Batwoman is about to up her game in a big way by becoming the newest hero to join The CW’s Arrowverse. And while the name Batwoman dates back to 1956 when Kathy Kane was introduced as a one-note love interest for Batman in a rather transparent attempt to put to rest the idea that Batman and Robin’s relationship was homosexual in nature, that character is a far cry from what will be appearing on your television screens this fall. Renamed Kate Kane, and now a lesbian herself, this version of Batwoman was introduced in 2006, making her practically brand new…
Category: Geekdom Come
The Franchise: Game of Thrones
With the final season of Game of Thrones set to premiere next year and HBO committing to launching a new prequel series about the conquering of Westeros, I thought it would be a good time to dissect just what it is that makes this franchise work so well. Heck, maybe it’ll even inspire George R. R. Martin to finish Winds of Winter. Core Concept: Dragons and Tits? No, despite what the venerable Ian McShane might say, this franchise is about more than just gratuitous sex and violence. I won’t dispute the deeper you venture into the series the more you begin…
Reference Humor: Community Season 1 Episode 23 “Modern Warfare”
Today is the day. Everything we have done here at Reference Humor has led to this. Breaking down one of the most reference loaded live-action half-hours of entertainment ever to be aired on network television. Today we dive deep into Dan Harmon’s classic post-modern homage to the action genre; the paintball episode that started it all: Community Season 1 Episode 23 “Modern Warfare”. As always bold numbers represent the time at which the reference happened and Spoilers abound for a wide variety of films. Scroll down at your own risk. Okay, let’s get started. 0:47– Abed compares Jeff and Britta’s…
Troping the Riff- The Mentor Gone Bad
So you want to be a hero? Fight bad guys, right wrongs, defend the innocent; that kind of thing. Do you think that heroes just pop up out of nowhere? Of course not. From superhero to chosen one, martial arts expert to super spy, heroes spend years (or at least an epic montage) training to become what the world needs them to be. And while there are a few self-taught capes flying around, most every other kind of hero needs a mentor. Someone who can teach them the skills that let them survive the fights and adventures that would fell…
World Building 101-Politics
Politics. It’s a dirty word. Lord knows that just about everyone in the world is sick of talking about politics. We could all use a break. So this December I offer up to you a special holiday gift; a chance to completely escape the world of modern politics by creating your own web of shifting alliances and power bases. That’s right for our final installment of World Building 101 its time for you to put the finishing touches on your fictional world so your heroes can put the finishing touches on their fictional foes. To better serve our purpose today…
Troping the Riff- Tech Support
A pitched battle to save the day and stop evil in its tracks. It’s a race against time, the hero has beaten their foe into submission and now all they have to do is solve some sort of hi-tech problem having with computers. A situation that can’t be solved by punching, uh-oh looks like our hero is in trouble. It’s time to call Tech Support. Some tropes are as old as storytelling itself and some are rather modern inventions. In terms of human history, computers are still a relatively new concept. Which might be why Hollywood still treats anyone who…
The Franchise- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
With the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald today I thought now would be a good time to break down the magical wizarding world created by J. K. Rowling. So let’s delve in to one of the most successful fictional franchises of all time. Core Concept: “The Importance of Tolerance and Friendship” In both the Harry Potter story and now the Fantastic Beasts movies the villains are those who advocate for racial purity and wish to amass a large amount of personal power. They are defeated by a band of heroes who are considered outcasts. People who are willing…
Troping the Riff- The Trickster
The Trickster is one of the original storytelling tropes, existing in some of humanity’s earliest myths. In Africa he was Anansi the spider, in Europe he was Reynard the Fox, in Asia he was the king of the monkeys, and in the Americas, he often appeared as a coyote. Same archetypal character just wearing a different name and a different skin. After creation myths, tales about the trickster are perhaps the most common across humanity’s myths and folklore. The trickster defies convention and flouts authority, challenging what is known and accepted often through deception and trickery. The trickster is a…
World Building 101- Governments
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”- Winston Churchill. Unless your protagonists are adventuring through an untamed wilderness completely devoid of humanoid life they will inevitably encounter societies of sentient beings. Those societies will have rules and structures the will dictate how the individuals in that society interact with one another. When those rules and structures are codified that’s called Government. And in this edition of Worldbuilding 101, you and I are going to see if we can’t up with something that can’t prove Mr. Churchill wrong. We will begin with the simplest and most…
Reference Humor: Brooklyn Nine-Nine S1E6 “Halloween”
Halloween is just around the corner and to celebrate I’m bringing you the very first of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Halloween specials. It’s scary at just how many references this show can fit into one episode. As always bold numbers represent the time at which the reference happened and Spoilers abound for a wide variety of films. Scroll down at your own risk. Okay, let’s get started. 00:25- Charles is dressed as Mario Batali a celebrity chef. (This episode aired before Batali faced multiple accusations of sexual harassment) 00:30- Jake guesses that Charles is dressed as a dumpy Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris…