Name the spaceship contest... (There will be a prize)

[elfwitch]

As some of you may know, my husband and I are working on creating an animated series that we hope to get on the air. We are shooting for HBO or Showtime as a venue because we don't want to have to worry about limiting our stories and situations to meet the standards of network or basic cable stations.

The basic story synopsis is this:
The Adventures of Rex Raygun is a proposed thirty-minute weekly cartoon about the futuristic adventures of a reformed space pirate, turned hero. The main character, Alex Jankiewicz has his life forever altered when a scientist he rescues saves his life. The scientist implants a device in him that grants him superior human abilities, while a mysterious benefactor gives him the new identity of Rex Raygun.

The Adventures of Rex Raygun is a multi-level story with secrets built upon secrets. It explores concepts that apply to all levels of audience, from child to adolescent to adult, such as the awareness of religious identity, the ramifications of scientific exploration, the consequences of running from mistakes, and the necessity to make amends later in life for past errors.

So here is the contest. We are designing a ship for Rex Raygun. We cannot come up with a good name for the ship. I put it to the creative people here on DU to name Rex Raygun's ship. Whoever submits the winning name will get a special thanks mention in the closing credits of the show.

Just to give you an idea about what kind of ship it is. His ship is big enough to have comfortable living quarters and a small cargo area. It is the best tech available in spaceships at the time. It has weapons and "warp" speed.

Now get creative, but please don't be too silly, this is for real. You may ask for more details if it will help you come up with a name.

[Dookus]

1. The SS Sagan

[elfwitch]

5. Sagan is interesting...

We've pondered famous scientists as a theme.
No SS though, Rex is Jewish, too many weird associations with SS.

[Dookus]

11. ahh...

I was thinking "Space Ship". But you can use whatever designation exists in Rex's world :)

[Az]

2. Floyd

[Az]

3. Comedy or serious?

[elfwitch]

7. serious...

Whoever comes up with the winning name gets their name in the credits.

[7th_Sephiroth]

104. lets see

the outlaw star (oops taken)
The Invincible
The Atom Smasher
THe Star Gazer
The Brimley
Tke Ray
The raygun
The Orion
THe Grendel
the Y. Nightow
the Cold Steel
The Ahiko
The Aya
The melissa
The Eve
The Breya

[GOPisEvil]

4. Hmmmm...how about...The Redemption?

There could even be a story line on why it's called that...

[elfwitch]

8. that one is pretty good

I like it.
Keep them coming.
Me and my hubby are going to sort through the beast ones and then I am going to create a poll with the top 5-10.

[Blue-Jay]

6. The "Depends"

Or perhaps the "I Don't Recall".

[elfwitch]

9. this is serious...

I am really looking for some good ideas.

[Blue-Jay]

12. Oh! You said "Rex", not "Ron"!

I'll try harder next time.

:D

[grannylib]

10. Questions:

Is Rex truly a good guy, or is this some kind of satire about Reagan and Star Wars? I am thinking good guy from what you wrote, but wanted to clarify...
Is it his first/only ship?
Does he have/has he had in the past a love interest?
Hobbies? (I take it looting and pillaging have been left behind...)
Originally an Earthling, or space colonist; if so, where/what is colony?

That's all for now...

[elfwitch]

15. good questions...

He is a good guy. It pains me when people do the Raygun thing when referring to Reagan. Our Rex Raygun is a superhero.

This is his second ship. His first ship when he was a pirate/smuggler was The Marauder.

His love interest was a girl named Paula Cornelius.

Hobbies: dodging "The Man", he is still kind of a fugitive

Originally colonist from Mars.

[grannylib]

37. OK thanks....here's a few suggestions:

Fugitive I
Ares
Ares Evader (maybe not so warlike as Ares and gets the fugitive thing kinda in there)

[elfwitch]

39. I like the last one...

The first one would kinda be a big blinking sign saying - hey I'm not on the up and up...

Those are good ideas though. Keep em coming.

[grannylib]

41. yeah thought it was a little more subtle *lol*

[BurtWorm]

13. Semiramis

The Babylonian queen of the heavens.

[mhr]

14. Deliverance

eom

[elfwitch]

21. nice one

Of course it does kinda make me think of the movie.

[mhr]

16. Redemption

eom

[kmla]

17. A few...

Starship Median (his nemisis could pilot the "Starship Mean")- Statisticians would get this joke.
SS New Leif Erickson (turns over a new leif/leaf - and he's an explorer) Get it?
The Cargo Ship "Exceedingly Average" ('cus he's just a regular guy).

Is there satire involved? Is there more of a "smartass factor" in play here? Let us know...

[elfwitch]

25. the satire is in the story

Not in the names.
But at least you are thinking.
Give me more.
I'm going to take the list home tonight to hubby so we can wade trhough the options.

[kmla]

34. Hmmm.

How about....

Starship Edsel Gremlin - could lend itself to an interesting design...
The Parsec - the unit for astronomical measurement. Not flashy, but "spacey".
Starship Kwai Chang Caine - you probably would need approval from the writers of the original "Kung Fu" tv series for that one. Or just call it the Starship K.C. Caine...

Just letting the ideas flow...

[mhr]

18. Salvation

eom

[gulfcoastliberal]

19. "Lightyear"

"Andromeda" "Polaris" "Nebula Chaser" "Centaurion" "Procyon"
"Kentaurus" "Chamaeleon" "Borealis" "Delphinus" "Pyxis" "Altair"

Most are names of stars of constellations.

[XNASA]

20. The Corvus

Latin for "Crow" It flies, it's black, it starts with a hard consonant. It sounds cool.

[elfwitch]

23. That one is pretty cool

We'd have to make the ship black, but that isn't a big deal.

[Az]

22. The Enigma

[mhr]

24. Star Shine, Star Dust, Sun Rise, Sun Set, Pleadies ...

eom

[elfwitch]

27. Pleadies

The constellation? The Seven Sisters?

[TXlib]

59. Pleiades is the proper spelling

[Auntie Bush]

76. Those were similar to mine...Starbound, Star Struck, or

Fleetstar or Star Fleet, Moonbeam, Futurama, Speedster,
Speedo (lol) I'm trying to think childish here. The name should appeal to kids, not adults.

[elfwitch]

78. Actually the appeal is for adults...

This is not a kids cartoon.
It will be for adults with adult themes.
We are shooting for Showtime or HBO because we don't feel our content would pass on Comedy Central or Cartoon Network even in a very late night time slot.

[Mr. McD]

26. The Dauntless

(Incapable of being intimidated or discouraged; fearless.)

[elfwitch]

28. I like it but...

I think it has been done.
I think it was one of the ship names in Pirates of the Caribbean.

[Blue-Jay]

29. I think "Dauntless" was in a sci-fi book as well, IIRC

How about "The Bane"? Simple, and fitting considering Rex's background.

[elfwitch]

31. Well, he wasn't always a pirate...

He went on the run to keep the government from getting their hands on some revolutionary technology he invented. He is a super genius.

[Blue-Jay]

35. A super genius, eh? How about "Copernicus"?

He was one of the first to propose the actual order of the solar system.

[elfwitch]

38. tested well

I've been IMing these names to my hubby. He liked this one.

[BigMcLargehuge]

30. some names

The Odessa
The Aidenn
The Jellico
Manta
Sisyphus
Achillies
Star Shadow

[elfwitch]

32. The Aidenn

What is the significance of the word?

[BigMcLargehuge]

33. no real significance

it's the name of a port in Yemen, but I've always loved the name. It has a nice ring to it and would look cool on the stern of a ship.

[tigerbeat]

36. a few ideas...

1. The Redimere (it's latin for redeem - riffing on the idea above)
2. The Serce Limani (it's the harbor where the remains of the first ship known to use "modern" shipbuilding techniques was found)
3. The Bellorophon (medusa's horse. also the name of a famous british vessel in the 1700's)
4. The Kasparov (just 'cause i think a spaceship named after a chess champion would be cool)

[terrya]

40. The "Moral Imperative"

[elfwitch]

42. looking for a bit more subtle...

The ones that are peaking my hubby's interest thus far are: The Corvus and The Copernicus.

They are interesting and have hidden significance.

[terrya]

44. The Galileo.

[elfwitch]

45. Good but also been done...

One of the shuttles on the Enterprise was named Galileo.

[Blue-Jay]

46. "Galileo" was a ST-TOS shuttle name.

eom

[rucky]

43. The Ibis

n/t

[elfwitch]

48. nice one...

This ship would have to be white on this name.

[NewHampster]

47. My first suggestions

Nebulis - Nebby for short

Galaxia

Cosminia

Comet

Sprite - Gamma-ray flashes produced in Earth’s atmosphere by severe lightning storms and upper atmospheric events.


Hubble - In lasting memory

Zip




:)

[Mr. McD]

49. Niamh

Celtic Goddess, Lady of the Lake

[elfwitch]

50. Names being given SERIOUS consideration so far...

The Corvus
The Copernicus
The Ibis
The Redimere

Keep coming with the good ideas.
The more the better.

I will create a poll, most likely tomorrow or the next day with the top 5-10 choices and put it to a vote.

Other things to consider about Rex Raygun. He is Jewish. He was born on Mars. He is VERY smart. He is immortal.

[TXlib]

63. Salbatanu (Babylonian god of mars)

[grannylib]

51. a few more thoughts:

Shadowflight
Perseid I
Nova Dancer
La Novia (just to piss Paula off *lol*)

[elfwitch]

52. What is Perseid?

just curious

[northzax]

74. it's a meteor shower

at least.

[Xithras]

84. It means "from Perseus", the constellation

FYI :) The meteor shower is called the Perseid's because the stream appears to originate in the Perseus contellation to ground observers.

[grannylib]

101. The Perseid meteor showers that we often see in August

[Butterflies]

53. Salvation

Oops, I just saw someone else already suggested that one. I like it because it ties into his new upstanding life, and also with the religious stuff in your description too.

[SOteric]

54. The Hierophant

From the deck of the tarot, an interpreter of mysteries or arcane knowledge; a teacher.

Pronounced: HIRE uh font

[elfwitch]

55. neat, I like that...

I'll run it by my hubby and see what he thinks...

[GOPisEvil]

60. Now that's a cool name!

:-)

[MisterP]

56. LeGuin--excellent writer, seems appropriate

she's alive, though, and I don't know your policy on naming ships after live persons

[TXlib]

57. Dreadnaught

From a class of British warship.

[Ganja Ninja]

58. Nashira - meaning "she who brings good news"

I believe it's a star in the constellation capricorn.

[Rabrrrrrr]

61. How about "The Joha", a Jewish folktale character

who's a trickster/prankster but a good guy overall.

[elfwitch]

65. Nice with the Jewish references.

thanks

[Rabrrrrrr]

62. Or some other Jewish trickers, like Jacob or Esther

or the woman who killed the guy with the tent spike - can't think of her name.

Jacob, tricking his brother out of his birthright
Esther, tricking the king
tent spike woman tricking the bad guy

[Ready4Change]

64. Need more info on the ship.

Was it built by/for Rex?

Brand new, or retrofit from another ship type?

What was it's intended purpose?

I ask because non-recreational ships are often given names that, in some way, fit their purpose. US military ships named to honor past US military members, or past decisive battles. British navy ships giving names denoting their crews (intended) demeanor. That sort of thing.

Whereas civilian, recreational ships are more often given flippiant names.

One of my favorite things about playing sci-fi RPGs is naming ships.

[elfwitch]

66. sure...

Built by and for Rex. it is better than the latest and greatest. He has tech no one else has.

Brand spankin new.

It is his ride. He lives on it. He takes it everywhere. It is his only means of transportation.

It could be a little cheeky, but not too much.

[Ready4Change]

91. Okay, now I've something to chew on.

The ship is Rex's. It's his personal ride. Now you need to think "how does Rex think?"

Is he a bit egotistical? He might choose a name like "Starbane" or "Hell Driver."

Does he take himself lightly? Poke fun at himself? "The Yellow Streaker" or "Fearfull Runner."

Does he want to take a bit of home along with him? Or need a pal? "Ol' Red," "Myrtle Creek," "Spirit of Detroit" (or wherever he's from.)

Does he have a sense of history? "Nagasaki", "Henry the 4th", "Horatio".

Does he have a sense of Sci Fi? "Tannhauser Gate", "Arthur C. Clark", "The Keith Laumer", "David Webber" or "Honor Harrington."

Just suggestions, and some lines of thought.

Good luck on the show!

[Ganja Ninja]

67. Sadalbari - meaning "Lucky star of the excellent one"

or:
Sirrah - meaning "Navel of the steed"
or:
Shedir - meaning "The breast"

[BigMcLargehuge]

68. how about "Invicta"

means "unconquered"

[elfwitch]

69. that is pretty cool

keep em coming!

[TheMightyFavog]

70. The ISS Persephone

I always thought that name had a nice ring to it.

[BigMcLargehuge]

72. paraphrasing Herb Powell (Homer Simpson's Half Brother)

"No one wants a spaceship named after a hungry old Greek broad!"

:)

I like the name though.

[elfwitch]

75. Persephone

Persephone was one of the planets on Firefly.

[Ganja Ninja]

71. Arrakis - meaning "the dancer"

[grannylib]

102. Wasn't that a planet or character or something from "Dune?"

[TheMightyFavog]

73. The Saluki

It would be a very appropriate name, especailly if Rex's ship is built for speed. Salukis are pretty damn fast dogs.

[Blue-Jay]

77. huh?

[northzax]

79. sure, but they were bred by egyptians

at rougly the same time as they were enslaving the jews. tough one.

I vote for the Lemba, named after the lost tribe of Israel found in Africa a few years back.

[elfwitch]

81. that might be cool...

But he is a Polish Jew.
His original last name is Jankiewicz.

[northzax]

99. hey, diaspora is diaspora

now that's a good name, diaspora!

[elfwitch]

100. somebody else suggested that too...

Not too shabby...

Hopefully I wiil be able to do my top picks poll tomorrow.

[BritishHuman]

80. The "Bad Attitude"

Well, we Brits had a battlecruiser called HMS Intolerant, so why not?

From a page of pre-1900 british navy destroyers, I give you Myrmidon, Vixen, Osprey, Locust, Gypsy and my favourite for this context, the Brazen.

Riffing on "redemption", how about the Irredeemable? Not only meaning he's still a little fast and loose, but also "cannot be bought".

And combining Judaism with travelling: the Diaspora.

[Auntie Bush]

82. Tyrannosaurus

Good name for Rex's wheels and a dinosaur would make a good logo

[elfwitch]

83. Actually....

My hubby says if he ever writes an autobiography he will call it "Tyrannosaurus Me!"

My hubby's first name is Eric but he goes by Rex. Weird thing is they both mean the same thing. They both mean King.

And we already have a logo...

[bubblesby2002]

85. For the exploration part how about "Endeavour"

after Captain Cook's ship which was certainly an exploration ship.

[elfwitch]

86. good one but...

They've used that one on Star Trek.

[tigerbeat]

89. and now for something really obscure....

....the spaceship in the old marvel comics series "micronauts" was the Endeavour.

[elfwitch]

90. my hubby caught that one...

Old time comic book geek.

[TheMightyFavog]

106. Self-Baleeted

Ich bin dumm.

[bubblesby2002]

94. Oh right

I forgot about that one. I'll keep thinking - although I will admit that thinking hurts my head.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

87. the Brahma

after the Hindu god who dreams the Universe. Also a Brazilian brand of beer. You could even make Rex make jokes about the second meaning.

[elfwitch]

88. He's Jewish...

I don't think he'd go for a Hindu god name.
Besides, it just makes me think of cattle.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

92. Mmmmm... Exodus? (nt)

[elfwitch]

93. I floated that one once

it was shot down pretty fast. Too Jewey.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

96. OK... Turing

After Alan Turing, the man who created the mathematical foundation for the modern computer, dabbled with AI (the "Turing Test"), saved everybody's ass by decrypting Nazi code in WWII, and, as a show of gratitude, was persecuted by the British bigoted laws for being gay. He was forced to have hormone injections that made him grow breasts. The humiliation was too much for him -- he committed suicide by eating a cyanide-laced apple.

The aforementioned apple is the inspiration for Apple Computers' name.

[ohiosmith]

95. The Avatar

[Mrs. Venation]

97. The S. W. Hawking

after Stephen Hawking, the man who has made physics understandable to most people.

[kodi]

98. jefferson starship, after george jefferson, 1st dry cleaner in space

now, the libretto for the new show's "movin on up" music is left to others.

[Astarho]

103. The Balkris

(supposedly the name of the Queen of Sheba)

or (going with a jewish/kabbalah thing here)

The Zohar
The Sefirot or the Sefira (level of the Kabbalah)
The Tiferet (means "beauty" & a specific Sefira)
The Nezah(means "permanence" & another specific Sefira)

Or maybe just
The Queen of Heaven

Any of these sound good?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

105. Phoenix or Phoenix Rising... Re: his transformation or The Lazarus

re: his long life?

[jpgray]

107. If you like the Classical stuff, try 'Cocytus'

Either the Dante version or the river, it's pretty neat.

[TheMightyFavog]

108. Swiftsure

Sounds like a really good name.

[Deb]

109. Intuit n/t

[Auntie Bush]

110. Helix Nebula

Closest of all planetary Nebulae 450 light years away.
Great photos "eye of God" on internet. Google

Constellation would be a good name.

Or how about Aquarius

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

111. Archaeopteryx

The evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. Greek for "ancient bird".

Edit: spelling and image (makes a nice coat-of-arms too)

[Ladyhawk]

112. Second Chance

The name of the ship reflects the grace bestowed on the hero.

[THUNDER HANDS]

113. The Archemedes

I always like calculus. :D

[elfwitch]

114. Note to Everyone who submitted ideas...

I have created a list of names that I liked from the ones submitted. I sent the list to my husband to get his take on it. Hopefully we will have the top 5 available some time today to create a poll out of. And then you DU get to vote on which name you think should be for Rex Raygun's spaceship.

Whoever submitted the winning name will get their name in the credits of the pilot episode.

[Stockholm]

115. Probably to late but my suggestion is

Aurora Borealis:

Northern lights, mostly called aurora, are the fluttering lights that can be observed in the sky over the northernmost parts of the world. A similar light is located over the southernmost parts of the world; it is called southern lights. Together the northern- and southern lights are called polar lights.

The Latin word for northern lights, Aurora Borealis, was first used in the early seventeenth century. Aurora was the goddess of dawn, i.e. red light of dawn, in ancient Roman mythology and Borealis means northerly. A translation would be the northerly light of dawn. The Latin word for southern lights is Aurora Australis, the southerly light of dawn. Also the Lappish word for auroras, guovsahas, is related to the light of dawn.

[alfredo]

116. "Valeroso" Spanish for Courageous.