AWA but don't know much about it, never really mentioned or seen in Europe.

The American Wrestling Association was very instrumental in the early development of a lot of top stars of the WWF and WCW. As has been mentioned before, the likes of Vader, Shawn Michaels, Curt Hennig, Scott Hall, and even Hulk Hogan got their starts there. I highly recommend checking out some of the old matches from the late '70s and late '80s if you can find them on YouTube or the WWE Network.

Good to see Meltzer's as stringent with his ratings as always. I also had no idea about the Bundy/computers pairing. This makes me curious about what other odd-couple advertisment campaign there are with wrestlers, both IOTL and ITTL.

Indeed, Dave Meltzer has always been a stingy, stingy man when it comes to giving out stars--at this point IOTL, he'd only given a 5-star rating to seven matches (three of which don't exist ITTL, driving the total down to four here). IMHO, he's gotten kind of lenient in his older years, giving several matches 5-star rankings that I wouldn't have (even though some have been really, really good) and even breaking his ranking system for several matches. If you go strictly by Meltzer, Okada vs. Omega has been the greatest series of matches of all time.

As for Bundy: please tell me you know about his appearances on Married...With Children. :closedeyesmile:

Well if we are interested in another Guerrero, Vince could always sign Hector Guerrero, aka otl's Gobbeddly Gooker

Maybe this time Vince won't put him in that fucking Turkey suit.

Oh, the Gobbledy Gooker will definitely not happen ITTL. However, that doesn't mean we won't get another equally dumb and possibly career-ending gimmick to take its place...

At the rate things are going, the loss of Nirvana and NKOTB, the success of The New Archies, 80s Dragonball and the Rock N' Wrestling cartoon, the 90s are shaping to be a very different decade indeed, for better and for worse. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the New Generation era turns out to be a lot less ''Cartoony'' than in our timeline. Maybe it becomes a bit more like the Attitude Era early on? (Perhaps Mick Foley gets to debut as Cactus Jack, or Taker gets his ministry gimmick from the getgo? Just speculation on my part. :)) Either way, I eagerly await the next chapter in this amazing story. ^^

After rethinking things, maybe Vince might be inclined, what with the shift in interest towards wrestling in other cultures, to bring Rey Misterio Sr. Into the company. Maybe scoop up Dave Finlay before WCW. Put some more emphasis in the first W, if you get my drift. Perhaps even give someone like Carl Ouellet a more prominent role?

Personally I'd go for a young Regal imagine a healthy heel Regal against Steamboat that says money to me and in 88 he was still working for World of Sport which is about to go down the tubes in the next year or so and while he does a worldwide tour and ends up in WCW in 93 in this time he could do the tour and end up in WWF.

Not a bad idea. Maybe Mick Foley could go to WWF instead of WCW when he finally went professional. Preferably as Cactus Jack.

All this talk of WCW and Attitude Era stars is definitely appropriate. Because a very familiar face to Attitude Era fans will be showing up in the WWF soon... ;)
 
Oh, the Gobbledy Gooker will definitely not happen ITTL. However, that doesn't mean we won't get another equally dumb and possibly career-ending gimmick to take its place...

Is it Lazer Tron? It's Lazer Tron, isn't it? :noexpression:


All this talk of WCW and Attitude Era stars is definitely appropriate. Because a very familiar face to Attitude Era fans will be showing up in the WWF soon... ;)

I think I smell what's cooking. I think I also smell him being butterflied into a top face without the cheese that made everyone hate him.
 
Alt-Pop Culture: My Neighbor Totoro/My Friend Totoro
totorogang.png



April 16, 1988


My Neighbor Totoro
(Redirected from My Friend Totoro)
*from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

My Neighbor Totoro (Japanese: Tonari no Totoro), known as My Friend Totoro in English, is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film, which stars the voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi, tells the story of two young girls (Satsuki & Mei) and their interactions with friendly woodland spirits in post-war Japan. The film won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize and the Mainichi Film Award and Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film in 1988. It also received the Special Award at the Blue Ribbon Awards in the same year. [1]

In 1988, Streamline Pictures produced an exclusive English-language dub for use on transpacific flights by Japan Airlines. This dubbed version, which featured the voices of Lisa Michelson, Cheryl Chase, Greg Snegoff and Frank Welker, had a theatrical release in the United States in 1990 and Europe in 1991, and was released on VHS and laserdisc in the United States in 1991. [2]

My Neighbor Totoro was critically acclaimed in Japan, amassing a large following soon after its release, although reception to the English dub, titled My Friend Totoro, was more lukewarm at the time of its release in the United States. Still, My Friend Totoro was a moderate success internationally, and was the second-highest-grossing animated film of 1990. The movie and its titular character, Totoro, have since become cultural icons. My Neighbor Totoro ranked #50 in Empire magazine’s “The 100 Best Films of World Cinema” in 2010, the highest-ranking animated film on the list. The film is considered one of the most beloved and well-made animated films of all time [citation needed]. The character of Totoro has made multiple cameo appearances in several Studio Ghibli films and video games, and is recognized as one of the most popular characters in Japanese animation.

Contents

1. Plot
2. Cast
3. Production
4. Release
5. Critical reception
6. Cultural impact

Plot
In 1958 Japan, university professor Tatsuo Kusakabe and his two daughters, Satsuki and Mei (spelled “May” in the English dub), move into an old house to be closer to the hospital where the girls’ mother Yasuko is recovering from a long-term illness. Satsuki and Mei find that the house is inhabited by tiny animated dust creatures (called “dust bunnies” in the English dub). [3] When the girls become comfortable in their new house and laugh with their father, the dust creatures leave the house, drifting away on the wind. It is implied that they are going to find another empty house as their habitat.

One day, Mei sees two white, rabbit-like ears in the grass and follows them under the house. She discovers two small rabbit-like creatures who lead her through a briar patch and into the hollow of a large tree. She meets and befriends a larger creature, which identifies itself by a series of roars that she interprets as “Totoro”. She falls asleep atop the large Totoro, but when Satsuki finds her, she is on the ground in a dense patch of briars. Despite her many attempts, Mei is unable to show her family Totoro’s tree. Her father comforts her by telling her that Totoro must be the “keeper of the forest,” and that Totoro will come back when he wants to.

One rainy night, the girls are waiting for their father’s bus and grow worried when he does not arrive on time. As they wait, Mei eventually falls asleep on Satsuki’s back and Totoro appears beside them, allowing Satsuki to see him for the first time. He only has a leaf on his head for protection from the rain, so Satsuki offers him the umbrella she had taken along for her father. Totoro is delighted at the gift, and in return, he gives her a bundle of seeds. A giant bus-shaped cat halts at the bus stop, and Totoro boards it, taking the umbrella with him. Shortly after, the girls’ father’s bus arrives.

The girls plant the seeds. A few days later, they awaken in the middle of the night to find Totoro and the two rabbit-like creatures dancing around the planted seeds. The girls join them, whereupon the seeds sprout, and then grow and combine into an enormous tree. Totoro takes the girls and the two creatures for a ride on a magical flying top. In the morning, the tree is gone, but the seeds have indeed sprouted. It is left ambiguous as to whether or not the girls were dreaming.

The girls find out that a planned visit by their mother has to be postponed because of a setback in her treatment. Satsuki, disappointed and worried, tells Mei the bad news, which Mei does not take well. This leads to an argument, ending in Satuski angrily yelling at Mei and stomping off. Mei decides to walk to the hospital herself to bring some corn (changed to a bouquet of flowers in the English dub) to her mother.

Mei’s disappearance prompts Satsuki and the neighbors to search for her. Eventually, Satsuki returns to the giant tree and pleads for Totoro’s help. Happy to be of assistance, he summons the Catbus, which carries her to where the lost Mei sits. Having rescued her, the Catbus then whisks her and Satsuki over the countryside to see their mother in the hospital. The girls perch in a tree outside of the hospital, overhearing a conversation between their parents, and discovering that she has been kept in the hospital by a minor cold and is otherwise doing well. They secretly leave the ear of corn (bouquet in the English dub) on the windowsill, where it is discovered by the parents, and the girls return home on the Catbus.

In the end credits, Mei and Satsuki’s mother returns home, and the sisters play with the other children, with Totoro and his friends watching them unnoticed from a distance.

Cast
Character name … Japanese voice actor … English voice actor
Satsuki Kusakabe (older daughter) … Noriko Hidaka … Lisa Michelson [4]
Mei (May) Kusakabe (younger daughter) … Chika Sakamoto … Cheryl Chase [5]
Tatsuo Kusakabe (father) … Shigesato Itoi … Greg Snegoff [6]
Yasuko Kusakabe (mother) … Sumi Shimamoto … Alexandra Kenworthy [7]
Totoro … Hitoshi Takagi … Frank Welker [8]
Kanta Ogaki (local boy) … Toshiyuki Amagasa … Kenneth Hartman
Kanta’s grandmother … Tanie Kitabayashi … Natalie Core
Catbus (Neko-bus) … Naoki Tatsuta … Frank Welker [9]
Mrs. Ogaki (Kanta’s mother) … Hiroko Maruyama … Melanie MacQueen
Mr. Ogaki (Kanta’s father) … Masashi Hirose … Steve Kramer
Kanta’s Aunt … Reiko Suzuki … Edie Mirman

Production
Art director Kazuo Oga was drawn to the film when Hayao Miyazaki showed him an image of Totoro. Oga’s experience with My Neighbor Totoro jump-started the artist’s career. Oga’s conscientious approach to My Neighbor Totoro was a style that the International Herald Tribune recognized as “[updating] the traditional Japanese animist sense of a natural world that is fully, spiritually alive”.

Oga’s work on My Neighbor Totoro led to his continued involvement with Studio Ghibli. The studio assigned jobs to Oga that would play to his strengths, and Oga’s style became a trademark style of Studio Ghibli.

The storyboard depicts a small town in Japan as the setting, with the year being 1958; Miyazaki stated that the year was not exact, and the team worked on a setting “in the recent past”. The film was originally set to be an hour long, but throughout the process it grew to respond to the social context, including the reason for the move and the father’s occupation.

Miyazaki has stated that Totoro is “only an animal. I believe he lives on acorns. He’s supposedly the forest keeper, but that’s only a half-baked idea, a rough approximation.” The character of Mei was modeled after Miyazaki’s niece.

Release
After writing and filming Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Castle in the Sky (1986), Hayao Miyazaki began directing My Neighbor Totoro for Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki’s production paralleled his colleague Isao Takahata’s production of Grave of the Fireflies. Miyazaki’s film was financed by executive producer Yasuyoshi Tokuma, and both My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies were released on the same bill in Japan in 1988. The dual billing was considered “one of the most moving and remarkable double bills ever offered to a cinema audience”.

In 1990, Tokuma Japan Communications’ U.S. subsidiary released the first English-language version of My Neighbor Totoro, with the title My Friend Totoro. Because of his disappointment with the result of the heavily edited English version of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Miyazaki initially refused to allow any changes to the film. He would not let any part of the movie be edited out, all the names had to remain the same (with the exception being Catbus), the translation had to be as close to the original Japanese as possible, and no part of the movie could be changed for any reason, cultural or linguistic. [10] However, after seeing how popular anime had become in the United States, Miyazaki eventually relented on some of his demands, a decision he would later say he “regret(ted) massively”. Several dialogue and cultural changes were made to the dub, such as removing the Catbus' exposed genitals [11], and editing the corn that Mei delivers to her mother to a bouquet, thought by the producers to be more familiar to American children as an item to bring a sick person. The dub was produced by John Daly and Derek Gibson, with co-producer Jerry Beck. The songs in the dub are sung by Emmylou Harris. [12]

My Friend Totoro was released in American theaters in October 1990, to relatively little advertising. However, largely due to word-of-mouth, the film soon became popular [citation needed], spending nine weeks in theaters and grossing around $41 million, becoming the second-highest-grossing animated film of 1990 [13] and the highest-grossing anime film in America for almost a decade.

Critical reception
Upon its release in Japan, My Neighbor Totoro received high praise from film critics. In a retrospective report from Anime News Network in 2013, Carl Kimlinger summed up Totoro as “a gentle and affirming masterpiece that is as heartwarming as it is visually enchanting”. Film review site Rotten Tomatoes reported that 83% of critics gave positive reviews to the film, with an average rating of 7.2 out of 10. [14]

The English dub was met with much more mixed response in the United States, with most critics praising the animation style, but criticizing the lack of plot and the unfamiliarity of some the depicted Japanese culture to American audiences, especially children. In one of the more negative reviews, Leonard Klady of the entertainment trade newspaper Variety wrote, “Obviously aimed at an international audience, the film evinces a disorienting combination of cultures that produces a nowhere land more confused than fascinating.” In a more positive review, Stephen Holden of The New York Times described My Friend Totoro as “very visually handsome”, and believed that the film was “very charming” when “dispensing enchantment”. Despite this, Holden also wrote, “Too much of the film, however, is taken up with stiff, mechanical chitchat.” [15]

In one of the most positive reviews, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, who gave the film four stars, called it “one of the lovingly hand-crafted works of Hayao Miyazaki”, stating “My Friend Totoro is based on experience, situation and exploration – not on conflict and threat … It is also rich with human comedy in the way it observes the two remarkably convincing, lifelike little girls. It is a little sad, a little scary, a little surprising and a little informative, just like life itself. It depends on a situation instead of a plot, and suggests that the wonder of life and the resources of imagination supply all the adventure you need.” [16] In 1993, on their weekly television series At the Movies, Ebert and his co-host Gene Siskel gave the film “two thumbs up”.

Phillip E. Wegner makes a case for the film being an example of alternative history, citing the utopian-like setting of the anime. [17]

Cultural impact
My Neighbor Totoro set its writer-director Hayao Miyazaki on the road to success. The film’s central character, Totoro, is as famous among Japanese children as Mickey Mouse is among American children, or Winnie-the-Pooh is among British ones. [citation needed] Totoro was used as a mascot by the Japanese “Totoro Hometown Fund Campaign” to preserve areas of satoyama in the Saitama Prefecture. The fund was started in 1990 after the film’s release, and has since raised millions of dollars to preserve the Japanese habitats.

Totoro has made cameo appearances in multiple Studio Ghibli films, including Kiki’s Delivery Service and Tanukis. Additionally, various other anime series and films have featured cameos, including one episode of the anime series Kare Kano. Totoro has also had cameo appearances in various non-Japanese works, including as a stuffed toy in an episode of The Simpsons.

A main-belt asteroid, discovered on December 31, 1994, was named 10160 Totoro after the film’s central character. [18]

In 2009, a velvet worm species Eoperipatus totoro, recently discovered in Vietnam, was named after Totoro, due to its resemblance to the Catbus from the film. [19]

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[1] Aside from the name change to the English dub, this is all as OTL.

[2] The dub is as OTL, but it was never widely distributed in the U.S., where Totoro didn’t have a theatrical release until Disney’s redubbed 2006 version hit theaters. Here, with the “All Things Asian” fad in its latter days, the dub is released—somewhat hastily—to theaters in the early ‘90s.

[3] Although the dust sprites in the film look nothing like actual bunnies, the dub writers simply can’t resist using the familiar English phrase “dust bunnies” to describe the creatures ITTL.

[4] Michelson also provided the voice of the titular character in the English dub of Kiki’s Delivery Service. IOTL, she was tragically killed in a car accident in 1991, which is butterflied away ITTL.

[5] Chase is perhaps best-known as the voice of Angelica Pickles from Rugrats IOTL. OTL’s Disney dub featured Dakota and Elle Fanning as the voices of Satsuki and Mei, respectively.

[6] Snegoff, a prominent voice actor in his own right, was also married to Lisa Michelson up until her untimely death IOTL. IOTL’s ‘06 dub, Mr. Kusakabe was voiced by Tim Daly, who played the Superman to Kevin Conroy’s Batman in the DC Animated Universe IOTL.

[7] Kenworthy is the mother of Greg Snegoff. She also provided voices in Robotech and Kiki’s Delivery Service IOTL.

[8] Totoro’s American voice actor in the OTL Streamline dub has unfortunately been lost to time. Here, just enough butterflies flap for the well-known Welker to be brought in to do the growls and roars of Totoro. Welker also voiced Totoro in the 2006 dub IOTL.

[9] Carl Macek, the controversial co-founder of Streamline Pictures and creator of the equally controversial Robotech, provided the voice of the Catbus in OTL’s Streamline dub. Because Welker is brought in to voice Totoro ITTL, he’s also recruited to provide the Catbus’s chatterings—a role he also provided in OTL’s Disney dub.

[10] This happened IOTL as well, and perhaps because of it, Totoro remained largely unknown outside of Japan until the Internet became prominent. However, there was a straight-to-video release of the dub in 1993, which unfortunately didn’t sell that well.

[11] No, seriously, there is a brief shot of the Catbus' balls in the film.

[12] The country-folk singer would be working on her album Brand New Dance in 1990 IOTL, which may or may not be butterflied away. Contemporary Christian singer Sonya Isaacs sang all the songs in OTL’s 2006 Totoro dub. The singer from the OTL Streamline dub has been lost to time, sadly.

[13] At just over $47 million, The Rescuers Down Under was the highest-grossing animated film of 1990 IOTL (and most likely TTL), with Jetsons: The Movie coming in a distant second at $20 million.

[14] Compared to 94% giving positive reviews and an average score of 8.4 out of 10 IOTL.

[15] These two reviews of the ’93 dub come word-for-word from OTL.

[16] This comes verbatim from Ebert’s four-star review of the 2006 dub. I feel that Ebert, who gave a three-and-a-half-star rating to The Black Cauldron, of all things, would be especially enthralled by Totoro ITTL.

[17] Given the nature of this website, I simply had to keep this OTL Wikipedia quote in the article ITTL.

[18] Aside from the Simpsons cameo, all this is as OTL.

[19] Adorably, this is also as OTL, except the creature wasn’t discovered until 2013 IOTL. Butterflies which will be touched upon later bring about the worm’s discovery earlier ITTL - and there's also a connection to the WWF that makes it happen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And with that, we see more knock-on effects of the “All Things Asian” fad—for better, and for worse. Confession time: I've never seen My Neighbor Totoro, so if there are any fans of the film reading this, hopefully I did it justice. :happyblush

Coming up: we head back to wrestling, and see that while children in Japan are watching this film on April 16th, children in America could well be staying up late to watch Saturday Night's Main Event, where Ricky Steamboat will defend his WWF Title against...well, you'll have to read to find out!
 
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Funnily enough I do own a copy of this straight to VHS dub. I have no idea where my Dad got it from, but this was one of the first experiences with anime as a kid. It's pretty interesting to see this of all things be the first big Miyazaki film to come stateside.
 
All things Asian fad could lead to some major changes to anime distribution. Some of the cult 90s anime will definitely have more of a chance of going mainstream earlier. Pokemon gets even bigger for example.

Clubs like the UK AnimeLeague I'm a member of will certainly start to pop up sooner, mid nineties, rather than early noughties.

Loved this update!
 
With anime increasing in mainstream popularity due to the "All Things Asian" fad, I'm wondering how evangelical Christians are reacting.

Before anyone writes this off, keep in mind that there was a moral panic they fueled about Dungeons and Dragons that ran throughout the 1980s and 1990s. There were also some books and documentaries done by concerned evangelicals about 1980s toylines/cartoons such as Masters of the Universe, Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc. over not just violence but occult content brainwashing impressionable young children.

With entertainment coming from a completely different country and culture, especially one that is largely Buddhist and Shinto, could we be seeing another moral panic on par with DnD?
 
When I was in college, my final speech for public speaking was on the use of religious iconography in End of Eva. Keep in mind that I went to a Christian university and no one's head exploded.
Because EVA IS overrated, just using biblical name is not deep, Demon Lord Dante on the other hand...woah...
 
@The Walkman This is something I wrote for fun. It's about the 1986 anime series, Maple Town, and how it may have fared in this TL of yours, with "All Things Asian" being a big craze and your posts about Dragonball and My Neighbor Totoro. It's not my intention to hijack your TL; you are free to accept this, recommend changes to this or even completely reject it. Anyway...


MapleTownDVDSet1Japan.jpg


Maple Town, also known as Maple Town Stories (Japanese: メイプルタウン物語 Hepburn: Meipuru Taun Monogatari), is a 1986 Japanese slice of life anime series created by Chifude Asakura and directed by Junichi Sato. The series, animated by Toei Animation, consists of 52 half-hour episodes, which aired on TV Asahi in Japan from January 19, 1986 to January 11, 1987. It focuses on the adventures of Patty Rabbit, Bobby Bear and their families, in a small utopian anthropomorphic city named Maple Town. The series was followed by a 44-episode sequel, New Maple Town Stories: Palm Town Chapter, which retained only Patty Rabbit (and her voice actor, Maya Okamoto) from both series, although Maple Town's citizens made cameos from time to time.

The program spawned collectible figurines with changeable clothing, as well as houses, furniture and vehicles. Tonka was the US licensee and manufacturer.

PLOT SUMMARY

Patty Rabbit, along with her family, arrives in Maple Town, a small town inhabited by friendly animals. However, in a train heist by the sly – if usually "endearingly unsuccessful" – thief, Wilde Wolf stole the mailbag from her father and escaped into the forest. Soon she followed after him to retrieve the mailbag. In the midst of getting the bag back from the thief, she befriends a boy of her age named Bobby Bear who has the bag. After they escape from Wilde Wolf and outwit him, they deliver the mailbag safely to her father. Soon, the Rabbit Family settles in Maple Town as mail carriers and the bitter, yet sweet friendship of Patty and Bobby begins to blossom. At the same time they try to foil Wilde Wolf's plans.

pattyandrachelrabbit01.jpg

Patty Rabbit, Maple Town's protagonist (left) and her older sister Rachel (right)

The series's setting is Canada around the 1920s, while the setting of Palm Town episodes is based on the West Coast
of the United States around the 1980s.

The Palm Town episodes had Patty Rabbit leaving her family and friends in Maple Town to go live with her aunt Jane and uncle George, two doctors living in the seaside resort destination of Palm Town. Patty befriends Rolly (called "Lori" in North America and "Lorry" in Italy), the daughter of a Palm Town shopkeeper, and have many adventures.

pattyrabbitfriendspalmtown.jpg

Patty Rabbit and her Palm Town friends; promo image used in TV Guide and entertainment trade journals

ENGLISH VOICE CAST (PARTIAL)

Janice Adams – Mrs. Maple (live-action segments)
Rebecca Forstadt – Patty Rabbit (as Reba West)
Wendee Lee – Bobby Bear
Steve Kramer – Wilde Wolf
Maureen O'Connell – Fannie Fox
Barbara Goodson – Mikey Mole
Ted Layman – Mayor Lion

US BROADCAST HISTORY

In late 1986, Saban Entertainment and toy maker Tonka picked it up for the North American market. The latter invested US$7 million on television ads for the toy line. All 52 episodes were dubbed into English for US and Canadian television; however, US-American weekday syndication television required a minimum of 65 episodes at the time (thirteen weeks at five episodes per week).[1] Similar to how Robotech combined Super Dimension Fortress Macross with Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada, 13 episodes were handpicked by Saban from the Maple Town sequel series, Palm Town, to use in fulfilling the 65-episode requirement. Editing and narration for those 13 episodes explained that Patty was temporarily visiting her family in Palm Town with plans to eventually go back to Maple Town. [2]

MapleTownEp1shot31.jpg


An English dub premiered in barter syndication the following year.[3] The English dub ran in syndication from 1987 to 1991. Among the stations playing Maple Town at this time was WNYW, Fox's affiliate in New York City. The show could also be seen on children's cable channel Nickelodeon, where it aired from 1991 to April 7, 2000. [4] The English dub starred actress Janice Adams as Mrs. Maple in its book-ending live-action segments. Mrs. Maple was the only human inhabitant of the title town in this version, and she offered each episode's moral lesson.[5]

mrsmaple02.jpg

Mrs. Maple, played by Janice Adams, exclusive only to the NA version of Maple Town

HOME VIDEO

Select episodes of Saban's US dub were released on VHS from late 1987 until 1990 by Family Home Entertainment and Tonka Home Video. Each tape consisted of two stories each, except for the first release, "Welcome to Maple Town".

A boxset on DVD of the 65-episode English dub was released on September 27, 2013. The original Japanese versions of Maple Town and Palm Town were released the following year, the former on November 27, 2014 and the latter on January 25, 2015.[6]


[1] The POD; in OTL, Maple Town was planned in the USA for a 65 episode run for syndication. Only 32-39 episodes though
made it to US television, both in syndication and on Nickelodeon. It's unknown if all 52 episodes were dubbed or simply withheld from the market for unknown reasons. In this TL, the series does better because of anime being more popular due to the Dragon's "All Things Asian" fad.

[2] Even today, 65 episodes are required for syndication. Since Maple Town had only 52 episodes, it's not exactly known how the remaining 13 episodes would be fulfilled. A theory among fans out there is that some of the episodes from the sequel series Palm Town were going to be dubbed and edited into the syndication package, much like the above mentioned example of Robotech. In OTL, the sequel series Palm Town never made it to North America; the reasons for this are unknown.

[3] This is what happened with Maple Town in OTL. It originally aired in first-run syndication (I watched on WNYW in the New York City metro area when it ran in 1987) but only 15 episodes did sn. ITTL, Maple Town does better.

[4] Since the whole syndication idea didn't work out in OTL, Maple Town's 30-something episodes moved to Nickelodeon where it ran until April 2, 1993.

[5] Just like OTL though later episodes reduced her role of telling viewers what to expect in that particular episode.

[6] Sadly in OTL, Maple Town or its sequel has not gotten a DVD release in North America. In contrast to this alt timeline where it succeeds thanks to Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat and his fueling the "All Things Asian" craze, it is not remembered much. Maple Town is more remembered among two groups: 1980s children, who recall the show and its toyline alongside others like Transformers, GI Joe, Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, etc; and the furry fandom, who fondly remember it because of its cast of anthropomorphic animal characters.

--------

This was inspired by my adoration of Maple Town plus a blog I recently started on the anime; besides episode commentaries, I hope to uncover mysteries about the English dub about Maple Town such as why the whole series or its sequel, Palm Town, never aired in the USA and Canada. I'd like to think that ITTL, Maple Town is more of a success, both as an anime series and an iconic 1980s creation. The URL to that Maple Town blog is in my signature BTW so go check it out; it gets updated on Sundays.
 
April 1988: New Faces From Old Places
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OPENING OF SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT #15


(as the show comes on the air, we see Bret Hart, wearing the Intercontinental Championship around his waist, standing in front of a Bret “Hitman” Hart graphic)

BRET HART: Yeah! I’m the “Hitman”, Bret Hart, and I’ll tell you all something—winning the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania was the greatest moment of my life! I know that I have a long way to go to catch up to the Macho Man, but tonight I want to prove that my win was no fluke! Tonight, I show the Macho Man and the world that I’m the real deal!

(camera cuts to Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, standing in front of a Macho Man graphic)

RANDY SAVAGE: OOOOOOOOHHH YEAH! The “Macho Man” Randy Savage makes no bones about it, yeah! At Wrestlemania, the Hitman beat me fair and square! But there’s one teeny-tiny thing that bothers me, yeah…Hitman, the Macho Man was not at his full potential at the end of that match, no! Tonight, you better bring your A-game, because Macho Madness is comin’ for that belt! OOOOHHH YEAH!!

(camera cuts to Bad News Brown, standing in front of a Bad News graphic and pointing straight at the camera)

BAD NEWS BROWN: I want all of you spineless cockroaches watchin’ this to listen up! I won that battle royal at the Wrestlemania fair and square! I won that trophy, and Mr. Wonderful is nothin’ but a sore loser! Tonight, I’m gonna show that beer-bellied sharecropper Ken Patera exactly what I’m gonna do to Mr. Wonderful once I get my hands on him!

(camera cuts to Ted DiBiase and Virgil, holding several $100 bills in his hand, standing in front of a Million Dollar Man graphic)

TED DIBIASE: Everyone’s talking about the Dragon’s big conquering moment at Wrestlemania. Well, I’m the Million Dollar Man, and I say money also talks, and when it talks, people better listen! And tonight, my money has a very special statement it wants to make to the Dragon. (laughs sinisterly)

(camera cuts to Hercules Hernandez and Bobby “the Brain” Heenan standing in front of a Hercules graphic. Heenan is wearing a prominent neck brace that almost covers his chin)

BOBBY HEENAN: I want all you pathetic humanoids to listen good, because I’m only gonna say this once! What happened at Wrestlemania was assault and battery, and he-who-will-remain-nameless is lucky he’s been fired, because if he was still in the World Wrestling Federation, I’d sue him for everything he has! And that’s all I have to say about that matter!

HERCULES HERNANDEZ: Hulk Ho—

HEENAN: DON’T say that name!!

HERCULES: …You-know-who is yesterday’s news! Tonight, I’m gonna show the Dragon what a real member of the Heenan Family is capable of, when I take that World Title from him!

(camera cuts to Ricky Steamboat, wearing the WWF Championship around his waist, standing in front of a Dragon graphic)

RICKY STEAMBOAT: It looks like I didn’t completely silence that Weasel at Wrestlemania, huh? Bobby Heenan still has a lot to learn about the power of the Dragon! Hercules Hernandez, I want you to bring everything you have, and tonight, jack, I will show you, I’ll show Bobby Heenan, and I’ll show anybody else who doesn’t believe two things! Number one—this Dragon’s strength is for real, and number two—the fire he breathes cannot be extinguished!

April 16, 1988

The fifteenth episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event airs on NBC. The show was previously taped on April 12th in Springfield, Massachusetts, and does an 8.9 rating. Airing in the aftermath of Wrestlemania 4, the show builds up several new feuds that will come to fruition over the summer, and features a couple of intense matches.

The show kicks off with Bret Hart defending his newly won Intercontinental Championship against the man he beat for it, Randy Savage. The two men have a short, but still technically sound match, and in the end, Bret Hart manages to put Savage away with a bridging German suplex. Post-match, Savage just shakes his head as Elizabeth consoles him, and the commentators wonder what could be next for the Macho Man.

Ricky Steamboat defends his WWF Championship against Heenan Family member Hercules Hernandez in the second match of the night. Bobby Heenan accompanies Hercules, wearing a large neck brace due to the attack by Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania; Heenan will continue to wear the neck brace for the remainder of the year as a subtle reminder of the man who kicked “the Brain” to the curb at Wrestlemania 4. The match between Steamboat and Hercules is a short one, with Hercules getting in relatively little offense on the Dragon, who finishes off the big man in less than seven minutes with a crossbody. Bobby Heenan attempts to help Hercules beat down Steamboat post-match, but Steamboat fights them both off, standing tall with his championship belt, and effectively ending Steamboat’s feud with the Heenan Family—at least for the time being.

Two other matches on the show build up some midcard feuds. Bad News Brown, fresh off his victory in a battle royal at Wrestlemania, continues his undefeated streak by squashing Ken Patera. Post-match, Brown continues to attack Patera, shoving referee Joey Marella away when Marella attempts to separate the men. Paul Orndorff runs down to the ring to make the save, and Bad News barely escapes unharmed. A tag team match between Demolition and the Midnight Rockers follows, and while Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty show a bit of offense against the monster tag team, Demolition soon get the upper hand, with Ax pinning Jannetty after a Decapitation.

The main event of the show is the shortest main event in SNME history, in which Ted DiBiase squashes the Killer Bees’ B. Brian Blair in less than a minute, stuffing a $100 bill down his throat afterward. In a post-match interview with Gene Okerlund, DiBiase claims that he will do something that has never been done before—buy the WWF Title from reigning champion Ricky Steamboat. As the show goes off the air, both the commentators and the audience at home are left wondering what Steamboat’s response to the Million Dollar Man will be…

---

GENE OKERLUND: Million Dollar Man, you have once again emerged victorious here tonight. Despite all the chicanery and controversy that surrounds you, you continue to impress everyone in the ring.

TED DIBIASE: Mean Gene, I told you, I told every single one of the people watching out there that everyone has their price! And it goes to show that money is the true backbone of society, where someone can truly get whatever he desires just by being rich! Some people out there would call me a bad person for that, but I beg to differ! I’m being generous, giving these people an opportunity to procure a little extra cash in their pockets that they can go home and pay their bills and their mortgage and child support with it, and go on about their meaningless lives! But now, it’s time for the Million Dollar Man to set his sights even higher!

OKERLUND: Indeed, we’ve seen all these acts that you’ve made people do: barking like dogs, kissing your shoes, and that still isn’t enough? [1]

DIBIASE: (chuckling) You certainly are slow to catch on, Okerlund. What is the one thing every wrestler in this business strives to be? A champion! And I’m announcing it right here tonight. Soon, very soon, I am going to BUY the World Wrestling Federation Championship! (an audible gasp is heard throughout the crowd, followed by boos) That’s right! It will be mine, lock, stock and barrel!

OKERLUND: Million Dollar Man, what are you insinuating? Buy the World Wrestling Federation Title? Surely you’re not serious!

DIBIASE: You heard what I said, cue ball! I always get what I want, and what I want is the WWF Championship! Soon, Ricky Steamboat will learn that money isn’t everything—it’s the only thing! (laughs sinisterly)

---

Saturday Night’s Main Event Results – 7/16/1988
WWF Intercontinental Championship
: Bret “Hitman” Hart (C) def. Randy “Macho Man” Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) (12:04)
WWF Championship: Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat (C) def. Hercules Hernandez (w/ Bobby “the Brain” Heenan) (6:23)
Bad News Brown def. Ken Patera (3:55)
Demolition (Ax & Hammer) (w/ Johnny V.) def. The Midnight Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) (8:37)
“Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase (w/ Virgil) def. B. Brian Blair (w/ “Jumpin’” Jim Brunzell) (0:43)

---

April 17, 1988

“And as you can see, I’ve got a lot on my plate right now,” Vince McMahon said as he perused the papers in front of him on his desk. You could hardly see the actual surface of the desk from the mound of papers piled upon it.

Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco were seated in front of McMahon’s desk. “You said you were looking at three guys?” Brisco asked.

McMahon nodded. “We’ve got a little extra money [2], and we’re short on midcard heels. I think we can bring at least two of these guys if we play our cards right.”

Patterson shrugged. “You’re talking about three different promotions here, boss, so it might be tough. [3] We’ve worked with Stampede before, so getting him—” Patterson pointed to one of the names on the page. “—will probably be doable. ‘Specially since he’s Bret’s brother.” [4]

McMahon nodded. “I’m not worried about Hart; I feel we can bring him in easy. The other two…might take a little bit of doing.”

Brisco just sat back in his chair, a half-smile on his face as he looked at his boss. “I just hope we’re not bitin’ off more than we can chew,” he drawled. “I guess we could get Bret to help us out about his brother, too?”

McMahon nodded sharply. “We’ll talk to Bret about it; see if he can put in a good word next time they meet. Ricky’s on his way; I wanted to at least fill him in about this, too.”

***

Meanwhile, in the lobby of the building, a young mulleted man was doing some stretches in preparation for a match on the taping for WWF Superstars that evening. He would be facing Ted DiBiase, and even though he was booked to lose to the Million Dollar Man, the 24-year-old wanted to leave a good impression on both the audience and Vince McMahon.

Just then, Ricky Steamboat entered the lobby, dressed for work and carrying a duffel bag over his shoulder. He wasn’t on the upcoming TV taping, but he was going to be meeting up with Vince McMahon and the booking team to discuss some matters they only said would “impact the company”. As he wondered what they would say in their meeting, he saw the young man in the corner stretching. A smile crossed Steamboat’s face as he stifled a laugh. This was undoubtedly one of the local jobbers, aka “journeymen”, who the WWF brought in for matches sometimes with WWF talent. They would invariably always lose their matches, but Steamboat enjoyed seeing what kind of young athletes would pop up at each television taping.

“Doing stretches in the lobby? Pretty hardcore,” Steamboat joked as he looked at the youngster. “You do know we have a workout area?”

As the heavily muscled man looked up in mid-stretch and saw who was speaking to him, he almost did an impromptu split right there on the floor. “M-Mr. Steamboat,” he stammered as he got to his feet. “I was, uh, just—I-I didn’t want to disturb any of the others, so I just figured I’d stretch…out in the lobby?”

Steamboat just smiled. “I don’t think the guys would mind. Most of them are harmless unless they decide to pull some ribs. Then they can get lethal.” The Dragon chuckled at his own joke. “You’re actually lucky I’m the first guy you saw. I usually play the peacemaker around here.” As he approached the 6’2” jobber, Steamboat was actually dwarfed as he stuck his hand out. “I guess you already know, but I’m Rick Blood, aka Ricky Steamboat. Call me Rick.”

“I’m a huge fan,” the mulleted jobber said as he shook Steamboat’s hand. “You’ve been doing a bang-up job as the champ. That match you had with Dynamite at Wrestlemania a couple of years back? Forget about it—amazing stuff.”

Steamboat just smiled. “Thanks a lot. Sorry, I didn’t catch your name…”

“Steve,” the man replied. “Steve Blackman.” [5]

“Well, Steve, welcome to the madhouse,” Steamboat said. “I hope the inmates don’t scare you off.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Okerlund refers to two OTL vignettes in which DiBiase made a then-unknown Linda McMahon and a young Rob Van Dam bark like a dog and kiss his shoes, respectively, in exchange for money. Both events happen as OTL (yes, even RVD’s appearance!).

[2] As some of you may have noticed by now from reading this far, the film No Holds Barred will never be made ITTL, which means Vince and Titan have an extra $8 million or so still in their pockets. And with that extra cash to throw around, they decide to pad their roster a bit first. As for the three wrestlers McMahon is talking about signing? Here’s a hint: all three would eventually find their way to the WWE IOTL in some shape or form.

[3] Another clue: all three men are working for a different territory at this point ITTL.

[4] And there’s one mystery signee revealed (or is it?)

[5] Well, I said an Attitude Era star was going to be showing up soon, didn’t I? Blackman actually wrestled two matches in the WWF in 1988 and 1989, and was being considered for a full-time contract until he contracted malaria and dysentery while wrestling in South Africa. He was confined to a bed for two years, but thankfully survived, and managed to return to wrestling full-time in 1997 IOTL. I guess it should come as no surprise to tell you that Blackman’s visit to South Africa is butterflied away ITTL, as is his illness.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apologies about my absence. An unfortunate family illness prompted it, but I’m pleased to say that my relative is feeling much better, and I’m back to writing again!

As the WWF looks toward getting itself some new talent, some several years before they actually joined up full-time IOTL, we’re building up toward a big feud for the WWF Title. Maybe the other territories should be on high alert…

And for those curious, the Blackman of the Attitude Era looks a lot different than 1988 Steve Blackman. Check out these two pictures for comparison, and you’ll see what I mean.

Also, I'd like to address the post made by DakotaTimeTraveler about the anime series Maple Town. After some consideration and a little bit of messaging between us, I've decided to accept his post as canon to this TL. Any other ideas about things related or semi-related to Rise of the Dragon made by anyone else will need to be approved by me before being posted, however!

Coming up: a trip back to the Newsletter, and we make a pit stop at Nickelodeon, of all places.
 
Blackman vs Steamboat would work really well if done right the old mentor and student stick would work in the 80s and if Blackman was as good as he was in the late 90's the lack of a gimmick isn't going to hurt him as much in this time period.
 
Blackman vs Steamboat would work really well if done right the old mentor and student stick would work in the 80s and if Blackman was as good as he was in the late 90's the lack of a gimmick isn't going to hurt him as much in this time period.

Had similar idea Steamboat stable of three/four faces to take on heel stables "Dragons Dojo" or something suitable. Eventually Blackman jealous of Steamboats success splits and costs Dragon title joining suitable heel stable.

Hell Blackman could still do his entire "Lethal Weapon" stuff using martial arts weapons on heels, then faces when he turns.
 
Had similar idea Steamboat stable of three/four faces to take on heel stables "Dragons Dojo" or something suitable. Eventually Blackman jealous of Steamboats success splits and costs Dragon title joining suitable heel stable.

Hell Blackman could still do his entire "Lethal Weapon" stuff using martial arts weapons on heels, then faces when he turns.



For some reason I'm picturing a 80's version of the Shield but without you know the Roman hate.
 
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