Implications of Moving the HA! Gang into the 5th Grade

Hi guys,

Some of us have been talking about the possibility of a pilot episode, and many of us are starting to agree that the first episode should have the HA! gang starting out as 5th graders. This can be a good thing because it gives the characters and us (readers and staff alike) a fresh new start, so that we can "fall back in groove" with HA! However, doing so will have it's implications about future fanmade storylines:

1) There will be still some inconsistencies in the chronological order of events. The original HA! series had the same problem. (E.g. Arnold's Valentines came before Thanksgiving; the episodes "Heat" and "Snow" were showed right next to each other, ect.) Episodes of the original series were aired as if showing random clips of their fourth grade year with no chronological order in mind, but still keeping in mind of the events of past episodes (e.g. Simmons sticking with the series despite chronological inconsistencies). Given that the gang starts out as 5th graders, the HA6S project will have the same deal; there will be chronological inconsistencies that we just have to face and accept. For one thing, we have to pretend that "The Journal" doesn't exist. Doing so will allow us to produce episodes beyond Oct 5 (date of "The Journal"), such as episodes in the winter/spring/summer. However, this also means that episodes beyond Oct 5 will not reflect anything that has happened in The Journal, nor anything that will happen in TJM. For example, an episode set in the winter will not have Arnold and Helga as a couple, nor will Arnold have his parents back. And when "The Journal" / TJM happens, we have to pretend that the characters remembered everything that has happened so far in the "sixth season". In conclusion, you're going to have to accept that there is no way we can show the episodes in chronological order.

2) Missing characters. No more Marie and Connie, because they already graduated.

3) Some things remain the same. It is most likely that Simmons will be their 5th grade teacher. Plus, there's most likely not going to be a change in outfits (given what we saw in "The Journal"). So that means that the HA! gang won't be getting any fancy new clothing (unless it's canonical).
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Edit to #3: But, it shouldn't be too bad if outfit designs changed once in a while (as long as the outfits are not too out of character). Artists should be given the liberty of messing with their clothing designs once in a while. However, if artists do not know what to pick for the characters' clothes, they should default to the 4th grade outfits. In conclusion, we'll probably be getting a mix of old and new clothing for the characters.
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#2 and #3 are a bit trivial; it's #1 that's going to be the important that we have to agree on. If the first episode is going to have the gang start out as 5th graders, we're going to have to accept that chronological inconsistencies is going to be a trivial thing, so that we don't limit ourselves in terms of possible storylines.

Give your feedback on whether or not you are okay with these implications, add any further implications you can think of, ect. Thank you!

1) I don't see the problem with episodes coming before or after "The Journal". We can sort of make the assumption that he found the map and then was unable to do anything with that information for awhile. I always had sort of assumed he wouldn't win the essay contest until the second half of the year anyway and that it'd sort of be on the back burner for most of the episodes.

Besides, we were already probably going to have a wonky timeline depending on the story ideas that we pick up or leave out. That's part of the old HA! charm.

2) Not a huge deal. Maria and Connie were only very minor characters anyway and Ruth had basically been written out of the show aside from a few cameos in later seasons. We'll still have the old Fifth Grade gang at least. :3

3) Well, I'm kind of planning on messing around with designs. Just because the show puts them in the same outfits all the time, doesn't mean I have to, right? I figure as long as each character is physically recognizable than clothing/hair/etc. being perfect is much less important.


Basically, I dig the upgrade to 5th grade. It'll actually feel like a step forward, I think.

Actually I'm not sure if marking explicitly that all of our episodes follow the canonical episodes is a good idea. HA! episodes hardly have any oder at all. You can mix all the episodes of all the seasons and it looks okay. Of course there are some exceptions (Mr. Simmons episodes follow Ms. Slovak episodes; Lila episodes follow "Miss Perfect"; "Arnold Visits Arnie" follows "Weird Cousin"), but generally it's true.

We can make "The First Day of the School" episode, but we should not tell how it's chronologically related to the other episodes, and we should not imply that all the new episodes belong to the fifth grade.

If we actually put them in the fifth grade, I don't think there should be too big of a problem/difference. It's not like we're going to explicitly remind the audience in every episode that they're now 5th graders. One episode is good enough for the audience to remember it. Given the order that we release the episodes, the audience should be able to infer that the episodes occur after previous episodes, otherwise we have a very, very sad audience. So you shouldn't have to worry about explicitly reminding the audience that they're in 5th grade, b/c once is enough.

We should not imply that all the new episodes belong to the fifth grade.

I think that once you show the first episode of them as fifth graders, it's kinda hard *not* to imply that the rest of the episodes take in the fifth grade.

I agree, we won't have to keep reminding people that they'd be in the fifth grade. And if we DO decide to it can be like they did it in the show every once in a while. With Bob saying Helga was a different age or grade and her correcting him or something. That being said, I think it'd be awesome to put them in a new grade. It's like a new start, with new things that usually would happen in the 5th grade that wouldn't in the 4th (like the kids having to decide if they're gonna be like Wolfang and co. and trash the fourth graders like on 'Longest Monday (I think that was the name of the episode)'.

That would mean yet one Christmas, yet one Thanksgiving etc.; that's what you mean, Mony?

That too! Depending on if it's possible we could have short specials for Holidays and do something different than the specials in the show. We could even focus on other characters. Maybe a Christmas party, or a graveyard dare on Halloween (Though I suppose that's sort of like Ghost Bride... But the girls could be included too. Girls vs Boys: who's more chicken? Maybe another urban legend can come out of it as well XD), etc. etc. Just a thought |D

Yeah, of course we need urban legends.

"And Girls vs Boys: who chickens first" sounds like a very good idea.

"And if we DO decide to it can be like they did it in the show every once in a while. With Bob saying Helga was a different age or grade and her correcting him or something."

Check out my post on the "Pilot Episode" thread on the first page. (LOL, i didn't copy off what you said, I swear.)

Squirreltamer wrote:3) Well, I'm kind of planning on messing around with designs. Just because the show puts them in the same outfits all the time, doesn't mean I have to, right? I figure as long as each character is physically recognizable than clothing/hair/etc. being perfect is much less important.

I think that artists should be given the liberty of choosing their own outfit designs (as long as it's not too out of character). It's just that if artists don't know what to pick for the characters clothes, they should default to the 4th grade outfits.

The thing I like about HA! is that it's mainly the bodily features that makes each character so identifiable, not just their clothing. So messing with designs shouldn't be too bad.

There could be some episodes we could do, that occur before The Journal. Maybe, their 1st day of school, transitioning from fourth to fifth?

What about Jamie-O? Is he supposed to still be in high school? Was he a senior when Arnold's gang were in 4th grade? Is Olga still in college in Alaska?

You know the dress that Helga wore in Arnold's Valentine? (well, skirt and shirt) maybe that could be her 5th grade outfit, and she could wear her hair down instead of in pigtails?

Well, I don't know about the other artists, but I don't really want to confine myself to any one outfit. If I have the opportunity, then i am definitely going to play around with designs.

buckysbone wrote:There could be some episodes we could do, that occur before The Journal. Maybe, their 1st day of school, transitioning from fourth to fifth?

What about Jamie-O? Is he supposed to still be in high school? Was he a senior when Arnold's gang were in 4th grade? Is Olga still in college in Alaska?

The first episode is looking like it's going to be their first day of school as 5th graders. Jamie-O is either in high school or college now, considering that he can drive a car. I don't know what the minimum driving age is for in the USA. I'd say that we should still stick Olga in Alaska; give Helga a little breathing room.

ElegantVamp wrote:You know the dress that Helga wore in Arnold's Valentine? (well, skirt and shirt) maybe that could be her 5th grade outfit, and she could wear her hair down instead of in pigtails?

I'm not too sure about that outfit, because it'd be such a big clue (not just to Arnold, but to others) as to who fake-Cecile really was. I'm pretty sure Gerald would put the two together, because he saw fake-Cecile before, and we want to keep Gerald's knowing of Helga's love for Arnold canonical/debatable/controversial as much as possible.

Squirreltamer wrote:Well, I don't know about the other artists, but I don't really want to confine myself to any one outfit. If I have the opportunity, then i am definitely going to play around with designs.

Go ahead. I'd still stick their 4th grade outfits in every once in a while to keep it consistent with "The Journal", but other outfits are fine too.

Oh yeah, I forgot about Cecile. I would submit some ideas but I don't know how to put them on the internet...

Agree with Tendra about the outfits.

It's cool to see the characters wearing something unusual, but we should not abandon the idea of what is unusual, and what is usual for them.

And of course no Fake Cecile outfit, unless Helga wants to be Fake Cecile again.

ElegantVamp wrote:Oh yeah, I forgot about Cecile. I would submit some ideas but I don't know how to put them on the internet...

I'm not sure what you meant by ideas; do you mean outfit designs or written episode ideas?

If it's text you want to post on this forum, go to a forum category. On the upper left hand corner (above all existing threads), there's a button that says "New Topic". Click that and you can now write a new thread.

If it's pictures you're talking about, you need to first have the pictures on your computer. If you're doing your art digitally, then that's not a problem. If you're drawing them by hand and you want it on your computer, then you're going to need a scanner. Once you have an artfile, you can post a new thread/reply on the forums. There will be a button above the box where you type your text - it's called "Host an image". Upload your artfile, and it will give you a url to your pic. Click the button called "Image", copy and past the url in, and then press "Ok". Your picture should be directly viewable on the forums when you do that. Click the button "Preview" to make sure everything's all right.

Hope that answered your question. Let me know if it didn't.

O.O Where do you get a scanner?

You're going to have to buy one if you don't have one. Futureshop, Bestbuy, ect. Look around in your electronic stores. Or shop online if you really want to, but I personally perfer to buy my things in person.

ElegantVamp wrote:O.O Where do you get a scanner?

They usually come built in with your printer (depending on the kind of printer you get). That's how you get pencil sketches onto the computer. They can be kind of expensive though and we don't expect you to run out and buy one just for this project.

You can also take pictures of anything you draw with a digital camera, upload them to your computer and then put them on a site like photobucket to share with other people.

oohh fan art x]

HELGA G. PATAKI

another fan art x]



Arnold (5th Grade ?)

PS.218

Well, it is not a the page for proposing fanart (on the other hand what page is? "Artwork for Feedback" does not seem appropriate either), and you should mention the authorship. Helga was drawn by KingCheetah, and Arnold by Latinart.

This isn't the place for fanart. It especially isn't a place for fanart that you didn't make yourself and aren't crediting or explaining why you're posting it in the first place. :\

Can you give an explanation for why you posted that here?