Aaron Thomas Nelson

An Immodest Proposal: Campbell-totle Part II

2012-01-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

So, continuing along this playful line of thought, we can begin to see how Aristotle's theory of knowledge begins to shape our understanding of the Monomyth:

(1) The Monomyth's primary feature of the hero journeying "down-then-up" is an Epic journey. The first part of the hero's journey is tragic in nature (with conflicts, revelations, and potential or actual injury). The second part is comedic in nature. The hero now re-enters the world lower than he began, but with a new knowledge that will allow him to ascend either back to the heights he began, or even higher.

(1a) Here's the difference though. With the Monomyth, the hero must learn some supernatural / metaphysical / philosophical truth at the bottom of his journey (the height of his suffering) that he then brings back to the world. This is the key feature that unites the two parts of the story.

(2) The downward movement of the Monomyth (the tragedy), must excite in the audience wonder -- and this wonder is then answered by the knowledge learned by the hero. It is this new idea that not only unites the story, but also contextualizes (finally) the suffering the hero endured, and reshapes the world as he brings this idea to the world on his upward movement (the comedy).

(2a) For example, in The Odyssey, after his series of sufferings at the hands of nefarious hosts which causes him to yearn for home all the more, he learns in the underworld of Agamemnon's murder at the hands of his wife upon his homecoming. That knowledge puts into context Odysseus' sufferings: home, while yearned for to harbor him from his suffering, may very well be the place he suffers a horrible fate after 20 years of being away at war. The reality of home is different than the fantasy of it while suffering travails. Odysseus takes this new knowledge and applies it to his homecoming, killing the suitors instead of them killing him.

(3) This new knowledge is the driving force of the second part of the Monomyth. The comedy of a lowly man gaining great fortune is directly driven by his new knowledge and application of it to the world he has re-entered.

Next, we'll take a look at some of the problems of the Monomyth that Campbell points out and see how Aristotle would address them.

An Immodest Proposal: Campbell-totle Part I

2012-01-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

So, after writing a brief note on the problem with Joseph Campbell which explained why his psychological explanation of the Monomyth doesn't really work, I decided to take a leap and see how the Monomyth might be explained through Aristotle's theory of knowledge. It was just a guess, but let's play it out and see how the Monomyth works under Aristotle's guidance from The Poetics.

Before we begin, a few things to consider about how Aristotle's theory of knowledge operates in The Poetics:

For Aristotle, knowledge is the cause of pleasure in art (i.e. recognizing an object of to be what it is). We want to know what something is and when we recognize it, we are pleased.
Art is thus constructed by the artist for the sake of conveying what a thing is to an audience so they will know it: a painting is painted in such a way to convey who or what the subject of the painting is to the audience; tragedies are enacted in such a way to convey the kind of character suffering a kind of downfall. Art is constructed with the audience in mind as the ones knowing the art.
Exciting wonder in the audience is the goal of tragedy, and is done so primarily by conveying an unexpected (if not paradoxical) outcome to a character's intentions and actions, but also, secondarily, through plausible impossibilities: chance coincidences, supernatural interactions, etc. This makes us wonder about how it all happened. And wonder, as we know, is the desire to understand. Tragedy, in that sense, is constructed by the artist so that we know what is being conveyed to us (and is thus pleasing), but leaves us in wonder (and thus excites in us the desire to understand -- on our own -- what happened).
For Aristotle, the Epic Poem has two parts: the first part is a tragedy, and second part is a comedy.
By Comedy, Aristotle means the opposite of tragedy. It is a story where a lowly man is made greater, instead of an admirable man paradoxically made lesser. The object of the comedy, unlike the tragedy, is not to excite wonder in the audience, but to affirm their beliefs by making them feel inspired and hopeful. No paradoxes, no wonder, just feeling good.

Next, with those five points in mind, we'll take a look at Joseph Campbell's description of the monomyth and understand how they apply.

A Quick Note on Joseph Campbell

2012-01-08T22:26:00.000-08:00

My recent summaries of art theory led me to write one on the very famous Joseph Campbell. Personally, I'm a fan of his work. Not only did he find a way to describe the concept of the "monomyth" in a substantial way, he also had a huge impact on the story of "Star Wars". Both are very important in the history of storytelling, as well as important to me.

However, after seriously considering what he had to say about the monomyth (instead of considering what he did with my childhood dreams), I have to say that I was a bit taken back by the weakness in his arguments about the monomyth. That's not to say that his concept of the monomyth is weak, but rather his understanding of the causes of the monomyth in human history. You see, it's one thing to say that the monomyth exists (which seems to be true), it's quite another to say why it exists. Professor Campbell places the cause of the monomyth squarely on the human psyche: it's our unconscious minds that generates the Power of Myth. The problem with his argument is his account of why the modern reader is almost completely protected from the Power of Myth. Campbell says that the modern reader is protected from the Power of Myth since the reader interprets myth in scientific ways -- we either read myths as history, anthropology, or pre-science -- and that's no good..

Here's the problem.

Unconscious psychological powers aren't deterred by conscious efforts. For example. the Jungian Archetype of "The Wise Old Man" exists in our unconscious minds. When we consciously attempt to understand "wise old man", we do it through science and experience. Geritarics, health sciences, philosophy, Thanksgiving meals, and general interaction are a part of that attempt. In no way, according to Jung, do these experiences and conscious efforts change the impact of the Jungian Archetype "The Wise Old Man" in our psyche. Thus, Campbell's theory that the modern reader is protected by "modern" readings (historical, anthropological, pre-science) from the unconscious power of myth, is pretty much impossible. For Jung, these Archetypes are immutable. Their power is a constant, which contradicts Campbell's assertion.

With all of that said, this should not challenge the theory of the monomyth itself. Even though Campbell's causal theory of it is problematic, the concept of the monomyth is still good. It just needs a different explanation. Since the unconscious mind is a problematic explanation, perhaps we should turn to Aristotle's theory of knowledge and understanding as a different way of explaing the monomyth. Instead of looking at the cause "below the surface" (so to speak), perhaps we should look at it "above the surface" -- as a thing of the conscious, deliberative mind subject to spacetime, understanding, revelation, surprise, and emotion.

More later.

Katharsis in Aristotle's Poetics

2011-12-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

Just a brief note on the troublesome term "katharsis" in Aristotle's Poetics. I've come across hundreds of pages (God knows there's more than that) of essays by professors, students, and translators alike who do their best (even if in fits of brief madness) to explain what the heck Aristotle meant by the term "katharsis" in his Poetics.

Why does it matter? Because understanding what the term means gives us greater insight into what art does to us and why we love it so much. The fact that the term is hard to translate is frustrating since the term can mean so many different things and thus confuses our understanding all the more: we know that once we figure out the term our insight will greatly increase, but the more we try to figure it out, the further away we come to understanding it.

Here's the troublesome passage:

Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation (katharsis) of these emotions.

There are many reasons why translating the term "katharsis" is so problematic:

(a) The term "katharsis" is not a technical term for Aristotle
(b) It only appears once in the Poetics, which makes it hard to translate and compare to other usages in the same text
(c) Its single appearance is as part of a definition of tragedy, but only as an addendum to it
(d) In the literature of Ancient Greece, the term can be used in a wide number of ways including medically and metaphorically

Based on all of these factors, the term "katharsis" could be translated to mean something like a psychological change, or a physiological reaction, or even an emotional outpouring, or even perhaps something as basic as a "release" from the emotions experienced. Nobody really knows how to translate "katharsis" in the Poetics. There's not enough usage of it in the central text, not enough of it in Aristotle's body of complete works, and the Ancient Greeks in general used it loosely and in a wide number of different ways. All of this amounts to sheer agony for translators and interpreters alike since we want to know so badly what art is doing to us.

In reading through the Poetics, we do discover, though, that the feelings of pity for the tragic character and the fear for ourselves excite in us the desire to understand why the tragedy happened. After all, the tragic character did exactly as we might do in the same circumstances, and something totally unexpected occurred. Which leads us to want to understand why it happened the way it did. Thus, if we want to interpret "katharsis" in a disciplined and strict way, we understand that the emotions of pity and fear excite in the audience the desire to understand why the tragedy happens, which in turn, purges (katharsis) those emotions -- in the sense of replacing them. In a sense, the ignited emotions burn themselves out and we're left with the smoke of wonder.

However, this self-contained explanation of "katharsis" isn't exactly satisfying. We know what it feels like to experience that pity and fear, and know there's more to art than a mechanical response-process towards wonder. There is, however, another way of looking at the concept of "katharsis" that is compatible with the strict interpretation which also provides more color to it.

The emotions of both pity for the tragic character and fear for ourselves have the same cause: we identify with the tragic character and know we would do the same thing in the same circumstances. Here's where our richer understanding of "katharsis" starts: We also know that we are not that character. Oedipus is Oedipus, not me. Same for Antigone and all the other tragic characters. They exist separately from us and have suffered instead of us. Thus, the "kartharsis" we experience from tragedy is the "katharsis" of witnessing someone else suffer for our shared crime: our emotions are caused (at first) by identity with the tragic character, but we also know that that character is the one who suffers and not us, even though we, too, are guilty. The character's suffering on stage is what differentiates us from him. It is Oedipus who bears the pains of our (shared) mistake. After all, the real cause of his blood crime is (frighteningly) in all of us, but, he is the one who suffers for it in our stead. It is the tragic character who suffers and is punished for the mistakes and sins of us all. He is our sacrificial-goat. Our fear for ourselves is released as we see the tragic character pay for our crimes, and we are relieved it's not us suffering. And thus we wonder why it happened. Not in the sense of how did the plot unfold, but in a more philosophical way. "Why" with a capital "W". It is this sense of release and relief that gives "katharsis" a richer meaning for us.

Tragedy provides the Ancient Greeks with other sacrifices -- humane ones for our very human mistakes. This may also explain the etymology of the word "tragedy" which comes from the Greek "tragoida", meaning "goat-song" and the reason why tragedies were performed as a part of religious festivals in the ancient world. In fact, Ancient Greek drama developed out of religous ceremonies. This could also explain why we don't watch tragedies anymore in the modern world. With religion disrobed of power and all of the gods dead, why offer up anyone for sacrifice? Why witness Oedipus' suffering at all? It's far easier to simply put him in the asylum.

Joseph Campbell's Theory of Art

2011-12-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

CAMPBELL

Art Theory

The human psyche is both the material from which myths are created and the object to which those myths are applied. In this sense, mythology is a human endeavor that transcends cultures (the monomyth), and the hero's journey in myth is purely symbolic with psychological significance. This symbolic journey of the hero is one of separation from the common world, triumph over and initiation into supernatural wonders, and a return to the (renewed) common world. The myth thus imparts a psychological triumph to the audience that expands our consciousness by uniting the contradictions in life (life/death, male/female, earth/heaven, mortal/divine, etc.) in order to show the audience a way to transcend those painful contradictions (e.g. the revelation of eternal life) and both see and live in the world in a new light.

Means

By constructing a symbolic journey relevant to the audience's psyche and contradictions in life in order to open them to a greater unity that transcends the pain of those contradictions and allows us to see the world in a new way.

Characters

The hero can be anyone or anything and symbolizes us in the journey. During the journey, however, the hero must come to know the divine unity and impart it to others.

History

The history of myth is as vast and timeless as the history of our humanity and human psyche. However, with the advent of modernity and the expansion of the sciences, the myth has come under great pressure. Also, the decision to read myths as biographies, histories, or pre-science mutilates the power of myths and makes them irrelevant. The new and final sphere of mythology is Man himself. The duty of modern mythmakers (creative heroes) is to create new myths about Man (e.g. Star Wars) so that Mankind can expand its consciousness and see the world in a new light.

Nietzsche's Theory of Tragedy

2011-12-27T10:09:00.001-08:00

NIETZSCHE

Art Theory

By imitating the equally opposing natural forces of the irrational (e.g. music, fate, madness, suffering, foreign lands) and the rational (e.g. visual form, intention, thought, ethical actions, the state) which constantly struggle yet never overcome each other, the audience is able to fully experience their (shared) human condition of those irrational and rational forces in their lives and supplement the sense of (their) being.

Objective with the Audience

For them to fully experience their human condition in such a way as to transform their understanding of their place in the world.

Means

By imitating the equally opposing and equally powerful forces of the irrational (Dionysian) and rational (Apollonian) elements in our lives and anchoring the irrational elements with rational players.

Characters

Doesn't really say except that those characters are subject to (and part of) those forces. The tragic hero is, in a sense, a veil for the irrational emotions excited in the audience. The characters anchor the audience's irrational feelings so that they may be purged and transformed instead of overwhelmed by them.

Historical Development

Prior to tragedy, the Apollonian powers dominated Art: static, idealized, sculptures and friezes were the object of artistic production. Aeschylus and Sophocles were the greatest tragedians, as they were the best at balancing the irrational and rational in their efforts. Euripides and Socrates, however, marked the downfall of tragedy as their efforts returned art to a dominant, rational form. In essence, the history of art is the history of the artist and his or her ability to imitate and mediate the irrational and rational forces of nature and provide a metaphysical supplement to the audience for their lives.

Aristotle and Lovecraft

2011-12-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

ARISTOTLE

Art Theory

Tragedy conveys a story where a fortunate and admirable character either potentially or actually injures a loved one by mistake and suffers a great misfortune due to it. Since the injury and misfortune happen necessarily, yet unknowingly by the main character, the audience feels pity for the character and fear for themselves due to all that has happened. Those emotions in the audience are purged by their desire to understand why it all happened, and, in the end, are left wondering about the story.

Objective with the Audience

To excite wonder in the audience.

Means

By describing plausible and necessary events where the main character (either potentially or actually) suffers misfortune by mistakenly harming a loved one.

Characters

Fortunate and admirable characters who, while not necessarily paragons of virtue, are in no way scoundrels either.

Historical Development

Poets accidentally (by luck) discovered the principles of tragedy by telling stories of the famous, tragic families of Ancient Greece

LOVECRAFT

Art Theory

Cosmic horror conveys a story of unknown powers of cosmic proportions coming into contact with our known world. The audience feels a suspension or defeat of the fixed laws of nature which are the only safeguards against the assaults of chaos and daemons of unplumbed space.

Objective with the Audience

To excite in the reader a profound sense of dread.

Means

By describing a cosmic power beyond our understanding defeating our understanding of nature and threatening us.

Characters

Doesn't directly state. In theory, Lovecraft seems to like the Gothic / Byronic antihero. In practice he seems to prefer Men of Science who have devolved to unreliable, possibly insane, narrators because of their cosmic experience. Characters like Herbert West seem to embody both (the Byronic Man of Science).

Historical Development

Has always existed and always will due to mankind's innate fear of the unknown and the infinite mystery of the cosmos. Also, because of the superstitions we continue to transmit through our traditions and history. The maturation of modern psychology has aided the writers ability to more effectively excite the sense of dread in the reader.

MARLOW OGN Pre-Order

2011-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

MARLOW is FINALLY available for pre-order. (It ships Feb 28 2012). Feel free to pre-order on Amazon, BN, or just wait a couple weeks and pre-order from your favorite comic book shop (or my store on the right.. soon).

http://www.amazon.com/Marlow-Aaron-Thomas-Nelson/dp/1897548303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322612290&sr=8-1

Herald of Olympus - The Fates

2011-09-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

MARLOW Sells Out

2011-08-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Good news.... MARLOW sold out at Comic-Con. More soon...

Marlow: River of Symbols (Cover Art)

2011-06-15T21:27:00.001-07:00

Marlow: River of Symbols (5 Page Preview)

2011-06-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Marlow: River of Symbols

Created by Aaron Thomas Nelson and Dario Carrasco Jr.

Written by Aaron Thomas Nelson

Pencils by Dario Carrasco Jr.

Inks by Mark Stegbauer

Letters by Jim Reddington

Let's Get... Metaphysical

2011-04-13T06:32:00.001-07:00

Marlow's Vision

Marlow: River of Symbols (Chun Sa's Palace)

2011-04-11T16:35:00.001-07:00

Chun Sa welcomes Marlow to the East

2011-03-24T17:30:00.001-07:00

Comedy = Tragedy + Time Travel

Aaron Thomas Nelson

Philosopher, Beer Drinker

RIVER: Zombie Mayhem

2011-03-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

DWP 2.0 Publishes Kid Lightspeed & the Neutron Women

2011-03-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the hard work of Kel Nuttall and his team at Digital Webbing, DWP 2.0 is now on sale at Comixology and the first three installments of "Kid Lightspeed & the Neutron Women" appear over the first 4 issues of the anthology. There's a lot of other great creators in the series, too. Dan Hill, CG Kirby, Aaron Wilder, Gav Heryng, Juan Moreno, Michael Nigro (KL&tNW), Derek Fridolfs, Dean Kotz, Greg Scott and many others contribute.

Hop on over the the Digital Webbing store at https://comics.comixology.com/#/digital_webbing and pick up DWP 2.0 and some of the other fine comics Digital Webbing is publishing.

Open Book Society (How'd I miss this?)

2011-01-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last February, Open Book Society reviewed "Dark Horrors Vol. 1", an anthology I co-edited for Arcana. Check out this awesome review:

http://openbooksociety.com/article/arcana-dark-horrors-anthology-review-02-24-10/

Here's an excerpt:

"It’s a delight to have so many rich and interesting stories combined into one comic book. Even though the horror tales are short, they invite you in and hook you, making you wish they would continue on. And you’re in luck with that and you’ll read why. The stories are reminiscent of Tales of The Crypt, twilight Zone and Creepshow. Especially ‘Siren Song’ written by David Hopkins, which brought to mind Creepshow’s ‘Something To Tide You Over’ probably because of the beach theme’, but the two stories couldn’t be any different."

"The Bayonet"

2010-12-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

Ko-Gan Prison. Off the Coast of the South China Sea. 1933.

RIVER

2010-12-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Chun Sa's pirates board The Beatrice

FIRST DOWN Pencils (start at the bottom)

2010-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Marlow movie news

2010-10-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/afmnews.php?id=16982

Source: Shock Till You Drop
October 24, 2010

Legacy Filmworks is looking to adapt Arcana Studios' 2005 comic book "American Wasteland."The production outfit has tapped William Penick and Chris Sey to pen the script for producers Sean O'Reilly and Deboragh Gabler.The comic, written by R.D. Hall, tells of truck driver Cletus McCoy, who only wants one thing: to get back home and save his Mama from a fate worse than death. But, in a world crumbling into a vampire apocalypse, that is easier said than done. Cletus will have to truck his way through an emerging nation of bloodthirsty monsters hell-bent on making him supper.

Additionally, O'Reilly and Gabler are developing a feature adaptation of Arcana's "Marlow" and apparently have Kevin Grevioux (Underworld) attached to star. Jackson Lanzing will script.

Marlow is a mercenary who struggles with his fears of who he is and what he can become. Badly hurt, the pharmaceutical company NuPharma tried to save Marlow, but accidentally turned him into the walking dead. In exchange for medicines that keep him from reverting to a zombie state, Marlow does all the dirty work the Company asks him. Marlow works with a team of loose-knit associates who know of his affliction, but who are not altogether trustworthy.

Legacy says both films are fully funded.

2010-09-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

2010-08-27T20:06:00.001-07:00

New project with Mathew Reynolds in the works. Totally stoked!

2010-08-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Good news! Kid Lightspeed is debuting in "Digital Webbing Presents 2.0." The story will be serialized and appear in a number of issues.

Supersweet! Book 1 of Kid Lightspeed is COLORED!!!!!

2009-07-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Mickey Clausen's colors are looking SA-WEET!

Dario's sweet sweet pencils...

2009-05-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some pages from Marlow: River of Symbols. Dario is absolutely ROCKING on this!

Fanboy Radio Interview

2009-04-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Finally made it on Fanboy Radio (potential New Year's resolution for comic book writers, by the way) and had a BLAST talking to David Hopkins and Scott Hinze about Marlow. There were a number of really interesting creators on, and, as always, Scott and David were very entertaining.

Favorite line of the night? David Hopkins referring to the new "Where the Wild Things Are" movie trailer as an "indie kill shot" -- totally true!

Here’s a link to a shorter version of the show (with just the Marlow interview)
http://www.aaronthomasnelson.com/FbR_Marlow.MP3
Once you get past my “Am I on?” question, it gets a lot better. :)

Better yet, listen to the full show in all its greatness at http://www.fanboyradio.com/ We were on show #507 (The Indie Show)

Marlow: River of Symbols (Pirate)

2009-03-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Marlow bleeding out one of Chun Sa's pirates in the river.

Marlow: River of Symbols

2009-03-02T12:40:00.001-08:00

Marlow and Dante traverse the confluence aboard The Beatrice.

River of Symbols alt cover

2009-02-27T00:16:00.001-08:00

Marlow II In Progress Artwork

2008-10-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Kid Lightspeed Cover Art (oh... yeah...)

2008-09-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

How lucky am I to have the Franchesco! doing this cover? I mean. What?

Kid...Rocker of Worlds

2008-06-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Survey Sez: Kid's a total jerk. Can he change? Will he grow up?

Sometimes, (somehow) I think we all know how you feel, Kid.

2008-06-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Fighting with Monsters

2008-05-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster."

--Friedrich Nietzsche

I wonder, though, if we become the monster, we'll no longer fear it, and that fear will no longer control us. We can defeat the monster by becoming it, and thereby fully become human.

Marlow: River of Symbols

2008-04-25T19:19:00.001-07:00

A special preview of Marlow II (i.e. Marlow: River of Symbols)....

Fernau Beta

2008-04-07T11:19:00.001-07:00

Jack Bauer for President featured on 24fans.net

2008-03-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

24fans.net sez:

"An essential resource for avid 24 fans and those interested in current political events, *Jack Bauer for President* is a fast-paced and compelling read that will prep readers for 24’s 2-hour TV movie coming out this fall."

The Poet

2008-03-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

The Poet knows that the world is lost.

The poet gives up on the world.

The poet creates poetry to escape the world.

The poet escapes the world to rethink the world.

Poetry recreates the world as a new thought.

The poet recreates the world.

False Idol Worship vs. Worshipping False Idols

2008-03-18T20:18:00.001-07:00

See... this is the thing I don't get. It seems that idolatry was HELLA popular in the ancient world. It's like, they couldn't get ENOUGH of that shit. I think they made up gods to worship just for the hell of it. In one of Plato's dialogues (I think the Republic) they even talk about this entire FESTIVAL of "new gods" that Athens celebrates. It's like... idolatry was totally the thing to do. But here's the thing... who the hell didn't know it was totally fake? I mean, you're worshipping this wooden statue, or golden calf, or whatever the fuck it was, and it's not exactly doing anything. I mean, if I spent a week, let alone my freaking lifetime, worshipping a copper lamb (or whatever the hell it was), I think at some point I'd be like, "You know... that's just a freaking copper lamb that some dude made. It's not a god at all. In fact, with a certain amount of time and discipline, I could make one too. I mean, here I am praying for a new Wii, and it ain't giving it to me."

But that's what I don't get.

In the modern world, a LOT of people think religion's fake PRECISELY because prayers go unanswered... there's no empirical evidence of God's powers (in the sense of prayer-answering). I can pray to God for a Wii, and he's not going to give one to me... just like those goddam idols.

So, if praying to Idols results in the same freaking thing as praying to God (in terms of material possessions), why the fuck was worshipping idols so goddam popular?

... the orgies?

If it _was_ the orgies, and not a TRUE belief in the idols themselves... i.e. people were going to these religious festivals just for the sex and alcohol and just posing as "true idol worshippers," that just raises a whole other bag of theological questions. I mean, think about it... if pretty much all of the idolatry going on in the ancient world was just, you know, fake worship for the sake of sexual pleasure (or whatever), then what does that mean? I know God condemns worshipping false idols, but he doesn't condemn false idol worship. Quite the contrary. In the New Testament, one of Paul's letters actually suggests that in certain circumstances it's okay to pretend to participate in idol worship in order to make your host feel comfortable (I'm drinking right now, so I'll double check that reference later). If THAT'S the case, then what the FUCK were the Christians so pissed off about in the 1st Century? A bunch of false idol worshipping? So what? They were probably doing the same freaking thing.

Jack Bauer for President: Terrorism and Politics in 24

2008-02-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

Just an FYI (for all you 24 junkies out there)... Jack Bauer for President will be released on March 1, so feel free to either pre-order it from Amazon now, or drop by your local bookstore on March 1 to pick it up. I've read it, and there are some really interesting essays and takes on the show from writers like Alan Derschowitz (who's take on things may surprise you) and others.

Benbella Books and the SmartPop imprint did an EXCELLENT job putting the book together, and Leah Wilson's insights were eye-opening.

Ho Ho Ho. Luke.

2007-12-04T12:23:00.001-08:00

'tis the season!

Kid Lightspeed and the Neutron Women: Page 1, Panel 1

2007-11-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

Oh. It's on!

Cameras for Mirrors

2007-11-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

I'm convinced cameras are our new mirrors. We don't look at ourselves through polished metal anymore (or whatever), we look at ourselves through technology.

Joe Doogan PSAs

2007-11-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

Check out MORE Joe Doogan PSAs at my ComicSpace Gallery here.

Three Poems

2007-11-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

1.

Processing...Processing...The processing.

My love for you is a rotting flower
and a flower in bloom, a processing.

Negated passion makes the one path clear.
My choice is a singular attraction,
which is what you are and what I am too.

Processing...Processing...My love unfolds.
'tis like a summer day, 'tis what love is--
the process of choice being directed
to moments in a vector of timespace.

One night stands and other night stands I see
in the order of single decisions.

Processing...Processing...My lust and rage:
a slave to the processing with no choice.

7.

Dido lies across her funeral pyre—
A suicidal queen burning fierce--
consummating their marriage with hot steel.

She thrusts his long blade deeply within her.
Her abdomen wraps around his broadsword,
inner-fluids grasping and convulsing.

He: a foreign man from a fallen race;
wise; pious; heroic--a noble savage.
The gods call him away to other lands
And his fate is elsewhere—so he now says to her.

Marriage, their marriage, means nothing to him;
The boundary between lust and love blur.

How distant, she knows, are the ones we love;
For love is eternal and our bodies fleeting.

8.

The distance of eternity is both
Unknown and familiar—love is foreign.
The exile’s holy citadel burns, razed
by gods and mortals. They have both left him.
He travels, wanders by the will of gods—
With hopes for his child and no love of life—
To the plains of war and a new city
Rising from the blood of innocent men.
His race will vanish—his honor lost.

The poet thus rises to grasp the eternal—
To commune with the immortals about
The glory of this wandering stranger.

The pious exile who suffers the fate
Of silence and emptiness has the muse.

A life of its own...

2007-11-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

You know, a few months ago (several?) I posted a poem called "Lesser Men Rule the Middle Lands" on this very blog and received a really nice response from Alberto Pessoa who said he wanted to turn it into a comic. He did a great job with it and we turned it into a web comic for people to read.

Well, it turns out that a _revised_ version of the Poem is now appearing in the TwentyToSix anthology "The Hierograph: Volume Two." Make sure to check them out on ComicSpace as well.

For the first time, women rule in space

2007-10-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

AFP
For the first time, women rule in space

Oct 25 03:00 AM US/Eastern

Breaking new ground in the history of space exploration, women are at the helm of the International Space Station and the space shuttle at the same time, as they orbit the Earth.

Read the rest here.

***

Never worry, fearless readers. Kid Lightspeed will solve this burgeoning problem soon enough as he careens through space on the Galactic Corvette Womyn1.

Kid Lightspeed Impersonation

2007-10-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

For all of you eagerly awaiting Kid Lightspeed and the Neutron Women (the babes-n-rayguns comedy you've been waiting 20 years to read), I've posted my impersonation of Kid Lightspeed to stave off your hunger pangs.

Marlow. July 2008. San Diego Comic Con.

2007-08-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

Jack Bauer for President!

2007-08-16T10:26:00.001-07:00

Cannot. wait.

Pre-order NOW:

Your Nation depends on it.

Dark Horrors II

2007-08-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

Another great book out soon from Arcana. I was really surprised how well the first anthology did given that we really didn't have a big "Name" on the book (like so many anthologies do in order to sell). It was also nice to get some really great reviews.

Here's the cover to DH II. I wanted to call it Dark Horrors II: Eclectic "Boo"galoo, but that was shot down. Go figure.

Apollo with the Fates from Book III of Herald of Olympus

2007-08-13T23:42:00.000-07:00

Luis Guaragna's artwork for Book III of Herald is incredible. I cannot wait to get this out the door. I thought I'd share a page of Apollo's meeting with the Fates, just to show off some of the awesome B&W imagery that makes the art in this book so special.

Alberto's Herald of Olympus

2007-05-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Alberta Pessoa did ANOTHER fantastic job! His Herald of Olympus image he created is incredible. I love it!!

Thanks, Alberto!!

Coming Soon... to a browser near you....

2007-05-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.aaronthomasnelson.com

Herald of Olympus (cover)

2007-05-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Lost 20 Pounds in 6 weeks; or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Kashi Go Lean

2007-04-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

That's right folks... 20 pounds in 6 weeks... and more to go.

What I'm doing

Watching what I eat -- no fast food, or greasy, fatty foods for that matter. Looking out for high sodium foods, and focusing on high protein, "good carb" foods like brown rice, multigrain pasta, BEANS BEANS BEANS, chicken (sometimes ground beef), and the aforementioned Kashi Go Lean. Non-fat Yogurt is a staple, too. It's incredible how many yummy Mexican-style meals you can make, as well. Just use a little non-fat (or soy based) sour cream and salsa, use corn tortillas, chicken, and black beans... Also, I only drink water now (and some milk). Easier than I thought to switch out the sodas. Carbonated water is included.
Exercise DAILY. Not too much.. about 30 - 50 minutes per day in one or two sessions. I 'm basically alternating on weight lifting and cardio every day. So, for example, on Monday I'll weight lift, Tuesday run, Wednesday weight lift, Thursday row... etc. Sunday is a rest day. For my running program, I'm using the very cool Cool Running "From Couch Potato to 5k" program. I've used it before and it TOTALLY works. In about 6 - 8 weeks, you'll be running a couple miles at a time. Which, for my body (which is FINELY tuned to TV watching), is a miracle. I just ran my first 2-mile run last night (which I did about 4 years ago), and I felt great. A little wheezy, but nothing an Odwalla and the reality of 4 screaming kids couldn't fix.
Bought a scale with a body fat percentage reader. Go get one. Seriously. I think Costco sells one for like $30. If you want to manage your weight loss, you gotta have something to measure. Body fat is what you want to manage, otherwise your weightloss may very well be muscle mass instead of body fat. Which is bad. I've taken off about (cough) 8% to 10% of body fat in those same 6 weeks. As long as that percentage is decreasing, I can feel good that any weight gain is just increasing muscle mass.
Did I mention the Kashi Go Lean? Seriously, though, last week I ran into some sideways movement in my weight loss (body fat loss), and I didn't know what was going on. Turns out (I think) I wasn't eating enough. Which is bad. This puts your body in "starvation mode" where it starts storing fat to, you know, save your life. So, I started counting calories this week, and now I'm losing weight again (and body fat) which is good. I'm a big guy, so I want to keep my calories above 1600 - 1800 per day. If it goes lower (like in the 1200s), my body turns into a mini-Donner party.
Get "stoked." It's pretty weird, but once I'm exercising and eating right, I can feel my body burning calories (even as I sit here and type away) regardless of what I'm doing. It feels healthy, that's for sure.

The Cow's NOT On the Ice

2007-04-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

Holy moldy. Marlow is done. Dario is re-doing the cover to account for some of the costume differences with the characters, but other than that, it's done.

And what's totally sweet about it, is that Mathew Reynolds has signed up to do Marlow II. Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus.

More news as soon as we know more about Marlow and it's future. I'll make sure to post Dario's cover once it's done, as well as some of Mathew's sweet sequentials when he gets them to me.

Also, L. Jamal has signed up to letter Herald of Olympus (which rawks, totally). And yours truly will be scripting some hella sweet stories for L. Jamal's "Warmageddon" series. Can't wait!!

Marlow. Lettered.

2007-03-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

L Jamal Walton is doing a bang-up job lettering "Marlow." And, he's speedy. My jaw hit the floor when I saw the first 9 pages completed in record time. Here's a tiny sample:

Herald of Olympus, Book III is SCRIPTED!! (yay)

2007-03-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

Talking about fate is one thing. Writing a story about it is entirely different. I don't know why, but the third book of Herald was absolutely difficult. I actually found myself avoiding it at times, choosing to do other things (like reading Thucydides "Peloponnesian War" again).

In any case, I was absolutely ecstatic when I typed in the final words to the script. What's also very cool about the script is that it's a full-fledged neo-sequential comic that conveys the the timeless idea of fate. It was like I had arrived at a destination after a long, winding road.

Here's the first page from the script of "Freedom in a Moment of Fate":

Page 1-

1.1- Close-up image of a 1976 US quarter (coin) flipping in the air.
CAPTION
How is it possible to be free when we live in a universe of order—where particles move and change according to laws inherent to matter?

1.2- Lamia stands over the President of the United States in the Oval office. Hermes is squatting down next to him and urging Lamia to kill him. She looks scared, like she’s doing something dangerous and uncertain.
HERMES
What are you talking about? You’ll get your children back later if you just kill him right now.
LAMIA (1)
I don’t believe you!

LAMIA (2)

Free them right now, then I’ll kill him. Otherwise…

1.3- Over the shoulder of LAMIA. HERMES looks shocked at what he’s hearing from her.

HERMES

Otherwise what?

LAMIA (1)

I’ll let Mars kill him and become the patron god of America. He’s outside, ready to do it.
LAMIA (2)

Give me back my children now, and that won't happen.

1.4- Close up on HERMES. Things aren’t going as planned, and he’s a bit tense. He looks like he’s going to kill LAMIA.

HERMES (1)

You saw in Hades' Halls that you are fated to do this! Do it!
LAMIA (1)
If I'm fated to do this, then I’ll do it. But I know I can do something different.
HERMES (2)
That’s not how fate works, Lamia!
LAMIA (2)
And I know I’m being manipulated by Essendo the Mechanic. I know it!

Lesser Men... a graphic interpretation

2007-02-21T00:04:00.000-08:00

Alberto Pessoa has graphically interpreted my poem "Lesser Men Rule Over the Middle Lands" (see below). I have to say I was really impressed with his artwork, and have looked at my own poem a bit differently. In a sense, the poem is no longer mine... it's accomplished a life beyond my personal intentions with it and become something new.

Check out the full comic here: http://www.geocities.com/extremoscomics

It will be translated in Portuguese and Italian as well. Great job Alberto!!

Marlow Preview (w/ Dario's Art)

2007-02-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's interested in checking out a preview of Marlow (with Dario's artwork) should definitely click here.

Mathew Reynolds is now helming the artwork on this, and we should have some more of his pages to show you soon. :)

The Comics Review

2007-02-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

The Comics Review gives Dark Horrors an 8 out of 10. Read it here.

Crazy Ivan? No. Angry Russian.

2007-01-30T23:16:00.000-08:00

Neo-Sequentials

2007-01-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

I'm creating a new term: "Neo-Sequentials", and espousing a new method of the same name. No, it has nothing to do with Matrix comics, but rather has to do with the use of sequential art to create a sense of timelessness in order to better express timeless ideas in the text of the comic book.

Sequential art, as Eisner explains in "Comics and Sequential Arts," inherently expresses time through the size of panels and their sequence. Writers and artists like Moore, Miller, Gaiman, Ellis, and Bendis (among many others), have not only mastered the medium's ability to express time, they have also mastered the use of sequential art to express temporal ideas in their texts. For example, "From Hell" is a conspiracy theory (that only works) in a timeline... Bendis' proclivity to nihilism and materialism (as well as Ellis') are equally "best expressed" through the temporal medium of sequential art. Even Gaiman's "Sandman" is the expression of imagination (which is spatial-temporal) through the medium.

Now, I'm sure anyone reading this may ask: Aaron... are you drunk? (yes) Don't you know that we live in a universe FILLED with spacetime? What else are we to read and believe in? What else is Sequential Art to express?

Well, one thing (of a number of things) that Eisner either misses or does not explain, is that sequential art also has the power to express timelesness. There are, after all, ideas which transcend history--ideas which are essentially human (or divine), that need not reference a timeline to make sense. And that's what I want to focus on with Sequential Art.

That is what I work on--and I think that's _really_ what drives so many of us to create in this medium. My goal (and I'll express it publicly, since that's the best way to actually accomplish your goals) is to substantially advance the medium and artform by using it to express timelessness in order to help express timeless ideas. My short story "The In-Between Space", for example, which appeared in the Dark Horrors anthology, was my first use of it. The idea behind the text was that motion and change are metaphors for God, and I used a recursive sequential pattern to express it.

Too much for comic readers? Perhaps. Ambitous? Yes. Successful? I haven't won an Eisner for it. Will I give up? No.

This is the next step in the artform, I believe. The writers whom I admire so much today (the ones I listed above), have advanced comics both thematically and methodologically by creating stories that express temporal ideas with temporal sequential art. My next step is to create dialectical oppostion: to express timeless ideas with neo-sequentials.

That's what I'm doing. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Aaron

Marlow, The Russian. The Russian, Marlow. (Marlow)

2007-01-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

I send poems written for my beloved

2007-01-01T00:56:00.000-08:00

I send poems written for my beloved
to you, a stranger.
You are a voyeur
of the verses
that reveal my secret thoughts.

There you are
reading the quiet words of an
unknown man.

I wish my eyes could be
every letter you read,
so I could see your face
reacting
to my unfolding confession.

I wish I could be the particles of light
emitting from your monitor
in the shape of the letters—
and entering your eyes.

Then we could be together
in your soul
and I would not be
alone.

Lesser men rule over the middle lands

2007-01-01T00:53:00.000-08:00

Lesser men rule over the middle lands
striving to own my imagination.
They dig for my loam but I yield dry dust.
I depart their lands, resisting their ways.

A wanderer--forsaken, exiled--
I find my way with ancient poetics
To a new land of old discoveries
once ruled by great men and divine gods.

But I am alone in the new found place—
It lies razed and empty. Forgotten.
My heart burns to return home--to find peace.

At once found and lost, hopeful and hopeless,
I seek a land I will never have.

Herald of Olympus -- Alecto

2006-12-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Marlow -- Inside the Chopper

2006-12-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

New Moon Comics!

2006-10-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to New Moon Comics for supporting Arcana's Dark Horrors Anthology! Make sure to go by there and pick up a copy while you're meeting Koni Wave's Mark Poulton!

Conrad! (Marlow)

2006-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Mathew Reynolds is helming the pencils and inks for "Marlow," which we recently signed with Alias Enterprises. Here's an image of all around ass-kicker, Conrad...

Antigone

2006-09-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

Hey, all, make sure to order Antigone from Silent Devil. David Hopkins did a great job adapting this play (which is so near and dear to my heart), and Tom Kurzanski, once again, did an excellent job with the artwork, conveying not only the moody characters, but also a Thebes that is a character unto itself.

Diamond Order Code AUG063534

P.S. I had the great honor to write the Epilogue to this comic and can't wait to see it in print (the comic, that is... not my words... LOL).

Spotlight on Dark Horrors

2006-09-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

Kid Lightspeed and the Neutron Women

2006-07-16T23:33:00.000-07:00

Here's some really cool artwork from Michael Nigro on the Kid Lightspeed comic book we're working on.

Dark Thresholds Anthology from Arcana Studio

2006-06-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

Make sure to submit your psychological horror comics to the Arcana "Dark Thresholds" anthology! We're accepting them up to August 31 and the comic WILL be released in October just in time for Halloween!

Go to the Forums at http://www.arcanastudio.com and submit in the Dark Thresholds thread.

Emily Edison

2006-05-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Make sure to order the new "Emily Edison" graphic novel from Viper Comics. I can't wait to read it!

Hades

2006-04-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Gang!

Here's a sneak peak at Hades from Herald of Olympus. Luis Guaragna is chugging along with the pages and they're looking awesome (as per usual).

I'm getting very excited about this OGN.

Inked Promo Cover

2006-04-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Marlow Page 2

2006-04-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here's the "first" "Marlow" page that will be appearing in Dario Carrasco's upcoming previews comic for Comic-Con in July. We're doing this one (for Dario's preview) in B&W, but rest assured the final comic will be in full color. Well, that's the plan right now, anyway. This should give you a taste of the rest of the comic book.

As noted in prior posts, this story was inspired by Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." I wanted to translate Conrad's 19th Century concerns over European colonialism into more relevant concerns over blurred boundaries, globalization, and a world where distinct cultures are not only impossible, but laughable.

Being a "zombie" is not just about walking the earth as a shambling undead. It can also be about living an unexamined life, or believing in something (or someone) without any good reason. There are many reasons, in this new world of ours, to be afraid of zombiedom, most especially the ones that are so obviously apart of our lives. In this new, globalized world where our culture, ideas, and beliefs are constantly in flux ("Embrace change!"), why think or care about it? Why believe in anything? Why not just follow the process of change... and be processed?

That's what "Marlow" is about.

Can You Spot the Difference?

2006-03-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

Digital Webbing Presents wouldn't publish the second image. Can you spot the difference between the two? (Hint: it's _not_ the inks)

Marlow Inks (page 8)

2006-03-28T22:26:00.000-08:00

Here's Page 8 of Marlow (inks only). TGK did the inks.

2006-02-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Thank God for Frank Miller

2006-02-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

It's "a piece of propoganda," where 'Batman kicks al Qaeda's ass."

The reason for this work, Miller said, was "an explosion from my gut reaction of what's happening now." He can't stand entertainers who lack the moxie of their '40s counterparts who stood up to Hitler. Holy Terror is "a reminder to people who seem to have forgotten who we're up against."

Read the rest from IGN here.

Joe Doogan Ad

2006-02-05T20:13:00.000-08:00

Check out the Joe Doogan Ad for DWP #28 here

More Marlow Art....

2006-02-04T00:15:00.000-08:00

Marlow

2006-01-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

Hey all... here's an image of "Marlow." This is basically a story inspired by The Heart of Darkness and zombie horror. More on the way!

Digital Webbing #28

2006-01-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

Imperium Dei

2005-12-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

Bob Zombie on the cover of DWP

2005-11-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

Pulse Covers BZ

2005-10-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Read the Pulse article on BZ!!

Creature Corner covers BZ

2005-10-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Dan Whitehead wrote a killer piece on BZ. Check it out!

Here!

DWP# 27 Preview

2005-10-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

Check it out, yo!

http://www.digitalwebbing.com/dwp/dwp27_preview.html

BZ Kicking MZA

2005-10-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

Due to some unforeseen circumstances with artists, we're changing the alt cover for DWP #27 to this image. Don't worry, true to form I was all, "Just, like, have a lot of 'splosions!" Alas, I'm not listened to. :) Gotta admit that this is one ROCKIN' image of BZ kicking mindless zombie ass.

That's right. I said "mindless".

I happened across a random thought today....

2005-09-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

I was walking through "Best Buy" looking for some furniture (it's a long story) when it struck me that if we teach our children to be afraid of guns that we're also teaching them to be afraid of the people who wield them.

BZ and Miami Lee

2005-09-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the colored version of Bob and Miami Lee taking out some zombies. Those zombies may never have visited Kentucky, but Miami Lee sure does love giving them a tour of Louisville!

The colors were done through Makma Studios in France. Frederic Vigneau did the work and he'll most likely be handling the alternate cover for Digital Webbing Presents #27. It'll be interesting to see how he handles that.

Also, Bob will be making an appearance in February's Digital Webbing Presents #28! How couldn't he? He's the most famous zombie hunter in the world.

Perseus

2005-09-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last year, on 9/11, I did a small post on the gorgon and Medusa to look back at an ancient view of terror and despotism.

This year, I'd like to consider Perseus who defeated Medusa by looking indirectly at her through the reflection on his shield, allowing him to decapitate her while she slept.

There's something very telling about this story--about a hero who kills the monster of terror by not facing it straight on, but rather by indirectly facing it. The terror is real and insurmountable when considered by itself. But to find a different vector of approach, if you will--by finding a way to it without approaching it straight on--is the way to defeat it.

There's wisdom in that.

Athens was originally formed by families (i.e. large clans) who banded together in order to fight off pirates. The city (polis) was a strategy against destruction, theft, and death. But even after the polis was formed to defend against pirates and other external threats, the internal ones arose--the tyrant and despot who could be a domestic threat for sure. What does a city do to fight off the despot who uses terror to have his way with the people? A walled city doesn't do anything to defend against that... nor does an army which can be very easily manipulated by the despot. It has to be something different--a different (categorically different) vector of force that stays the hand of the despot, and (hopefully) gets rid of the threat altogether.

Dark Thresholds Volume 1

2005-09-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

Dario's Panday Studio is putting out a horror anthology called Dark Thresholds. I'm the managing editor and also a writing contributor to it. I gotta say that I'm really happy to be a part of it: the stories are all really well written (really tight short stories with nice twist endings) and cool artwork. It tends to be more psychological horror than anything else. Here's the cover art. Hope you like it as much as I do. It was inspired by Robert Burke Richardson's uber-cool "Gargoyle" short story.

Alternate Cover for DWP #27

2005-09-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

Make sure to order the alternate cover of DWP #27. Bob's looking mighty nervous with that falling baby! Everyone did a fantabulous job putting this cover together, and I really credit Dario for knowing exactly which scene in the story was the best part to represent on the cover. Were it up to me, I'd be all, "Just put 'splosions!"