First Segment Atwood in West Berlin and the Soviet Union WWII and Countries Vanishing Overnight The Origin of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt Totalitarianism vs Old Tyrannies Government Expansion Control of the Press The appeal of Totalitarianism Devastation of stable societies Escape from reality Ideologies are the key to history Second Segment Margaret Atwood Born in […]
First Segment Alien Directed by Ridley Scott A somewhat straight forward “Haunted House” style film Group of people stuck inside a structure Murderous something picking them off one by one One of the most written about movies ever Art direction dominated by H.R. Giger Swiss surrealist painter Painted his nightmares Designed the “Xenomorph”, alien ship, […]
First Segment Pirate Definition Buccaneer Definition Pirates at the Beginning Through Today The ‘Golden Age of Piracy ‘ The War of Spanish Succession’s effect on piracy Commissions from the British government Sir Francis Drake Crackdown on Piracy British and ‘legal’ piracy America’s Navy during the Mexican American War True Pirate Stereotypes A General History of […]
First Segment Neil Gaiman on America Neil Gaiman’s America and American Gods The United States’ Population and Diversity The American Dream James Truslow Adams, Epic of America Other cultures and the individual Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness Leads to an individualistic society Claude S. Fischer, Made in America: A Social History of American […]
First Segment Comic Book Origins of the Film’s Core Team Star-Lord AKA Peter Quill Played by Chris Pratt Created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gann in Marvel Preview #4 – 1976 Englehart’s original plans for this “unpleasant, introverted jerk” Comparing his origins Drax the Destroyer Played by Dave Bautista Created by Jim Starlin (creator of […]
First Segment Definition of Transhumanism Patterns v body Transhumanism Through History Fountain of Youth, Elixir of Life Christianity and the Resurrection through Science Roger Bacon The Enlightenment Nikolai Fedorov Henry Francis Carey – Dante’s Paradiso Pierre Teilhard de Chardin J.B.S. Haldane, Daedalus: Science and the Future Julian Huxley Modern Transhumanism Extropians Ray Kurzweil The Singularity […]
First Segment 1st Appearance of Suicide Squad – The Brave and the Bold #25 – 1959 Created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru Ordinary People with Nothing to Lose Original Members of the Squad Secret History of Task Force X/The Suicide Squad – Secret Origins #14 – 1987 Rick Flag Sr. led a Suicide Squad in WWII before his son […]
First Segment Legion David Haller Created by Chris Claremont (writer) Bill Sienkiewicz (artist) First appeared in New Mutants #25 (1985) Bio Name origin in The Bible Powers Telepathy Telekinesis Pyrokenisis Time Travel Reality Warping The list goes on… Confusion over his mental illness Has been described as schizophrenic, is actually dissociative identity disorder Mental Illness […]
First Segment Gravity Inertial Thrust Maintain constant acceleration 9.8 meters per second = 1G Spin Centripetal Force Common use in hard sci-fi Smaller radius requires quicker rotation Exaggerates Coriolis Effect Wells Planet mass effects characters Second Segment James S.A. Corey = Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck Ty Franck’s Early Career Franck’s Ideas for a Space […]
First Segment Definition of a Near Death Experience Separation of spirit and body Compared to a ‘Hero’s Journey’ After an NDE The First NDE in Western Literature Plato and Book 10 of his Republic The Story of Er The Oldest Medical Description of an NDE Pierre-Jean du Monchaux and Anecdotes de Medecine Modern Research on […]
1st Segment The Fates The Moirai Ancient Greek deities Clotho the Spinner Lachesis the Apportioner Atropos the Inevitable Greek interpretation Clotho the maiden Lachesis the matron Atropos the crone Roman interpretation They all crones Zeus was the only being to sometimes thwart the fate The Oracle of Delphi Served as a holy site for 2000 […]
First Segment Biniti is From the Himba Tribe Population Origin of the Himba Meaning of ‘Himba’ Subdivision of the Herero Tribe The Himba Hierarchy Nomadic Lifestyle Currency of cattle Workshop Mukuru Communicating through holy fire Himba dress Rech ochre Himba makeup Washing with smoke Genocide in the Early 20th Century German colonizers Drought and War […]
First Segment Squirrel Girl’s Powers and Abilities First Appearance in 1992 – Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #8 Created by Will Murray (writer) and Steve Ditko (art) Meeting Iron Man and Doctor Doom Next Appearance in 2004 – The Great Lakes Avengers Written by Dan Slott Tippy Toe becomes her sidekick The climactic fight with Deadpool Appears in The New […]
First Segment Science Fiction Influences on the Game – According to Sean Murray Arthur C. Clarke Frank Herbert Star Wars Isaac Asimov Robert Heinlein Ian M. Banks Science Fiction Influences – According to Kyle Arthur C. Clarke 2001: A Space Odyssey Rendezvous with Rama Mathematical Aesthetics Elite the Videogame – 1984 Pushed the technological boundaries of […]
First Segment Shinto What are kami? Influence on the culture Teachings of Shinto Buddhism 6th century introduction to Japan Complimenting Shinto – life and death Teachings of Buddhism Japanese Creation Story The first two gods The birth of Japan and death of Izanami-no-Mikoto Birth of Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Susanoo Marriage and separation of Amaterasu and […]
First Segment Elvis Presley Background Fanatical fan base Controversial concerts Ed Sullivan Show appearance Elvis Impersonators Presleytyrians The 27 Club What is the 27 Club? Members of the 27 Club Carpe Diem and YOLO Drake and “The Motto” Horace Second Segment Resume of Writer, Kieron Gillen Started out as a games and music journalist Has […]
First Segment The Beginnings of the Freak Show Deformities as Entertainment Previously Seen as Manifestations of Evil Spirits Lazarus and Joannes Baptista Colloredo Conjoined brothers and one of the first ‘freak acts’ Increasing Popularity of Freak Shows in the 19th Century P.T. Barnum and His Influence on the Freak Show The American Museum in New York […]
First Segment The Necronomicon Ancient book of the occult Written by Abdul Alhazred 8th century poet Originally called “Al Azif” The sound of insects, or demons? Translated to Greek in 950 AD Suppressed under Patriarch Michael of Constantinople Copies were eventually translated into multiple languages including English, Latin, and Spanish H.P. Lovecraft Father of “Cosmic […]
First Segment Defining “Convention” “PhilCon,” the First Fan Convention (sort of) October 22, 1936 9 people in attendance Frederik Pohl Milton A. Rothman Donald Wollheim The Forerunner to “WorldCon” Announces the Hugo Awards every year “International Convention” – The First Comic Convention (sort of) 1964 Tom Gill, artist for “The Lone Ranger” Phil Seuling Star […]
First Segment Luke Cage’s Origin Creators Archie Goodwin John Romita Sr. George Tuska First Issue Luke Cage: Hero for Hire – June 1972 Origin Story Willis Stryker Reva Connors Seagate Prison Dr. Noah Bernstein Blaxploitation Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song (1971) Shaft (1971) Series with Iron Fist in 1978 Hero Resume Avengers Secret Avengers New Avengers The Defenders The […]