"TaleSpin" as a pulp setting

[SKJAM!]

TaleSpin, of course, being the Disney TV cartoon that recast some of the Jungle Book characters for a late 1930s aviation show. I'm basically going to gloss over the "funny animals" aspect, because I think it will fit better into humans only campaigns that way. Note that I'll be using speculation and fanon as well as the show's canon.

First, the island itself:
Cape Suzette

Cape Suzette is a small but prosperous island conveniently located at the crossing of several trade routes in the South Seas. Millions of years ago, it was an enormous volcano that thrust up from under the sea and built itself up through multiple eruptions. The last of these eruptions blew out one side of the volcano, allowing the ocean in. The magma flow has since shifted, and the island is reasonably stable. It looks from the air rather like a large bowl, surrounded by cliffs on all sides save one where there is a huge crack that lets in the sea. Inside the bowl, there is a large harbor, surrounded on three sides by a small city built uphill to where the cliff walls start.

Cape Suzette's location and high defensiblity make it prime real estate in the South Seas. It was once a French possession, but is now an American protectorate (thus the mangled name.) There is a small US Navy base here, primarily to man the artillery defending the island from sky pirates (and their sea counterparts.)

Cape Suzette the city is a cosmopolitan place, whose population has more than quadrupled since the War, mostly by immigration. It's rare to find a native; most of them moved to other islands during the time the French were in control. The city has most of the amenities of a large American town, but prices are high since almost everything has to be imported. There is a small amount of organized crime (gambling, prostitution, protection rackets) and spies from many countries frequent the island's dives.

The crack in Cape Suzette's cliff is not quite wide enough for most ocean liners, making it more favored by smaller ships and air vehicles. The number one business in the city is shipping, dominated by Shere Khan Industries, but with plenty of room for competition.

[MisterBaldy]

I loved Disney's Tale Spin. There were many times that my children and I were glued to the TV watching the show (but secretly, I was waiting for Darkwing Duck, the hero of Saint Cannard).

The isle of Cape Suzzette is a great setting for "pulp-style" adventures. Hell, why not just do the work and run Tale Spin, but with your own versions of "animal-styled" adventurers.

Nothing says that your characters have to be "human"...to be pulp.

[Samaritan]

I always liked Tale Spin just for the stories... animation and characters aside (though Khan was a personal favorite...). So much RPG potential there; I hope it's not discounted by too many.

At any rate, it certainly deserves mention in Pulp HERO as a source of inspiration.

[MisterBaldy]

I always liked Tale Spin just for the stories... animation and characters aside (though Khan was a personal favorite...). So much RPG potential there; I hope it's not discounted by too many.

At any rate, it certainly deserves mention in Pulp HERO as a source of inspiration.

Khan is a wonderfully concepted "foil" for any hero.

I'd love to see Tale Spin get a mention in Pulp Hero.

[Samaritan]

Khan is a wonderfully concepted "foil" for any hero.

Seriously... the perfect 'untouchable' bad guy... and it always seems that in the end, he wins. Always. Even when the heroes had no idea he could possibly have any interest in the affair!

[SKJAM!]

Shere Khan

A large, powerfully built man of Indian descent, Shere Khan is the richest and most powerful man in Cape Suzette. He either owns or has a large share in every major sort of business on the island except organized crime. Cultured and urbane in his tastes and mannerisms, Khan was probably educated in Britain, as was the custom for high-caste Indians of his time period.

Shere Khan is well known to be amoral in his business dealings, doing what brings him profit and/or amusement. It is rumored, but has never been proven, that he has killed when it is convenient. While not clinically sadistic, Khan greatly enjoys watching people squirm when he puts them in uncomfortable positions. Surprisingly to some, he does not bear grudges. He's perfectly willing to work with someone who's been his opponent in the past when it's convenient to do so.

Less well known is that Shere Khan is slightly lame, the result of a "hunting accident" in his youth. He is somewhat vain about this, and prefers not to walk long distances, which would reveal this flaw.

Shere Khan is more of a "foil" for the heroes than a "villain." They may not like him much, but he doesn't do illegal things that can be traced back to him, and without him the island's economy would be in chaos.

Plot uses: Shere Khan's businesses are often the target of thieves and spies; it can be all too easy for player characters to get caught up in one of these plots as dupe or witness.

While Shere Khan doesn't provably do anything illegal himself, he doesn't have any scruples about giving orders that strongly imply that illegal behavior is desired. If his employees are caught in wrongdoing, well, that's their own outlook. Player characters might stumble across Khan employees engaged in dirty work.

If the PCs really are desperate for work, there are certain...tasks they could perform for Mr. Khan. Discretion and a habit of not asking questions is a must.

[Citizen Keen]

I agree. Why remove the animal aspect? That's one of the things the makes Tale Spin Tale Spin. Keep the animals!

[TheQuestionMan]

Tailspin - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TaleSpin

Cheers

QM

[Citizen Keen]

Man, I had totally forgotten about the Thembrians! Awesome!

[MisterBaldy]

Here's a great website for your reference...

The TailSpin SourcePage

Here is the WebRing geared around the show...

The TailSpin WebRing Hub

[Sociotard]

Ah, Don Carnage. now there was a fun character.

And I have to warn any characters who go to work for Khan. You will not be paid. Ever. Ever. That is all.

I'm curious. Did Kaa ever make the series?

[Lethosos]

When the majority has hands, Kaa would be at a very severe disadvantage. So no, Kaa isn't in the series.

It is oddly important to note that the Jungle Book was the prime source for characters in TaleSpin. Why they did it that way, I dunno, but Baloo has the belly for it.

Man, I miss that series--the Communist boars were funny.

[SKJAM!]

Tips on playing anthropomorphic animals can be found in the Furry HERO thread down in the "other genres" section. For those who didn't already know, Shere Khan is a tiger.

Baloo

Baloo is a tall bear of a man (or an actual bear), and was probably quite imposing in his youth. Prematurely grey hair and a heavy paunch make him look older than he is. Baloo habitually wears a red pilot's cap and sloppy yellow shirt.

Relatively little is known about Baloo's personal life, including whether Baloo is his first name, family name or a nickname. Nor do we know if he has any living relatives. It's quite likely that he got his first flight training during the Great War, like most pilots of his generation, but unlike many others, he never talks about that time. He's quite free with stories of his adventures as an independent freight pilot, which he's been for quite some time.

At some point, Baloo made Cape Suzette his home, and acquired the Sea Duck, a small amphibious cargo plane. He's had numerous upgrades made to the Duck, including at one point an experimental turbocharger for short bursts of speed. However, Baloo's indolence caused him to run out of money, and the Sea Duck was purchased by Rebecca Cunningham, who used it to create Higher for Hire, an independent shipping concern. Baloo works for Ms. Cunningham in hopes of buying back the Duck, but never quite seems to scrape together enough money.

Baloo is proud of his abilities as a pilot, and usually has the skills to back up that pride. However, he's also lazy and gluttonous, a combination that has made him loath to actually work for a living, and spend most of his money as soon as he gets it. He's often involved in treasure hunts, gambling (but only if it's "a sure thing") and get-rich-quick schemes.

While Baloo has no objection to a good bar brawl and can handle himself in a fight, he does not consider himself a man of violence and does not carry guns. (Nor has he armed the Sea Duck.) Baloo is a sucker for a pretty face, but has no interest in being tied down to a woman; he is sometimes condescending towards the "fairer sex." (Some would claim his frequent bickering with Rebecca hides a deeper relationship. He'd laugh at those people.)

Baloo's close friends include navigator Kit Cloudkicker, mechanic Wildcat, and bar owner Louie. He's also fond of Rebecca's daughter Molly.

The most obvious use of Baloo in a pulp campaign is as a colorful pilot; the Sea Duck can carry passengers, if they don't mind sharing the cargo hold with whatever bizarre freight Ms. Cunningham has managed to scrape up for the trip. As noted above, he'd be glad to help out in a treasure hunt in exchange for a share of the prize. If one of the player characters is a pilot, Baloo can be a good-natured rival.

[MisterBaldy]

So SKJAM!...I see that you are giving this idea some deep thought.

It's not a bad idea to think about, as far as campaigns go...now you just need players that are going to be receptive to the concept.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Tips on playing anthropomorphic animals can be found in the Furry HERO thread down in the "other genres" section. For those who didn't already know, Shere Khan is a tiger.

Baloo

Baloo is a tall bear of a man (or an actual bear), and was probably quite imposing in his youth. Prematurely grey hair and a heavy paunch make him look older than he is. Baloo habitually wears a red pilot's cap and sloppy yellow shirt.

Other notes about Baloo:

He has definitely learned all he knows by doing. Until recently he was only marginally literate, and he never graduated high school.

His relationship with "Becky" is complciated to say the least. Because she owns his plane, Baloo is compelled to do as she wishes (which is party why he doesn't simply get another plane). She continually berates him on his easygoing attitude and tendency to show up for deliveries late. Yet Baloo does have a certain soft spot for his employer -- not neccesarily a romantic interest, but he is concerned for her welfare and that of her daughter.