Have you ever wanted to see some kind of Mortal Kombat series bible that details
the series' storyline and characters, all in one easy-to-find place? Well,
the Mortal Kombat Kompendium by Uppercut Editions is a pitch for just such a tome.
The basic idea of the project is to create a book that one can look to to get information
on the story and characters to help fans keep on top of it all.
Insert whatever snide remark you expect me to make here and let's move on.
I've been kindly provided with one of the early prototypes to show off, to give you guys an
idea of what the book is all about. I've also been talking with Myke Ivory, who arranged the delivery
and has been answering my questions about how much the book has changed since this early prototype.
The book will be a hardback and is definitely going to go over 200 pages,
based on what's being planned for it. Even in the prototype,
the pages are printed on a nice material, though I'm no book expert, so I can't really say much,
aside from it having a very professional feel in both its construction and its layout.
The prototype begins with a lengthy summary of the entire storyline. These eight columns just
covering MK1 to Deadly Alliance seem like a lot, but this is just the simplified version designed
for a compact pitch. The final version will include screenshots and will be 8-10 pages long.
I notice a lack of Special Forces in the prototype and am very disappointed. What doesn't disappoint,
however, is that the team have been in talks with numerous MK writers, such as John Tobias,
John Vogel and Shawn Kittelsen, to get clarifications on certain plot points to make
this as accurate and authentic as possible. Again, imagine some snide remark and let's move on.
Next, we have a page for each game, detailing the premise,
presentation and rosters of each. I've been assured that the final version will be using
higher quality portraits than what is seen here. These guys are constantly on the prowl
for higher quality assets than what they have, which bodes well for the final look.
We have sections on minigames and realms, and then we get to the characters.
We get an in-depth bio on the character, mostly written by Razor from the Netherkast,
so you know it's gonna be accurate; a showcase of their abilities that includes screenshots
from the 3D Era, which is nice; a Fatality showcase; and the Threads of War section,
which shows off every costume the character has had in the games. Recent advancements on PC
have the team quite excited for how helpful they'll be to this section, in particular.
Again, this build is a basic prototype, which is being overhauled. For one,
the two pages per character on unlockable gear in MK11 has been axed, which I think is for the best.
It cuts down on the number of pages and it would date the book a bit too much in the long run.
I've also been provided with a screenshot of the updated version of Scorpion's section.
As you can see, the biography's been upgraded with screenshots of key story moments and a
trivia section has been added, along with new renders. I've not seen the page that the Threads
of War section has been moved to, but I'm told each character will get 2-4 pages, depending
on their prominence, which include concept art pages and a larger Threads of War section.
Additionally, the book will be acknowledging retcons as retcons. So, for example,
Sindel's bio won't act like the MK11 retcon was always a part of her story.
Each part of the bios will be written as was intended at the time, with changes
being acknowledged neutrally. So, it's probably for the best I'm not a writer on this book or
I'd likely jeopardise the whole project by saying something nasty about the changes.
We then have a section on minor characters; one for all the guests,
which will be at least twice as long by the time MK11 fully wraps;
a section for MK appearances in other games, which isn't part of this build, sadly; one for arenas;
and one for the MKX comic. It will also have sections for species, the pantheon, and relics.
The Arenas one is particularly interesting. The prototype only shows a few stages, including two
versions of Kahn's Arena. I'm told the final version will have every incarnation of every
stage, so expect multiple rows of just The Pit, Goro's Lair or Kahn's Arena. Absolute mad lads.
Interestingly, the number of arenas per page has gone from twelve to nine, presumably to allow for
more information per stage. And it's gonna be around thirty pages, I'm told. Again, mad lads.
Additional sections that will be included in the book, but weren't in the prototype include
a section for all the Finisher types; a section on the digitisation process of the original trilogy;
and a section on key developers from Midway, Acclaim and Netherrealm.
One of the coolest things about this book, as it stands currently, is that the team are open
to suggestions for inclusions. For example, I proposed the idea of a showcase of the evolution
of some of the more iconic finishers, like Toasty and Head Rip, and the team are considering it. It
might not make it into this already lengthy tome, but if it does, just think of me and the fact that
you're not subscribed to my channel, every time you look at that section in the final product.
Overall, I think this is a really cool project. The team have a clear love for the franchise and
a desire to do right by it and the fans. They have a lot of talent, as showcased by their
ability to create a very professional product, even just for a short pitch. Unfortunately,
this is all being funded out-of-pocket by the team, and I would so hate to see all
that effort and passion go to waste on a project that ultimately goes nowhere. Especially since,
the team do intend to make similar books for other fighting game franchises, should this one succeed.
So, what can you do to help? You can follow the Mortal Kombat Encyclopedia
Project on Facebook and Twitter (links in the description), and by voicing your
interest in the project to Netherrealm and WB Games. I mean, Mileena's in MK11 now,
so why not make this the thing you keep asking for now? Obviously, don't be quite that obsessive,
but how will they know how many people are interested if we don't make our voices heard?
I, for one, really hope this project gets made officially. MK misses out
on a lot of cool merchandise you see with so many other franchises,
and the thought of getting something MK-related from a group of passionate fans as an official
project is so damn cool, we'd be fools not to help this thing get made, however we can.
I'd like to thank Myke and the other guys at Uppercut Editions for sending me the prototype
and for answering my questions about the book. If you'd like to know more about the book,
be sure to check out the Facebook and Twitter pages, and listen to Myke's appearance on the
Realm Kast, where he talked about the book more in-depth, as well as these other podcast
appearances he's made that I've linked in the description. Here's hoping we can get this
thing published by at least the series' 30th Birthday. The clock is ticking, Netherrealm.