Your first project at Lucasfilm Games was Loom. How did you come up with the fantasy storyline in Loom? Where did you draw your inspiration for the game?
The fundamental inspiration for the game was the title itself. "Loom" is a luscious word with many diverse meanings. It suggests weaving, but also "looming" in the sense of towering over something, evoking mountains, power and menace. It also shares the sound of words that bring to mind feelings of darkness and secrecy, such as gloom, womb and tomb.
Out of this line of thought came the Weavers, an ancient craft guild secretly managing the fabric of reality. Throw in a dose of Mythology 101, an undead bad guy and my trademark fondness for extra dimensions, and you get what eventually became Loom, the game.
Once the basic concept was settled, I discussed it with Gary Winnick, the lead animator, and Mark Ferrari, the background artist. We found ourselves gravitating towards Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty as a model for the look and feel of the game. Sleeping Beauty has a very distinct aesthetic, unlike any other Disney film. The production designer for the film was Eyvand Earle, a painter known for his flat, stylized shapes and planes. Mark did an amazing job adapting this look to the 16-color EGA pallette.
The other major influence was Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake. It's one of my favorite pieces of music. The majestic sweep and melancholy atmosphere seemed perfect for a wistful story like Loom. All of the music for the game was transcribed note-by-note from Tchaikovsky's score. I also borrowed the swans, the owls and a few other elements from the scenario of the ballet.
You had previously said that Loom was the first game of a planned trilogy adventure, followed by Forge and The Fold. What were the supposed storylines in these sequels? What tie over in the characters (such as Bobbin Threadbare) would exist in the sequels?
Loom wasn't actually written with a trilogy in mind. But after it was finished, there was vague interest in continuing the story. In discussing this possibility, I imagined two sequels. The first was tentatively called Forge. It tells the story of Bobbin's friend Rusty Nailbender, whose home city (the Forge of the Blacksmiths) was enslaved by Chaos near the end of Loom. Rusty becomes the leader of an underground movement to overthrow Chaos, together with Fleece Firmflanks of the Shepherds and new characters from the other Guilds. Bobbin appears every now and then as a ghostly swan dispensing mystical advice, an obvious nod to Obi-Wan Kanobi of Star Wars. The story climaxes in a terrible battle that nearly destroys the world.
The third game, The Fold, is about Fleece Firmflanks and her attempt to unite the shattered Guilds in a final, desperate effort to banish Chaos. Near the end of the game, when the cause appears hopeless, Bobbin and the Weavers swoop in like the proverbial cavalry to save the day. The Loom of the Weavers is remade, reality is healed, and peace is restored to the Guilds.
But this was all just talk. I was busy with other projects, and nobody else felt strongly enough about the games to make a commitment. So Forge and The Fold never got made.
How likely is it in the future that you or LucasArts be involved in making a sequel to Loom or even a remake of the original Loom? What may it take for a revival of the franchise to occur?
Some years after I left LucasArts, I had a conversation with the then-current president of the division about the possibility of a remake and/or sequel to Loom. But he left soon afterward in a corporate upheaval, a Lucasfilm specialty. At this point, the franchise seems unlikely to be revived.
What is an interesting tidbit about Loom that is least known by its fans?
While Gary Winnick developed most of the animation in the game, a few choice bits were created by other artists. Steve Purcell, the creator of Sam and Max, was asked to produce the scene in which Bishop Mandible is killed by Chaos. He responded with the hilarious, over-the-top sequence in which the Bishop's body is blown to pieces, and his severed head flies directly into the camera!
Another terrific artist, Ken Macklin, created the amazing special effect where a flock of swans soars away from Loom Island holding a shred of reality in their beaks. I was blown away when he showed it to me. It was a simple, economical and beautiful way to express an almost indescribable event.
There are now at least two fan-made sequels of Loom in the making. What do you think of these fan-based efforts to revive the series? Have you ever been involved in any fan-based project related to Loom?
Over the years, I've been contacted by a number of people interested in continuing the story. Some of them have emailed me concept art. But I don't control the property, so they are free to take it wherever they want, as long as they are respectful towards Lucasfilm's copyrights. Lawsuits are another Lucasfilm specialty.
