MarlowMello

Random Things

[marlowmello]

How a single character inspired me as an artist

If someone were to ask me what in the media inspired me, I would answer with Deadpool. The films, the comic books, you name it. I know you're probably thinking, "wow, how original," but let me explain.

It all started when I went to see the Wolverine Origins movie. Yes, I know it was one of the lesser Marvel movies made, and I am not defending that. However, I loved Ryan Reynolds' as Deadpool… well, up until the end, but that's a discussion for a different day.

After seeing the film, I decided I wanted to research the character a little bit more. I loved his cocky attitude and snarky comments. I felt like Ryan Reynolds brought that out so well and was curious to see if that translated to the comic books. I found out there was a current issue of comics featuring the character and decided to start reading it.

I loved it; I loved the art style, the writing, and the character in general. It was completely different from what I expected of a comic book. To be honest, I hadn't really explored comic books because I didn't realize they could be like that.

The Deadpool series inspired me to get into character design, concept art and start writing my own comics. I began practicing drawing humans more. Before, I had stuck primarily to drawing animals. When the series ended, I was devastated, and I wasn't as big of a fan of the art style in the new series, so I had a difficult time getting into it.

Then there was great news, the news that Ryan Reynolds was going to make the Deadpool movie. There had been rumors about it, but a test footage leak confirmed that it might actually be happening. It's a bit of a blur between the leak and the movie release, but I remember being so excited when I saw the official previews.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, in the span of reading the comics, I definitely bought a custom costume and wore it to Comicpalooza. So, you better believe I was wearing that at the premiere.

The movie was great. What's even better is that the movie worked, and they went on to make a second film. Which was unsurprisingly just as good. I'm eager to see if they make a third film or if Deadpool will be featured in the Marvel Universe in any other way.

Now, I must admit, I have kind of moved away from my Deadpool phase, but I still give the character, movies, and comic books credit for what inspired me as an artist. It wasn't just drawing either. I remember that being the first time I said, I want to work on movies, I want to work for Marvel Studios. Ok, so that was a little ambitious, and I have since realized that. Still, in many ways, it changed my direction.

I still read comic books, however, I have gravitated more to webtoons. I have been exploring creations made by newer and unknown artists. I have even created my own series and have been working towards publishing it on webtoons. I would have to say that without Deadpool, I don't think I would be making comic book art, and I am not even sure that I would be in the digital media field.

[marlowmello]

Telling a great story from the perspective of filmmakers

One spring night on the London Underground, Emmanuel Dzotsi’s cousin approached a beautiful woman and told her that Dzotsi was a budding filmmaker in the process of “making a movie.” Unfortunately for Dzotsi, he had never made anything as complicated as a YouTube video; however, he decided to play along. On the spot and out of nowhere, he came up with a story. It was about a Janitor that fell in love with a thief that had stolen from him. It was going well until Dzotsi, and his cousin found out the woman was a film professor at the University of London.

The next morning, Dzotsi said he “woke up with the woman’s business card in his pocket and the idea for what would eventually become his first feature film, “Steal Away.” As he worked on the film, he knew “how” to accomplish each part, but he kept going back to “why.” Why do we tell stories, and why are they important? He mentions that stories tell us where we are from and who we are. They can connect families and help us get to know relatives we may not see often. He explains that good stories have real elements from life. A real element in Dzotsi’s film “Steal Away” was a janitor at his high school named Reggie.

Reggie spent his days at work telling students amazing stories about how he was a backup guitarist in his past. Despite the students having heard Reggie play and knowing he was a good bass player, many thought he was a little crazy and didn’t quite believe him. It turned out that Reggie was telling the truth and what led him to change careers from a musician to a janitor wasn’t important. What is important is that everyone has a story.

We connect through stories, through emotion, tension, and the desire for resolution. Andrew Stanton says that “Stories affirm who we are, and nothing has a greater affirmation than when we connect through stories.” Stanton goes on to explain that stories can cross barriers of time and allow us to “experience the similarities between ourselves and through others, real or imagined.” Great stories should not only make you care but should also make a promise in the beginning that they will lead somewhere, that they will be worth your time in the end.

They shouldn’t give you all the information at once; instead, they should draw you in. Stanton uses the example of 2+2. Stanton says, “don’t give them 4”, give them pieces so the audience will stick around to find out what happens next. He compares storytelling to joke telling, knowing your punchline, knowing that everything leads to a goal. There should be the anticipation for a resolution. He says that the magic ingredient is to invoke wonder. Most importantly, stories should draw from what we feel and what we know.

Christian Jenson suggests looking into your personal narrative for themes that will help us to create better stories. He brings up three building blocks to personal narrative. The first is to draw from real-life experiences. Times you might have experienced great emotions or tensions. Real-life tensions can help us to construct a great story because we are wired to resolve tension. Tension keeps us interested and moves us forward.

The second is that we need to tell personal and family stories. He explains that “stories we tell about ourselves, and our families help us to mitigate the stresses of our lives and our careers.” Because your personal narrative draws from real-life relationships, it can help you write deeper and more realistic characters.

The last is to find your mentors. In your personal narrative, you are the hero. Mentors can help the hero to reach their resolution or discover realizations about themselves. Think about the mentors in your own life and use that inspiration to build a story.

The stories our friends and families share with us add to our own stories and inspire characters. Jenson says that “every time I am faced with an idea for a new film, I ask myself if there is something from the core of this idea that connects with the themes and tensions of my personal narrative. If the answer is yes, I am confident I can tell that story in a way no one else can.”

[marlowmello]

The media’s reaction to a father, a wrestler, and a murder

There have been many forms of media that covered the story of Chris Benoit. With the release of the documentary Dark Side of the Ring, more information has surfaced about the circumstances of his final weekend. Today I will be diving into this story while comparing multiple forms of media, including Dark Side of the Ring.

Chris Benoit perhaps has one of the most tragic stories in professional wrestling. He was considered one of the greatest of his time and well-loved by his fans. Yet in 2007, he shocked the world by taking the lives of his wife and son, then his own. Many of his family and friends said this was out of nowhere and completely unexpected. People were quick to blame steroid abuse, but medical examiners discovered after a brain autopsy that continuous head trauma caused significant damage that may have resulted in his decision-making over that tragic weekend.

The documentary Dark Side of The Ring sheds some light on this event. It provides various visuals and reenactments. It covers the start of Chris Benoit's early career and the events leading to the murders. It has interviews with his friends, coworkers, and family. During these interviews, we find out just how hard the death of Benoit's close friend Eddie Guerrero affected him. Some consider Guerrero's death to be the beginning of Benoit's downward spiral. Chavo Guerrero, Eddie Guerrero's nephew, quotes, "it affected all of us, but I think it affected Chris so much more. It affected Chris like a spouse or something." We as viewers even get to see Benoit's statement that he made in memory of Guerrero, during which he begins to break down talking about the love he had for his friend.

Seeing these visuals and hearing these stories from people such as Benoit's surviving son creates a sort of empathy, maybe not directly for Benoit, but his family and friends. The podcast by nighttimepodcast.com also shares audio from some of the clips featured in Dark Side of the Ring. It's interesting hearing it without the visuals, especially Vince McMahon's initial memorial statement (before the WWE was aware it was a murder-suicide), and his statement made the following evening once they found out the details. The podcaster's mention about the chilling mirrored room that police discovered Benoit's body in really painted a picture that the documentary could not. Without visuals, your mind envisions something much eerier.

Truecrimesocietyblog.com discusses one of the possible reasons for Benoit's actions being CTE( a brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas.) In autopsies, "CTE sufferers show severe damage to parts of the brain related to problem-solving, judgment and behavior." Christopher Nowinski, who studied Benoit's brain, mentioned that it looked like an 85-year-old with Alzheimer's disease. The blog gives a timeline of the events that occurred over the weekend of the murders. It's clearer from this how and when the events took place but doesn't quite invoke the empathy that the documentary or podcast does.

It's interesting to find there are few photos of the actual crime scene. In galleries on Edmonton sun and prowrestlingfandom, pictures are instead of Benoit's career, fans, and family. This one is the only photo linked to the events, as it is the last photo taken of him alive. It was taken at his doctor's office after both his wife and son were already murdered. Aside from that, the pictures of him that exist on the internet are primarily of happier times.

When exploring how these forms of media portray the story, overall, I feel like the documentary is somewhat of the all-in-one package for someone who wants a better understanding of what happened while also being more emotionally invested. While the podcast lacks visuals, it does an excellent job of bringing in some emotion with audio clips and descriptions. Overall it's a good choice for those who want to listen to the story but don't have time or interest in sitting down and watching a documentary. For those seeking more of just the facts and timeline, the blog is a great read, and the photo galleries are there for those who would rather remember Chris Benoit for the good parts of his life and career.

[marlowmello]

What is going on with the Microchip Shortage?

Somewhere, there is a giant parking lot filled to the brim with cars and trucks that don’t run. They aren’t wrecked; no, they are brand new; they are just missing a key component to making them run. These vehicles are missing microchips, and they are not the only thing affected by the current shortage. Many tablets, computers, appliances, and other electronics need microchips to function. So why is there a shortage, and how is it affecting us?

The COVID 19 pandemic caused slowdowns in a lot of manufacturing, and this included the microchip industry. Many factories have had to shut down to keep employees safe. There was also an increase in demand for small electronics, with so many people working from home. Factories are now behind in production, affecting many different electronic industries. Two of the big industries are the vehicle and the furnace/AC industry.

The vehicle industry’s inability to keep up with demand isn't just affecting the new car industry. It’s also affecting rental cars and used cars. Prices of new vehicles continue to grow, which, coupled with low inventory, has led consumers to seek out used cars. This has driven up the cost of used vehicles. The average used car price as of July 2021 was $25,000. Vehicle prices will make it difficult for people, already hurting from the pandemic, from acquiring used or new cars at an affordable price. 

The car rental industry is seeing similar problems. An increase in travel means an increase in rental cars. However, more and more travelers are arriving at rental facilities to be met with an empty lot. If there are cars available, the choices are slim. A man traveling to Disneyland with his family commented to the LA Times that his original rental choice was substituted by a much older vehicle of a different kind than was initially reserved. 

But rental car companies can do little to restock their lots. With the new car industry severely impacted, there is little available for them to purchase. They are now faced with keeping vehicles significantly longer and attempting to buy back used cars from auction. Travel is beginning to increase, but rental cars may be unavailable once travelers arrive to pick them up. Travelers will arrive at their destination to see long lines, little or no availability, and much higher prices. 

The auto industry is definitely taking the spotlight on the microchip shortage, but another industry worth noting is the Furnace and AC industry. HVAC contractors are genuinely concerned that as temperatures drop in northern states, there may not be enough parts or new units to go around. Bruce Perkins, a logistics officer at Harker Heating & Cooling, told WMTV in Madison, Wis. that microchips “dictate when the furnace comes on, when it shuts off, how the fans are operating.” 

No heating in freezing winter temperatures is bad news for many residents. Contractors are looking at ordering more inventory and having an ample supply of portable heaters as short-term solutions. They are hopeful for the shortages to clear up by next spring, but it's looking more and more like it could be significantly longer. 

If the shortages continue, this will mean significant changes to many electronics industries and continued rising prices on products for communities already heavily affected by the pandemic. Factories are full of backorders due to an increase in demand. President Biden said he was “seeking $37 billion in funding to help boost domestic chip production,” and GM motors is searching for new supply contracts. 

This shortage is a global issue that needs to be taken care of swiftly. America would like to fill the hole and, in doing so, could stimulate the economy and create jobs. Only time will tell.