The Fifth of November

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!

Another look at Watchmen

Before I dive into the theme of this entry, I would first like to address why this blog is named the Shadow Gathering. I am aware that in the comic V for Vendetta, V's place of residence is named the Shadow Gallery. The name the Shadow Gallery entails a great deal of things. Primarily that it is, quite simply, a gallery; a place for observation in which an individual may look upon the many artifacts of the world, uncensored. I chose to name this blog the Shadow Gathering, in light of the convictions that V represents. I replaced the word, "gallery," with the word, "gathering," to specifically invite others to engage and respond to these entries. So please, ask questions, and more importantly, think.

A great deal of people feel that by not viewing the Hollywood adaption of "Watchmen," Alan Moore has established himself as some sort of hypocrite, taking the money and claiming to take no part in the film. Although this is untrue, that is not the reason for this entry. My reason for this delayed response to Zack Snyder's version of Watchmen is as follows.

In essence, Watchmen is, quite obviously, a meditation on power. Each character representing different forms of power, from the omnipotent Dr. Manhattan to the meager Rorschach. With the nuclear doomsday clock ticking in the background, the Watchmen's interactions display a great deal of realism, coupled with human reasoning and emotion, or in Dr. Manhattan's case, lack thereof. As powerful as this symbolism is, I believe what most people take from Watchmen is something entirely different.

Unlike most stories, Watchmen is not told in a linear fashion. It is more of a reflection of the chaotic lives of the "real world." It reveals a number of individual stories winding together to one final point. In Zack Snyder's adaptation, he removed the squid, a seemingly harmless move. In addition, his version satisfied a majority of the fan base. But by removing the squid, he removed much more. He erased the existence of the artist's story and in doing so, he removed what sets Watchmen apart from other graphic novels. This why I believe Snyder missed the mark. This is the reason why I believe Alan Moore does not watch any of his works on the big screen. As much as he would like to see an individual's interpretation of his work, I believe that when one has put so much into a product, only to see it stylized to appeal to a less than deserving audience, one can not simply throw those years of one's life away for a two and half hour movie.

Joking, of course

The Joker is, on the surface, an artist's take on the perfect adversary, but as you move further into the character you can uncover more. In the Joker's most recent rendering, he can be quoted in saying, "...it's about sending a message." My interpretation of his message is as follows. Even in an ideally perfect society, may it be a democracy or a non-existent government (anarchy,) the human race will always crumble in the wake of whatever power is claimed. The Joker became a reflection of ourselves. In essence, every person looking out for his or her own interests would be perfect, if every individual did, "the right thing." His message reveals that in a perfect society, it only takes one to bring the community of practice to its knees. That even in a perfect system, there is the opportunity of flaw. Without that opportunity, without that freedom, the people would ultimately be slaves to whatever master claims them. Thus, perpetually sinking deeper and deeper into a sea of chaos. He then explains that no efforts can correct this innate self-destructive nature, and by doing so, you are merely deceiving yourself. Labeling those as "schemers." The Joker chooses to express this message through criminal acts that strike fear into large masses of people, creating the chaos that he believes to be inevitable. This brings in the question of whether people are innately bad, or that people are innately good, but that is a topic that can only be answered for yourself, in your own discovery of truth and self. The Joker's essence radiates a philosophical paradox that continues to be the subject matter of many higher learning communities.

Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici

Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici
(By the power of Truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe)

Welcome to the Shadow Gathering.
The information and the ideas presented through this particular blog, have little intended relation to that of "V," or the graphic novel and film with which he is associated. This blog is, strongly, associated with discovering truth, in particular, self truths. In that sense, this forum of expression and everything that is represented through "V," may very well go hand in hand. Language, in of itself, is an extension of expression and is quite possibly the most complex, yet impossibly simple tool ever created. (This statement about language came from Mr. Yellow during one of our more recent philosophical discussions.) It is more than just letters or words. Language works on planes beyond fundamental forms of expression and beyond what standardized learning institutions have labeled as, "language." From trees releasing pheromones to warn other trees of impending doom, to explaining quantum mechanics, language serves as a tool for communication. Comic books, music, sculptures, movement, hormones, etc. are all mediums in which language thrives.
Individuals have the ability to convey huge metaphysical ideas through the simplest of forms of language. For example, one could analyze a person's body language and derive from that particular person, at the specific point time, what they may or may not be thinking. Usually these sorts of thoughts pertain to sensations but can be deep meditations of self-being and self doubt. Rene Descartes established that everything in the known universe can, in fact, be doubted of existence. Everything except for the fact that you think, therefore, you exist. "Cogito ergo sum," translated, "I think, therefore I am." Now this subject may be a step away from the general metaphysical realm of thought, but its ideas are relevant...(To Be Continued)