ATTENTION ARTISTS!

If you submit your fan art for Pantheon, there is a chance it will be included in our next book, tentatively titled Pantheon Volume III Heteroagathia.

Be part of the Pantheon journey and showcase your talent!

#PantheonGraphicNovel
#Kaeli
#FanArt
#Art
#Mastodonart
#PantheonVolumeIII

In which I force my characters to shill for my Patreon @
https://patreon.com/AwetMoges

#introduction ... 2023 version
I am a graphic novelist pretending to be a mytho-poet with a severe passion for hand-rolled cigars and the occasional Cafe Mocha, no whip.

When I am not indulging in such, I teach ASL at Long Beach State, and during my free time I enjoy reading speculative fiction and playing God of War.

Just like any other Deaf Eritrean-American guy next door. 😎

Whats your drink of choice for your front-row seats to the real-time collapse of Late Capitalism™?

Expired: in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes
Tired: on the web everyone will be famous to 15 people.
Wired: in 2020 everyone will be canceled for 15 minutes.

Gehlen theorized man as a "Mangelwesen" (deficient being), naturally inclined to create culture & social structures to compensate for biological vulnerabilities, another consistency in cultural & social behavior.

So Tanaka's quote is a commentary on the enduring patterns of human behavior, problems of governance & society, the lust for power, & questions that confront us throughout history.

IOW, we are all merely puppets stuffed with red slop in order to reproduce history & its deformities.

While existentialism stresses individual freedom it also acknowledges certain existential conditions like the search for meaning, experience of the Absurd, & inevitability of death. They are universal aspects of human condition, meaning there's a commonality in human experience & behavior across all contexts.

Anthropology: philosophers like Gehlen argue that humans are beings w/ innate tendencies & behaviors that manifest in every culture & historical period.

Human nature: thinkers like Hobbes posited that human nature is fundamentally self-interested, & this self-interest drives most of human behavior. W/o the structure of society & government, Hobbes claims human life will be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish & short." Human behavior transcends time & place, based on survival instinct.

Existentialism: thinkers like Sartre & Nietzsche posit the idea that we are fundamentally free, responsible for our actions, based on individual experience & choices

To me it is a powerful quote that is based on philosophical concepts, theories that examine human behavior, history & morality.

Cyclical view of history: this is found in the works of ancient Greek historians like Polybius & Machiavelli, that history & human societies follow a cyclical pattern where similar events & behavior recur over time. While external circumstances like technology, cultures, political systems change, human behavior & societal dynamics stay the same.

Currently watching the great anime series The Legend of Galactic Heroes. It opens with a German phrase I found interesting:

Zu jeder Zeit,
an jedem Ort,
bleibt das Urkunde der Menschen das gleiche.

(In every time, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same)

Attributed to the creator Yoshiki Tanaka, a thematic statement within the series, & represents the central theme of the series, that human behavior never changes despite different era & locations.

#WritersCoffeeClub 02/15 Expertise?
I'm a comic-book styled artist, having drawn over 600 11x17 pages to date.

Zip, Zilch, Nada.

#WordWeavers

@AlinaLeonova
@BranwenOShea
Thank you for the prompts!

2/1
And in this corner, we have the enigmatic red-headed goddess Kaeli, hailing from Forbidden Planet, at six-five and two forty-five pounds.

With an unparalleled record, three hundred wins with a staggering two ninety-nine knockouts!

Your Goddess of Time and Destruction! With an Afro Pick!

These perceptions are colored by each character's own experiences & worldview. Kaeli in her complexity embodies all aspects of these perceptions while also being more than any single viewpoint can encapsulate. Her journey of self-discovery means she's constantly evolving, rendering any fixed perception of her only a partial truth.

Oracle views Kaeli with a blend of mentorship & sisterly concern. Given Oracle's own vast experience & wisdom, she sees Kaeli's journey as a necessary path to enlightenment & self-realization, offering guidance while respecting her autonomy.

Thumos sees Kaeli as a kindred spirit in terms of strength & combat prowess. He respects her as a fellow warrior & appreciates her direct approach to problems, & considers her as a valuable & reliable member of the team.

#Pennedpossibilities 210

Iz'rael sees Kaeli as both a formidable ally & a potential threat, given her unpredictable nature & immense power. His views are tinged with a mix of respect & caution, recognizing her strengths but also the unpredictability she brings.

Cartaphilus, as a philosopher & a being grappling with the burden of immortality, he sees Kaeli as a reflection of his own struggles. Her journey of self-discovery & identity trouble parallels his own existential quest.

Both endings include themes of existentialism & identity, but where Kaeli's journey is about reconciling her past & present selves, while Bateman's was a critique of modern social norms & the hollowness of consumer society.

This ending was inspired by American Psycho, when the protagonist Patrick Bateman realized that his actions & existence might be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. The book ends with Bateman's understanding that no matter his extreme actions, nothing changes, & he remains trapped in his superficial & nihilistic world.
#AmericanPsycho
#PatrickBateman

The epilogue further cements the sadness of this scene. Kaeli's musings about understanding nothing & the burden of meaninglessness inherent in immortality contrast sharply with the mortal experience. This reflection is a profound sense of isolation & futility, showing the tragic aspect of her character & the narrative.
😧

#WritersCoffeeClub Jan 29: Describe the saddest moment you've ever written.

The ending of the first Pantheon is somber & introspective due to Kaeli's realization about the nature of her existence & immortality. Her interaction with one of the Muses is marked by a duality of seeking knowledge & understanding the consequences. Her decision to drink from the River of Memory, despite warnings, signifies a desperate yearning for self-knowledge & identity even at the risk of losing herself.

KAELI: (relieved) Thanks, Oracle. I'll be careful.

Oracle nods, a mixture of concern & pride in her eyes. Kaeli returns to her plant, a symbol of life & learning in the midst of their desolate world.

ORACLE: (sharply) Hardly. It could trigger the dormant Wheel of Life, set off a cascade we cannot control. You could awaken ancient forces!

Kaeli looks down, realizing the gravity of her actions.

ORACLE: (softening) Although... this shows your desire to learn, to explore beyond our doctrines. Admirable, but dangerous.

KAELI: I didn't mean...

ORACLE: (sighs) Keep it. But always be mindful. Such actions, even with good intent, will have unforeseen consequences.