After Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies, what is the next Big Thing trend in stories?
Ghost? Sasquatch? Genetic Mutant? Cyborg?
No. Circus and Carnival.
We can already see this theme appearing in the last few years.
Seen recently in Batman and Robin comics. Soon to be in Nightwing comics. An aspect in The Cape TV series. A short film called The Butterfly Circus. Featured in Hillywood’s Dark Knight parody. A Torchwood episode. Olga Kay’s Circus.
Sensing this, I even integrated this intriguingly fantastical aesthetic into my Cassie O’Brien back story.
These are just a few samples.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
What They Appear To Be
A mask is commonly associated with disguise, concealment, theatricality and decoration. But in the Batman mythos, the mask motif is typically used as an expression or component of actual identity. Batman’s cape and cowl gradually exceed mere costuming to become Wayne’s real persona, with Bruce Wayne becoming the mask.
His rogues gallery features many people who wear a mask not as an alternative identity or pseudonym, but as an aspect of their true self.
The mask defines them...
The Joker
Harley Quinn
Two-Face
Black Mask
False Face
Scarecrow
Clayface
The Red Hood
Penguin is so called because of his physical appearance and clothing.
Even the Ventriloquist, as Scarface is engaged as a mask for Wesker.
And Killer Croc’s deformity is a form of mask.
The bandages worn by Hush are indicative of not only his medical background, but also his hidden nature, and eventual reconstructive surgery transformation into Bruce Wayne’s image.
The Mad Hatter adopts the clothes and personality of the Wonderland character.
His rogues gallery features many people who wear a mask not as an alternative identity or pseudonym, but as an aspect of their true self.
The mask defines them...
The Joker
Harley Quinn
Two-Face
Black Mask
False Face
Scarecrow
Clayface
The Red Hood
Penguin is so called because of his physical appearance and clothing.
Even the Ventriloquist, as Scarface is engaged as a mask for Wesker.
And Killer Croc’s deformity is a form of mask.
The bandages worn by Hush are indicative of not only his medical background, but also his hidden nature, and eventual reconstructive surgery transformation into Bruce Wayne’s image.
The Mad Hatter adopts the clothes and personality of the Wonderland character.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Coulrophobia-- fear of clowns
A clown has the ability to see things through the playful, innocent eyes of a child. They intend to bring happiness where there is sadness, amusement where there is boredom. Their makeup & costume are the visual indication to those around that this is no ordinary person. Someone whose attention and attitude will make you feel like you are the most special person in the room. In doing so, they give of their heart so that yours can feel better...
Ironically, most children and adults are actually frightened or disturbed by the clown visage, considering it creepy; but only relatively recently… as early as the 1800s, and is a particularly American neurosis.
Their innate extreme garishness and a discordance in appearance and behavior (often even between these two aspects) may cause tremendous psychological disorientation, and thus a subconscious distrust, unease and aversion.
Being unsettled by something as unusual and unnatural-seeming as a clown—who only seems to resemble something human… pretending to be human, but is clearly inhuman. Clowns are "unknown in identity", "unorthodox in appearance, bluntly aggressive and synthetic in behavior, and uncharacteristically-- even falsely-- cheerful in demeanor. Clowns are a caricature of a real person; a doll come to life.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Gluttony Of Words
An expurgated version of a blog post by Damien G. Walter; partially explains why I stopped writing.
Oh please GOD no STOP writing! (so much)
There’s a terrible meme emerging from the internet writing community. It arises from good intentions and common sense, and it is utterly wrong.
You can see this meme at work in the debate around publishing a book a year. You can see it in the 50,000 word a month culture of NaNoWriMo. And you can see it in the commonly held wisdom that if, as a writer, you can just get your name out there in front of readers enough, you will eventually achieve fame and fortune.
You won’t. (Also, you can see it in the perpetuated foolish notion that a writer should write every day, regardless.)
Many writers seem determined to become their own worst source of signal interference on the channel between their work and those people who might be interested in their work.
Part of the problem here seems to be the belief that writers are part of the entertainment industry. Writers are as much part of entertainment industry as doctors are part of the pharmaceutical industry. The latter’s job is to make product from which they make money. The former’s job is to heal people.
But writers are not factory workers.
The rules of the protestant work ethic don’t apply to writing.
We’ve all grown up in a world where marketing was a thing done to the masses. This approach has never worked for writers. It doesn’t work so well for Mars and Coca-Cola any more.
Writers who try and flood the market with a book a year, or four books a year, or a short story a month, or a short story a day, or whatever, are attempting to apply the dynamics of mass marketing to a niche audience. It’s absurd and counter-productive.http://damiengwalter.com/2011/07/17/oh-please-god-no-stop-writing-so-much
Oh please GOD no STOP writing! (so much)
There’s a terrible meme emerging from the internet writing community. It arises from good intentions and common sense, and it is utterly wrong.
You can see this meme at work in the debate around publishing a book a year. You can see it in the 50,000 word a month culture of NaNoWriMo. And you can see it in the commonly held wisdom that if, as a writer, you can just get your name out there in front of readers enough, you will eventually achieve fame and fortune.
You won’t. (Also, you can see it in the perpetuated foolish notion that a writer should write every day, regardless.)
Many writers seem determined to become their own worst source of signal interference on the channel between their work and those people who might be interested in their work.
Part of the problem here seems to be the belief that writers are part of the entertainment industry. Writers are as much part of entertainment industry as doctors are part of the pharmaceutical industry. The latter’s job is to make product from which they make money. The former’s job is to heal people.
But writers are not factory workers.
The rules of the protestant work ethic don’t apply to writing.
We’ve all grown up in a world where marketing was a thing done to the masses. This approach has never worked for writers. It doesn’t work so well for Mars and Coca-Cola any more.
Writers who try and flood the market with a book a year, or four books a year, or a short story a month, or a short story a day, or whatever, are attempting to apply the dynamics of mass marketing to a niche audience. It’s absurd and counter-productive.http://damiengwalter.com/2011/07/17/oh-please-god-no-stop-writing-so-much
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
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