Socrates design for my (slightly surreal/psychedelic) comic based on Plato's "Phaedo" that I'm working on.

Eventually I'll work on his tattoos properly.

Friendly reminder to not punish yourself for creating. 

Can you elaborate on what you mean by this?

I have a tendency to beat myself up whenever something I make doesn’t meet my expectations (which is always). The result is that finishing something = bad feelings: I am effectively punishing myself for having created something. The natural reaction to this punishment is an aversion to creation, meaning that my perfectionism is harming me, not only by causing me to despise what I do make and by impeding the creative process, but by attacking even my desire to create.

I’m having some feelings about this post

summary of act 1

Watching the full documentary is worth while and changed me as a person

samurai story: our era is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and all i can do is stay true to my ideals, even to my death

wild west story: our era is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and all i can do is stay true to my ideals, even to my death

gangster story: our era is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and all i can do is stay true to my ideals, even to my death

golden age of piracy story: our era is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and all i can do is stay true to my ideals, even to my death

wuxia story: i sure hope this godawful shitty era becomes a thing of the past soon so i can really get cracking on my ideals of JUSTICE, BENEVOLENCE, FILIAL PIETY, KICKING ASS, and FUCKING FOREVER

i think it’s interesting that generally the stories that use this narrative do it from a perspective of its subculture’s inevitable assimilation into the capitalist white hegemony with the advancement of the imperial project, whether it’s samurai whose country is synching with western modernity to the detriment of their own traditions, cowboys and buccaneers who lived in the vanguard of colonialism and now must answer to the capitalism they paved the way for, or gangsters who once were irishmen working for other irishmen and now are white men working for white men. but assimilation was never even on the table as europe and america interacted with china—in the (relatively few) wuxia stories dealing with 19-20th century colonialism, they aren’t fighting to keep their culture, but to resist subjugation, and it’s framed not just as a battle that must be fought but as one that must be won

Haunted by how it was apparently the judgment of the time (Late Antiquity) that Pisander of Laranda's* humongous work of 60 books that covered "all" of the mythic era and especially the epic cycles contained in the Epic Cycle had superseded the need for the original Epic Cycle.

And do we have that?

Do we have either the original or the later works?

No!!!!

(*I THINK that's the guy that was named but as I can't quite remember or where I read it, take it with a pinch of salt lol)

Colorized footage of Apollo vs Diomedes, the Iliad book 5

(trans. A.T Murray)

had to draw him

You know, it’s very interesting to me that Zeus before Hera (according to Hesiod, I think) had five wives, who bore him only daughters. And he... Never did anything bad to them for this? (Expect Metis. He was awful with Metis of course)

I know that's the bare minimum, but it's very interesting to me, considering that in the real world, some ruler would have slandered you as a witch or sent you to a monastery for not being able to bear sons (cough, Henry VIII, cough). But Zeus never did that. He divorced his wives, let them stay on Olympus with all the privileges, and took care of his daughters. It's, um... Sweet, in a way?

Like yeah, he is still made a lot of bad decisions, but this man have at least SOME dignity in him.

@katerinaaqu (you know more about this than me)

In art and literature, Pegasus (and by extension Chrysaor) was born from Medusa’s head fully formed, but wouldn’t it be funny if Pegasus and Chrysaor were born as babies so Perseus and Athena had to take some accountability for orphaning their monstrous cousins? Idk I just thought this would be amusing.

Also in my retelling, Perseus sneaks up on Medusa while she’s asleep and her sisters aren’t home, but he slips up and Medusa wakes up and they fought.

So let's cry a bit with some Teucer mentions. "Teucer" is probably latinized for "Teukros" (read: Tèfkros) in Greek.

And it is also interesting given that "Teukros" basically speaks on his bloodline. That he comes from a Trojan line. I do hear some versions come from Hitite Tarḫunt which leads to the greek word "τεύκτωρ" from the word that means "to build" but nothing concrete.

We also see the association with the tribes that resided in Troy at that time. Either way I find it so intriguing that the name of this hero that was also known for his double roots and double lineage or often linked to the tradition that he was illegitimate son has a name that speaks "foreigner"! The dude has a name that speaks up for him having non-greek origins and I am not okay to think about it! (Yes Sophocles I remember you!)

Odysseus: Wow, I can’t believe Palamedes betrayed us.

Diomedes: Hm.

Odysseus: Why is it always the one you expect most?

The Assosiation of Odysseus with the Ram (an Odyssey and Iliad Analysis on Odysseus and Hermes)

Hermes is also called Κριοφορος (Kriophoros)= ram-bearer, due to myths that involve him carry a ram around his back

Also in ancient art, Hermes is also depicted riding a ram!

Odysseus escapes Polyphemus and certain death UNDER a ram, when Hermes, the sender of souls to the underworld is depicted ON a ram! What is more the ram as black of color, a color associated to death and mourning as well as Hermes is associated with death!

Hermes is mentioned as "bearer of rams" and yet a lamb now bears Odysseus under it out of the cave!

Of course the most infamous association of Odysseus with a ram is that he is also compared to one! Infamously in the Iliad:

(Translation by me)