Archive for March, 2010
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This just in: people lie. Human beings lie all the damned time, it happens so often you might consider it just part of the psychology of humanity. The best part is that we often lie about the most inane shit and don’t even question it. Men and Women stretch the truth in any number of ways, especially in personal ads and on dating websites, and the things they lie about are often hilarious. Women lie most about their age. Men? They lie about their height.
Let that sink in for a second. Why the hell would you lie about your age or your height? What is the point? Anyone interested in you is going to figure it out sooner or later! Did you really think they wouldn’t notice that you’re just below the minimum height to ride the tea-cups at the local fair after your dating profile said you were a cool 6’2″?
The point is, everyone’s trying to impress everyone else; to stretch the truth and make themselves seem totally awesome so other people will like them. The problem with this mentality is that it doesn’t last forever. Sooner or later people figure out that not only are you height-challenged, an ancient crone, or a douchebag, they also find out you’re a liar too. But hey, it’s worth it for that short amount of attention, right?
Real-life musings aside, its always interesting to examine the creatures and beings that populate the realm of myth in different ways. We’ve always had creatures, both large and small, to look out for and be wary of. There are people today that legitimately fear the chupacabra, popobawa, various ghosts, and a great deal more. If you were to ask those very same people if they are afraid of giants, however, you’d probably be laughed at. As the world has become progressively more connected and our awareness of the landscape has increased, it seems there’s no more room in our subconscious minds for giants and large monsters. The truth is that none of these things probably existed. They always populated the dark and terrifying corners of the earth, places we could not possibly delve into. Giants and their ilk are just too damned big, they’d be spotted in an instant nowadays by myriad airplanes flying overhead.
Along with giants, we seem to pay no heed to other monstrous creatures. Dragons, thunderbirds, and manticores, along with many others, have just gone out of style, while other mythical creatures retain some or all of the supernatural charm that captivated the minds of our ancestors. Even now, there are places in Ireland dedicated as santuaries to the Little People and spots held sacred in South America due to the presence of some god or monster.
I guess that’s the interesting thing. All of these things were brought forth by human imagination and they deserve a second look today. They’re all important and sacred in some way, even if its not a literal one.
Besides, I guess everyone needs a little love, even giants that lie about their height.
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We tell children that anyone can grow up to be president or the CEO of a successful company or amazing painters, but the truth is that most people enter their cocoons and come out as regular ol’ caterpillars. I guess the truth isn’t always very appealing.
Honestly though, I personally see potential in everybody. We all have the ability to do these things, it is just a lack of will and dedication to what you do that stunts the growth of some people. There are others that choose an easier existence because that is just what they prefer, and that’s okay too. The fact is, while we all have potential to be amazing and live out the dreams we have, not everyone wants to or sees how.
For me, I’m starting to realize my dream of being a comic artist and that is thanks to you, the awesome people that visit the site and comment, send emails, and tell your friends. I always appreciate how many people stop by and check the site, its a wonderful feeling. I work hard, for sure. I don’t screw around when it comes to art and writing and I always push myself to do better partly for myself and partly for all of you. I realize that I have a ways to go, to keep pushing the art and the jokes, but its a process that will never stop.
That’s the only way to be if you dream of being good at something, I think. You’re always in a state of transition and growth.
When chlorine just isn’t going to cut it, it’s time to find yourself a water dragon. Not one of those silly lizards. We are talking legit dragons here. Public pools, I’m looking at you.
Dragons are featured heavily in a large number of Asian myths and folktales. Unlike their European counterparts which were seen as vicious monsters, most of these creatures are and were seen as wise beings that purify or protect bodies of water or control rain. The physiological differences between the two are many, but the way they were seen in these two parts of the world couldn’t be more disparate. Even today, dragons are seen as powerful cultural icons throughout Asia and while they aren’t worshipped or prayed to so much these days, they are still viewed as a symbol of certain nations. In fact, there was a Nike commercial not too long ago that featured a basketball player slaying a dragon that was banned in China. That’s some strong cultural identification, there.
Of course, dragons also did a great many other things. They are probably best known for their roles as a kind of imperial mascot, hence the strong aversion to imagery that defaces or devalues dragonkind.
In other news, I hope some people are enjoying the HT game in spite of its shortcomings. The poor thing’s ratings are pretty bad, but I expected that. I guess it doesn’t help that its free. Anyway, it was an exercise for an introductory game development class that was supposed to help us understand what work as an artist in the game development industry was like. I got a lot out of the class in the end, but I didn’t have much to do with coding it. As such, I can’t fix any bugs that might be in it. Oh well, sorry if you didn’t like it! Just put it down!
If the Elven kings have 3 rings, the Dwarf Lords have 7 Rings, mortal men have 9 rings, and Sauron has one ring, how many rings does it take to rule them all?
This is why Balrogs need solid math fundamentals.
While not mythological, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is pretty legendary amongst fantasy enthusiasts and authors. Nearly everything about it has been ripped off, altered, or outright copied by later authors due to its success and widespread appeal. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but as far as books go, I’ve always preferred the Hobbit to the Lord of the Rings. There’s something about a good solid story with a strong character and plot arc that I find vastly superior to a sort of rambling epic designed as an exploration of a created world. That’s not to say that Lord of the Rings is bad, just that its predecessor is a better work of narrative fiction.
I am both hopeful and terrified at the prospects of the Hobbit movie.
Anyway, Balrogs are pretty neat. William helped come up with this idea and I had to do it. It took me a while to figure out how to do it well and I still feel like this would make a better animation than it does a comic, but I’m happy with it.
I haven’t got time to animate happle tea anyway.
Oh yeah, the Happle Tea iPhone game is hitting the iTunes store on Saturday I believe. It’s a very simple little pixel-art game that I made for school last semester, coded by Lajos Kamocsay and with music by William. I think its working pretty well now and if it isn’t, well, it’s free.
It is also on par with that bike race in Battle Toads in terms of difficulty. Savor it.
Many myths (the ones about heroes and demigods, specifically) seem to have a grain of truth to them. One can imagine the legends of Hercules, Sigurd, Huang Di, and others like them as simple humans who did something relatively interesting that ended up with so many embellishments that they became demigods. It’s sort of like the big fish story you hear old fishermen tell. That fish gets bigger with every retelling.
I’m sure Sigurd just killed a rogue crocodile or something. What was it doing in Scandinavia? Don’t ask me, it was probably a maverick.
Personally, I don’t know that it matters that there is any truth to the myths we know and love or the religions we choose to follow. It’s easy to see the value in mythology and religions as ways to relate the world and explore our own psychology in ways that are comfortable and a little bit outside ourselves. The problem is that with modern myths/religions, people tend to take them too literally and push their particular values on others. In a globally connected world of people that are very very different from one another, that is pretty dangerous.
As far as Sigurd goes, its one of my favourite stories in Norse Mythology. It has all of the elements of what makes Norse myths so marvelous and exciting. You’ve got this impossible feat, the slaying of a dragon with only moderate help from supernatural sources, and cold blooded murder. Sigurd is also a crafty sort of hero, digging a hole for himself to lie in while he waits for the dragon to pass over him so that he might stab it in the belly. Odin, in the form of an old man, warns him that if he doesn’t dig multiple holes, he will drown in the dragon’s blood. He succeeds in killing it and cooks the heart for the smith who crafted his sword, but in so doing he burns his finger and gets a bit of dragon blood in the wound. From then on, Sigurd can understand the speech of birds. The birds inform him that the blacksmith, Regin, is planning to kill him whereupon he finds the traitor and kills him first.
How awesome is that?!
Anyway, there are, of course, different versions of the tale. There’s also a lot more complexity to the one I’ve related above. You could do a lot worse than reading into some Norse myths.
Helen of Sparta was bangin’. I think we can all agree to that based on the myths. Based on her legendary hotness, our celebrities today don’t really compare. The fine ass that was Helen of Sparta (later of Troy) started a WAR, people. A war that lasted ten years. I’m sure everyone was very pleased with Paris’s decision.
The Trojan War is one of the most famous myths in the world. From it sprang other myths (the Odyssey, for example) and stories of heroes as well as terrible movies and books (I’m looking at you Orlando Bloom). There’s a lot to love about it and a lot of different ideas and themes to take from it. One could see the war as occurring due to the inherent evil in women as Helen is the single cause of all of the destruction. I’m sure this was a popular one for a long time. Personally, I see an interesting theme about not knowing the far-reaching consequences of one’s actions. Paris of Troy was a coward and a romantic, he clearly never intended to cause trouble, but by choosing to follow his heart rather than his head, he inadvertently caused the deaths of a great many people on both sides of the war as well as his own, in the end. That’s a pretty powerful message and one that is almost more true today than it was then.
I know I skipped some elements of the actual story here, but such are comics. In the myth, each goddess offers a bribe to Paris before his judgment is given and in some versions, Aphrodite even disrobes entirely to increase her chances of winning. Hera offers Paris kingship over Asia, Athena offers prowess and victory in battles, while Aphrodite simply offers the love of any woman he pleases. It goes to show the power that love has over the human heart and mind that he passes up some pretty incredible gifts for the love of a woman.
Another God strip! Hooray!
An all powerful deity with human emotions was always something I found particularly funny in the Bible. There are many times where God is described as being angry or jealous or (as in the case of the New Testament) loving. I’ve talked about this before, but I find it hard to believe that a being with the power to create, animate, and infuse spirit into his creation would ever feel as we do. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. In the Old Testament, you get this sense that God is essentially a kid with an ant hill and a magnifying glass, just tormenting people for the fun of it. I mean, the Book of Job? What’s that all about?
I don’t think it’s wrong to believe in a God or anything like that, but ascribing such incredible flaws to a being we probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend is a bit myopic. Sure, it’s nice to think that he’s just like us, but that’s also really silly.
That said, that sort of God does make for an excellent comic character. Especially when he’s sulky and draping himself over things.
This is a weird strip, I’m not sure what to say about it specifically, really.
You’ve all been so good lately that I’m giving you TWO comics in one today. They were difficult to do so I hope you appreciate them.
As usual, The Owltons are on hand to offer biting social commentary, stunning visuals, and explosive cinematography. They are truly one of the greatest inventions of our time. I think I will be nominated for some web awards soon for their creation.
I have to say, it feels really weird to do such stupid artwork but I love the Owltons and I know at least a few other people enjoy them as well and I feel like I should give them a bit of what they want every so often. It’s nice to have a bit of a break, really, considering I normally spend a great deal of time writing and drawing the strip.
Next week is Spring Break! I’m going to be doing all the exciting fun things college students normally do during that time. Namely working my ass off on animation projects and continuing to produce Happle Tea strips. That’s what people usually do, right? …right?
I am excited though, because I will be getting more books on mythology and folklore to read through during my free time. Yes, I am a huge nerd. One should not fight against one’s nature.
Also Michael Bay totally sucks. There, I said it.
Time’s are tough. I think we can all agree on that. The global economy is suffering and so are people. When people can’t pay their bills, bad things happen, namely goblins coming to your house and destroying you. If there’s nobody to get in the way, they can loot your house at will!
Goblins have long been a favourite of mine, though they are tremendously under appreciated in storytelling and lore. You see them sometimes as an afterthought in fantasy literature, never really at center stage. Orcs, on the other hand, get all the attention in the world. There was a series of books my brother had picked up at one point that told a story entirely based around them and painted them as misunderstood rather than outright evil. I want to see that sort of treatment for goblins.
You seem to get two types of goblins in literature. Evil, horrendous, weak and cowardly goblins, or the Brian Froud sort of goblins, small, mischievous, and fun-loving. I would argue that Froud’s goblins are just faeries in disguise. Reprehensible!
Tolkien, for whatever reason, seemed a bit confused about where goblins fit into his own setting; surprising for a man so thorough in almost every other regard. He often used the terms orc and goblin independently, as though they were separate races, but then states in other parts of his books that they were one in the same. I’m not sure if anyone’s done a thorough study of this, but if they have, I am legitimately curious, no matter how ridiculous the matter is.
Some of the most fun goblins can be found in the Warhammer universe. Warhammer is a fantasy tabletop game which set the tone for a lot of other games (the notorious World of Warcraft included) and books. Their goblins are small and weak, subservient to their orc cousins, but smart, quick, and clever. I always thought that sort of synergistic relationship was pretty interesting.
Part of the fun of folktales and myths is that you can impress your own ideas upon them with relative ease. These monsters and legends are pretty widely recognized and drawing on something like that as inspiration for a story or a joke is a lovely thing. It can be difficult to do right, but when it happens, it’s magic.