Hellboy: The Third Wish (Mike Mignola) - Jared Greenleaf; example assignment

1. Analyze: (e) Rising Action is used in the first book of this 2-part story. Hellboy is spiritually lost, and wandering from one conflict to another – This is ironically contrasted by the fact that everyone else in the story (African lions, spiders, bats, a Shaman, mermaids, etc.) knows exactly what he is supposed to do and where he is supposed to be.

2. Rating: PG-13. PG-aged viewers would almost be able to see it if it weren’t for the mermaids. Although the drawings are in good taste and there is no close-up detail like nipples, a child will still notice that the mermaids have no shell bras (pages 1, 12-16, 22-26).

3. Springboard: A knowledge of African mythology specific to those of Anansi the Spider would be necessary for writer Mike Mignola. I read a lot about Anansi in Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys. Anansi knows many stories, and it was genius for Mignola to write that Anansi also knows “Hellboy’s story”. One thing I did not realize until late, was the impact of story on humankind. The Odyssey is considered the first epic. Anansi would also be of this caliber, his is a story telling the of the introduction of 'story' to the world.

4. Apply: Mignola uses existing mythology known across many countries, and then inserts his own stories as a part of that canon. I think I can do this with my stories – there is a Book of Genesis element that I can borrow from to help shape my fictional world in the hearts of potential readers. By borrowing ideas of the creation I will be able to help my readers understand by comparison and contrast.

Tank Girl-The Odyssey, Brandon Pedersen, example assignment

Tank Girl-The Odyssey - Brandon Pedersen, example assignment

1. Analyze: (d) Event, primary - This story is motivated entirely by an event, Tank Girl is needed, desperately back at her Mansion where her husband Booga, the mutant kangaroo, and her son Tele, who has a television for a head, are being taken advantage of by "Producers from Amerikey." This spawns a uniquely Tank Girl adventure in which our protagonist dies, and is brought back to life with fart capsules, journeys to the underworld where she is charged with the task of giving her mother a proper burial, and encounters a gothic siren. Virtually every iconic scene from Homer's The Odyssey is recreated with an English Punk sensibility.

The event, the need for Tank Girl to return home, fuels the entire adventure. Tank Girl is, actually, an obese wash-out when our story begins. Without the event no story takes place, she remains a fat, former action hero, unable even to fit into her iconic tank. With the message from her son, Tele, urging her to return home Tank Girl embarks on her epic return home, the story is driven, continually, by her quest.

2. Rating: This story is definitely rated R, ignoring the constant use of what most Americans would consider "obscenities," by page 22 our protagonist and her entire team are dead, completely nude, and it's implied the undertaker has "abused" their lifeless bodies. Despite coming back to life and finding new clothes, they are all naked again by page 26. You should notice a theme emerging here.

3. Springboard: Because this is a reinterpretation of Homer's The Odyssey a certain amount of research had to be done. First, one must actually read The Odyssey for any interpretation to become authentic. One of the most surprising aspects about Tank Girl-The Odyssey is its accuracy to the original text. While the interpretation remains original, it is clear the writer at least read The Odyssey. This gives one pause to consider the format of an epic story, which I've found typically takes the form of a poem.

There are certain things that must happen in order for a narrative, written in the form of a poem or otherwise, for a story to be considered an epic. An epic must: I. In no uncertain terms state the purpose or theme of the story. II. The adventure begins in the middle of the story, with our hero at the lowest point of their life, relying on flashbacks to fill in the missing gaps in our knowledge. III. Repetition of phrases and expanse of story, meaning certain phrases are reused constantly, and the story takes place of a long stretch of time, spans multiple countries, nationalities and so forth.

4. Apply: This will only aid me in the organization of my own narratives. Particularly the restriction of starting the story in the middle of the narrative, where the hero is at their lowest point in life, using flashbacks to fill in missing information. I have always been intrigued by Quentin Tarantino's use of linear structure, best exemplified in his films Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill vols. 1-2. It is one of the aspects of his storytelling that draws me in, knowing now it is considered essential to the structure of an epic, it makes me want to make a micro-Epic. An epic that, instead of taking place across multiple countries, years, nations, and countries, takes place rather in the space of one city block, over the course of a few hours. Taking everything that makes an epic an epic and shrinking the scale.