To Kristine(that's me) and members of the forum:Good Lord... I hope this Q and A thing doesn't get out of hand. Well, I'm going to answer as much as I can in this one shot. First of all, I am aware of the message board at greenspun.com, and have been fascinated by the continuing interest in Aeon Flux. I'm very appreciative of all the support for a show that finished it's brief run over four years ago. I've chosen not to participate in the discussion because I think that to answer everyone's questions would be the surest way to kill the multitude of speculations and interpretations going on. It happened before when I posted messages on the old Mtv message board on AOL. I prefer to let the episodes, flawed though many of them are, speak for themselves. Viewing film should stimulate the viewer's own creativity. I don't believe that in a work of fiction, the viewer's understanding is less valid than was intended by the author. The fact that it may not agree with the origional intent does not make it wrong. Check out the following page for an essay I wrote on the subject for Animation World Magazine: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue3.4/3.4pages/3.4chung.html Regarding many points related to individual episodes, I'll suggest that folks get the May 1997 issue of Cinefantastique Magazine. You'll find many of your questions answered there in extensive interview and episode guide. The article runs 17 pages. You can get it from: http://www.cfq.com/faq.html (ask for the version with Aeon Flux on the cover. It's a rare item that wasn't sold in newsstands). Having said all this, I'll answer one of the questions you pose, regarding the doll in The Purge, since it's one of my favorite moments in the series. The Custodians are a physical embodiment of a vaporous notion-human concience. Does concience really exist, or is it just a way of convincing ourselves that a center for moral judgement resides within us, thus lending our judements a natural authority? As always, Trevor prefers to provide a tangible solution. He can't tolerate uncertainty. Whether it is real or not, Trevor understands the usefulness of the belief in conscience as a tool for practical ends, the improvement of society. In the end, the doll which emerges from the Custodian reveals to us that Trevor's artifical conscience, like the classic notion, is nothing more than a flimsy gimmick, a parlor trick, a plaything of the mind powered by circular process. (Advocating the existence of conscience usually involves an appeal of conscience.) Notice that Trevor himself winds up the toy while in the train earlier in this episode. As for your friend's(that would be you, Paul) questions: Obviously his question regarding writing for animation vs. live-action is a very complicated question which would take hours to address. Also, if he has to ask it, he's not going to get it even if he reads an answer. Sorry, but each writer must find his own path. Ragarding feature film projects: I've been involved in several feature development projects in recent years. Last year, I was getting set to do Barberella as an adult animated feature, Warner Bros. aquired the rights, and it's being developed there as a live action movie. The Aeon Flux feature is still being planned at Mtv films, which is a development of Paramount pictures. Much time and money was lost during the writing of the first version of the script, which involved a couple of big names in Hollywood (you'd rather not know). I was not involved except for a few conversations with the writer they chose. I read that version, was horrified, said so to Mtv, and was relieved when they agreed with me. Since then, spurred by the success of The Matrix, which in many ways demonstrated what an Aeon Flux movie might look like in live action, Mtv films has renewed it's interest in moving forward. (I don't doubt that Aeon Flux was one of the many sources of inspiration for The Matrix-- that film's designer, Geoff Darrow, is a friend and Aeon fan.) Of course, my hope is still one day to do an Aeon Flux animated feature. When and if the live action version gets going again, I will likely be more involved than before-- these things depend on the openness of the director, producer and writer. As you know, Mtv owns Aeon Flux; they'll do with it what they will, with or without me. Meanwhile, I've been working on an original character that I'm planning to unveil later this yeat-- if the Checkers/Rally's commercials don't continue to consume all my time and energy. I'm looking forward to seeing the public reaction to this new character. It's a truly far-out concept loaded with possibilities. I'm currently much more excited with this than by doing any more Aeon. Then again, if I did more Aeon Flux, I'd take it in a different direction again, much like the change from the shorts to the series. Thanks for the tip on the book "Techgnosis". I'll look it up. Lately I've been impressed with the work of Greg Egan. "Permutation City" and "Quarantine" have both been provocative and entertaining. Fortunately you caught me with some spare time (Memorial Day, ect.) In the future, if people want to post questions, I'll answer a select few, as tme permits. Thanks again for all your support. Be patient, Aeon Flux will return... Peter Chung

-- Frostbite (mbkrooks@bellsouth.net), May 29, 2000

Answers

Break out the keg, boys, we party tonight!

-- Frostbite (mbkrooks@bellsouth.net), May 29, 2000.

Oh my god! It's the real god of the site, introduced through the lesser incarnation! That was most gracious of you, Mr. Peter Chung, and we do love you and your work. We will be waiting with much anticipation for anything you do, but as always, their is a collective heartbeat extra around here for Fon Flux. Break out the keg is right, Miss Frostbite, and extra petals and incense to you. Bye the way, I went out this memorial day in my new boat, her name: Fon Flux.

-- Barb e. (Suesuesbeo@aol.com), May 29, 2000.

That's absolutely wicked. Thanks, Frostbite. Maybe after we give him a sufficient break from all the madness we can compile a thread of questions and select 10-15 to send. Even if we've seen the last of Fon Flux I'm certain we all have a lot to look forward to with this new character he mentioned. I'll be waiting with bated breath! And a gun and a pack of sandwiches!

-- eskimonkey (eskimonkey@hotmail.com), May 29, 2000.

Oh the memories! Reading this post again by Peter Chung is delightful, 'Aeon Flux will return'. Doesn't your heart skip a beat on that one? I have to wonder if the film at MTV is still in the background with any possiblity. At any rate, the interesting thing about going out on my boat that I did NOT mention is that I had just bought her. Only a simple v-hull aluminum fishing boat. Not as exciting as my fantasy of us all having a party on a small yacht someday...but anyhow I got a great price for her and on memorial day I found out why; as soon as she was launched she began gushing lake water in by the buckets through an opening in a seam. All I could think as we bailed in vain, was 'Aeon always died! What am I thinking naming a boat after her'?

-- Barb e. (Suesuebeo9@cs.com), December 27, 2001.