Inverse: Second Life and Second Childhood

0 | July 19th, 2016 | Posted in cyberspace, digital technologies, Second Life, video games, virtual reality

child_71710_1Inverse features an interesting essay titled “The Unlikely Benefits of a Virtual Second Childhood.” The subtitle reads “Want a do-over? You’re not alone.” As this indicates, many are using child avatars in the alternative digital universe of Second Life to play out their childhoods again. Some choose never to grow up. The article explores the psychology behind this.

…Researchers Katherine Loveland and Richard Gilbert have focused a great deal of energy on figuring out exactly what that agenda is.

Loveland, a clinical psychologist and professor at the McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Loyola Marymount University, are currently working on an expansive research project looking at why adults choose child avatars and why users choose to build virtual families. It’s unexplored territory — as far as Loveland and Gilbert know, this is the first study to examine these choices.

Another fascinating aspect of virtual worlds and cyberculture.

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Call for Submissions for an anthology volume: Fantastic Fan Cultures and the Sacred

0 | July 19th, 2016 | Posted in call for papers, fan cultures, fandom, religion, sacred

Call for Submissions for an anthology volume: Fantastic Fan Cultures and the Sacred

They ways in which people pursue religion has changed in America and the West. Traditional, institutional religions are in decline, and even among those who claim “None” as their identity, an individualized spirituality of seeking is growing in popularity. As a part of this quest, the sacred often comes in seemingly nonreligious forms. Gary Laderman, a scholar of religion asks in light of this situation:

“So what if the sacred is not only, or even primarily, tied to theology or religious identity labels like more, less, and not religious? We might see how religious practices and commitments emanate from unlikely sources today…”

One of those unlikely sources of the sacred is fantastic genre mythology in fan cultures. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres are incredibly popular and have become multi-million dollar facets of the entertainment industry. But there is more here than meets the eye. Fantastic fandom has also spawned subcultures that include sacred aspects.

Fantastic Fan Cultures and the Sacred will be an edited anthology that explores the sacred aspects of fantastic fandom. Submissions should focus on how aspects of the fantastic function in religious or spiritual ways for individual fans, and fan cultures and communities. Chapters will be academically informed, but accessible to average readers so that it appeals not only to scholars wanting to learn more about pop culture and religion, but also to average fans who will expand their understanding of their fandom and culture. McFarland has expressed an interest in this volume, and if a contract is signed with them it will involve double blind peer review of the manuscript. Contributions should be in the 6,000 word range with a submission deadline to be determined in the near future.

Possible topics for this volume include but are not limited to:

  • Buffyverse fandom and other genre “cult fandoms”
  • Memorabilia collecting and “sacred relics” – Of special interest is Guillermo del Toro’s and Bleak House, and his connection of this to his unique form of primal spirituality:  “I’m not a collector. I’m a religious man.”
  • Convention participation as religious pilgrimage
  • Cosplay as immersion in sacred narrative and identity
  • Fantasy and science fiction conventions as Transformational Festivals (akin to Burning Man Festival)
  • Horror conventions as worlds “of gods and monsters”
  • Pop culture phrases as sacred wisdom teachings
  • Science fiction, fantasy, and horror as sacred narratives and mythology
  • Star Trek fandom as secular civil religion/spirituality

This volume will be edited by John Morehead. Morehead is the proprietor of TheoFantastique.com. He has contributed to various online and print publications including Cinefantastique Online, the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, and Extrapolation. In addition, he is the co-editor of The Undead and Theology, Joss Whedon and Religion, and the editor of The Supernatural Cinema of Guillermo del Toro.

Those interested in being a part of this volume are encouraged to send a 300 word proposal and your curriculum vitae by email. Both should be in MSWord or PDF format. The deadline for submission is September 2, 2016. Materials and questions should be sent to John Morehead at johnwmorehead@msn.com.

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Adam Savage TED Talk: My Love Letter to Cosplay

0 | July 16th, 2016 | Posted in Comic Con, cosplay, fan cultures, fandom

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Del Toro, Bleak House, and Sacred Relics

1 | July 15th, 2016 | Posted in collectibles, fantasy, Guillermo del Toro, horror, sacred

a4b6076def7d640c43c1fdde860c2c44The current issue of Rue Morgue, July 2016, includes an article by Dave Alexander titled “Beyond the Walls of Bleak.” It is inspired by the upcoming tour of some of Guillermo del Toro’s collection in his Bleak House called “At Home with Monsters,” beginning with the venue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (For more background on the exhibit download the PDF file.) In one segment of the article Alexander introduces a quote from del Toro:

“As the show’s title suggests, to understand At Home with Monsters one has to understand the function of Bleak House and its contents. Del Toro regards it as sacred space.

‘It’s where I literally recharge my batteries. I feel a change in my energy, and it’s incredible and inspiring for me, so objects are not there as a collection, they are almost like talismans, they are relics. [They are] holy relics the way that Catholics have an image of Saint Joseph or Saint Peter whoever they worship – that’s the value of these things for me. I have a Saint Gill-Man from Creature From the Black Lagoon or Saint Dick Smith or Saint Dr. Pretorius – images of characters that are a part of my inventory of saints. When people say I am a collector, I feel as if collectors are obsessed with the object, of its value, specifically in the market of collecting. I don’t give a shit about any of that! If I buy a toy, I take it out, I play with it, I put it on the shelf to look at, it’s not hidden. No piece of my collection is hidden from view. Everything is on display…[because] it’s an expression of myself.'”

I resonate with two aspects of this quote. First, del Toro equates his experiences with the items in his collection with a religious or spiritual one, and the items themselves are not just collectibles, they are religious relics. In several previous posts here at TheoFantastique I’ve drawn attention to the religious or spiritual aspects of the fantastic, and this dovetails with del Toro’s own perspective and experiences. Del Toro said something similar to his comments at Rue Morgue on this topic in a recent Q&A with the media at the Fantasia Film Festival that is even more explicit: “I’m not a collector. I’m a religious man.” Second, as a collector myself I’m glad to see del Toro’s approach as a parallel to my own in finding value not in the potential resale of a given item, but instead in the play and experience of the item that constitutes its value.

For those like me who would like to attend the event but can’t, a forthcoming volume provides a window into his collection: Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters: Inside His Films, Notebooks, and Collections.

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Astore: The American Military in Contemporary Science Fiction Film

1 | July 13th, 2016 | Posted in aliens, military, science fiction

ID4RHEADERThere is a very interesting article over at The Nation online titled “Can You Spot the American Military in Your Favorite Sci-Fi Film?” by William Astore. The author bring his experience a retired Air Force officer and lifelong science fiction fan to his analysis, and discusses his changing perceptions of the military over the years as perceived through this genre. His take is an interesting one given the shift from the positive portrayals and perceptions of the military in post-World War II science fiction cinema to more recent depictions of the military industrial complex, especially after 9/11. Here’s an excerpt:

In the aftermath of the invasion of Afghanistan and the “shock and awe” assault on Iraq, the never-ending destructiveness of the wars that followed, coupled with the US government’s deployment of deadly robotic drones and special ops units across the globe, alien invasion movies aren’t—at least for me—the campy fun they once were, and not just because the latest of them is louder, dumber, and more cliché-ridden than ever. I suspect that there’s something else at work as well, something that’s barely risen to consciousness here: In these years, we’ve morphed into the planet’s invading aliens.

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“The Conjuring 2” and Misinformation

0 | June 17th, 2016 | Posted in demonic, demonology, devil in film, Ed and Lorraine Warren, occult, paranormal

Now that The Conjuring 2 is in theaters it has become the object of praise as well as critique. An article at iDigitalTimes offers the latter, particularly since the film is promoted as being “based on a true story,” and that it involves the careers of notorious parapsychologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. (See my past critical interactions with the Warrens here, and this critical essay on the Warrens at Week in Weird.) An excerpt from the iDigitalTimes article:

By lashing itself to real life, The Conjuring 2 instead invites extratextual scrutiny and takes on the ugly, garish light of hagiography. By endlessly trumpeting its real-life basis, The Conjuring 2 cheapens its own accomplishments, spending the capital built with excellent writing and direction on real-life frauds and phonies who don’t deserve it.

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Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” 200 Year Anniversary

0 | June 16th, 2016 | Posted in Frankenstein

This is the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This story continues to capture our imaginations so many years after it was first conceived. For some insights as to why, enjoy this video featuring Leo Braudy, USC Professor in English, Art History and History. And don’t forget to wish the Creature a happy anniversary.

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Paintings from “Night Gallery”

0 | June 14th, 2016 | Posted in 1970s, art, macabre, Night Gallery, Rod Serling

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Dangerous Minds has a piece that draws attention to the paintings used to introduce the stories in the television series Night Gallery. The essay includes a little background information, and images from several of the paintings, including the one above titled “Escape Route.” All of the paintings can be seen at the Rod Serling’s Night Gallery website.

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Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex

0 | June 14th, 2016 | Posted in documentary, monster theory, monsters, special effects

A new documentary on practical effects is coming. It’s called Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex. See the trailer above. Beyond the general subject matter that connects to my passions, for me, the initial quotes were priceless in connecting to the broader themes of this blog. Guillermo del Toro says, ““I think we need monsters to explain the world, because without them, we cannot explain our place in the universe.” Alec Gillis rightly notes that “Every culture and religion has had their dark force and their evil entity.”

Visit the documentary’s Facebook page for news and updates.

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Memento Mori Art

0 | June 5th, 2016 | Posted in art, macabre, memento mori

f516cc8c58cdf948563e740b5ed922cbAtlasObscura has a nice piece on memento mori art that includes some photos of different approaches to this. I am fascinated by macabre art and memento mori, and those similarly inclined can find the piece titled “In the 16th Century, the Best Office Decor Was a Tiny Rotting Corpse.” On the sculpture in the photo accompanying this post:

One of the more striking full-sized memento moris of the era is the statue of René de Chalon, a French prince who died at 25 in the 1544 siege of Saint-Dizier. Known as a transi — for its depiction of human transience — the sculpture shows the prince’s desiccated corpse holding his own heart aloft.

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