Beware the Ides of March!
Posted by Bunch of Ice Productions on March 15, 2011
Happy Ides, everyone! To celebrate the death of Caesar, why not read a 5-paged backup story based on his murder?
Everybody’s talking about “Et Tu, Hecate?” It’s true. Here are some of the rave reviews the short story has received.
“[A] nice short read.”
- Glen Davies, GeekSyndicate
“The additional material involving Hecate tears down the fourth wall behind the fourth wall in a particularly intriguing way.
- Andrea F. Jones, Amazon Review
“The ‘Bonus Gallery’ includes ‘Et tu, Hecate?’ which is a small comic depicting the death of Caesar at the hands of Brutus.”
- The Masked Movie Snobs, blogcritics.org
“…a back up story (a really cool one about Julius Caesar).”
- Drew McCabe, comicattack.net
“…a brand new five-page story that further explores the mythology of the Kill Shakespeare world.”
- Giovanni Gelati, Gelati’s Scoop
You can buy Kill Shakespeare Vol. 1, which includes “Et Tu, Hecate?”, at any major bookstore, including Amazon.
Note: the views and opinions expressed therein about Caesar are not indicative of the views and opinions of bunchofice.com. Caesar was a lovely ruler with a keen eye for detail and a sharp fashion sense. Hail Caesar. Hail Caesar. Hail.
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Average Joe the Lion
Posted by Curtis Westman on December 5, 2010
Well, gee, I feel a little vindicated.
Everyone told me that studying both English Literature and Comparative Religion would get me nowhere. They told me that outside of the classroom, I would never use both disciplines simultaneously. People told me how dumb I looked reading Portrait of a Lady in a kurta. Dear doubters: everyone looks dumb reading Henry James. That’s what Henry James is.
I admit, I believed some of the jibes and jeers, some of the rude spitting and cursing. I think I truly started to doubt myself the day some of the faceless goons that punctuate the tale of woe that is my schooling began screaming a repetitive swell of “stop ruminating upon yourself” while hitting me with my books. It was tragic, really. I told them that technically they were using a mantra and subsequently blacked out for three days. I woke up tied to a flag pole with my underpants missing and discovered, written in lipstick, the words “ATHEIST APOSTACY” on my chest and “I <3 CHUCK PALAHNIUK” on my back. Palahniuk! It was humiliating.
But it’s my turn to shine. You see, Liam Neeson has made a claim that a lot of people are taking issue with. The Daily Mail, out of the UK, is reporting that fans of Narnia are furious after he said, “Aslan symbolises a Christ-like figure but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries.”
I haven’t read Narnia in years, since I was its pre-teen target audience and the whole concept of religion was off my radar. When I read the books, I was completely unaware of any allegory. I hadn’t been raised Christian and even the basics were lost on me. In a way, I envy that younger me, because I got to enjoy the Narnia books for something simpler – a wild adventure in a fantasy world. To be honest, I think Narnia kindled in me a love for fantasy in general, which, of course, was soon murdered by discovering that my beloved twenty-six Xanth novels were written by a pederast and that even at the age of 10, I was a bit of a pederast for having read them.
Here’s the problem: C.S Lewis, the author of the Narnia series had, in his lifetime, specifically said that the series was about Christ. Lewis, of course, must be rolling in his grave at Neeson’s remarks, right?
Well, here’s my honest opinion as a literary scholar: Who cares what C.S. Lewis would think? He’s dead! All that remains of him are his novels, his writings about his novels, and his billionaire estate that can get offended when somebody uses the I-word in juxtaposition with their meal ticket. The very fact of the matter is that if you’ve written a work of fiction and published it, its interpretation no longer belongs to you. Everyone is free to interpret it as they like. That’s the whole fun of literary criticism.
Even though, in this case, we’re surprisingly privy to the author’s intention, that doesn’t mean a thing. The author’s intention is moot. A body of work whether it is written for children (C.S. Lewis) or adults (Virginia Woolf), about Christians (C.S. Lewis) or Muslims (Salman Rushdie) or for the intended consumption by human beings (C.S. Lewis) or large rocks (Stephanie Meyer), it is published into the world to be read and interpreted by that world. The only thing that belongs to the author is accreditation and accolade.
What’s worse is that all the outrage really ignores an important part of Neeson’s quotation: that sticky little situation where he says, “…he also symbolises for me…”
Neeson isn’t claiming ownership of anything. He’s not taking your cross out from around your neck and replacing it with a crescent moon. He’s talking about his own interpretation of a character. To argue otherwise is pointless.
Finally, and I’m sure this is going too far in some peoples’ eyes, but being outraged over comparisons of the Christ to the Buddha to Mohammed is a waste of breath. The amount of similar iconography in all the world’s religious traditions is astounding, but of course people focus solely on their differences. That Neeson was inspired by the character as an analog of every religious tradition isn’t just some P.C. blather, it’s pretty strong stuff, contextually. Just because the Christ is the only one who was sacrificed and resurrected doesn’t mean that the values embodied by Aslan aren’t universal in the interwoven history of religious thought.
I mean, heck, I sure embody them. (Taking donations to build a church.)
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MONDOcomics Changes its Format!
Posted by Owen Craig on November 28, 2010
After eighty-something weeks, MONDOcomics is switching it up. Gone are the many short reviews, and in their place are a few longer reviews. Now Miles, Isaac and I will each pick one book (or sometimes a couple of books) that we really want to write about. Check it out! My first book is Justice League: Generation Lost, a comic that I found quite surprising.
http://mondomagazine.net/2010/mondocomics-82-november-24-2010/
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Off-brand or Cattle Brand
Posted by Curtis Westman on November 25, 2010
Hey, look! Here’s an article I’ve written for Big Orange Slide on the extent to which a company’s image affects the behavior of its employees.
by Curtis Westman, 25 November, 2010
Illustration by Brian Ross
I’m a big fan of meat.
That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy vegetables; a well-cooked vegetarian meal will always outdo a mediocre steak, especially if you find it hard to silence the bovine screams that haunt your nightmares. But basically, nothing beats a 32 oz piece of meat and an impacted colon.
One company in Montreal doesn’t agree. Matt and Nat manufacture vegan designer accessories – promising that handbags and wallets alike are virginal of animal product or byproduct. They also have a company policy to uphold their brand image: namely, that no employee shall partake in the sweet, sweet flesh of another living creature.
More at: http://bigorangeslide.com/2010/11/off-brand-or-cattle-brand/
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Interview with MONDOMagazine
Posted by Bunch of Ice Productions on November 16, 2010
In case some of you didn’t already know, Owen is a perpetual writer for an online publication called MONDOMagazine, and a few years ago, Curtis was also a contributing writer. Recently, we were able to sit down and talk with Isaac Mills from MONDO about our Kill Shakespeare backup story.
Owen and Curtis Kill Shakespeare
by Isaac Mills, MONDOMagazine, 16 November, 2010
MONDO: Your story is set in Julius Caesar’s era. Is there anything you would feel comfortable talking about with the story?
Owen: Our goal with this story was to sort of tangentially link one of the Shakespeare plays that Kill Shakespeare couldn’t really fit in because of the time difference. And so I won’t say exactly how, but we’ve sort of found a way to tie it in to that mythology and show how there are some common threads between the story of Julius Caesar and the other stories in Kill Shakespeare.
Curtis: Yeah, and in a way the Julius Caesar story itself is a pretty good allegory for what’s going on in their book because it’s a conspiracy to kill someone that they believe is a tyrant. And it’s kind of ambiguous as to whether or not he is a tyrant, or whether or not he’s a good person.
Owen: Right. It was really challenging in five pages to basically retell a significant chunk of Julius Caesar AND tie it in to their book AND make it a character piece. We had to be very economical.
Curtis: Five pages is really hard.
More at: http://mondomagazine.net/2010/owen-and-curtis-kill-shakespeare/
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Interview with Living Between Wednesdays
Posted by Bunch of Ice Productions on November 11, 2010
This past Wednesday, Owen had a chance to talk with Jonathan from Living Between Wednesdays about the backup story “Et tu, Hecate?” written by Owen and Curtis, and published in Kill Shakespeare‘s first trade paperback. Thanks to Jonathan and to Owen for having such a kickass conversation.
Wednesday Interview: Owen Craig
by Jonathan, Living Between Wednesdays, 10 November, 2010
So: your story is appearing in an upcoming trade of Kill Shakespeare. Give us the one-sentence plot hook that will make everyone completely unable to pass it up. And maybe throw in a couple of other sentences if you feel the need.
Yeah, our story is in the first trade paperback of Kill Shakespeare. Curtis (my writing partner, I don’t remember if I established that I work with a writing partner) and I approached this story with the goal of building on the Kill Shakespeare world. When looking at their concept it occurred to us that one Shakespearean play which would be difficult for Conor and Anthony to bring in would be Julius Caesar, so we’ve taken the moment of Brutus making his decision about whether or not to participate in the conspiracy to murder Caesar and shown how that particular moment plays out in the context of the Kill Shakespeare comic. It’s basically a fun Easter egg for fans of both Shakespeare and fans of Kill Shakespeare, with some pretty cool ties into the main book.
More at: http://livingbetweenwednesdays.com/?p=4009
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Official Release: “Et tu, Hecate?”
Posted by Bunch of Ice Productions on November 11, 2010
Owen Craig and Curtis Westman are proud to officially announce the release of their first published comic book, “Et tu, Hecate?,” a 5-paged backup story to Kill Shakespeare‘s first trade paperback, collecting issues #1 through #6.
With art by immensely talented Toronto-based artist J. Bone, “Et tu, Hecate?” takes place in Rome circa 44 B.C.E., and puts the Kill Shakespeare twist on William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
Kill Shakespeare is a comic book written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col with art by Andy Belanger and covers by Kagan McLeod, which is touted as “[a]n epic adventure that pits Shakespeare’s greatest heroes against his most frightening villains.”
Kill Shakespeare Vol. 1 can be found at any comic book retailer, released as of 10 November, 2010.
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Americanization is Shit
Posted by Curtis Westman on November 8, 2010
Let’s talk “travesty” for a second.
A lot of people are aware of my selfish views on the Americanization of foreign films, my unfaltering derision towards the finished products and my pretty senseless determination never to see them. Such was my feeling for Let Me In, despite the fact that it garnered great reviews and basically proved me wrong in every possible way, making me look like an incredible jackass. Well, whatever, I’m still not going to see it, and at this point it’s less about scruples and more of a war of attrition than anything else, because my scruples are way off in the distance next to a cactus somewhere with my accuracy and predictive reasoning.
So, let’s forget about Let Me In and talk about something else. Akira. Yes, that Akira. The anime that non-anime fans are allowed to watch under the pretense that it’s “art and shit.” The anime that brought adult-directed Japanese animation into the western eye and inspired countless awful convention costumes, posters and that fake unlicensed Zippo lighter I bought when I was 17.
In short, it was a pretty big deal.
When things from other countries (and especially in other languages) are big deals, though, it’s like American film studios salivate and wag their tongues and generally act like frat boys who’ve discovered that beer pong is a stellar way to get girls drunk. “If only we didn’t have to read this movie, though, then my transition into a puddle of pseudo-sentient gelatin would be complete!” they might say, trying desperately to scratch their balls with a stein duct-taped to each hand.
And they remake it, of course. But American audiences would never be able to understand how a Swedish character lives, breathes and acts — after all, that’s around the world. It barely exists. Instead, the remade film is Americanized, a catch-all term allegorizing the melting pot that turns a rich cultural tapestry into industrial slag.
Of course, you might argue, there are good Americanized films. The Magnificent Seven, Twelve Monkeys, et al. But those films did something different from their originals, and thus are value-added products. They’re derivative works in the least critical sense. They actually derive something new from the film they adapt.
Anyone can make a shot-for-shot remake of Psycho and sap all the life out of it, but they’re deluding themselves if they think it’s art. Anyone can pretend that New Mexico is more exciting and easier to identify with than snowy Sweden, but they’ve obviously never tried corn salsa.
So yes, in my opinion, Americanization is shit. I’ll never see Let Me In and I’ll never see the abominable planned remake of Akira regardless of whether or not absurd rumours about Zac Efron’s involvement are true.
Because, and you can take this prediction to the bank because I have a going success rate of about 0%, the movie is going to be shit regardless of whether or not it has Zac Efron attached.
P.S. Also shit: the fact that I used a “z” in “Americanization.” Bet you thought I didn’t notice.
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The Art of Branded Storytelling on Applied Arts
Posted by Curtis Westman on October 27, 2010
A great article on Applied Arts Magazine, marrying advertising, culture and comic books. Written by a copywriter at Grip Ltd., Ian Mackenzie (also, coincidentally, the founding editor emeritus of Big Orange Slide). A brief excerpt appears below.
The Art of Branded Storytelling
by Ian Mackenzie, 27 October, 2010
Illustration by Joel Holtby
Here’s a question: Why aren’t comics more popular among advertising creatives? Many of us read them. Love them. Want to marry them. But there’s an equal or greater number of us who don’t think of comics at all. Or if we do, associate them with a lunatic fringe of male power fantasy nerds.
That’s a shame. Comics are packed with great insights for how ad folks might do what we do better: How to tell stories quickly and powerfully, for example. Or how to make your art and copy sing – even in the absence of audio.
More at: http://www.appliedartsmag.com/blog/?p=3069
» Filed Under Advertising, Comics | 2 Comments
More MONDO reviews
Posted by Owen Craig on October 24, 2010
Darkwing Duck #5
Ian Brill (w), James Silvani (a), Andrew Dalhouse (c), Boom Studios.
I was a little concerned that after the initial story this title would lose some of its lustre, well I’m happy to report that that’s not the case. Not even slightly. This book is still funny, charming and all-out-awesome. I’m enjoying the alternate-reality Darkwings and the references to the Ducktales characters are fun. Brill and Silvani continue to make this one of my favourite books to read every month.
DC Universe Legacies #6
Len Wein (w), Various (a), DC Comics.
This book is such a treat for DC fans. Seriously, it’s pure nostalgia, hearkening back to past stories, tones and art styles. Len Wein has put together a really cool device for reliving DCU memories and the rotating art team is doing a fantastic job. I especially enjoyed the backup story this time out. That was hilarious! My only complaint here is that it seemed a little much to devote a whole issue to Crisis aftermath. Whole issue to that? There’s so much more to tell! I want more! I guess it’s kind of a compliment, too.
Morning Glories #3
Nick Spencer (w), Joe Eisma (a), Alex Sollazzo (c), Image Comics.
The first scene in this issue was stunning. Spencer and Eisma completely rocked it, giving it a twisted, V For Vendetta feel. Seriously, why is this school so creepy that it’s reminding me of V For Vendetta? Creepy! This issue feels more like set-up than the previous two, taking the time to show off more parts of Morning Glories Academy, such as the dungeon (?) and the infirmary. It’s…unsettling. This book kicks ass and you should buy it.
You can check out all of MONDOcomics’ reviews here: http://mondomagazine.net/2010/mondocomics-77-october-20-2010/
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