Stupid question, I know. I've done some internet searching looking into this . . I see a movie about a Nigerian Prince, but it's metaphorical and looks like a drama. I see some sort of comic on Amazon, but I don't care about that. Then I see a story from Clarkesworld Magazine in 2016. ( http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/okorafor_11_16/ ) It's not the type of thing I'm after . . . I think . . . so that should be okay. I was going to write a short where the Nigerian Prince shows up with some other spam-email characters to save the day, like they really do exist and they are our last hope, but I feel like I'm stealing the idea, and I can't do that. But I'm not sure . . . I once picked up a magazine in Barnes and Nobel and was thumbing through it, and I THOUGHT I saw this story/plot, BUT, there's a chance that I was looking at that 2016 Clarkesworld (it was about at that time I had the idea), and the story I imagined that I saw hasn't really been written. And that means I need to do it! What I was looking at seemed like some sort of comedy about the Nigerian Prince. Has anyone ever read something like this? I don't want to waste time writing something that won't be published because it's already been done. An aside: I once had an idea for Nixon vs. the supernatural, where he would have been the ultimate anti-hero, but then I saw this ( https://www.amazon.com/Crooked-Austin-Grossman/dp/031619851X ), which was exactly the type of thing I was going to do. I still think mine would have been funnier. Nixon was going to fight Sacco and Vanzetti in a duel for our souls. He must cast himself out of the White House to complete the ritual. But anyway, I would never have been published with a duplicate idea. So much for that.
I can't recall one, but I'm sure you're not the first author to play around with an idea like this. Do it anyway. It will be your story by the time it's done. And unless the places you submit to have seen or published a similar story, that won't be the reason you're rejected. It's a cool idea. Have fun with it.
I love the idea of it. I'm picturing Eddie Murphy in coming to America, making initial contact by email. Dealing with rejection and the cynicism of the people he contacts. I think you should lock this down and sell it to Netflix.
I think this is a great idea, and could go in so many different directions, that even if there is something out there, I bet your version would be different enough to stand out. Do it!
Excellent idea. Yes, do it. Doesn't matter if other people have worked the same concept. Yours will be unique. I wasn't around in Nixon's time. Can't say if your idea is funny. Maybe it's meant for an older audience.
The political operator Roger Stone ( Paul manaforts partner) has a tattoo of Nixon. Not entirely relevant but still.
I think what one decides to have branded on their body forever says a lot about them. I have the gryphon from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on my chest. And I like it! As for the thread at hand... for some reason the idea does seem somewhat familiar to me, like a short story I might have read a long time ago. But I certainly can't pin the memory down, so I might be mistaken.
The only thing I can think of is the Cyanide and Happiness cartoon, but that's a short animation so it would be fun to have a different, written spin on it. Here's the link to the cartoon (with a warning it contains 'adult humour'. The Nigerian Ptince part comes in at 1.27) quick edit: also from your description it sounds like you have a pretty different direction you want to take it in too
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