MEDIA GATHERED, ART ENHANCEMENTS
By Alex Ness
April 25, 2022
FICTION THROUGH TRUTH
“We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us
realize truth at least the truth that is given us to understand.
The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others
of the truthfulness of his lies.” Pablo Picasso
Fiction has a role in the story telling of truth. I've been asked, isn't fiction actually just a lie, well told or otherwise? No. Story telling has roots in myth, and myth is manner of explaining truth through fiction. The greater truth of life isn't found in actual events, however much they exist and inform us. The deeper truth of life isn't found in the idea of what is true. What the absolute truth of life is, is found in the understanding what the truth is, as applied in idea and memory, and in practical ways. Civilization has reached a place where reality entertainment is considered one of, if not the most popular forms of entertainment media.
One of the reasons for this could be our self indulgence and desire to watch ourselves or proxies for the same. It could also have come from some entirely real but often ignored, even odd roots or origins. Since the late 1970s and the rise of cable news, we've become more fascinated, focused, as well as addicted to spectacle. Part of that is simply having all that information presented, whenever we wish to view it. Part of that is the desire by news corporations to create news when there is nothing more exciting to report, in the search for ratings, advertising dollars, and self perceived relevance.The evening news used to be considered as providing a service to community, rather than a money making entity.
Before cable news, it was less biased, less aimed at spectacle, and more at aiming at the highest goals of journalism. The use of fiction in news, either by accident or in the creation of fake news, in the present, it is a travesty. The desire to see real people doing crazy or wild things, might not be a travesty, but it surely can be a spectacle. Short of death in the gladiatorial ring, it nonetheless diminishes humanity. However much that might be true, the enhancement of lives through fiction offers an even more important means to ennoble humanity, to raise its focus from the ground, to higher places. It might be true that the lowest risk of fake news as spectacle is the loss of empathy. But I don't actually think that is what happens. It is far worse. The addiction to information causes context to be lost, and division to be more easy to achieve, than having a reason for worry, or joining forces to fix something that is broken.
Imagine that you have woke up in the middle of the night, wide awake and can't sleep. You click on the television and find yourself on LOCAL 58, a channel including public access and other offerings. But the information rolling before your eyes is speaking to an American history that you don't believe has ever happened and it surely isn't what you've experienced. The further in you dive, the more you realize, something insane seems to have replaced the world you understood. Or your day begins, and seems normal, but when you read a different/new twitter feed, one that includes videos, news, commentary, that makes you aware that to this twitter profile, he has experienced the SUN Vanished, and the world outside of his own, is one that is horrific, dangerous, and something we've never experienced. The Sun being gone leads to social unrest, fearful predictions, and seems worse than living in a real horror movie. You read further, and think, what is the cause, where will it end, are we doomed?
LOCAL 58 and THE SUN VANISHED are vital, full of life and questions, fictional stories. They tell of disaster or fear, odd changes in known facts, and stories that leave you to consider more deeply the world that they present. Most importantly, they don't spoon feed the reader, and whatever spectacle exists, it is there not for our entertainment, but to give notice of what we should or should not fear. I'd definitely recommend taking a deep look at both of the source pages for these stories, but beyond that, there are many intelligent works aimed at considering both stories. A well done critical consideration of LOCAL 58 thus far. An intriguing critical look at THE SUN VANISHED thus far.
ELRIC ENHANCED BY ARTISTS
When one reads the stories of the last emperor of the elder race of Melniboné, Elric, who is somewhat elvish in nature, they read of a stark weakling albino, with powers of sorcery, but when enhanced by herbs, magic and potions, his body becomes mighty, far greater than the range of normal humans and far beyond that of his own race. He bears a sword that drinks the souls of his enemies. Which is all quite lavish in descriptive powers.
However when Michael Whelan, Robert Gould, and Gerald Brom were engaged to provide their version of the characters of Michael Moorcock's Elric saga, they all added to the reader's perception of such, and did so differently. Where Whelan's Elric is powerful, dangerous, and threatening, Gould's creation is beautiful, if also desolate, and wicked. Brom's work utilizes a palette that allows the pale skin, and white hair of Elric to look deathly, and absolutely violent. I admire the writing of Moorcock, without loving his characters. Whatever I feel about his Elric character, and the world he lives upon, every story is enhanced by the interpretation of the fine artists considering his creation.
TIMOTHY BRADSTREET ENHANCES EVERYTHING
I used to say Tim Bradstreet cost me a lot of money, because whenever I saw his work upon a comic book cover, I felt compelled to buy it. Often in comic books, the covers don't reveal the quality of work within, whoever did the work. Often with works Tim Bradstreet helped create and collaborate upon, such as in the Punisher and Hellblazer, the quality inside and out was well worth the purchase. I do know some people who felt the iconic images didn't reflect the content within and I understand that issue but I don't have that issue. I genuinely enjoy most the books TBradstreet touched, inside or out, and his art sincerely raise the quality of any project he is part of. And quite honestly, Tim is a hell of a nice guy. Find him at Timothy Bradstreet
MY WORDS WERE ENHANCED BY BOB GIADROSICH and many others
Since the year 2000, I have been very fortunate to make the acquaintance of numerous high quality artists through my comics and entertainment journalism. However poorly done or brilliant upon on my part, I tried to offer a service to readers and creative talents. I offered interviews, reviews, commentary allowed me to get to know many people who would later contribute to my own writing life.
Chief among those people was Bob Giadrosich, a writer, artist and thinker from the American South. His work as my art director, and artist for a third of my first solo written work, A LIFE OF RAVENS, helped me establish myself in the world of narrative history, fiction, prose, and poetry. His illustrations and those artists that he brought upon the book, helped create a vital, lavish visual aspect of my written words. The project ended up as a wonderful book, and whatever life events affected the reception of it, I received offers from numerous publishers almost immediately and my path was set. Bob is a friend, an ally, and while I'd like to do more books with him immediately, life has a cost, time is lost the moment it is spent and we do not receive more to replace what we've lost. Also, however much a creative person invests in a project, the real world doesn't pay per hour, per energy expended, so, until we both make millions of dollars, who knows when we'll collaborate again. But I do deeply thank Bob for all he has done.
Find Bob Giadrosich
About Getting Reviews from Me
First off, I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email at Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that. It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.
MY LINKS:
My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Published Work AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess
Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com
Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com
All works and art remain the property of the owners/creators and nothing more than fair use is asserted.
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