Episode 704 - The Cultcast
Sep 8, 2024
The topic we're talking about today was inspired by my ruminations on Bullshido martial arts promo demonstration videos. These are the videos where a martial arts master shows off their skill in a patently fake demonstration, usually starting with breaking concrete slabs or wood and then progressing to a performance where they show how easily they can defeat all of their students who try and attack them.
Topics and Show Notes
The really bad ones will pretend to channel “chi” (a fake energy) and knock down their students without even trying! The thing is that often the teachers actually believe they can really DO this stuff because the reactions of their students make them believe that it's real. And the students believe it too because of motivated reasoning (they WANT to believe), and they are influenced by each other. It's all one self reinforcing bubble echo-chamber of belief.
There are two reasons I'm talking about this in terms of webcomics: 1. Bullshido is the origin of the amazing and silly martial arts and superhero moves and techniques in comics and animation and it's interesting to know where it comes from. and 2. this sort of stuff is why we have preconceived ideas about why a lot of pop-culture is good or bad: We fall for a sort of tribal thinking that's created by our tendency to follow the beliefs of others without examining them for ourselves. It's the sort of thing that results in cults, conspiracy belief, and our opinions on political figures. It's even why we believe that valve amps, Les Paul guitars, Stradivarius violins, and vinyl records sound magically better than the alternatives. It's a fascinating and fun topic and we go deep into it!
This week Gunwallace wasn't able to make a new theme so I re-issued the theme to Kirsha Brackets - A warm rush of frenetic activity! Modern, bright, shiny, new, fun, action, happening, moving, going, bouncing, bubbling, hopping, motivation!
Topics and shownotes
Links
Featured comic:
Jalek and the Starbook - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2024/sep/03/featured-comic-jalek-and-the-starbook/
Featured music:
Kirsha Brackets - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Kirsha_Brackets/ - by DrawingGenius, rated T.
Special thanks to:
Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei
Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/
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Episode 401 - Stan Lee, a stupid comedian, and the new prudes
Nov 19, 2018
This is Quackcast 401! Error, error! Pitface and Tantz were absent so Banes and myself were left to go quietly off the rails and expostulate all sorts of radical, half formed, badly articulated thoughts. This is an interesting one! We cover the death of the great Stan Lee, titan of the comics and superhero world. Then we sidestream into talking about comedians trying to be political commentators (re: Bill Maher)… I must apologise for my Ad Hominems. And lastly our focus is on a “new puritanism” in some aspects of pop-culture. It all ties together, if a little awkwardly.
Episode 71 - Institutionalised Superheros, Screenwriting: Part 4
Apr 2, 2012
This is the 4th and last of Banes' screenwriting tutorials. We round up here with the final two story genres; "Superhero" and "Institutionalised", rounded out with some more useful time and tricks on writing in general! This series has been part of the Quackcast screenwriting month, beginning with Quackcast 68 and ending with Quackcast 71. Aaaaand we also have all the voice tryouts for the aspiring actors that want to be a part of the 2012 DD radio play! We'd love you to vote on your faves for each role- just write down the number you like for each and email your vote to drunkduck100@yahoo.com, or PQ them to http://www.drunkduck.com/quack/compose/?user=ayesinback or just write it here in the QC comments!
Episode 64 - Of Gods and Superheroes
Feb 14, 2012
Superheros Banes and Ozoneocean have it out in a titanic, world-shaking battle complete with sparkly flying electricity vividly written sound FX and a laser light show to see who will be top-dog in the Gothic metropolis of Quackcast city. Ozoneocean attempts to lull the audience into a false sense of security by reciting everything he knows about superheroes and various gods and then comparing the two in his echoy, god-like voice. Meanwhile, banes counters with the rather unusual tactic of trying to entertain them with his hilarious wit and clever improvisations. We discus the origins of superheroes, superheroes movies and everything in between in the first of this two part Quackcast marathon. Re-issued episode 64! We discuss superheros
