Medium Hero


Book Description

Inside this book are stories about insects, piano teachers, talking birds, dead birds, ex-convicts, suicide attempts, tarot cards, and bible verses. Some of the stories happened to Korby and some of them he just made up. It doesn't really matter which are which. Up to this point in his life, he has been a professional singer-songwriter, traveling around by himself, playing songs for small audiences, selling CDs out of a suitcase. Occasionally there have been moments where the light shined particularly bright, but mostly it's just been him and a guitar, making music in living rooms and clubs and the occasional concert hall. He has met a lot of people, most of whom leaned like him toward the fringe side of the social spectrum. He's written some of them into stories hunched over a laptop in the backseat of a touring van, or in the lobby of a Best Western, or on the cracked vinyl couch of a rock club's green room, poking a keyboard with a pair of sweaty pointer fingers. And then when he was seven he fell in love with the Ramona Quimby books, and then it was the Great Brain books, and then the Roald Dahl. Most of his best friends have been characters from stories he's read. He's always been drawn to fiction because it tells you the truth you need to know. And the truth he needs to know is that, despite considerable advances in science and industry, the world is still a big fat piece of magic.




American Heroes in a Media Age


Book Description

This volume explores the relationship of hero to celebrity and the changing role of the hero in American culture. It establishes that the nature of hero and its function in society is a communication phenomenon, which has been and is being altered by the rapid advance of electronic media.




Inner Hero Creative Art Journal


Book Description

Dear Inner Critic, meet your inner heroes! As a creative person, you are familiar with the critic--that nagging presence in your head that is always trying to point out your shortcomings. But there is hope: Your inner heroes are also always with you at your worktable. Through the creation of your personal Inner Hero Creative Art Journal (a series of loose-leaf cards, each with a new mixed-media technique), you will invite an inner conversation that will illuminate your best self. Your inner Scribe, Tarot Reader, Alchemist, Gardener and Wise Woman each long to be introduced to your inner critic and to show you a positive and more supportive perspective. Those who wish to step up to their inner critic will soon hear a gentler voice. • Overcome negative self-talk--Each chapter introduces a variety of ideas and exercises to release your inner heroes. • Discover a new format--Loose-leaf watercolor pages become art-journaled cards you will use over and over again to make meaning of your journey. • Mixed media techniques--Discover art-making techniques using inks, photos, watercolors, fabric, eggshells and more to use in your own art journaling. • Additional online content--Links to downloadable worksheets and inspiring variations are sprinkled throughout the book. Step out of the critic's shade and into the warmth and comfort of your own creative light.




The Hero Effect


Book Description

The HERO Effect is based on Kevin Brown's highly sought after keynote experience.In a fresh and entertaining style, Kevin shares ideas, strategies and principles that will inspire and equip readers to show up every day and make a positive difference. At the heart of Kevin's message is a simple, yet powerful philosophy for life that drives every thought, every action and ultimately every result we achieve both personally and professionally. Your team will be motivated to reach beyond what is required and do something remarkable!This book is designed to help individuals and organizations:Achieve greater results by eliminating "ordinary" thinking and mastering the habit of excellence.Own the moments that matter (and they all matter) by taking responsibility for their attitude, their actions and their results.Create meaningful relationships and deliver an extraordinary experience for every "customer" at work and at home.







The One Hundred Nights of Hero


Book Description

'A feminist fairy-tale... A wondrously intricate book, and a witty attack on the patriarchy, this is an instant classic.' Observer From the author who brought you The Encyclopedia of Early Earth comes another Epic Tale of Derring-Do. Prepare to be dazzled once more by the overwhelming power of stories and see Love prevail in the face of Terrible Adversity! You will read of betrayal, loyalty, madness, bad husbands, lovers both faithful and unfaithful, wise old crones, moons who come out of the sky, musical instruments that won't stay quiet, friends and brothers and fathers and mothers and above all, many, many sisters.




The Meaning of Superhero Comic Books


Book Description

For decades, scholars have been making the connection between the design of the superhero story and the mythology of the ancient folktale. Moving beyond simple comparisons and common explanations, this volume details how the workings of the superhero comics industry and the conventions of the medium have developed a culture like that of traditional epic storytelling. It chronicles the continuation of the oral/traditional culture of the early 20th century superhero industry in the endless variations on Superman and shows how Frederic Wertham's anti-comic crusade in the mid-1950s helped make comics the most countercultural new medium of the 20th century. By revealing how contemporary superhero comics, like Geoff Johns' Green Lantern and Warren Ellis's The Authority, connect traditional aesthetics and postmodern theories, this work explains why the superhero comic book flourishes in the "new traditional" shape of our acutely self-conscious digital age.




Miyazaki and the Hero's Journey


Book Description

This book explores anime auteur Hayao Miyazaki's films through the lens of the monomyth of the Heroic Quest Cycle. According to Joseph Campbell and other mythology researchers, the Quest is for boys and men, with women acting as either the Hero's mother or the Prize at the end of the journey. Miyazaki nearly exclusively portrays girls and young women as heroes, arguing that we must reassess Campbell's archetype. The text begins with a brief history of animation and anime, followed by Miyazaki's background and rise to prominence. The following chapters look at each of Miyazaki's films from the perspective of the Heroic Quest Cycle, with the last section outlining where Miyazaki and other animators can lead the archetype of the Hero in the future.