Justice Squad FAQ
(A.K.A. "God hates FAQ's)

What the hell is Justice Squad anyway?

Justice Squad is the spin-off of The Liam Smith Show, a three year epic that appeared on The Slightly Warped Website from 1999 until 2002.  This new serial follows the adventures of a team of superheroes as they try to save the world from all sorts of strange and kooky dangers.

Who created Justice Squad?

I can honestly say that Justice Squad wasn't born of one person.  I, Jason Donner, created most of the characters and places you read about in the serial, but I also have to give credit to Jesse Glaspey and David Hopper who also came up with characters that eventually made it into the serial.

So who created what?

Jesse Glaspey created Cosmic Weasel, Luna, and Doctor Wham and a few other characters.  David Hopper came up with Drew Fangtastic and the Five, and Jason Donner came up with everyone else.

Why an on-line serial?

Why not?  Us hobby-writers are people too and we like to see our work get out where other people can see it.  We may not be getting paid for it, but the knowledge that people are reading out stories, getting a kick out of them, and then submitting feedback is reward enough.  You do what you love... what else can I say?

I read this first episode, but I don't understand how did this group came together.  Are there any stories with Justice Squad I missed?

The history of Justice Squad can be found in the episodes of The Liam Smith Show.  For specific episodes relating to Justice Squad, read Capeman and the Fury of P.E.N.I.S., Capeman: Day of the D.O.N.G., Apocalyptic Appetizer, The Main Course, and the final six episodes of the series.

When are the new episodes be ready?

Episodes air on the weekend of the date listed on the episodes page, however, subscribers to the slightlywarped mailing list get them on the Wednesday before they air.  You can subscribe to the mailing list by sending a blank message to slightlywarped-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Who are involved in the writing of Justice Squad?

There are four core authors, Jason Donner, Jesse Glaspey, David Hopper, and Cory Bowen.  However, there are also several guest writers - too many to name - that step in every now and then to crank out new adventures.

Can I write an episode?

Absolutely.  Justice Squad is always looking for new and talented writers to help tell the weekly adventures!

What do I have to do to write an episode?

First, come up with an idea.  Then, write down your basic idea in a story outline to be mailed to donner@wcc.net.  From there, your story idea will either be approved or rejected (if it is rejected, it's probably because it's similar to another upcoming episode or, in some way, contradicts an existing or future story).  When your script is approved, write the episode (20-25 pages on a word processor or 25-30 pages in Final Draft) and mail it to donner@wcc.net. It is only when I have a completed episode in hand that I will place it on the schedule.  Other considerations when submitting a script are:

1. No two part episodes.
2. No episode resulting in the death of an established character.
3. No episode guest starring any of the off limits stars mentioned below.
4. No major revelations. (Nightflyer is Capeman's brother or Thad is Bippo's son or anything like that).
5. Once submitted, story outlines, characters, and scripts become property of Jason Donner and may be altered for content, length, or continuity.  By submitting a script, you do so under full knowledge that you loose creative freedom of it.  (That disclaimer is just for legal purposes... I rarely ever drastically alter a script).
6. In the event that an outline or script is rejected, a list of reasons will be sent to you.  You can rewrite and resend it if you wish.
7. The season finales are off limits.  The big summer story projects have already been reserved until the end of the series.

Hold up there, tiger... What the hell is an outline?

An outline is one or two paragraphs that tells your entire story from beginning to end.

What format do you accept episodes in?

Final Draft would be excellent.  If you don't have that program, Text or Microsoft Word are the formats I have the easiest time with.  However, if you want to make things especially easy for me, format your script like this:

INT. SOMEPLACE - NIGHT

The above is the setting.  INT. means interior and EXT. means exterior.  The word "someplace" is substituted with where ever you want the action to take place.  After the hyphen, designate what time it is.  This paragraph here describes the setting... For example, you might say that it's a dark rainy night and lightning flashes overhead as a dark figure appears.  Lighting flashes and we see that it is NIGHTFLYER.  (Characters are always in upper case during their first appearance in a script).  Nightflyer approaches the camera and sneers.

NIGHTFLYER
(upset)
I just bought these pants and now they're getting all wet!

Don't make unnecessary line breaks. It's important that under a dialogue heading, you use (parentheses) and not [brackets] or <these things>.  When formatted, your script will look just like the scripts featured on this page.  For more tips, study them or head over to a very helpful site called http://www.screenwriting.info/.

What sort of formatting software do you use?

Final Draft 7.0.

I don't have and can't afford Final Draft!

Don't panic, a lot of people are worthless and poor and can't afford this program.   I can convert a text or word file to Final Draft screenplay format.

Can we use characters from The Liam Smith Show in our scripts?

It's discouraged, but not off limits.  However, the following characters are a definite no-no and will only cause your script to be rejected of you use them:  Liam Smith, , Chocolate Treat, Kathy Hilter, Scrappy, and Satan.

How can I keep up with all the changes and stuff in the series?

That's what the outlines are for.  If there's a major change, I'll be able to tell you ahead of time that something in your script won't work.

Can't you just post some sort of spoiler guide for writers?

I already have, but it's invitation only.  You want access, you're going to have to write a lot and impress the dookie out of us.  In the meantime, you're going to have to use the regular writing guide.

All right, I'm confused... In "Secret Origins," Oprah says that the Worldkiller crisis occurred "years ago" when later episodes say that it happened last year.  What's the deal?  What year does Justice Squad take place in?

Originally, Justice Squad was to take place three years after The Liam Smith Show and the pilot episode was scripted to reflect that.  Later, we decided that we liked making fun of current events and George W. Bush too much and decided to bring the show back to the present date. 

How can I contact the writing staff?

You can contact the staff at donner@wcc.net or at justicesquad@slightlywarped.com.

How long will this show last?

Five years.  The series will end during the Spring of 2007.

Does this series have a huge arch like The Liam Smith Show?

Yes and no... the main arch of the series is going on whether you know it or not.  What the arch is, probably won't be completely revealed until the final installment... whenever that might be.

Individual seasons, however, do have arches sort of like seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  A main threat or "big bad" shows up and is dealt with by the end of the season.

After Justice Squad ends, what's next?

Stay tuned for updates.  The next big series is coming soon!