Informals '14 Part 5: Popular Characters

 By  Pavithra Tagore, 1st Year IEM                                                                                                  

       Shreya Guddin ,1st Year IEM

1.       X is the alter ego of his creator. In the novel series, X’s publisher’s name, Jonas Faukman is an anagram of X’s creator, Jason Kaufman. Quoting directly from the book about a frequently referred to accessory: “Although its juvenile dial often drew odd looks, X had never owned any other ______; Disney animations had been his first introduction to the magic of form and colour, and Mickey now served as X's daily reminder to stay young at heart.” This popular novel series featuring X has been adapted into films. Who is X?

2.       The comic book character Batman was partially inspired by X.  Batman himself resembles X, making use of his wide knowledge of peculiar things in order to solve cases. Also like X, Batman has an immense knowledge in different hand to hand combat techniques that range from boxing to Asian martial arts. Alfred Pennyworth is a former British Army Medic who serves as Batman's confidant in moments of doubt and in head-scratching cases; he also writes about Batman and his cases; just like X’s best friend and confidant. Who is X?

3.       When a movie featuring X was made, the film’s initial copyright was held by the Quaker Oats company. Inspired by one of X’s products, the real world now has a medicinal marijuana strain named X Bubblicious. X is a fictional character from one of Roald Dahl’s novels.      Who is X?

4.       X shares his name with one of the greatest poets of the 19th century, who wrote ‘Leaves of Grass’-a poetry collection. This great poet agonized over it, making edits and additions his ENTIRE life.  He revised it over and over throughout his life and was continuing to work on making it perfect right up until his dying breath.  This was his baby, so to speak.  This was his blue ____ – the chemical compound that X perfected which gave meaning to his world.  The item that X worked meticulously on creating and then re-creating until it was the most superior product on the market. 

Who is X?

5.       The lead character of a book (also a movie), written by Ian Fleming, is X-an agent of the Secret Service. Fleming named X after the author of an ornithology guide. In the first draft of X, Fleming decided to use the name James Secretan as X’s cover name while on missions. Within the first few pages of the book, Fleming introduced most of X’s unusual habits and trademarks, which included his looks, his Bentley, his drinking and smoking habits. Fleming describes X as a compound of all the secret agents and commandos he met during the 2nd World War.

6.       “Love. The reason I dislike that word is that it means too much for me, far more than you can understand.” said X. X is a beautiful, aristocratic married woman from St. Petersburg whose pursuit of love and emotional honesty makes her an outcast from society. She despises her husband who she thinks is fake and has an illicit affair. Who is X?

7.       X claims to be a Székely descended from Attila the Hun. Lucy Westenra was X’s first victim. X was a voivode who was notably attached to Y who consumed insects and other beings to absorb their power. In the real world there is a syndrome named Y syndrome commonly exhibited by schizophrenics. X and Y please.

8.       In John Rizal’s novel, El Filibusterismo, the protagonist returns as Simoun, a rich jeweller to avenge the betrayal he experienced and recover his fiancée, Maria Clara. It is said that this tale was heavily influenced by another popular character who returns from prison with the help of a “mad priest” to avenge his betrayal. Which character are we talking about?

9.       Who was this written by?

 10.     Following is a critic review of X, a film based on the novel of the same name:

"X is such a clone of "The Lord of the Rings," it probably could lose a plagiarism suit. There's also a heavy dash of "Harry Potter". The hero is X, who lives with his uncle in a Hobbiton-like village and doesn't know he's pregnant with magical powers and destined to free his people from tyranny.  The author of the novel on which the film is based, was only 15 when he wrote it, and, frankly, it shows. Its star looks like Prince William but has no personality, and its scenes are geared to set up the franchise, with no resolution. At 104 minutes, it's more than an hour shorter than the first "Rings" installment, with none of its unity and stand-alone satisfaction. All that was missing were the hobbits.” X?