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.

Topics and Show Notes

The revelation technique can be used in the midpoint of a story as a way of showing the true scope of what the protagonist faces, which signals a corresponding urgency in the story, a rise in tension and an increase in pace - when done well! When done badly, as in the recent Marvel movie Eternals, it has the opposite effect- killing tension and diffusing the energy of the story. A revelation can be used towards the end of a story to show a twist which makes you reevaluate the entire story and look at it in a different way as in Unbreakable or The Usual Suspects. A late revelation can also be used to enrich the story by revealing extra details about a character and sweetening the story after the climax. And then there's the typical Marvel movie way of using super late revelations in the form of Easter eggs which give an audience a sense of anticipation and reward, uncovering secret things about where a story will go next!

A good revelation can add a lot of spice to a story and you're usually pretty safe in its use. The Eternals is a weird exception, where they really messed up this easy technique, TWICE, and cut the power to the story. Watch it and you'll see what I mean! Do you know any stories where a revelation ruined things?

This week Gunwallace has given us a theme to Hawk and Flo Ice Cream Truck of Doom part 1 - Flicker, flicker, hypervelocity turning and spinning, action and movement. Techno synth keyboard, strings snapping drums moving faster than thought.

Topics and shownotes

Links
Banes' newspaper revelation newspost - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2022/aug/16/the-horror-newspaper-revelation-scene/

Some of the stuff mentioned in the cast:
The Eternals - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9032400/
The usual suspects - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Guest - https://asianwiki.com/The_Guest_(Korean_Drama)
La Mante - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6467482/


Featured comic:
Them There Hills - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2022/aug/16/featured-comic-them-there-hills/

Featured music:
Hawk and Flo Ice - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Hawk_and_Flo_Ice_Cream_Truck_of_Doom_part_1/ - by HawkandFloAdventures, rated E.

Special thanks to:
Gunwallace - http://www.virtuallycomics.com
Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/
Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/

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Episode 583 - Why is it bad?

May 16, 2022

2 likes, 0 comments

Spoiler- we don't actually talk much about Yu-Gi-Oh! But I feel it's a good example of a pretty bad a so-bad-it's-good story, but bad nevertheless. The idea we're talking about here is that it's useful to look at bad stories and stick with them because they can really help you write better. They're a lot more useful than good stories because you'd rather just enjoy those and it's a bit harder to examine them for technical details, but with “bad” stories the faults stand out strongly. Instead of simply dismissing a bad story or making fun of it, it's more useful and valuable to try and “fix” it: try and work out why it seems bad and think about what would be needed to make it better, then think about how that applies to your own work. Maybe you're actually making many of the same mistakes?

Episode 433 - everyone is a beginner

Jul 1, 2019

2 likes, 0 comments

Today we chat about a furore on Twitter focussing on a artist who made a tutorial about the differences between the line work of beginners and advanced artists. Many people identified their art style with the work described as “beginner” and took extreme offence at that characterisation. It's the contention of Tantz that “beginner” is not a dirty word. We're all beginners at something. We can all stand to learn things.

Episode 147 - Merry Xmas! DD Radio Play Omnibus Edition

Dec 23, 2013

7 likes, 4 comments

Summary: For the final Quackcast of 2013 we have an extra special treat for everyone: ALL three of the annual DD radio plays in a single quackcast! The first one produced by Ayesinback and written by Ally Haert, the second one again produced by Ayesinback but written this time by Gunwallace, and the third written again by Gunwallace and produced by Ozoneocean. Banes and I hope you enjoy the adventures of Maxwell McDuff, private eye, we'll be back in the new year for more Quackcasts. Merry Xmas!

Episode 145 - The Third Duck, 2013 DD Radio Play

Dec 11, 2013

10 likes, 15 comments

Finally! The 2013 DD Radio play is complete! It was a long time in coming but it's out now and still within 2013, despite everything that has happened. The radio plays were started by Ayesinback and have been going for 3 years now, begining with The Karaoke Caper, then last year it was The Duck Always Quacks Twice, and now this year we're proud to bring you The Third Duck! Many great people contributed towards this, our voice actors, producers, writer and musician... and let's not forget all the great comic artists who did the lovely illustrated version! So please enjoy our radio play. -The first one was written by Ally Heart*

Quackcast 119 - Kevin Kota's World Hayman

Apr 1, 2013

9 likes, 4 comments

Owen Wilson. Owen Wilson. Owen Wilson: Kevin Hayman IS Owen Wilson, only better looking and twice as talented. Listen find out for yourself. Kevin is a really interesting guy, he's been doing webcomics since they were a thing. His Kota's World ran from 2000-2005 (and a bit before that), it was one of the first comics on the old days of Drunk Duck! He's since moved on from that, now drawing both the very popular Errant Apprentice and the new reinvented version of Kota's World "Mailbox Rocketship", as well as working hard as the co-host of the great pop-culture focussed podcast DTWC (drawing the wrong conclusions), which is the successor to The Gigcast, which was the old unofficial podcast for Drunk Duck back in the day. Lots of history here people. History and talent! Kevin is an amazing guy and hard to contain within a single broadcast so next week we'll have part two of our little chat, as soon as I edit out all the swearing an salacious gossip (I am not joking).

Episode 91: The Quack Always Casts Twice, 2012 DD Radio Play

Aug 20, 2012

8 likes, 14 comments

Banes introduces the 2012 DD radio play! Maxwell McDuff must face his most diabolical trial yet in... THE DUCK ALWAYS QUACKS TWICE! He's joined by many other notable and fiendish characters in this new and epic adventure involving anvils, Maltese quails, crocodiles, and terrifying torture! This fine story was written by Gunwallace, organised heroically by Ayesinback and edited together by Banes. This story of the amazing Maxwell McDuff and many other characters was the product of many hours work and organisation by many different participants. Before the play there are some great interviews with members of the cast, but if you’d like to jump to the play, that starts at 38.41 minutes.


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