Comix Experience’s Monthly Comic Book Club

Originally posted on mythicramblings.com on Apr 6, 2015.

So I’ve lately been pulled more and more into comic books (it’s awful, really) and really love the easy access to comic books San Francisco offers, from the stores to the public library. The oldest in the city, Comix Experience, is offering a monthly comic book club, for people inside and outside of the Bay Area, to help cover the costs of the newly increased minimum wage to offer employees a realistic living wage. There’s going to be a monthly meeting (which will be streamed for those out-of-towners) for people to discuss that month’s selection.

Continue reading “Comix Experience’s Monthly Comic Book Club”

Massive Movie Analysis: Cinderella UPDATED

Originally posted on mythicramblings.com on Mar 29, 2015.

Alright, I know I mentioned Popol Vuh in the last post and I hinted at blood and gore and other pleasant things. Unfortunately, life doesn’t go as planned and so I will not be writing about K’iche’ Mayan myths. You will have to learn to deal with disappointing news when you’re older and this is but a small exercise. You’ll thank me someday. Probably Friday. Maybe Saturday. But definitely by Sunday.

Instead, I’ll be talking about Cinderella –  its wonders, its pitfalls, and Cate Blanchett’s amazing wardrobe. Really, you’re getting a great deal. Spoilers after the jump.

Continue reading “Massive Movie Analysis: Cinderella UPDATED”

Rockstar Founding Fathers

Originally posted on mythicramblings.com on Mar 7, 2015.

Hello again! Sorry for the long break – I’ve been busy with life stuff and my mom visiting. Yes, I’m blaming my mother. I am not above that.

I’m all about the myths over here at Mythic Ramblings. (For that matter, I’m also all about the rambling.) I’m fascinated by what our American, western culture takes to be myths and mythological figures. So much of our relatively short history is cataloged and recorded. We don’t have much ambiguity for a mythic narrative to play around in. You might think then that we as Americans don’t have a mythology, not in the same sense that other cultures did and do.

I would argue against that, obvi. I think the Marvel and DC characters are a mythology. I think that even corporate entities like Disney and Lego, which base a lot of their products and narratives off of the mythologies or materials of previous manufacturers, have created their own mythologies. Universal Films has its own mythology. To get really meta, our economy even has its own mythology, that of Capitalism. (Hint: if it’s capitalized, it’s important.) However, we have a very strong and historically embedded mythology in the form of … the Founding Fathers. But I’ve noticed a trend in the mythos surrounding them. Lately we’ve been seeing a lot of movies and shows that are attempting to revisit and update the myths about these men. I’d like to look at what exactly these changes are, and offer a few of my ideas about what’s started the change. More after the jump:

Continue reading “Rockstar Founding Fathers”

Building a Hero: Selma and American Sniper

Originally posted on mythicramblings.com on Feb 14, 2015.

Hi everyone! I’ve had a great week of watching many shows and movies. But I don’t want to focus on any of them! Instead, I thought I’d tackle something that had been bugging me ever since I saw Selma and American Sniper. I was interested in why Selma made me feel flat, whereas American Sniper didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, American Sniper didn’t inspire or wow me. I simply recognized that American Sniper made the better hero. I have a few ideas about why that is. Spoilers after the jump.

Continue reading “Building a Hero: Selma and American Sniper”

Writing Off a Character: Elementary and Sleepy Hollow

Originally posted on mythicramblings.com on Feb 4, 2015.

When I started this site, I had a list of all these bigger, larger posts in mind to talk about the general state of affairs in visual media today. But I also knew I wanted to incorporate some timely reactions to the movies and shows I watch. I settled down today to catch up on my shows, as I do most every Tuesday. I was slightly blown away by the comparisons and lines of thought popping up. And so here I am, with a nice long list in my pocket, about to make a post on how Elementary and Sleepy Hollow recently wrote off a new character. Spoilers for both shows after the jump.

Continue reading “Writing Off a Character: Elementary and Sleepy Hollow”