Support Camp Myth

We've discovered another interesting project that needs funding – this one on Kickstarter – and it has centaurs, merfolk, dryads and more. It's a children's ebook series called Camp Myth, which is a summer camp for mythological creatures where the happy campers need to earn merit badges for feats such as kraken fishing, cylopean archery, and our personal favourite – golem building. The author is energetic and bright young Canadian Chris Lewis Carter.

The project will only be funded if $4000 is pledged before 18 June 2012 so every dollar helps. You can check out the campaign here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chrislewiscarter/camp-myth-1-phoenix-watching 

Belief in Other Worlds

This little exchange from PhotoBucket is cute and funny. It brings a moment of "is it possible?" before you comprehend that to try this spell would mean a certain death sentence. It can look silly, but some people would take this response seriously, and... even try it. Why would they? Because they BELIEVE.

Belief in the imagined better life is something that we as a human race have entertained since we could think for ourselves... and within a community. The Egyptian life-after-death preparations seemed to be a life-long pursuit, no matter your social station. Our Modern world is full of religious afterlife options, a time that is presented as better then the now of living.

Are the imagined "other worlds" in literature, movies, comics, myth and legend much different than those presented in any religion?

The lyrics by Jay Brannan from his song "Goddamned" presents the mythology of religion quite beautifully.

Zeus was afraid of his girlfriend
So he swallowed her in bed
Then he bore forth Athena
When they cracked open his head
Her brother tried to rape her
Athena got away
And when his seed hit the ground
The grass gave birth that day
Now we all freely admit
This story’s clearly bullshit
No one would lay down their life
Or start a war for it
So throw your stones and pray
You’ll be rewarded someday
I hope it all goes your way
But something tells me
No one’s coming to save you

Save yourselves
From turning earth into hell.

Cause virgins don’t have babies
And water isn’t wine
And there’s a holy spirit maybe
But she would never rent a room with walls built by mankind
Mary and Mohammed
Are screaming through the clouds
For you to lay your goddamned arms down
Rip your bigot roots up from the earth and salt the goddamned ground.

In Elf~Fin, Julie and I are exploring a new world, another reality. In the creation of it, it does sometimes seem to take control and write itself, but that is an illusion. These moments are just those times that we are so in tune with our work and each other, that the obvious, and sometimes not so obvious possibilities, present themselves easily for development. Our world is not real, but we want it to feel real for you in the experiencing of it.

We want to take you away from reality, so you can swim with our characters and experience our Elf~Fin world. However, there is nothing more real than the ground beneath your feet.

Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids Exhibition

Got to love some of the wonderful exhibitions that come to Sydney!

The Australian National Maritime Museum is hosting the Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids Exhibition until 23 May 2010 – on tour from the American Museum of Natural History.

Mythic creatures give shape to humankind's greatest hopes, fears and dreams. For thousands of years, humans everywhere – sometimes inspired by living animals or even fossils – have brought mythic creatures to life in stories, songs and works of art... [this exhibition] traces the cultural and natural history roots of some of the world's most enduring mythological creatures, bringing to light the ways in which people have been inspired by nature to envision and depict these strange and wonderful creatures.

LOTS OF MERMAIDS plus sea monsters, rainbow serpents and water dragons!

The Australian National Maritime Museum is located at 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia.

General Enquiries: +61 2 9298 3777 (Mon-Fri) or +61 2 9298 3777 (weekends).

We've put it into our diaries – we'll make a day of it with lunch at the fish markets down the road. How apt.