GCPA Finale

The Golden Cheesecake Pirate Armada Finale: The End Complete

Hi, I'm Marko Lamela alias Second Mate Chef Lupine Shadow of the GCPA interviewing writer and Co-creator of the GCPA John Murro alias First Mate Que Pasa. Hi there John.

Hello Lupine. Nice to be here.

Readers have been wondering what's become of the GCPA, there hasn't been any real new adventures in almost two years. Was the concept dropped or is it continuing forward?

It was dropped quite a few times, like a few babies. Often landing on its head. Many attempts to revive the series, such as the movie, the Bronze Cobra Conspiracy arc and the 411 series, have more or less failed. So have the attempts to make a finale with the group as a whole. In a way, you can see the finale as both dropping it for good and continuing forward in the same time. It will lead the crew towards a final ending, but at the same time leave it open for current adventures. The finale can in fact be considered the finale for the current era of the GCPA stories and all of the plots (if you can all anything in GCPA a "plot") that have built up since our high school days.

You mentioned failed attempts to revive the series, can you share a few of the ideas or general plots that would have been flowed had these series came to light. Also what caused the failure of these series?

Well you see, there's a variety of reasons and attempts. Looking back, the stagnation really started when we were working on The GCPA Sequel. I guess the plot got convoluted and the other writers lost interst over time. However, years later I was able to slap on an ending with the remainder of the ideas I had for that particular OG. Then during junior year, the failed attempts to film a GCPA movie began. These were mostly beset by bad planning, lack of interest and everyone's conflicting interests combined. The movie wasn't supposed to be good, but to stand as a memorial of our high school adventures of the GCPA. The plot of the movie, involving big battles with Vikings as well as the origins of The Guz, would wind up being pushed ahead into other projects that have yet to be written.

What about this Bronze Cobra Conspiracy, I remember you speaking of it highly once and then it fizzled out. What were you're plans for it and where would it have gone? Did it also die because of the collective writers?

Yes, I was just getting to that. As we entered Junior Year, I made several more attempts to jump start the series and get people in the chats again. There were several sidequests that set up plots we never followed up on, such as Aahnold being dethroned as president. Then there was the Bronze Cobra Conspiracy... it started off as an idea for a cool government conspiracy-type thing loosely based on Justice League Unlimited's Project Cadmus. This was actually somewhat successful. We got some people writing again, and that was also when we gained a new ally when we recruited Bianca/White Panther, one of the only two new members admitted since freshman year. However, it also became apparent that others had declining interest. Despite a strong start, people such as Stampede, Edwin and Curry stopped showing up or contributing much. The arc actually stopped just after its penultimate installment for a few reasons... indeed because it was difficult to get all the main writers online at the same time, and I had at least wanted both Stampede and White Panther there for their character's first meeting. I also really didn't have many good ideas for the Bronze Cobra's identity and their ultimate experiment (which at one point was going to be The Guz's creation). That's why I've ultimately skipped over that time period for the more recent GCPA projects, such as the 411 series.

Tell us about that.

Of course. I had been planning to do something with the GCPA in our school's television program, the 411, since we became part of the TV Production program. After all, we had the tools to make something great. Edwin did discourage me, but Meyer showed interest in the GCPA. That led me to work on the Christmas Special, which would be a springboard for a six-part epic. It was based around the remaining crewmates who were in the TV Production program, and this would also include The Guz's origin as well as his battle for his soul. His changing relationship with White Panther would be the heart of the epic, and it would be about his turn to the dark side. But everything went wrong, one by one. There was Bianca's injury and conflicts with other TV Pro projects that stopped us from filming it in time for Christmas... everything taking longer than expected to film and edit... until it was finally shown in freaking March I think. A few more episodes were still scripted, and scenes for Episode 2 had started filming, but the last straw came when no one in the school populace understood or liked it. That led to me becoming disillusioned for the GCPA for what would seem to be the last time and giving up on it almost completely. I realized my ambitions were too big for the projects I was working on, so they would never truly have gotten done. That was my last attempt to revive the GCPA until I began putting thoughts into making the last chapter of the GCPA, the GCPA FInale, several months ago.

Now that we've gotten the info on these past attempts let's get to that, there very reason this interview began, the GCPA Finale. What's the story behind this plot, what characters are involved/playing leads.

As you can guess, this story is about the end of the Golden Cheesecake Pirate Armada. In previous stories you have seen the crew being separated or a member temporarily turning evil, but this is the first and last time that you will see the crew fully disband. It is about how dreams are born and die. As for the roster, you will see all pirates past and present- including those whose souls were sold. The first chapter, which I kinda wrote based on a The Office-based style, shows what's happened when these pirates are forced to mingle after being separated for all these years, with bad blood, awkwardness and hilarity ensuing. Other subplots in the early chapters will include Scruffy seeking an heir as well as the secret past of the pirates' ghost ship, Que Pasa running away from home and going on an adventure with a shady girl, and the advancement of romantic subplots such as Stampede and White Panther. Later chapters will include one based on a planned episode of the GCPA, simply entitled "Mr. Guz Goes to Washington". There will be a prom chapter too. Of course, it isn't all laughs and action this time. I am attempting to seep into more serious waters here, which you shall see deepening as the series progresses until you see it reach its peak with a heartbreaking downer ending. There will also be the secret pasts of The Guz and Bob Saget (as well as other unexpected characters) after being put off and embellished for so long. It is hard to tell who will be leading... of course there is Scruffy, who is attempting to fight off the final fate of his crew; Que Pasa, trying to find his place in the world; Stampede being forced to take up responsibility for someone who cares for; Skanky Siren and White Panther will also have their evolutions throughout. Even minor characters such as Karl, Nemo and Rudolph will have character development as we continue onward. No Name and Edwin have romantic subplots, and Lupine... well I'll think of something.

Lol I guess my own character is the only one not important to the story right now huh?

I would not say that- he still has a very strong presence in the stories. At the moment, though, he just does not have any particularly story arc of his own. Unless you count his dwindling dedication to the GCPA, which is something that occurs to the rest of the pirates towards the end of the series. He will still get a crowning moment of awesome, as will each pirate at least once throughout the finale.

Glad to hear that. You stated though that this is the end of an era, does that mean that the GCPA are over completely now that all of it's crew members have seperated from one another or do you plan on going to a different era? I heard talk of a GCPA Babies series, does that mean you're changing the overall origin stories?

Well, whether or not the series continues after this will depend on whether or not the other writers will want to continue writing afterwards. I won't say much about the status of the pirates at the end, except that it will make it easier to write future stories. This will mark the end of the high school era and will be the last GCPA stories in this canon that I will write by myself. Afterwards, a new era can only begin if the other writers will participate as well. I might still work on the GCPA Babies, however. I am glad you mentioned that, as part of the GCPA Babies I've written so far shall indeed be written into the finale at some point. As for changing origin stories, most characters didn't exactly have origin stories to begin with. The story will play with the GCPA's normal standards of discontinuity and absurdity. In a way it is like a parody of the GCPA, which itself is already a self-parody, which is enough to make one's head explode.

I know mine did. Well as we reach the end of this interview I can only ask if you, Que Pasa, have anything else you'd like to add. Perhaps the release date for this story or an official request for help.

Right, I forgot about that. Also reminds me I should work in the girl in Lupine's photo. As for my general statements, I hope that everyone will read it. The true purpose of the GCPA shall be revealed, and it will be a wild ride. As for the release date... the first part should be up somewhere from tonight to within the next few days, and the second part is already about 80 percent complete. I'm not sure when all the other parts will be available yet. I also appreciate any offers of help and will come up to particular people when I need something from them, but if anyone has something specific they want to add they can come to me. With hope, it will be the ultimate epic.

Well I know I hope it'll be epic. That about wraps about the questions I have, thank you for being here tonight Que Pasa.

Anytime Lupine, thank you for this interview. (walks behind couch and pretends to be walking down stair case) Shine on, you crazy diamonds.

lol

The Story

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

Chapters in GCPA Finale

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7