Episode 650 - Fake things that only exist in pop-culture
Aug 28, 2023
There are a lot of things that only exist in fiction and really don't have any basis in reality and yet we THINK they do! It's just that fiction has done such a great job of making us believe this stuff and setting it up that it pretty much replaces reality. We focused on spies for our Patreon only video, and how the version we know from popculture in Kingsmen, Mission Impossible, James Bond, Chuck, and many other things is complete fiction.
Topics and Show Notes
This Quackcast topic was inspired by a forum thread on DD to which many people contributed and we draw a lot of inspiration from that. We talk about how in popculture when bullets are removed from a shooting victim they immediately start to heal up and get better, when in reality doctors often wont bother removing the bullet because that would cause more damage since it's the path the bullet tore through you that's the problem, not so much the bullet itself… unless it's impinging on something vital and NEEDS to be removed.
Real cowboys didn't fire from the hip or fan their guns… at least according to Wyatt Earp who said that any that tried in a gunfight never lived to try again. Real military explosions from ordinance don't produce huge fireballs (unless it's an incendiary bomb), because what kills is the shock-wave and shrapnel, so most explosions produce a lot of smoke, dust, and chunks. Swords don't go “shing” when you draw them (unless it's from a metal scabbard). People never carried and drew swords from their backs in battle. No ninja ever dressed in the classic black outfit we all know and love. Vikings never wore horns or indeed the shaved heavy metal haircuts, black leather and makeup and tattoos of the modern TV versions either… and so on!
What are some fake popculture tropes that people think are real that you're aware of?
This week Gunwallace has given us the theme to Devils Blood - Floating angels, golden sun streaming through white fluffy clouds, the sound of a heavenly choir soars high into the blue gradient of the sky… starting from cerulean, to ultramarine, and into deep prussian mixed with black, it winks out with the twinkling stars.
Topics and shownotes
Links
See more fake things that only exist in popculture in this forum thread - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/179409/?page=1
Featured comic:
Into the Bookwoods - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2023/aug/22/featured-comic-into-the-bookwoods/
Featured music:
Devils Blood - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Devils_Blood/ - by Dragonsong12, Rated E.
Special thanks to:
Gunwallace - http://www.virtuallycomics.com
Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei
Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
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Episode 640 - Aliens
Jun 19, 2023
We base our images of aliens in comics on aliens in TV shows and movies mostly, because those are the ones we all know. But movie aliens have been generally based on humans because it's less expensive, easier to come up with a costume and makeup for an actor, and it's also easier to make those aliens relatable. “Aliens” even THINK the same as we do, have the same motivations, wants, needs, prejudices, opinions… Almost 100% of the time aliens in media are US, just a weird version of us: distorted reflection.
Episode 628 - Cover me!
Mar 27, 2023
We're talking about the importance of a good cover in this cast. Another technical comicscast! I love making coves, they're one of my fave things because I get to stretch my artistic muscles and get a little more flashy and creative with my art and graphic design. They can also be pretty dread things to work on when you've used up all your creative powers on your actual comic and have nothing left over…
Episode 625 - Designing Women
Mar 6, 2023
Character design is a fun process but not without its challenges. Do you design the character or their story first? I've followed both of those approaches, they have pluses and minuses. On one hand when you create the character first that can make it a real passion project, you make a cool character and then create a story for them to live in and be themselves. But that can also lead to Mary Sues, wish fulfillment and self inserts, which makes for a weak story. Creating characters to fit a story can sometimes lead to using a lot of stereotypes and ending up with fairly generic and bland characters, which can make for a dull story. So it's best to use a bit of balance and judgment.
Episode 601 - /rant
Sep 19, 2022
If something affects or disturbs you so much that you want to respond to it through a story that you write, that can be a pretty powerful form of inspiration! But it depends on how you handle it. For example, Stephan King's acclaimed novel Misery was inspired by nasty interactions he had with fans after he published a fantasy novel. This story was very well received and even turned into a popular movie. And then there are other ways to handle it…
Episode 599 - Badaptations
Sep 5, 2022
Source material is something that we can love and respect, but it's just as often disregarded, degenerated, and denigrated, especially these days where it seems like everything you see is an adaptation or even an adaptation OF an adaptation or worse. I think it's important to go back to the sources so you can see what was truly great about the original to begin with. It can help you see what was lost in the adaptations and to discover new and important meanings and ideas that you never would have guessed at.
Episode 597 - Revelations!
Aug 21, 2022
Today we're talking about a technique in storytelling that we're calling the “revelation”. Inspired by Banes doing an article on the weird trope in movies of having a character discover newspaper stories about the villain that suddenly reveal the true stakes of the story and kick things into high gear. There are other types of revelation in stories though and they're used in different ways.
Episode 594 - Grow up! Or don't...
Jul 31, 2022
The Manchild can be a fun character or they can be pathetic. They're a staple of comedies because they're an adult that gets to act immature and childish, without the restraint and responsibilities imposed by adulthood. This can make a great contrast; “The adult man acting like an immature child”, John C Riley and Will Farrel have always done that extremely well, as did Chris Farley back in the 90s. It can be be portrayed as pathetic and sad when the person can't seem to be able grow up or take on any responsibilities. They're often characterised by people with “childish” interests, like the cast of the Big Bang Theory, or with a childlike love of something like sports like Kevin in Kevin can F Himself.
