This week, I thought I would cover one of my favorite mythical creatures: zombies! Now, I know that zombies have become a pretty pop-culture phenomena, but I think that there are some interesting tidbits that warrant a bit of a discussion or further delving. For the sake of this post, I am just going to cover some of the origins of zombie myths and their usage in popular culture. Next week, I will take a closer look at the zombies of voodoo cultures and some of the surprising facts that this culture keeps hidden. First, we have to ask, “What is a zombie?” The first time that it appears in Western literature according to the OED is in 1819 by a Mr. Southey, “In the West Indies and southern states of America, a soulless corpse said to have been revived by witchcraft; formerly, the name of a snake-deity in voodoo cults of or deriving from West Africa and Haiti.” The original term in the Angolan as written by Mr. Southey is the word Nzambi which he translated as a deity. So, how did we get from an islander deity to a variety of other terms? As usual, language tends to borrow a term and use it as they see fit. As I mentioned, this post is going to focus on an overview of the zombie through mythology and popular culture, but you can see that the origins of the zombie come from voodoo traditions.

Moving beyond the origins of the term, we can start looking at other ways that the term zombie was used. Often, I have heard people say, “I feel like a zombie today.” The connotation that the word has means that they are feeling tired and under the weather. They are not feeling “undead,” nor (hopefully) do they have a hankering for human flesh. The original useage of the word comes closer to what we actually think of when we hear the word, “zombie.” But that’s not all that the word has been used to suggest. Many times in our own culture, zombies refer to apathetic people. Phrases have been uttered like, “Men can be made zombies or killed.” Any factory floor has its laborers that have sometimes been described as “zombies.” A repetitive un-thinking task has the ability to “zombify” a person. The key seems to be that though the person is living, they are unable to control their actions and they end up in a state where only the basic functions of life remain to them. They can move, they can work, but they can’t think and speak. One of the more interesting and intriguing artistic expressions of zombies has to be George A. Romero’s use of them. In his hands, the zombie gained an aura of complication. What better metaphor for a modern consumer than a zombie? In the film, Day of the Dead, there is a scene where a doctor is examining zombies and finds that they run on instinct and a will to consume. Even though they do not have the ability to retain what they have consumed, they continue to consume away. In the remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004), the zombies seem to be driven by their materialistic lifestyles to the mall where they gather for no other reason that they just seem to want to consume. Whether alive or dead, these zombies are the ultimate symbol of affluenzic drive. They consume even when they don’t need to. Another angle that the zombie fits into artistically is for the unthinking masses. Unlike the consumer, the zombie in this case is one who represents the muscular part of the military-industrial complex. This usage of the term with this connotation was made explicit in Canada during the late 1930s to the mid 1940s when conscripted (drafted) soldiers were utilized for home defense. The term was used in a playfully lugubrious manner to indicate that these soldiers were already dead, they just didn’t know it. The zombie is more than a tool for horror writers and movie makers to entertain us; the symbol has general lasting power and can make a profound statement if viewed with the right attitude and mindset. Here’s a video from Day of the Dead (1985) that brings up some of the interesting possibilities of a zombie-filled world. Do the zombies deserve to be understood? Or should they just be shot and forgot? Take a look:

So what about zombies today? I’m not sure how much of the deep metaphor still survives in popular culture. There are several zombie-marches in which people dress up in major cities and simulate a zombie attack, but they seem to be a case for the zombie as a dress-up activity. Some zombie-marches have been organized around food drives, and I find this better fitted to the symbolism and connotations that go with it. Just as vampire-marches support blood drives, I find it fitting that zombie-marches should forward hunger causes or brain research. Some of the zombie marches have been nothing but a performance art piece, but it is (in this man’s humble opinion) preferable to have a cause at the bottom of the artistic endeavor. Here’s a video of a zombie march for those who have not yet seen such an event:

When the Semantink crew went to the Phoenix Comic-Convention, there was a zombie beauty pageant that judged zombies based on their appearance and behavior. Several spoof movies have been created with zombies as their chief antagonist. Far from being social commentaries, these films use the common horror symbol as a jumping off point for entertainment. Films like Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead are perfect examples of zombies being used more for entertainment than as a metaphor for over-consumption or as a critique of war-time efforts. The zombie is clearly a recognizable symbol that will continue to be used in our society. Next week, I’ll look at some of the actual life cases of zombies in voodoo religion and cults. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite zombie quotes of all times; until next week, keep asking questions.

That’s right bitches — daddy’s back.

A few things have developed in the wide world of comics that I feel have fallen through the cracks like sweat beads on a fat woman — I’m here to divulge an opinion on such topics.

I hope you sweaty slobs had a good time at San Diego Comic Con last weekend.  It seems that Benjamin found himself staring into the diamond mines of a certain White Queen and for that reason alone, I wish I was there.  Save the gloriously revealed breasts and asses that abound in perfect curvature and a few little nuggets of news I have to admit that I’m not too jealous of missing out.  SDCC is, like an old man on blue pills, getting too damned big.

Guaranteed to make you hard as a diamond.

You may have heard that Mark Ruffalo and Joss Whedon have jumped onboard the Avengers movie as Bruce Banner and Director respectively.  I’ve gotten a few emails asking me my thoughts on this announcement and here it is: F*ck yes.  Something about Norton has never vibed with me — I think it’s his voice, he sounds like one of those guys who enjoys being right a bit too much.  Ruffalo on the other hand has always been a pleasure to watch on screen but still hasn’t quite cracked into the “A-list” status — hopefully this does it for him.  As far as Whedon is concerned: If you have any doubts about him as an artist you either (a) haven’t seen his writing/directing or (b) where a helmet with a tendency to drool on yourself.

Anything with this is good.

Dexter is coming back for season five — surprise?  Not really.  Season 4 ended with a bang bigger than Rosie O’Donnel’s prom night and buzz has abounded ever since.  If you haven’t already caught up with seasons 1–4 in preparation for this magnificence, sham on you.  I hope your genitals fall out and you cower in shame for your television-transgression for the rest of your days.  Hopefully [SPOILER] we see Ms. (fun-to-watch-her) Benz a bit despite her demise because Dexter’s sister can’t hold the show’s “hot” on her 45 pound shoulders…

Whoever took this off the show should be Dexter’s next victim.

In Bat-related news: a day or so before SDCC it was announced that the Riddler IS in fact the new villain for Nolan’s upcoming trilogy capper.  Several people have thrown Joseph Gordan-Levitt’s name out as a potential candidate and whilst I think he could pull it off, I’m still rooting for Mr. Jonathan Rhys Meyers to don the enigmatic role.  Even more interesting is this interview with Aaron Eckhart at SDCC where he says he WOULD come back as Two-Face if Nolan asked him to.  Another interesting tidbit is this interview where ex-Nolanite Robin Williams declared that he would work with Nolan in anything at all — Ventriloquist anyone?  No matter who plays what I think we can all rest assured that Batman’s third date with Nolan will be the sweet, sweet love-fest we’ve been waiting for (knock on wood), right?

Before I go, I’d like to mention a not-so-clever poke at Comic Con fans by none other than the proof that accidents happen, the incredibly unfunny, Carlos Mencia George Lopez.  I’ve had a few people ask me to defend our geekdom.  While it’s no secret that I have my own problems with cosplay gone wrong, something about Mr. Lopez’s Comic-Con Captions segment irked me.  Most of the jokes were particularly unclever and revolved around the typical comic books nerd’s virginity — maybe that’s what bothered me: the lack of actual, clever humor.  I’ve never seen Lopez Tonight.  To be honest, when I heard about it I thought it was a joke (it’s on TBS, right?).  I’m not sure if the Comic-Con thing was a fluke or something — maybe he’s funny most of the time.  But after looking him up and realizing that he was in Marmaduke, The Spy Next Door, Beverly Hills Chihuhua and the upcoming Smurfs, I actually felt bad for the guy.  Don’t waste your time with anger nerds.  We may have given George Lopez a failed opportunity at humor one night, but he’s been giving us humorous moments of failure for his entire career.

Mr. Wolff

PS: Go buy MYTHOI you silly twat.  Here.  Or here.

Hey kids! Welcome back to the Book Report.

At the end of the 19th Century, an Egyptology craze swept through high-society. “Egyptomania” started initially as artifacts from Napoleon’s Egypt campaign were recovered and studied, and by the turn of the century it was very en vogue to be able to discuss things Egyptian.
This fascination naturally found its way into literature.

In 1827, probably the first mummy story hit the stands, titled The Mummy! Or a Tale of The Twenty-Second Century. It was written by Jane C. Loudon but published anonymously. In the tale, a hideous-looking mummy named Cheops is revived in the 22nd Century and wanders, much like Frankenstein’s Monster, through the world. Unlike the Monster, however, Cheops gives advice and political commentary to any who befriend him. Unlike most Victorian science fiction, Loudon created a vision of the future that was more than just her contemporary England but with some vague political changes. She took current ideas of technology and explored how they might have evolved in 300 years. She even predicted a kind of internet. The novel also gained notice as an early feminist novel, proposing that the women of the future would have more freedoms and even might wear trousers.
Ultimately, the novel worked as political satire and did little to influence the way mummies found their way into ranks of popular horror monsters.

In 1869 Louisa May Alcott wrote Lost in a Pyramid: The Mummy’s Curse, which might be the first example of type of horror story we are looking for. In the story, a lost explorer burns a mummy for light, using the remains as a torch to get out of the tomb. He takes a gold box from the mummy as a souvenier, which contain strange seeds of an unknown plant. The explorer’s fiancee plants one of the seeds and wears the resulting flower on their wedding day. But the seeds carried with them the curse of the mummy, should anyone disturb its rest. The short story ends with the curse settling upon the young bride and the explorer ruing the day he ever disturbed the mummy.

The first story to depict a mummy as a reanimated monster was Lot No. 249, written by Arthur Conan Doyle and published in 1892, but the novel which had probably the most impact on every mummy movie ever made was The Jewel of Seven Stars, written by none other than Bram Stoker 1903. The book received a lot of criticism for its gruesome ending, so Stoker removed the last chapter and rewrote a happier ending in 1912. In 2008, Penguin Classics restored the original ending in its release, and included the revised ending as an appendix.

A great mummy story that I particularly enjoyed came out in 1989, written by Anne Rice. Titled The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned, the book did for mummies what her Vampire Chronicles did for blood-suckers: pulled them out of the gothic story-telling style into the modern era without sacrificing any of the emotional depth of these monsters, yet still able to display their monstrosities.
The story is set in 1914, and within an unusual tomb, archaeologist Lawrence Stratford discovers a mummy that left-behind notes claim is pharaoh Ramses II. The trouble is, the tomb was built in the first century B.C., and Ramses II supposedly died more than 1,000 years prior.

The ensuing story is full of blood and horror and hunger, but at its heart is a love story (much like Dracula). The novel also includes some great fictionalization of Egyptian politics, as well as an interesting take on the Cleopatra-Mark Antony-Julius Caesar love triangle.
It is a ripping good yarn, and though written to stand alone, Anne Rice allowed for sequels. At the end of the novel is the statement, “The adventures of Ramses the Damned shall continue.” Unfortunately (or not, I guess, depending on how you view religion), Anne Rice found a renewed faith in the Catholic Church and turned her writings away from the horror genre to focus on writing “only for the Lord”.
Perhaps someday she’ll be able to reconcile faith with fiction and return to the genre she (along with Stephen King) made so accessible to general readers, and give us a sequel.

That “wraps” up my Report on mummies this week.

Until next time,
Still paddlin’ the old knew…
_-Akatzen-_

Sgt. Angle Reporting For Duty!

At ease…

This week, I’m giving you a quick summary of some of San Diego Comic Con International’s finer TV/Film moments — the “fringe” moments, not the over-publicized Avengers jargon or even Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch extravaganzas.

1. The Walking Dead – AMC’s newest foray into scripted television looks to be the best new show of the season. With the script written by Frank Darabont, and subsequent season one episodes by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, Walking Dead will pull no punches, the only limitation being the use of the F-Word in any episode. Everything else is on the table.

Walking Dead Comic Con 2010

At Friday’s Comic-Con panel, Darabont said as much, also adding that the footage shown had to be clipped in terms of the amount of bloodshed because this was a “family-friendly” convention — odd, then, that they included the word “sh*t” and the Expendables footage shown earlier at the Con was bloody violent throughout.

Nevertheless, panel was entertaining and full of information about how great the actors were, weathering the intense heat of on-location filming in Atlanta, and even attempted to answer a local union dude’s question about why Hollywood chooses to shoot outside of Los Angeles and the center of the industry — “we’re starving, too!” It was awkward and his tone was accusatory, but as Darabont handled it, 1) The story takes place in Atlanta, 2) The tax breaks are incredible. Tell California legislature to get off their butts and offer breaks to Hollywood to actually film in the heart of the industry, and we’ll all be able to get out of our own beds in the morning.

Footage looked fantastic, shot on glorious Super 16 mm — apologies for the handheld homevideo quality of the clip on this page, hopefully we can update soon. Darabont told us that, in terms of story, all the moments from the comic that we love will be included, and they’re trying to add some new plot points to keep us guessing. Also, look forward to the DVD release of the season, as they’re going to try and get a full-on black and white version of the pilot included (just like The Mist!). and the list of upcoming episode directors is impressive — directors of Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and The Shield. One of the two female directors, Michelle Maxwell MacLaren, also directed Breaking Bad’s finest hour, “One Minute.” Looking forward to seeing what she pulls out of her hat.

2. Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.

The cream of the crop for Con experiences. I missed out on the actual “SPCC Experience”, which was available to badge-holders Thursday — Saturday outside the Hilton Gaslamp. I also missed the Scott Pilgrim Panel, though I’m reading only good things about it.

However, I was lucky enough to enjoy not just one, but TWO viewings of the film, Friday and Saturday night, and both times Edgar Wright was there to introduce the film with multiple cast members.

Both nights, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala spun records and led the crowd to root for fans partaking in pillow-fights and staring contests, all after 1000 + withstood hours in the sun and heat just for a decent seat in the Balboa Theatre.

Night one guests: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong, Satya Bhabha, Brie Larson, and Mark Webber. The standing ovation after the screening lasted about 2.5 minutes, and Edgar Wright was visibly thrilled.

Night Two guests: Brandon Routh, Chris Evans, Kieran Culkin, Mae Whitman, Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong, Satya Bhabha, Brie Larson, and Mark Webber. And Bill Hader. And Thomas Jane.

Writer of the comic Bryan Lee O’Malley also ran out to thundering applause both nights. I’ll have a review of the film for you next week.

Now, onto redder pastures:

3. Machete — Robert Rodriguez’s faux trailer wedged between films in Grindhouse is now a reality. Starring Danny Trejo as a badass Mexican gangster with a love of knives, this movie looks to be a lot of pointless violence for sh*ts and giggles — and ladies. Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba, to be precise.

On Thursday night at a random parking lot in San Diego, Rodriguez (Robert and Michelle) and Trejo served tacos out the back of a truck while the Impala Car Club of San Diego showed off low-riders and lucky Comic-Conners enjoyed free tequila, Tecate, and exclusive footage from the movie.

Footage started off with the trailer as we’ve seen it before, followed by a couple of clips of Trejo about to have a soft moment with a few ladies until gangsters break through the window — causing mass violence and havoc, and eventually a dude’s intestines yanked from his stomach. This was all played on a large screen up high in the parking lot, so people driving by could munch their lousy burgers while watching guts fly out of stomachs. Also in the background were a few dancers up on stage and Michelle Rodriguez spinning records with the DJ. All in all, even if his movies are sometimes just “meh,” Robert Rodriguez knows how to throw a good party.

And your Sgt. got a nice fist-bump at the taco truck from Danny Trejo himself.

4. Hawaii Five-O. Not a panel I was particularly interested in, before or during. The footage of the upcoming series reboot on CBS (guh) looked like a typical cop show…set in Hawaii. It’s supposed to be fun and good-natured, but looks to be something we’ve seen on countless other shows by now. Seriously, when will the quirky cops on TV genre fade away for a few years?

Panel highlights included Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim, both portraying characters who were only recurring roles in the original series. Oh, and Grace Park was in a bikini in the clip they showed of her character’s introduction. Bikini Park.

And finally, for those of you wondering about “big panels” this year, such as the unveiling of the Avengers and such, here’s a taste of the Green Lantern himself, Ryan Reynolds, reading the Green Lantern Oath:

Until next year, Con!

You are dismissed!

Sgt. Angle

Just found out that a new movie musical is in the works and it’s sure to impress! Amira is the story of a young girl who has an impossible dream of singing professionally. Now I know what you are thinking, I’ve heard this story before, but it’s how the story is being told that will make this so special.

I had a moment to sit down with the director, Christopher Ninness who had a bit to say about the project and how he is going to tell the story.

- — -

ADMIRAL: Hello Chris, thanks for taking the time to chat with me.

CHRIS: No problem.

ADMIRAL: So we only have a couple minutes, tell me what Amira is all about.

CHRIS: Amira is a story of obtaining your dreams and reaching your goals. It’s a 1940’s movie musical told as a fairy tale. We’re taking a familiar story that people have heard before and telling it in a bit of a more unique way.

ADMIRAL: I love that. I know you are a huge Disney fan.

CHRIS: I love Disney movies and classic movie musicals. I love Singing in the Rain, West Side Story, Wizard of Oz. The classics, you know?

ADMIRA: How long have you been working on this project?

CHRIS: Well, it’s been about a year now in production. I have an amazing team that is creating the script to screen and they are really out doing themselves. It’s so neat to see so many passionate people working on a project. That’s when the magic happens.

ADMIRAL: Is it all new music? Original score?

CHRIS: Yes. Taylor Peckham is a very talented composer that is creating 4 original songs for the film. They sound awesome. One of the songs is a big swing number that is a lot of fun.

ADMIRAL: How is your cast looking?

CHRIS: Funny you ask that. We have a extraordinary cast for this film, I feel so blessed. It’s definitely an ensemble cast. Kaitlyn Terrill is our title role and she is just a breath of fresh air. She brings an honesty and a passion to the role that is so unique to see. Zack Wolfe is the lovable charismatic part of Tony. He is definitely a very funny character but also very talented. Tony was a tricky role to cast because he truly has to be a triple threat, having to sing, dance, and act. Plus we have a few surprises in the film of people you may recognize. It’s just a blast to watch these people on screen.

ADMIRAL: Well thanks for taking the time to talk to me. Where can people go to check out more on the film?

CHRIS: Please go check out amiramovie.com, that’s the official website for the film.

ADMIRAL: Thanks so much for talking to us, can’t wait to see some footage.

CHRIS: Very soon! I promise. Thanks dude.

- — -

Short interview but I also got to talk with the Director of Photography and that interview will be up sometime next week. What do you guys think about the project? The idea?

–Admiral Eo

Good Morning Semantinkers!

As we are now at the halfway point of Comic Con International, I thought I would share some of my thoughts and feelings about the convention with you all. I know that we normally wait until the end of a convention to give you a report, but since CCI is so ridiculously massive, I thought it best to break our report into two chunks. So, let’s get started!

Even these bunnies were amazed at how many people were in attendance at CCI.

MY HOW YOU’VE GROWN: As someone who has been attending CCI since it was uncool, it still boggles my mind to see how packed the convention center now gets. Most of the comic/ pop culture conventions that I have been to run two or three days, but CCI at this point now runs five. Even preview night is packed, and that’s only three hours!

The rather modest line to get into the convention center… three hours before preview night.

Of course there are pros and cons to having the convention be so packed, but the good far outweighs the bad. Sure, you have to wait for hours to get into any panel, but the panels are worth waiting for. Yes, it takes six hours to navigate the crowds and do a full lap on the floor, but there is so so much to see, it’s not actually a bad thing.But I am rambling, the point is, it is awesome to see how huge CCI has become.

WHO’S BATMAN?: As nice as it is to see CCI explode, it does hurt my heart more than a little to see the number of comic book vendors shrink for another year. I don’t know that there are less comic book vendors for sure, but it sure feels that way. Part of the draw for CCI is that you can find comics as well as movies, toys, video games, manga, anything that floats your boat, but at the end of the day CCI still stands for Comic Con(vention) International, and I feel like comics are getting the cold shoulder.I actually heard a little girl dressed up as a god-knows-what ask her friend who batman was. It hurt.

Verily, this family could care less about comics so long as the midieval t-shirt booth is open.

I know that there are some huge booths dedicated to comic book publishers like Marvel, DC, and (shudder) Radical, but even those booths seem to be focusing less on comics and more on movies or toys. As an example, Marvel has pimped their booth out to look like a set piece from the upcoming THOR movie. It is a sad thing to see, but I suppose if you really need to go comic shopping, at this point you go to your LCS.

Behold the glory of… some blurry guy! (sorry, it’s hard to take a good pic on the floor!)

GIVE THEM A RAISE: I have no idea who is in charge of assembling the programming schedule but they deserve more money. The panel schedule this year has thus far been fantastic. There is something for everyone all the time. Like comics? There is a ton of news and creator spotlighting (my co-worker told me that the Grant Morrison spotlight blew her mind no less than four times). Movies and TV your thing? Just about every show and movie in the world have a panel here. AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD looks like it is going to be astounding by the way.Oh and I must say that the Comics Arts Conference community discussion panels are stellar. Kudos to them!

The other thing that programmers should be lauded for is taking into account the crowd size and putting out three to four panels in every time slot. If you miss the panel you wanted you can walk down to the next door and probably catch something grand.

Oh, and the line for Hall H will suck forever.

LIGHTNING ROUND:

The floor can be a scary place. Don’t believe me? Check out Preda-Bear…

The Eisner Awards were great! Kudos to all the winners!

I find it interesting that billboards are now too pedestrian for comic-con. Buildings being pimped out are just kind of off-putting…

There is a huge push behind the video game Red Faction: Armageddon. After watching the trailer for the game, it just kind of looks like Gears of War 2, or at least The Inhumanoids (an obscure 80’s cartoon, that only I seem to remember).

The masquerade is tonight. It will be as awesome as it is terrifying.

The Vampirella costume is a hard one to look good in…

Joss Whedon, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo are all officially on board with the Avengers movie. This is a good thing.

Grant Morrison is writing an indie movie titled Santoro. This movie will almost certainly cause at least one person’s head to explode.

The Artist Alley area is too small. At least they are on the far side, so people will see them if they make a full lap of the floor.

Alright folks, that’s it for today, I will have a full CCI wrap up for you at the end of the weekend. If you are down at the con feel free to shoot me a message, I have shwag to hand out. If you are not at the con, don’t feel bad. 100,000 folks all packed into a small place doesn’t create the most pleasant smell. Enjoy the weekend everyone!

This week, I thought I would try to assemble some of the thoughts that abound around the internet regarding aliens. No, not the political debate that is raging in the Mexico-US border states, but aliens that could potentially exist outside the planet Earth. There are a couple of different angles that I’ll cover in this article, but you can expect that I’ll look at what some of the leading scientists think about the probability of life developing outside the planet, the popular culture assumptions about extra terrestrials, and the theories that are far out there in the ether and take a little more faith to believe in.

To begin, let’s look at what scientist think about life that exists outside our own planet. There are several qualifiers that should be pointed out before embarking upon a discussion of this nature. There are two major avenues of thought that are concerned with the existence of life on other planets: scientific and religious. Both of these studies have the most to contribute to this conversation. The question should not really be read as, “Is there life on other planets?” So much as, “Is there intelligent life on other planets that we can communicate with?” Here is an interesting video that gives you an idea of the scale of the Universe as we know if it now; here is the millennium simulation:

So how do we go about searching for other lifeforms in all that space and matter? The first place to look would be to hunt for a planet that is like our own. The only difficulty in pursuing this train of thought is that it is incredibly difficult to find out if a star even contains planets. Up until 1995, no one was really sure that there were other planets outside of our own solar system. Michael Mayor and Didier Queloz discovered the first extrasolar planet circling a like-sized star. This was really one of the first true advancements for the advancement of a legitimate possibility of intelligent life on other planets. The math works something like this: every planet exerts a pull on the star that is orbiting. Scientists are able to calculate the residual blue and red shifts that occur in the object relative to our position to determine whether or not the star contains planets. As you can imagine, this is a very difficult process that requires a lot of patience and a super-computer.  In 2009, MSNBC ran a story in their Science section by author Clara Moskowitz that entertains the possibility of life on other planets. This particular argument is aimed at looking at different arcs of time in which life could develop on other planets. On a more theoretical side, the man who invented the  Drake equation is another believer that intelligent life must exist on other planets. If you’re unfamiliar with the Drake equation then click on this link. This theory gets to the core of the mathematical possibilities that would need to be true in order for their to be life on other planets. Part of the problem with this model is that many of these variables are unknown. Some scientists are even beginning to make claims that the origins of life on this planet are from extraterrestrial sources. Here is one such article that depicts an origin of life on this planet that is from above. From a religious standpoint, there are a few different trains of thoughts on aliens. Here is a website that depicts a Catholic priest’s opinion about the existence of other life as a possibility in religion. Here, by contrast, is another link that shows the possibilities of aliens as the manifestation of an evil force. There are a lot of intelligent arguments out there that are able to answer questions about the origins of humans and the impact that the possibility of extra-terrestrials would have on those beliefs. Stephen Hawking  offers an interesting perspective in this article. Essentially, he is arguing that humans should do their best to avoid contact with extra-terrestrials. His reasoning for doing so has to do with the resources available on the planet along with the aliens superior technology in their ability to travel toward us. He believes that they would not acknowledge our culture and civilization as anything that would be worth preserving. What do you think?

As far as popular culture goes, aliens seem to run the gambit between hostile, friendly, devious, helpful, and everything else in between. Films like Star Wars show aliens operating on both sides of the war, and the value of an alien is judged through their actions. By contrast, the aliens that are encountered in Battlestar Galactica are bent on the destruction of human civilization at all costs. Star Trek probably had the widest array of alien-human interactions and possibilities. Though often metaphorical as the racial equivalent of our planet, these relations may one day become truth. Will we oppress aliens like the ones from District 9 or the show Alien Nation? Or will we work together with aliens to form our own federations and inter-stellar connections?

The final consideration that I will leave you with today is about the theories that are on the fringe. Next week, I will cover some of these theories in more detail, but consider these questions: if aliens existed, what would their goal be with humans? What kinds of communities would aliens arrange themselves in? Would aliens try to use human DNA in any way? Would aliens even care about us? Or are we the aliens, long descended from another place of existence?

Happy Comic Con everyone!

That’s right, the biggest and baddest convention around has returned to San Diego today. Okay, technically it starts tomorrow, but tonight is the preview night for those able to get in, so I’m saying that Comic Con has officially begun. Last week I shared some of the panels that I was most looking forward to at this year’s CCI. Today I want to give you a few things that you absolutely should make sure to check out if you will be attending the con. Let’s get started!

THE EISNERS: Touted as “The Oscars of the comic book industry”, this is your chance to finally get to attend an award show. The presentation is always great, with a changing theme every year. This year’s theme is “Comics Fiesta“and this year the show will be hosted by Bongo Comics’ Bill Morrison and Maurice LaMarche, the voice of Pinky from Pinky and the Brain. Check it out if you get a chance Friday Night.

THE MASQUERADE: A must for the people-watchers. I know what you are thinking, that you see plenty of people dressed up at any convention, so what makes the masquerade so special? Let me give you an exerpt from the official CCI guide:

“Comic-Con’s Masquerade is staged in the style of a talent competition, with a Master of Ceremonies, a panel of guest judges, impressive trophies and cash awards, a large raised stage with theater-style lighting, and four giant high– definition video screens providing great close-up views. An audience of 4,200 always fills the Convention Center’s Ballroom 20 to capacity, with even more people watching the show on large video screens elsewhere in the building.

Some entries are solo, while others are groups with a shared theme. Many will be re-creations from comics, movies, TV, anime, and games, but some completely original designs will be presented as well. All genres are welcome, but no purchased costumes are allowed, as it is a contest of creativity and craftsmanship, not shopping ability. Our Masters of Ceremonies will once again be the very entertaining award-winning artists and writers Phil and Kaja Foglio of Studio Foglio. Impressive commemorative Comic-Con trophies will be presented in categories of Best in Show, Judges’ Choice, Best Re-Creation, Best Original Design, Best Workmanship, Most Humorous, Best Presentation, Most Beautiful, Best Novice, and Best Young Fan.”

Yeah, that’s a lot of people all dressed up. Go check it out on Saturday!

SMALL PRESS/ ARTIST ALLEY AREAS: With so many big and flashy things to catch at the convention, it’s easy to forget about the little guys, but I promise, you are going to be happy if you can make some time to go check these spots out. San Diego always has top class talent filling the artist alley, meaning you could go and get a piece of art from one of your favorite creators, and get to meet them in the process. You could also discover an artist you’ve never heard of who becomes your new favorite. The small press booths are home to some of the most innovative and interesting stories in the world. Troll the small press aisles to find some amazing books that you have never heard of. The best part about the small press and artist alley areas? they are open all day, every day of the convention!

CCI INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL: What other convention can boast a full four day film festival? The films aren’t just creepy fan-fiction either (though I’m sure there are a few of those hiding in the schedule). If you enjoy the indy movie scene, take some time to head off-site over to the Marriott (it moved this year) and enjoy some innovative film making. Or someone who dresses up like the joker and runs around punches babies. The CCI-IFF will be running programming all four days of the convention.

So there you go folks, a few things to keep an eye out for this year. Of course for every announced program and event at the con there is another secret, or coded, or impromptu event to find so keep your eyes and ears open for these new events. Have a great comic con this year folks, we will be sure to give you updates as often as possible here.

Hey kids, welcome back to The Book Report.

In his 1981 non-fiction novel Danse Macabre, about the genre of horror and the different mediums it appears in, Stephen King mentions the three main archetypes of the Horror genre: Vampires, Werewolves, and The Thing Without a Name. Looking at it in a broader sense, you could say vampires represent the person or thing killing you that you know. The Thing Without a Name represents the thing killing you but you don’t know what it is. Werewolves represent the thing killing us that is ourselves.

The origin of werewolves in literature is fairly recent. There are stories of humans changing into wolves going back as far as the medieval romances, such as Marie de France’s Bisclavret written in the 12th Century. But the actual folklore behind werewolves is slightly different.
The word “werewolf” comes from the Old English “wer” — meaning man — and “wulf” — from which we get the modernized spelling of “wolf” but back then generally meant “beast”. The image of this “man-beast” did not really gain popularity until the gothic novels of the 19th Century. “Penny dreadfuls” — short, serialized horror stories (essentially 19th Century comic books without all the pictures) — popularized the werewolf figure with such serials as Hugues, the Wer-Wolf and Wagner the Wehr-Wolf (along with Varny the Vampire for vampire stories).
The first full novels about werewolves came from the French, with Alexander Dumas’ 1857 work The Wolf-Leader (which was not translated into English until the early 1900s) and Erkmann-Chatrian’s 1869 work The Man-Wolf (translated to English in 1971).

For a closer look at the thematic struggle of the evil within us, I want to look at Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 “werewolf” novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

In late 1885, Stevenson’s wife woke him from a nap because of cries of horror coming from him in the midst of his dream. Upon waking, he asked his wife, “Why did you wake me? I was dreaming a fine bogey tale.” He went on to use the images from that dream to explore the interplay of good and evil and the idea of human duality in the characters of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde.

The book was an immediate success. Within a year of publication, stage adaptations of the story began to appear in Boston and London. Not including stage and radio plays of the story, over 120 film adaptations of the story have been made, though none of them remained faithful to the source material. The strange duo also appeared in comic book form, in Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

If you managed somehow to never have heard of the story, I apologize for the spoilers. Most film adaptions cast Jekyll and Hyde with the same actor and shoot the story from the doctor’s (and his creation’s) viewpoint. This completely destroys the mystery of the novel, however.
The plot of the story follows Mr. Utterson, a lawyer, and he tries to discover what strange connection the diabolical Edward Hyde has with his friend, the elderly Dr. Jekyll. Of course, given the popularity of the story, there’s no mystery to the story anymore, but the novella uses anticipation to fine effect to build tension.
The story is barely 100 pages, and the first twenty are spent discussing Mr. Hyde and the effect he has on people before we ever meet him. And it is not until after we meet Mr. Hyde that we meet Dr. Jekyll.

Because, for most readers today, the story isn’t a mystery, the interesting parts of the story to examine deal precisely the psychological attractiveness of human duality that make most werewolf stories so interesting. An interesting thing to keep in mind is this story came out about fifteen years before Freud’s books on psychoanalysis.

So, on the next full moon, give the book a read (or re-read). It’s one of Stevenson’s most popular stories for a reason.

Until next time,
Still paddlin’ the old knew…
_-Akatzen-_