A meeting point for geeks, nerds, otakus, dweebs, weirdos, nutjobs and abnormals. An archive of news, rants, reviews and ideas from my abnormal brain to share with as many abnormals as possible. Come in, read, discuss and be weird. (But be respectful, my monkey enforcers are always watching and itching for a chance to attack those who break the rules)
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No Man’s Land Pack: Volumes 1 and 2.
Tim Drake Pack:Robin #19, #22, #71, #80, #82, #84, #87, #93, #94, #102-104, #173, #176, #177. Red Robin #1, #6 #11-16, #18, #21-24.
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Gotham Pack:Huntress: Year One (missing #5). Gotham City Sirens TP: Division. Batman Inc: Leviathan Strikes. Batman 80-Page Giant 2011. Batgirl v1: Secret Files and Origins.
Miscellaneous Pack: Women of Marvel TP. Avengers: Children’s Crusade #8-9. Teen Titans: Year One #1. Tiny Titans #46-49. Impulse #78. DC/Marvel Access #2.
★ Giveaway closes May 20, 10pm EST. ★ Do make sure your askbox is open at that time. I will be contacting the winners then. C:
As times change so must the means by which art is analyzed or presented. As technology becomes more and more accessible to a vastly diverse group of artists and writers it is logical to assume that the art that they produce will stem from their technological knowledge just as much as it might stem from their creative minds. As electronic literature grows and changes it is not uncommon to see a multitude of works that blend words with pictures, sounds, animations and games to create entirely new types of literature that would have seemed impossible long ago. But at times these works seem more of a sensory overload than traditional literature, mixing so many elements with the intended text that users might find themselves lost in the beauty of the imagery rather than being sucked into the meaning and structure of the words. Yet after experiencing some of the works of electronic literature created by Deena Larsen, a pioneer in the electronic literature community, it is clear that her approach to e-lit is centered on the structure of words and how these affect the meaning or overall tone of the work rather than using other visual media to enhance the mood or appeal of the work.
The first work where I observed this use of word structure and multilayered sentences was in her 2002 poem title “Firefly”. The work is described by the author as “lyrical yet formal structure comprised of 6 stanzas, each five lines ‘long’ and six lines ‘deep’” in which the reader is given the task of exploring this seemingly linear poem in a very non-linear way. The poem consists of layers of sentences that change the overall meaning of each stanza as the user clicks on a different sentence. At first I believed them to be merely a repetition of each other, that the stanzas could be formed one at a time simply by clicking each sentence the same number of times. But as I explored the poem I discovered that each stanza had a unique set of layers for each sentence, thus assuring that the reader would need to dive deeper in order to fully understand or appreciate the entirety of the poem. (Lineception, to borrow a current term of popular culture) The poem consists of several possibilities for each stanza, reminiscent of Raymond Queneau’s Cent mille milliards de poèmes, Larsen urges her readers to not only revisit the work a multitude of times, but to also analyze it with much greater detail than they would a more animated or fast paced work such as a video from Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries. This poem began my overall thought process on the possibility of Larsen’s work as a visual representation of the dynamic and non-linear possibilities that the written language holds without the need of adding anything too complicated.
The idea of playing around with the inherent meaning and structure of a word or language can also be appreciated in Larsen’s collection of “Kanji-kus” which are short poems in which the author explores the “innate meanings inherent in the word” that the Japanese Kanji represents. With one single word, in this case I chose to explore the “Kanji-ku” titled “Bubbles”, Larsen manages to fit vivid literary images in the form of short poems, reminiscent of Japanese “Haikus”, that explore the meaning of the word in its Kanji form and how it matches with the mental ideals behind it. As the reader scrolls over each word embedded into the kanji they are treated to a small poem that expands on the thought process behind something as simple as a word. In the case of the word bubble the author explored several visual images that most people would imagine when thinking of a bubble and the words that are associated with it in one way or another. Larsen’s use of layers and word structures creates a very interesting and beautiful work by alluding to the hidden intricacies contained within the written language, regardless of what dialect or region it originates from, since something as simple as a bubble can bring to mind many other thoughts such as “air”, “water”, “the sun”, “curves” and even “loneliness” while still retaining the original shape of the word.
Perhaps the one work that I found to be the most indicative of this thought pattern is simply the one that states it out right. In her work “I’m Simply Saying”, Larsen goes in a somewhat different direction from the two previous works I’ve discussed. Rather than hiding the idea of words, meaning, ideas and thoughts changing the overall structure and message of a work she simply states it outright yet her method of doing so experiments with certain elements that aren’t present in the past few works. Using a mixture of music and animation she brings to life this idea by allowing the reader to experience the same piece of text but with select words or phrases changing as the user hovers over them with the pointer. While only changing one particular word or phrase the message of the work changes and mutates, going perfectly with the idea that this is one of the ideas that drive her work. The first line contains 2 possible changes that can be made by hovering over “Words” and “meaning”. While the original line reads “Words change meaning” by hovering over “meaning” the line changes to “Words change relationships” followed by “Words change relations” and several other possibilities. All the messages in the first line are true in one sense or another but by simply changing one solitary word in a work the overall mood of the work changes as well. This change of “moods” is also present in the music that plays with each option, spanning from upbeat to somber the music helps add to the overall message of the work that subtle changes can completely alter how we perceive a text. While the title teases that she is “simply saying” this, her work proves that there is nothing “simple” about how she states this message. While the concept of it is in fact simple, language can be dynamic and malleable; the method by which she presents it is anything but.
Deena Larsen truly lives up to her title as a pioneer of electronic literature as her works demonstrate the basic appeal of the medium: that by applying small changes to a work the way it is perceived and enjoyed changes as well. Her use of structure and multilayered works goes hand in hand with the electronic medium that can so richly adapt to this style of writing and creating and the overall message she applies to her works. Her work demonstrates that the medium by which these artists express themselves is not only innovative but it is loyal to the concept that drives all writers at some point: the realization that words, no matter how few, hold great power and meaning in the minds of those that can appreciate them.
Like those I see daily, every Wednesday and Thursday nights, enjoying a life that seems almost alien to me.
I wish I liked that dreadful music they listen to, for as pathetic and horrible as it is…it all but assures physical contact that I cannot obtain through years of friendship and attention with a girl.
I wish I was like those guys, shallow and alcoholic and yet able to catch the eyes of several women in one night, when it takes me considerably longer to just earn the trust of one woman.
I wish I could be like their kind, the ones that cast aside judgment, morals and responsibilities and are rewarded with affection that I cannot obtain through my own morals and hard work.
I wish I looked like them: generic and almost identical, with bodies that attract affection much better than the affection and understanding I use as a means to catch a girls attention.
More importantly…
I wish I didn’t feel the way I do so often when I am alone in my apartment, listening to their music blaring and knowing that I am the only one in the building that has never been asked to join in such festivities.
I am an oddity, a sideshow freak.
The ever elusive “nice guy”, a dying breed that slowly disappears as years go by and they sink into an every growing pool of loneliness.
I don’t know if I posted this already but I needed a pick me up and the Metal Gods provide to those that seek their guidance. This man is freaking talented o.o Support him if possible.
Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries’ BUST D0WN THE D00R AGAIN! felt a bit like watching the second movie in a trilogy without watching the first installment: it was entertaining and interesting but I felt as if a part of the backstory was missing. The story is offered in two versions: Drums and Strings and each of the versions possess a style and point of view of its own.
The Drums version offers a hectic and energetic story of a group of individuals that burst into a home in the middle of the night and drag a helpless man from bed. The mood is set by the music, the rapid beats and the text that flashes on in accordance give the viewer the sensation of energy, drive and maybe even a little mob mentality. The story progresses with the group throwing their victim on the pavement in his underwear and tying his hands as neighbors peek through their windows and silently, and some not so silently, let their approval be known to the group as they have captured a “traitor” and have received the community’s blessing to do away with him. The use of this fast and somewhat upbeat musical style works very well in creating a hectic scene of mob justice from the moment the group bursts through the door to the moment they are leading the man towards his inevitable execution ground. Where the poem takes an odd turn is near the end when the narrator comments on the fitting irony that the victim must recall the dream he had just be woken up from where he shared a drink with his lover overlooking the ocean. Here the music and beat make the words sound almost like a taunt, a mocking expression of irony that this man that has been and will die as a victim of mob justice should experience a small memory of happiness as he makes his way to his execution.
The second version of the story offers the same tale but from the point of view of the man that is to be executed. The use of strings and a soft and somewhat eerie musical score gave the same tale a very different feeling. Rather than the hectic and mindlessly upbeat music of the previous version, this one offers a slower and more methodical pace by which to read the story. As it progresses the mood turns to one of despair and sadness as the man’s life is turned upside down by a group that sees him as a traitor. The same lines that read like mob mentality (the neighbors approving of the deed) now feel like betrayal. And as he is led off to his death the music makes the last memory, the dream seems almost like a beautiful thought. The same story, through a change in music and of point of view, now seems more like a tragedy than a possible search for justice. The final words, as he remembers the breeze of the ocean and the sweet bossa nova playing in the background seem like a peaceful way of accepting the impending death and hoping for those same feelings in the afterlife.
These digital language movies offer a very interesting albeit hectic textual experience. Rather than simply scrolling through a text at ones leisure, these works set the pace for the reader through sounds, music and rhythm to enhance the reading experience while maintaining a constant textual speed. All three works offer a different presentation of a particular text, emphasizing their mood and pace through sounds and imagery.
“The Struggle Continues” offers a more upbeat rhythm by which to experience the text, opening up with a constantly uplifting song that keeps the reader’s attention focused on the text while synching perfectly both the musical notes as well as the written words. “Project for Tachitoscope” offers a very different visual experience as it tones down the musical aspect of the work in favor of a faster stream of words mixed with visual cues and imagery to expand on the notion of subliminal messages. The pace of the text is set and unwavering, opting for a rapid bombardment of imagery and words within words (wordception? :) ) rather than musical or auditory cues.
“Star Wars, One Letter at a Time” was by far my favorite of the three and yet the concept of the movie is quite simple. It is quite literally the script for “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” as it would have been typed one letter at a time. There are actually two reasons why this work was my favorite aside from the simple yet curious design: the first reason would be that I am a huge Star Wars geek and the idea of looking through the eyes of Lucas as he wrote the first script (before his edit-happy days) was a true delight and secondly it brought back memories of my childhood spending days in my grandmother’s house typing away on her old typewriter. While in the other movies the music sets the pace for the text that the viewer is meant to read, in this work the notion of pace through rhythm and sound is explored on a simpler yet grander scale. One “tap” of the keyboard equals one letter, and the fast paced and hectic speed of the typing makes the text harder to decipher. While in “The Struggle Continues” the music and rhythm sped the work along word for word, the overall message of the text was not hindered and flowed continuously. In “One letter at a time” the only rest that the viewer can use to compose and prepare for the next batch of letters comes from the noise caused by the typewriter as it is positioned back to a starting position and the paper is scrolled slightly to allow for the next sentence to be typed. The hectic flow of letters might seems arduous to a reader but it represents the flow of thought from the mind of a writer to the medium of creation perfectly. And idea that comes from inspiration cannot sit idly by as the reader catches up. It must flow until it is complete and this work represents this perfectly. I stayed watching it for quite a while and understood the majority of it, although I have seen the movie numerous times the script for a movie is far more complicated than it appears on screen as text must be transformed into imagery.
It breaks my heart every time :( The only uplifting notion is that in the first movie after the series was cancelled they return to this and fix this heartbreaking moment. Still I can’t see this episode with out getting the urge to cry like a baby :(
