Recreating

I didn't think I could make myself look like Coraline's mother but I thought I could draw her!

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/universal2009/Coraline2.jpg                             
                                                                                                           -FairyTaleMovieQueen

The Extension

      For this week's post I decided to have a little fun and explore fantasy in the form of a video. It follows the path of floating bridges through a world of tall hexagonal pillars. I made this with Blender and added music from Freesound. Enjoy...

Fantasy is Positive

      Children's fantasy movies I believe are very positive because they give kids a positive outlook on fiction teaching them that it's okay to explore things that are not real. It helps them to be creative and promotes the use of imagination (crucial to the development of a child) opening up a world of pretend. Children are supposed to be free to explore and take healthy risks.

   Fantasy movies also introduce children to supernatural elements such as dragons or ghost which is healthy because they are introduced in a way that causes children to be more comfortable with them letting them know that they are not real. Many children's movies are also helpful in teaching valuable lessons about morals and life. 

     In general, children’s fantasy movies are important and promote many positive qualities in kids. They also give us early hope in teaching us that anything is possible and that we must pursue our hearts dreams and desires.

                    -FairyTaleMovieQueen

      

An Ancient Evil Awakens

      As promised, we will be covering gaming as well and, in this case, Halo 4 specifically. It is a first person shooter game exclusively for Xbox 360 with a release date of November 6, 2012. Its story is likely to include war between Humans, the alien race of the Covenant and the Prometheans. The intergalactic wars in the series introduce bizarre new worlds, species and technologies.

      Being a video game, it can't help but stretch the boundaries of our world and epitomize fantasy. Games are the only type of fantasy that adds the aspect of free choice to it. Being in a three-dimensional world enhances the wonder and intrigue with the freedom to look and move as you wish, something books, movies and pictures just don't have.

      Another interesting aspect of Halo 4 that has been evolving of the course of the past games is the forge. In the forge players are given pieces such as walls, windows, blocks, stairs, weapons, trait zones, spawns points, vehicles, you name it. With these pieces they are free to build anything they like and then be able to walk and play all over the map/what they built. This combination of an already fantastic world along with the creativity of the player makes for a unique, ever-changing experience.

      I am a huge fan of Halo and have already pitched in $100 for the limited edition. I know it will be amazing.  And, to explain beyond my capabilities, here's a video documentary of Halo 4.

"It's got to speak to fantasy"-Scott Warner at 1:00

Comic-con

        For this weeks post, I would like to share a little about a popular fantasy convention known as "Comic-con".  For those who do not know, Comic-con is an ongoing yearly event that, in my opinion, represents the pinnacle of fantasy social culture.  Fans flock to this event, selling out on tickets within the month of opening sales, to see popular fantasy flick stars or to hear the latest news in comics, video games and more.
        I have only attended one of these events, but in the short time I stayed I was immersed in the colorful excitement of the diverse demographic.  Fans often will dress up as their favorite character from a fantasy film or popular video game etc.  Within the sea of extravagantly dressed people are paid cos-players, usually incredible beautiful women.  Major contributors and promotors of the event and entertainment will scout women and pay them to show up to events in amazing costumes to arouse excitement in the audience.  The biggest name for the time being Jessica Nigri.  Nigris' latest costume was a real life version of the popular video game character from "Lollipop chainsaw".
        I do not consider myself a fantasy fanatic nor do I even express interest in most fantasy representations, but this event sparked something in me that i can only explain as childlike excitement.  This convention is something I believe everyone should experience at least once.
-Jason London

Elevation Askew

-Elevation Askew by Tariq Soliman

"A man ascends into imagination"

      To better understand fantasy I underwent creating it myself. I made this piece with Paint.NET and a mash up of online images.

      My central focus is on the man climbing the ladder upside-down. I liked the irony of the up climbing position but the downward travel. I next wanted to combine nature and attempted a tree. To keep up with fantasy I made the leaves gears and the roots wires. Perhaps it depicts the uniformity and complexity of nature. I don't know why but I wanted a dead bird. I let my whims and imagination guide me (sadly not to a .png image, but it's not that noticeable). Actually I'll change my mind and say the bird is sleeping. With sleep comes dreams.  Lastly the horse head nebula represents wonder and that fantasy exists in the real world. My plan when creating this was to have no plan and that made all the difference.

       This image is comprised of all real life things (the Pegasus being a horse and wings). It shows that we craft fantasy out of reality. Merriam-Webster defines fantasy as "the free play of creative imagination",  and that is just what this picture is. The beauty of fantasy is that it has no rules, forms or convention. It can be what ever you want it to be. It can be interpreted however you see fit.

Water Colossus

-Water Colossus by Farkwhad/Alexander Kintner

     This fantastic masterpiece is of an unimaginably huge water serpent. This enormous spirit has just entered this realm through a mystical portal. It tears away at the island with a high pressured jet of glowing water. The monster is chained up in decorative metal shackles. Its body aggressively flows with columned sea. The clouds and sky swirl with fear. The island floods in submission. A lone wizard stands atop a cliff's edge, challenging the insane behemoth.

     At first sight you don't notice the sheer scale of this image. It is somewhat breath-taking when you follow down the wizards path to the water colossus and actually get a good comparison of its size. It makes me feel small, insignificant and hopeless. Despite the feelings, I don't see this picture dark at all. The main colors, blue, green and brown, suggest more of a natural, calming and verdant side. I see the man perched at the end of the path as a moral to stand up, try and dismiss the impossible. That we are never given a burden we cannot handle. Looking at the whole, the art piece is deceptively tranquil, a mix between frightened and peaceful. It's overwhelming.

life after death

       This photo depicts a young pale woman dressed in a black victorian gown holding roses.  I infer that this woman could have possibly passed away. The almost transparent angel behind her is grasping the woman in a comforting fashion, possibly to let her know that it is alright for her to let go and move on.  How the woman is grasping the roses, in my opinion, is the representation that she is not willing to let go of life just yet. In the background there is an almost church like structure that seems to be fading away.  This is also a representation that the living plane is slowly fading away.
        This picture inspires many clashing feelings. For example, the feeling of sadness and regret that the earthly life has been taken from her.  With that said, because the angel is lighting up the darkness and comforts the women, feelings of hope and love surface.
         It is a bittersweet representation of life after death.
-Jason London

A Dark Being

     This picture depicts a dark and demonic figure pointing off into the distance. Behind him stands a dark tower almost melting away in the background. It is almost as if he is pointing at someone or something as though he has chosen them for destruction. There is a faded away picture of other beings like him on the bottom left corner of the picture. Fading away almost as if to be a memory.
     For me, this picture gives off a feeling of hopelessness or despair. The beings lifeless features and faceless profile make it seem as if he has no soul or life in him. Even the building in the background melting away seems as though there is no hope or feeling within the structure. Looking at the picture gives off a dark feel as if the being is either coming for you or for some other poor soul. When looking at this picture it gave me a depressing feeling of sadness which can be directly tied to the dark colors, and the way that everything in the background seems to be fading away into darkness. It is not a happy photo and does not seem to have been drawn by somebody in a happy state of mind.

Research

To help you guys relate a little more to the things we talk about on this blog, here are a couple websites I use to get a better understanding on fantasy culture.

fantasy-fan.org

Fantasy Fan is a great website to find reviews on books, movies and anything else fantasy related. They also have in depth discussions on fantasy culture and fiction which you can add to or read in their many forums.

http://www.scifinow.co.uk/

Scifi now is a fantastic place to get the latest news and reviews on anything related to scifi, fantasy, horror, and video game culture. They are updated daily with the latest content and give both reviews and news on the world of fantasy.

These two websites give a good balance between fact and opinion. You can hear when the next great thing is coming out and then find out whether or not it was any good when it is released. You can get deep conversation and debate on the forums, and see media and clips from many great works.

Paranorman

This picture is from http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=paranorman

     Paranorman, distributed by Focus Features and created by Tim Burton is a wonderful movie about a boy named Norman who possesses the gift of seeing and speaking with the dead. Unfortunately, because of his extraordinary talent he is mistreated and misunderstood by his family and most people in town. Anyhow, he is given a mission by his outcast (and later on deceased) uncle to read a fairy-tale on the dead witch's grave (who was executed  during the Salem Witch Trials) in attempt to put her back to sleep along with the zombies that torment the town. After realizing that the with was only a little girl who had the same gift as him, he proceeds to help relieve her sadness by listening to her story of reject and execution and being understanding toward her. Nevertheless, he was successful in solving the problem between the living and the dead and people including his family finally began to accept him.
    Paranorman is an astounding children's movie because it's main purpose is to teach us not to belittle others because they are different or because we don't understand them. Although, the film is animated and at many times humorous, it is also touching and made many people (including myself) come to tears due to the fact that most of us, if not all of us, at some point in our lives have been rejected or felt mistreated by our families, social groups, or by those we admire. However fortunately, as Norman explains to the little girl, although it may not seem like it, there is always someone who loves us and cares.
     Watching this film I was really surprised at the messages and themes of the movie because I expected it to be similar to a classic zombie movie only animated. Thus, I was blown away and it's deep meaning caused this children's film to be one that I will always remember.