Robyn Paterson's Blog, page 15

DNA PODCAST 040 – MISTER KITTY’S STUPID COMICS

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by Shain and Dave from Misterkitty.org to talk about their ongoing Stupid Comics project where they showcase some of the most awful and unique pieces of comic book art visited upon mankind. Along the way, the four talk about the pair’s Mister Kitty’s Lo-Fi Landfill audio project, really really oldschool anime, whether Archie is really comics or not, and the demise of local culture. All this, and how to make friends in high school using Omaha the Cat Da...

New Random Story Generators

So, using my very limited HTML programming skills, I’ve put together not one, but two random generators for writers who are looking for a little inspiration to use.

The Random Scene Generator gives you a pair of people who are naturally in opposition to each other and a verb which defines the scene they’re in. I wrote this a number of years ago for use by my scriptwriting students as part of an assignment they do, but naturally anyone can use it. This is especially good for generating ideas f...

DNA Podcast 039 – Bad Movies We Love

In this episode, Don and Rob are joined by their friend Chad to talk about the movies that they know are awful, but can’t help but have soft spots in their hearts for. This journey takes the trio from classic 50’s monster movies, to the heights of 80s cheese and the depths of Asia’s cinematic vaults. Thrill to Chad’s love of Ed Wood! Stare in shock at Don’s encyclopedic knowledge of 80’s horror! Wonder at Rob’s passion for backwoods monsters! All this, and Don’s dramatic twist surprise that...

DNA Episode 038 – Interview with Spiritual Medium Mary Bezaire

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with a “spirit” purported to be his deceased son.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with psychic medium Mary Bezaire to discuss what it’s like to see spirits and be a channel into the unknown. The three discuss a wide variety of topics, from the nature to spirit guides, to the most haunted places in Essex County, to the existence of evil spirits. All this, and the question of what happens to us after we pass on are waiting for you this episode of...

DNA Podcast 037 – Death and the Nerdly Arts

In this episode, Rob, Don and Jack Ward explore the place of death in the nerdly arts. From superheroes who never die, to the real life celebrities who do (for now), and how our own fears of death shape our entertainment of choice, the trio head down a funerary rabbit hole. It’s an episode of grave humour, and sober considerations about the future of the kind you’ll only find on the Department of Nerdly Affairs.

DNA Podcast 036 – Interview with Will Meugniot

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by comic artist and animation director and producer Will Meugniot to talk about Will’s long history in the comics and animation industry. In this deep exploration of the animation industry of the 80’s and 90’s, they discuss the DNAgents, Will’s role as showrunner for X-Men the Animated Series and Exo-Squad, and so much more! All this, and how Urusei Yatsura shaped JEM and the Holograms is here for you in the 36th episode of the Department of Nerdly Aff...

DNA Podcast 035 – The Hero’s Journey Strikes Back!

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by Jack Ward for a spirited debate about Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Does Campbell’s opus really hold the key to writing satisfying stories? Jack thinks so, but Rob and Don aren’t so sure, and this leads to a long discussion involving comparative mythology, newspaper comic strips, 1970’s vampire hunting reporters, and more sitcom references than an 80’s flashback! All this, and Don’s unhealthy fixation with the obscure scifi comedy Quark are wait...

Dan Harmon’s Story Circle Evolved

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I’m fascinated by story structure, and recently I’ve been probing the depths of Story Circle. The Story Circle was Harmon’s way to take Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and make it into something practical but still all encompassing. This isn’t new, Christopher Vogler did something similar in his famous memo, which he later turned into The Writer’s Journey, and other writers have done their own takes as well, such as Chris Woo’s fascinating tak...

DNA Podcast 034 -What are litRPGs?

In this episode Don and Rob are joined by the awesome Ramon Meija of the litRPG podcast to talk about the biggest new genre you’ve probably never heard of- litRPGs. The three discuss the origins of this fascinating genre, what makes a litRPG, what books your should be reading, and how the litRPG genre reflects the world we live in today. All that, and how to write litRPGs in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs!

The point where Anime and North American Animation Diverged

Earlier this week, I was having an email exchange with my DNA co-host Don and our frequent esteemed guest Jack Ward about anime and American animation. As part of that conversation, Don took it upon himself to write up a long blog post explaining to Jack how the two animation industries diverged from each other during the 1960’s with lots of examples thrown in. Since I thought that such effort was worth sharing, Don graciously edited it and sent it to me to share.

Enjoy!

Rob

So, we were havi...