COSMICPOP

Discovering needles of wisdom in the haystack of pop culture.

[cosmicpop]

All Star Superman - Revisited

I've been thinking about this part in All Star Superman, where Lex Luthor takes a serum he's made that allows him to function like Superman - but this also includes his range of empathic awareness. It's such a beautiful moment, I remember crying reading this the first time. Because really, we all have this within us. Such capacity to understand. We want to be able to accomplish so much, but for whatever reason do not equate "power" with emotional and spiritual strength as well. In fact, they're often seen as separate - power vs. compassion. It's terrifying. I understand why Lex wants to destroy Superman. It's the same reason why real people in the real world want to destroy those who make others see truths that they wish they could just live without.

[cosmicpop]

Mother!

I've come to realize that my new favorite genre of film is Allegorical Horror. It's becoming more popular, and each one is its own art therapy experience. I got to thinking about films that I loved, such as The Witch (oppression through organized religion), the Babadook (mental torment borne of despair and loss), Get Out (the black experience in a white culture), or even Let the Right One In (friendship and bullying amidst cultural bias). These play off of some original heavy hitters which were far campier but still important, like Videodrome, Carrie, and They Live. 

All have very real messages that relate to the human experience. I feel like comedy and horror have somehow swapped seats. Horror was once based on camp, cheap thrills, often exploitative and sexual- and comedy, though having similar habits, would explore social taboos and offer some insight to ordinarily uncomfortable subjects, made digestible through laughter. Siamese twins but with their own relatability. We don't live in a funny world. We exist in a time that is challenging and often depressing. For this reason, maybe horror feels more honest. I left the theater yesterday and a huddle of 5 young men were behind me. One said, "well, that was...a movie..." They all exchanged awkward laughs with their hands shoved in their pockets. This movie likely will not make sense if you firstly don't know that it's meant to be an allegory. If you're expecting a fright fest, it's not for you. If you're willing to explore your own life and emotions, you might enjoy it. My partner said it was one of the most important movies he's ever seen, and it offered him the chance to self-reflect. It did the same for me as well, in a different way. There's a scene towards the beginning where the main characters, a husband and wife, are in their kitchen- and the husband, indicating to two glasses, says "can I get these?" "I got it," the wife says. Without glancing at her, he grabs them anyway and fills them with water at the table. She has a very subtle, inner pause. It's so small you could miss it. This moment opens us up to their dynamic. Imagine if The Shining were remade to focus entirely on the experience of the mild mannered Wendy. Shelly Duvall's character isn't given much of a chance to tell the audience how she feels, living with such a megalomaniacal, ego-driven madman. Here it feels important to note that the husband in Mother!, is also a writer. In a bizarre way, I found this movie to be incredibly empowering. At times it's hilarious, including conversations I've actually found myself in (with partners, other women, or myself), and other times disturbing and painfully upsetting, in the way it can be when you identify with a character who personifies parts of yourself you cringe to witness the most. I read a few reviews that claimed the movie was good, but Jennifer Lawrence just "didn't sell it." I call bullshit, and here is why. After decades of the entertainment industry asking women to lose their minds in over-the-top, dramatic scenes, this character is soft spoken, and generally functions on a basis of peace. We've seen Jennifer Lawrence deliver characters with gruff voices, rolled shoulders, slumped or standing tall. She's not my favorite actor, but she's an actor. Her delivery seemed to clearly be based on character choices, and she follows through on them, maintaining the consistency of a woman in shock. It reminds me of a new Lady Macbeth. She disowns herself in favor of helping her husband murder another person for ascension and the crown. Afterwards, she falls into the background of the plot - that is, until she begins spiraling further and further, becoming dangerously unstable until her eventual death. This movie takes this concept of the Perfect Accommodating Wife and runs with it until it bleeds. It falls into some very strange terrain, which, if you're open minded, will do a lot to express not just the effects of what a given situation does to a person, but to the global economy and populace. Oh, and this isn't just a movie about people. From the words of the filmmaker, we should also be thinking of the experience of Mother Nature, suffocating as she tries to satisfy the narcissistic needs of humanity.

If you're an adrenaline junkie, try this on as a date movie.

[cosmicpop]

The OA: The Heart is Not Dead

(This is an introduction to the series, and is SPOILER FREE)

I just finished watching the first season of the new Netflix series, The OA. It would be easy to dismiss it as “weird” or “nonsensical” as so many websites have done. But I'm so tremendously grateful that this show was allowed to be made. Playing out like a long form art film, this abstract presentation of a meaningful life delivers a dark fairytale in the likeness of a creature we only know to be fictional until proven real. This is the case with most spiritual pursuits. What The OA so gorgeously delivers (without presenting it as such) is the story of Indigo Children. In Western medical terminology, these would be known as Highly Sensitive People. Some in the esoteric and new age realms refer to them also as Crystal Children or Star Children. For the sake of simplicity, I'll use the term Indigos. After all, this blog isn't trying to hide the fact that it's about spirituality, and in all my digging there almost always is a scientific or clinical finding for every alternative one. For those who aren't familiar with an Indigo (or a Highly Sensitive Person), they are individuals who have heightened sensitivities, and are powerful empaths. They easily feel what others feel, and can have difficulty spending extended periods of time around anger, lethargy, bitterness or sadness, absorbing them like a sponge. As young people, they often talk to animals, and are uncomfortable with "baby talk." As they get older, they drift from the norm and can feel misunderstood. They can act strangely, lash out, or become disenchanted with the world they live in. There are usually two possibilities stemming from this time in their lives. The first and less common is, they embrace themselves, learning to develop and tend to their sensitivities, connecting with others who share their interests and pruning what feels damaging. Or alternatively, they try to fit in. This can often result in emotional imbalances such as anxiety and depression. They can be unnecessarily medicated, some from a very young age- and in worst case scenarios, these people may become substance-dependent. 

Both cases are presented in this show, from Prairie, the protagonist, who seems to understand what and why she is- to Hap, a doctor who has lost himself and now dedicates his energies to one single unwavering purpose. Their commonalities are rich, but their directions couldn’t be any different.

What we see from virtually every character in The OA is a lack of self-understanding. They are potential Indigos, trapped in a world that they don't understand or feel is theirs. We meet Prairie almost immediately. She is a local celebrity, returning to her hometown after having vanished 7 years prior. The mystery around her disappearance and recovery spark the reluctant interest of locals, seeming collectively unnerved by her presence. Through the course of the first episode, she makes the acquaintance of several key characters, all of whom are drawn to her almost despite themselves. They become entangled into her story as episodes pass, and in doing so, begin viewing their surroundings and themselves differently. They slowly start to carry themselves in a more self-aware manner. This isn't exactly a "positive" change for them, but it is a crucial one. Those of us who have had transformational moments that pull the curtain back, hold a mirror back at us, or simply whisper in our ear a secret we’ve tried to hide from but knew was true, are far from easy to process. These moments can cause tears in our emotional and spiritual fabric - but can’t help but make us stronger. 

I'll do my best to avoid spoilers here, but I will safely say that the season finale involves an intensely concentrated moment, teetering on the immediate response of several of the central characters all at once. 

So much of life is about movement. It’s an influential theme of the story. Communication between characters shifts between verbal, spiritual, and physical. These are the ways in which we are sensitive. Several beautifully choreographed scenes (by the brilliant Ryan Heffington) say more in gestures than words ever could, as the characters act from pure grace, intuition, and empathy. 

Those of you who know what you are, who suffer and wish to be "normal," clipping your wings back in an attempt to be Just Human, you do yourself and the world a great disservice. To be sensitive is to have a superpower. And powers, while incredible, are a great responsibility. At times they can even be a burden. But like any ability, this one too requires patience, focus, and support. Treat it like learning a new language. Practice. Perhaps prune away the negative influences, and watch them organically replace themselves with healthy ones. With each passing day, you'll learn to communicate better than before - outwards, and inwards alike. To others, to yourself - and you, like The OA, can share your story. You might even change some lives. In fact, I know you will. 

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Batgirl, the Insufferable Suffragette

For anyone who went to San Diego's Comic Con this year, rumors of the estrogen-driven Batgirl were sure to spread quickly, especially to those invested in DC's reboot of the new 52. She managed to get out of the wheelchair (Oooo, spoiler alert!) and up to the mic in order to state her opinion….four days in a row.

Being a woman, I can say that feminism and women's rights can get very tricky, and has splintered several times since the suffragettes. It's somehow all too easy to forget that they marched in heels…but this was obviously because they were being pushed by society to dress in such a manner, right? Or perhaps some of them just enjoyed looking and feeling pretty. I know men who relish the same pleasure.

When trying to categorize what a feminist actually is, there shouldn't be rules, but they often seem to exist regardless. Let's take, for example, Wonder Woman. Last year, there was an attempt to put pants on this Amazon-princess-turned-American-patriotte. The man responsible, J. Michael Straczynski, claimed that this was done in order to "toughen her up and give her a modern sensibility." This translated much more like a shot at modest sensibility. Why is it that the most influential female within the DC Universe core was asked to become more realistic in her ensemble when the men still got to wear their spandex? And here comes that tricky part I mentioned.

One circle of feminists says: "Why are women being exploited through this character? Why does she have to be virtually naked to be accepted?" So, pants and long sleeve are applied.  And another circle says: "Where are the boots? Why do I miss thigh-highs and cleavage all the sudden? Isn’t it our right to enjoy our bodies?"

My initial response to the Batgirl at the microphone demanding more female roles as well as writers was frustration. I felt that it was rude and unnecessary to try and pinpoint any hidden agenda on DC's part, and seemed especially acrid towards Dan DiDio, who had to bear the brunt of the woman's sharp tone. He was irritated by the daily rantings, but handled it as gracefully as he could by day four. Batgirl was taking full advantage of having mic-time at a panel of people that would otherwise be difficult to speak to directly. But then again, so was everyone else, right? That's what the mic was there for, and this was anyone's chance to get out their thoughts.

On Monday morning, after all the chaos had subsided from San Diego's downtown, my boyfriend and I met up with David Lloyd for brunch, which quickly became many, many glasses of prosecco. After draining a few, I began speaking loosely about my feelings toward the Batgirl, expressing my annoyance at the seemingly pessimistic stance of many apparent campaigners for women's rights. I took low blows at the ill-fitting outfit, spoke condescendingly, and made her out to be the enemy to all things revolutionary. This was naturally challenged by David, artist of V for Vendetta, which is in itself a graphic novel with powerful feminist undertones. Having the background of a calm, working class Englishman, his take on standing up for rights was much more open, forward, and educated than mine. Something I could take a lesson from. Hearing his perspective made me wonder, when did I stop standing up? Suddenly I realized that what Batgirl was doing was perfectly acceptable- necessary, even. The delivery was perhaps a bit amateur, but in moments like these, we often have to improvise.

I hadn’t considered the gender of superheroes I was reading to be all that important to my experience until this moment. I've always felt that their powers and capacity to fight the good fight under any circumstance is what makes them satisfying to connect with. However, after this real-life experience of someone doing just that, the question of gender has clearly become something to not only consider, but to be applied. After Comic Con, I saw quite a number of blogs and websites mention the topic of women in comic books, spawned by Batgirl with her attention-seeking tactics at the New 52 Panel. I can't say the effort didn't pay off. When it comes to making change, there has to be someone willing to step up. 

Thanks, Batgirl. 

[cosmicpop]

Super 8: Exploring the Caulfield Effect

-SPOILERS AHEAD-

This movie seems to cause a ripple effect, in which everyone is convinced that the story belongs entirely to them. I call it the Caulfield Effect. Corny, I know, but it works. This takes place when someone experiences something which they feel is completely individual, beyond the scope of anyone else, only to discover that they are amidst an ocean of like minds. I call it this because after anyone reads Catcher in the Rye, there comes a point where they slowly close the book after digesting whatever profound paragraph they've just completed and think to themselves, “oh my god. I am Holden Caulfield.” The truth is, everybody is Holden Caulfield. 

Writer and director J.J. Abrams has transformed a feature length film into a projection of our most personal memories. It was unquestionably necessary for it to be a period piece, having certain cinematically time-sensitive moments such as the complete unlikeliness of Dr. Woodward's survival, no matter how temporary - created as a homage to so many scenes of 70′s cinema. This professor had not only been in a collision with a train traveling at full speed, but also suffered a major explosion resulting from the impact. Even if we allowed these details to slide, there would still be no defense for the paper that he's holding (an important piece of evidence). At least the paper would have caught fire, right? However, this movie is set in 1979. At least this is my assumption, based on the excitement over The Knack's song “My Sharona,” which was released early that year. If it hadn't been for this time period, the “Now Just A Minute” rule would absolutely apply, but since we're watching a science fiction movie set in the late 70's, it would be ridiculous to ask for specificities that are much more oriented to the critical views of the modern movie-goer. 

Keeping Dr. Woodward in mind, there is an obvious Ars-Cinematica taking place within the film that the children are in the process of creating for the Cleveland film festival. A movie within a movie. They are making is a zombie-murder-mystery called “The Case,” dealing primarily with the living dead. This could be seen as a metaphor since the kids themselves are living in a world of adults who seemed to have given up in exchange for the norm. This idea is directly personified through the parents of the two main protagonists, Joe and Alice.

They come from different sides of the tracks, Alice being from the rougher side of town and Joe living on the upper end, but both sharing one similarity: they both are stuck in a position where they must pick up the pieces of a broken home, and at very young ages. Both are around the age of 13, which is a strange time in a young persons life. This age is the beginning step into the teen years. And for these kids, it represents a time of exorcising their own rights and defying the rules, for passions sake. It's very much a tale of Passion Vs. The World, only now they are becoming a part of its chaos due to their involvement with the mysteries taking place in their town. The train tracks and their separate sides no longer matter. All corners are effected by terror and confusion, while the space between strangers, enemies, family and friends rapidly begins to close.

The two families symbolizing a kind of Montague and Capulets ordeal, are brought together and simultaneously torn apart by the death of Joe's mother, who had died covering a shift for Alice's drunken father. The two men, left alone with their young children, represent the two sides of carelessness. There is the kind that comes from duty, and over-attention to ones work, and there is the kind that sprouts from the complete lack thereof. These alternate sides come together to form the forces which, as we learn from a reel of secret footage discovered by the children, the creature had to endure as well.

And here lies the true parable of the movie. The kids are at the point in their lives when they begin making decisions that will shape who they become. If they are continually neglected, they will end up just as this creature has- alone, afraid, defensive, violent, and lost. But that's just my inner mother talking.

Joe must allow himself to let go of the past, just as the alien must. This moment is gathered into a single statement in the film, when Joe looks into the eyes of the alien and without any panic states, “bad things happen. But you can still live.” This movie seems to be made specifically for anyone who has been through anything that has left a scar, whether the viewer is a kid on the verge of abandoning their innocence, or anyone who has yet to let go of irreversible moments that plague their minds. This movie manages to push several sensitive points on any given person, and at times it is unavoidable to admit that we all have parts of each character within us. Part of me wants to drink my sorrows away. Part of me wants to live for creativity but forget my responsibilities. Part of me wants to blow up my friends train set. Part of me takes my life entirely too seriously at times, and part of me feels like an alien.

If this film included a post-screening group discussion, I'm sure we would quickly discover that people who seem to have nothing to say to one another have much more in common than would ever be assumed. Whether or not they talk about it is up to them. But thankfully, there are artistic ways to help people understand themselves a bit more. There are creative outlets that join strangers together, and this film is a brand new one. 

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AJ Fosik: -Colors and Creatures-

AJ Fosik has appeared in pop culture art magazines such as Hi Fructose, Swindle, and Tokion throughout the last 12 years, though he seems mysteriously unreachable, as though he never actually existed, but was invented temporarily and disappeared. He is a modern artist, and in the fashion of the time, he remains elusive and cool...or at least maintains this appearance in interviews and photos. When I first saw his work I was completely amazed at what I saw, thumbing through a magazine that someone had left in a free pile. How could such detail come from a man with no apparent experience in art?

Fosik rarely expresses human beings in his art, but remains firmly planted in his love of the animal kingdom- whether real or slightly fictionalized creatures, giving them wide expressions, and a great deal of emotion. He himself seems to be a creature of sorts, traveling the country, never quite finding the means to settle. His name alone symbolizes who he is, acting as a blatant metaphor of his persona. The name "Fosik" (originally spelled with two S's), is "…a verb to describe the act of people sifting through mine washings or waste piles to look for any gold that might have been missed; sorting through the garbage to find gold." (SWINDLE magazine) His original occupation was a woodworker, and he would use scrap material to create pieces of art for fun. Soon enough, his work was being hung in galleries around the country. 

As a carpenter, Fosik already had a great deal of experience with using tools as well as his hands to create sturdy wood-based structures. His pieces are almost always found in layers, and seem to emote a kind of holy or sacred silence while expressing animals in their most enlivened states. This alone perfectly expresses silence and dynamism acting in one place at the same time. The bilateral quality of these pieces of art is literal and poetic, since his wall hangings could be sliced down the middle, folded, over, and be perfectly balanced, though it would be a great waste of art. They also force us to stare into a mirror when taking in his creations, completely saturated in our own primal nature, and the possibility of being something more than Human. There is a great level of depth in any one of his given pieces- the eyes sink back into endless circles, then popping out again. The outwards direction of the wooden fur of his creatures seem to pull at the face of the animal, emphasizing its grimace, and for everything pointing upwards, there is also something pointing downwards. Getting more into the technical parts of his work rather than the poetic, I've noticed  that, though none of his pieces are dihedral, almost all are bilateral, and some are even cyclic. When mentally tracing the orthogonal lines of his pieces (if you were to treat them as flat), the central vanishing point is always at the very center of the piece, either at the middle of their mouth or the at the point between the creatures eyes. If these pieces of work could make any noise, they would certainly be shrieking, growling, snarling, or laughing. I'm drawn to the colors he uses, as he tends to favor hyper-shades, almost like neon pastels. After rethinking the artist I would use for this assignment, his name struck me like lightning, because his work is not only dimensional, but almost completely symmetrical. 

When I think about his pieces without looking at them directly, I actually become happy. There is something beautiful in their energy, something I've never quite seen before in art.

When considering the colors he uses in contrast with the colors he is often seen wearing, it is unavoidably clear that in no way does he attempt to "become" his art. He already is, simply by creating it. Seen in faded sweat shirts or coffee-stained T's, AJ Fosik is not a man of many colors on the outside, yet he clarifies his inner nature by expressing it outwards, screaming in peoples faces with it, bearing his teeth through the wide-eyed expressions of his personal static animal kingdom. 

The creatures heads hang on art gallery walls like trophies from a hunt. There is a relationship between the artist and the art. Here, he is literally bearing himself as his own kill, brandishing the findings for people to admire. There is perhaps something disturbing in this notion, yet unquestionably admirable.

When I think about what he does, I become overwhelmed with a sense of love and curiosity. Everything about it shines a light on my minds hidden corners, and that is what art should indeed do. There is something beautifully geometric about his art, and it is said that symmetry is one of the most attractive traits for a person to observe. Maybe I've fallen in love with his work! It certainly wouldn't seem impossible. 

[cosmicpop]

X-Men First Class: The Space Between Rage and Serenity

I couldn't help but notice a reoccurring statement, said by a young Charles Xavier, first explained to help Erik (who of course is later known as Magneto) harness his abilities. He points to a large satellite in the distance, and asks Erik to try moving it. He struggles for a bit, then stops, exhausted. Then Charles says, in respect to the central location of his power, that it's "the space between rage and serenity" that is important. Charles then picks up a memory buried deep in Erik's subconscious, featuring a moment between a very young Erik and his mother lighting what appears to be a menorah. After having access to this moment for the first time in ages, his senses soften, and he is able to move the satellite. I found this scene very effective. It is true that memories of things lost can sometimes bring about angry feelings. Instead of letting the mind become saturated in the joy of that moment, it immediately jumps to the pain of what came next. In Erik's case, even thinking of his mother could be expressed directly with the thought of her death. This would result in continual rage. Naturally, the original memory would be suppressed, and swapped out for the one that gets the most attention, or the one yielding a stronger response. However, thanks to Charles' gift, he is able to let Erik relive the innocent joy that was felt within that moment, instead of letting his brain flee to where it feels most defensive. Using only the force of rage combined with the serenity required to truly feel a memory once more can lead to something even stronger than rage. Life can be trying, and sometimes causes high and heavy walls to go up around ones heart. If rage has been awoken, it should be trained, not slaughtered. Trying to remove something from your own being is essentially killing a part of yourself, so, best to just make friends with it. Sound familiar, Mr. Wayne? 

Peter Pan said, "you just think happy thoughts, and they lift you into the air!" why is this? When the mind is light, then, in this childrens story, it is reflected in the body. The idea is, without the knowledge of being unable to do something, you can then do anything. Innocence is always there, but is generally repressed rather than accessed. Sometimes allowing guards to drop can be the greatest defense that one has. 

[cosmicpop]

Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension 

"Forgive them, even if they are not sorry

all the vultures, bootleggers at the door waiting

you are looking for your own voice but in others

while it hears you, trapped in another dimension..."

I really love music videos. I see them as a good opportunity to build a short film around a soundtrack that's already been made. A lot of the time, a great deal is conveyed within a very short period of time, sometimes in a very simple way. In this particular video, what I find to be the most expressed concept is reincarnation. It's a new twist on it though. I've never thought of my soul as being something truly unaltered. Here, Julian Casablancas attempts to show the infinite value of his artistic nature. As an audience, we know him as a song writer. This is also how he seems to see himself as well. It's the only thing through the video that remains consistent. Generally, someones cosmic nature is expressed to be something beyond what they "do," but here, it is completely intermixed...which is basically what I believe in. Everything is all things entirely at once. Awesome! So in the opening of the video we see a pagoda, representing the process of enlightenment and wisdom of the higher self. Julian runs up the steps into a glowing doorway, then is outwardly expressed to the audience as a person in a new life, each time given a situation to deal with. As his soul grows from lifetime to lifetime, he takes subtle lessons from what he faced in the past. His subconscious mind (seen as Julian glowing on the edges, standing on an infinite grid) aids him through things, encouraging him here and there, or just watching the process, and writing down the epiphanies he's gained on a wall in neon chalk. By the end of the video, he is ready to take the last steps into the highest portion of the pagoda, disappearing into light, coming into his highest form of understanding. 

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Forte.

 I find that my speciality is finding cosmic mystery within everyday things that could often be perceived as mundane, absurd, or even corny. I like to think that within the things I create, whether it be in writing, the occasional drawing, or conversation I have with others, there is a presence that cannot be directly explained. It is like a strange source of light, emitting a hue that allows me to see corners and new pathways that I didn't previously notice, but ones that I probably did not yet need. It's a good reminder, and a fresh way to know that I am progressing. Creation is entirely personal, and yet absolutely forged to the rest of the world, bringing me closer to it. Even if I am in a room alone for weeks on end working on something, that thing is related to everything beyond my own mind, and then the two are one. 

I made this blog to express my feelings about a facet of reality that often gets overlooked as unnecessary, superficial, childish, or even menial. I believe these opinions to be ignorant and fear-driven. Fear of creativity, fear of something new, fear of being questioned or having reason to see something greater. When I was a little girl in Catholic school, curious about what “God” meant while my aunt and uncle spoke openly about their spiritual and atheist views. I was also obsessed with Tina Turner. Combining all of these things at such an innocent age, the lines between them were blurred. Ever since, I’ve found it effortless to see cosmic knowledge within music, film, comic books, or pop art. This is my manifested backlash at the “spiritual people” I overhear, bragging to one another about how they don’t care about things such as fashion or pop music, and how these things don’t serve their “higher selves.” Well, news break. They totally can. I’ve never liked to wear my spirituality as a costume. If I feel something, that should be with me all the time, rain or shine, paper or plastic, temple or tumblr. 

As far as I can remember, I've always been a fan of pop culture. My connection to it happened when I was really young, hearing weekly top 40 on the radio, watching Mtv, and watching blockbuster movies. I began creating my own pop art, and paying more attention to the art around me. It seemed that if something made me feel that good, there must be something bigger behind it. This is my opportunity to explore what that something is. 

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When we are open to the support of universal law, then it will certainly make itself available. Grant Morrison is a person who is in touch with the reverberating sounds of asteroids bouncing off one another. Here in this clip from Talking With Gods, Morrison explains the phenomenal experience of literally discussing the outcome of All Star Superman with the man himself. 

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Illustration by Frank Quitely, from Grant Morrison's All Star Superman. 

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“No question, comics have been part of a spiritual quest. All art, for that matter, is a path of growth & discovery.

The closest thing I have to a religious practice is my daily creative practice. It connects me to ancestors … and to future generations.”

Quote + Illustration by Eric Drooker

[cosmicpop]

Deer Gus

I recently started a comic called Sweet Tooth, saying I should probably give it a read. I took a quick glance at the cover, brandishing a boy with deer antlers, and what I thought was blood or something on the corner of his mouth. Obviously, I completely overlooked the chocolate bar in his hand.

Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth is probably one of the best comics I've ever read. I've soaked in all I can, and all there is left to do now is wait for the next issue. It's easy to get caught up in the details of things, and I'm sure this is true of anyone who considers themselves a writer. This is actually one of the reasons I appreciate the medium of comic book writing so much- it's almost an exercise in restraint, or at least in patience. It's easy to tell when a writer is panicking and pushing out too much at once, because a comic book is visual. The page will be a complete mess of illustration and words, looking like a poorly presented, overstuffed plate of food. Lemire has perhaps mastered minimalistic comic artistry, doing the writing as well as the illustrations himself. There are only 21 books so far (less than it sounds, these are short!), and yet so much has happened. A number of new characters have been introduced, and done so in a way that makes me actually care about them. I'm not just continuing to read out of interest of the storyline. Funny how they can be separate, right?

Not to say that the storyline is bad! Far, far from it. What immediately grabbed my attention with this story, is the immediate clashing and joining of beliefs. God and Science- the siamese twins who can never make up their minds about what to have for breakfast.

Enter Gus. He lives in the forest with his pappy in a simple log cabin, where he has learned about the ways of God according to the Bible, as well as some personal prophesies from his father. The only information we are given as an audience is that Gus's father appears to be dying, and Gus is forbidden from leaving the immediate area of the woods in which they reside, purposefully filled with fear towards the outside world. However, information about the unknown, no matter how scary it may sound, will lead to curiosity.

In a world where there is suddenly a new form of people, a kind of half-breed between animal and human, it would be perfect for a protagonist such as Gus to be paired with an animal as innocent and timid as a deer. Within the ancient beliefs of India, there are three levels of purity called the Gunas- there is sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Gentle, herbivorous animals are considered sattvic, carnivorous animals of prey are rajasic, and scavenger animals who eat putrid meat or dead remains are considered tamasic. The three most sattvic, or pure, animals in the entire animal kingdom are elephants, cows, and deer. It would be appropriate for a gentle-natured soul such as Gus to be a deer, given his surroundings and ways of life. He has very little worries, but the pressing matters he does have concern the outside world. His life changes within the first book, through the death of his father, which is short and peaceful. This is the first step into his new reality. Gus is a good God-fearing deerboy, believing that "the sick" which has taken over all of humanity (save for this new breed of people), is due to the power of the All Mighty. However, with each step out of the forest he is faced with questions about his own beliefs. What is God? What is science? What is he, and how does he fit in to either? For the first time, Gus must learn to socialize, and deal with the reality of "opinion." Until this point, he has been raised by what he assumed to be facts, knowing only his father. When presenting these "facts," he is either brushed off as stupid, or hit hard with an opposing comment. This is but one new piece of the world he is faced with...but I'd say that the first moment of outside influence was brought upon by the candy bar. It's a tangible, edible form of sweetness, though it is also refined, impure, and addictive. Much like the qualities of life that each lucky American faces every day. As he discovers more, his faith in humanity wanes and picks up again, though he seems to keep a casual faith in himself. He's not the only one either.

A doctors point of view is generally science-minded, though somehow, one doctor in particular find himself believing in Gus. Believing in him as more than a genetic anomaly, but as something else which seeps into his soul. Where does faith come from? How much of someone is made up of their past? How much is developed independently? How much is genetic, and how much is just a total mindblow of a mystery? I love this comic, because in a certain angle, these kinds of questions are constantly asked. Read on, read on! Something tells me Sweet Tooth will all end in tears. And not necessarily the sad kind.

[cosmicpop]

Mice, Men, and Everything Else.

Superman. You'd THINK the name says it all, but really it's just an outsiders perspective. Superman has a name. Actually, he has three. There is the name he was given at birth, "Kal El." There was the name given to him upon discovery on earth, "Clark Kent." And then there's the name give to him by the public, the name everyone knows, even if they've never heard of the other two. "Superman." How does one begin to know who they truly are when so many angles are given to them? Simply remain within. In reality, this is the most difficult thing in the world to accomplish. In fact, it's not exactly normal for most people to do. The magic in watching Superman is that we know he has a secret. Working at the Daily Planet, the main news source in Metropolis, he hides in plain sight behind a pair of Buddy-Holly's- and it makes things more exciting for the reader. 

Why does this guy even have a job? He could have whatever he wants, easily taking the things he desires. The reason goes past how he was raised, though this certainly created healthy soil for his personal growth. The truth behind his humble nature comes from his own self-awareness, and knowing that he was meant to be here, not belonging on Earth, yet still here. Why is this? Surely there is a purpose. As Clark grows older, he learns that his abilities can assist in a planet that needs help. Superman knows Kal El, though is constantly learning more about him, and Kal El knows Clark Kent because he created him. Clarks job is to report the news, which often involves Superman. This is similar to the oral tradition in the Christian faith of the Holy Trinity, or the Vedic concept of Rishi (knower), Devata (process of knowing) and Chandas (the Known). Superman acts because he feels to act…and yet, he is clumsy and ridiculous at times when at his desk job. What does this mean? This is where the true power of this particular comic book hero comes into play. Superman, said to be completely invincible, somehow fumbles around a woman, drops stacks of paper in the hallway, and spills water from the cooler. This is an unconvincing image of invincibility. Yet, as "Superman," suited and soaring through the sky, flawed motions are near impossible. You never find him running into buildings on accident or tripping on power lines. This is because he is acting out his full potential. When any living being, human or otherwise, stifles their capacity, they become further faulted and accomplishing nothing but their own image of themselves. I was once in a quantum physics class when the subject of "Support of Nature" came up. This idea suggests that when we are in tune with the universe, in tune with ourselves, then it acts within our will. When we aren't, then it begins to act almost as an enemy- or so it could seem. What it is really doing is being a harsh Buddha- slapping our wrists, reminding us that we know we could be doing more. This is why we fumble. We could be standing tall, but embarrassment, social anxiety, fear of judgement or pain stands in the way. So, the opposite of standing tall happens. Standing low. sometimes as low as the carpet. Thankfully, when Superman is wearing his suit, there is no self-judgement because he can simply be what he knows he is. Superman serves as a symbol of all living creatures, including human beings. He peeks at us from behind his perfect curl and silently says, "If I can do it, so can you." And all it takes is, as Jesus put it, "faith the size of a mustard seed." Buddha preached that we create our own reality. This is easily seen when looking at a comic like Superman…mainly because, the notion of Superman didn't fall from the sky. It was in fact created by the mind of an ordinary human being, same as anyone else. Only that person tapped into his potential, and created a story that has been spreading expansion of self-understanding ever since. 

[cosmicpop]

"After killing a spider how lonely I feel in the cold of night!"

Haiku by Masoaka Shiki

[cosmicpop]

Chakras, Willpower, and the Emotional Spectrum

Let's talk about Green Lantern. 

Where do I even start? Since reading the new run of Green Lantern by Geoff Johns, I've begun noticing some pretty major parallels between the Lantern Corps and the nature of chakras. Firstly, it can't be escaped that there are seven of each, with correlating colors and emotions. As seen in the diagram, the bottom chakras are related to the body. This means all things superficial, since it's excluding the mind as well as the emotions. The bottom chakras are what keep us "grounded," though overindulgence in material goods or a spiritless life can lead to heavy lower chakras, and empty higher ones. This causes a range of anything from digestive problems to literal weight gain, since we are "weighing ourselves down" with either too much external stuff, or, quite literally, "past shit." Within the world of the Lantern corps, we find these colors: 

RED- Anger

ORANGE- Greed 

YELLOW- Fear

The higher up the "emotional spectrum" one goes, the softer the emotions become. Anger is something brought upon by pure selfishness- and this isn't always a bad tool to have. There is, after all, a purpose for all emotions. However, there is no getting around the fact that anger only occurs when thoughts become focused on self-pain. Suddenly, everyone is your enemy- you and you alone have been wronged, and nothing can sway you from this idea. There is no sympathy or consideration for possible positions of others, only the knowledge that something bad happened, it happened to you, and it wasn't your fault, unless of course it is pure anger towards the self. In this case, the rest of the worlds benefits are being intentionally locked out.

The second chakra is located where the lower abdomen is. This is where people discover a number of internal issues, sprouting from emotional imbalance. We overcome our discomfort in life by immediate solvents, such as consumption of mood-altering substances, or through compulsive actions. Purchasing things, over eating, or any means of consuming. Each Lantern Corps really represent one chakra in their most extreme nature. Moving higher, we begin to find softer colors, representing the emotional and spiritual angles of ourselves. As the Lantern Corps have described them, they correlate as follows: 

GREEN- Willpower

BLUE- Hope

INDIGO- Compassion

VIOLET- Love

The Green Lanterns are said to be at the Center of the Emotional Spectrum, keeping things in balance. This is also true of the Heart Chakra, located literally in the middle of the rest, combining the colors of Hope and Fear. When the element of fear is used correctly, it becomes a tool to use and to learn from. When in danger we sense fear, but when combined with hope, we can crack the emotional ice that makes us freeze in place. This is indeed how the heart should function- open, and willing to receive, yet strong enough to protect us from negative energies. Above green, we find the Blue chakra, located in the throat. This is the space of speech. Many people who talk compulsively to overcome social anxiety have issues in this area of their body. This is due to an emotional blockage. There are also those who speak out in aggression who face similar dilemmas. Some people experience a blockage by not speaking at all, and afraid of judgement, they cower, unable to move their emotional energy past this chakra to higher points. Of course there are those who are silent because they have no need to make much sound. Most of the time, these people have a great sense of warmth about them, and the silence doesn't come from a place of insecurity, but more personal comfort. This is because they have surpassed this point, moving up the spectrum into more cosmically established places. Speech is important, because what you say and the way you respond to things effects all things around you, as well as the self. Positive affirmations are full of light energy, which is why Hope would be located here. Having those who speak out words of comfort benefit those who are willing to listen. Both actions require a sense of self-comfort...comfortable enough to be quiet, and comfortable enough to speak truth. As blue becomes more vibrant, it transforms into a denser hue: indigo. The "Indigo children" are a phenomenon of this generation, as new souls are birthed with heightened awareness, apparent from a very young age. This chakra, located in the forehead, allows people to sense the problems of others and easily empathize with the energies around them. However, without the ignition of the highest and final chakra located on the crown of the head, this can be quite a mixed gift. Some people who are filled with Indigo energy can become overly emotional, burdened by the pain felt by others, or overwhelmed with joy, causing the body to be unknowingly overstressed. These people can sometimes be categorized by society as bi-polar, medicated for something that only needs a slight push upwards to be realized. That push brings us to the crown chakra, brightly glowing violent-white. The Violent Lantern corps' power is Love- and this truly is what the top chakra is. Pure, unfiltered love. Nothing is wrong, because all things are seen as perfect, and love is felt for all things and all beings. This is possible because compassion is present, the powers of hope and strength are alit, and the activation of the lower chakras, balanced by the power of the higher ones, keep the person grounded. When firing up all chakras at once, we are made complete. This is why, in the world of the Lanterns, all seven Corps must act together in order to battle their enemies. These foes are much more expanded ideas than the ordinary comic-book villains, symbolized often by physical manifestations, yet not stopping at the skin. The real powers to defeat are much bigger than any one individual, who are usually being overtaken by a specific dark force, such as anti-life. It is unspecific, yet these are forces that are easily identifiable. Interesting, isn't it? Yes, an Indigo Lantern could cause damage to a negative energetic force, as could any of the Lantern Corps- but only together can they find victory. This is the essence of life. By becoming a whole individual, we may then discover the way to walk through darkness unaffected, releasing a positive by-product called "collective consciousness." Being in touch with your higher self, you unconsciously encourage others to do the same, and help the process along. This is why someone like Superman is so powerful. He can almost be regarded as an enlightened being, effecting those around him, and even strangely making the reader feel like being a bit of a better them. He stands for balance, humility, strength, kindness, sexuality, and power. Hmmm...this could get detailed. Let's save the rest of this for the next topic...Superman. 

[cosmicpop]