SPOILERS Gaspode the Wonder Dog (maybe Spoilers)

[A Dirty Lurker]

So I've just finished Men at Arms (absolutely brilliant!) and was hoping at some point it would explain how he came to still be alive after Moving Pictures. In moving pictures he met his death in the burning cinema yet miraculously appears in Men at Arms. Does this become clear in later books (if so please dont say how it comes to be as I dont want it spoiling) or did Terry like the character so much he brought him back to life and thought no one would remember.

Thanks in advance

 

[Sjoerd3000]

If I remeber correctly Gaspode survives Moving Pictures, he's rescued together with Laddie

 

[raptornx01]

yeah, gaspode survived.

Spoiler

it was laddie that died

 

[A Dirty Lurker]

Damn my short term memory!! I was certain the last scene that Gaspode was mentioned in in MP was in the burning wreckage?

 

[Tonyblack]

I read somewhere that in the original draft of Moving Pictures, Terry killed Gaspode off. One of his editors insisted that he rewrite that bit so Gaspode survived.

 

[raptornx01]

that woulda been, kinda dark. considering.

 

[A Dirty Lurker]

I need to get a copy of moving pictures again and read the end bit where he escapes

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

Lassie definitely rescues Gaspode

 

[A Dirty Lurker]

Ive just reread it, sorry for wasting everyones time, i must have got confused cos i'd remembered death appeared but he actually came for laddie and then the trolls rescued Gaspode. Like i say my memory is rubbish!

 

[S@mwich]

Wasnt it that laddie got saved by some humans, but gaspode got left there and died, but then death came in and flipped his lifetimer over, and as that happened (out of coincidence) the holy wood spell thingy wore off and he was just gaspode after that? But I guess that still dosent explain his ability to talk and think human in susaquent books

 

[A Dirty Lurker]

Nah Gaspode thought Death had cone for them both but he had only come for Laddie then at that point the trolls managed to get the cellar door open that was trapped. Once Gaspode got out of the cellar the Holy Wood mojo wore off leaving him as just a Normal dog. He'd been eating out of one of the bins out the back off UU in Men at Arms and ate some magic coated garbage allowing him to talk again.

 

[Tonyblack]

This may be a well known fact, but the family who trained the dogs for the Lassie movies (despite the name, the dogs were male, not female) was called Weatherwax.

 

[raptornx01]

Not well known by me

thats cool.

 

[Turtles4Ever]

This may be a well known fact, but the family who trained the dogs for the Lassie movies (despite the name, the dogs were male, not female) was called Weatherwax.

My word - great find.

 

[TimBou]

Glad there is a thread about Gaspode anyway even though it appears rumours of his death were greatly exaggerated. My favourite Gaspode sub-plot so far is The Truth (Deep Bone!), though I haven't read the Fifth Elephant yet, where he apparently reprises his role with Angua in Men at Arms.

 

[Tonyblack]

Gaspode is very good in Fifth Elephant.

 

[raptornx01]

shame that, outside "The Truth", once he assumes the role of Foul Ole Ron's Thinking Brain Dog he pretty much becomes obscure (most of the times not even being named.)

 

[Tonyblack]

I think he went off people a bit after the Fifth Elephant. Foul Old Ron was a good place to hide out, where even certain Watch members would have a job finding him.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Fifth Elephant is a good book I have been listening to it on audio, it's in my top 5 now.