Movie Monday: "The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello"

"The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello" is a 2005 short film. It is the first of four proposed short films (about half-an-hour long each) and is set in an undoubtedly Steampunk world filled with airships and treacherous voyages.

The film is animated in the style of South East Asian Wayang Kulit shadow puppetry. Each character has a distinctive profile shape set against muted sepia toned backgrounds. The rare pale blues and greens as well as the dark crimson of the occasional blood spatter add to the bleak and hopeless mood of the piece. While the animation style is certainly unrealistic, the story and atmosphere are totally believable.

The story begins in the metropolitan city of Gothia, where the young navigator named Jasper Morello reminisces on a miscalculation he made during his last voyage which killed a man.

Madame Yvina, Fortunes Made & Futures Seen, Problems Exterminated & Mysteries Solved

We at "The Lonely Alchemist" have just receive a strange encoded file from someone by the name of Madame Yvina. While we are still working on translating it (it is rather long), we thought we would share with you the rather interesting beginning...

Just visit this treasury here to start your journey into the mysterious world of the Madame.

Be sure to check back in soon for the first translated portion of the files.

Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist

(lovely artwork is courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lightwitch)

Word Wednesday: "Ghoul"

The word-of-the-day, ghoul, is relatively new to the English language. It first appears in literature in One Thousand and One Nights as a part of Scheherazade's tales. The word is derived from Arabic ghul, from ghala "to seize" and refers to a devilish undead shape-shifting jinn who lives in the desert. The Arabic ghul lures travelers into the desert and slays and eats them, often taking the form of its last victim.

Ghouls first appeared in Western literature in 1786 in William Beckford's novel Valthek. This Westernized version of the ghoul dwells in graveyards or other sites of death and feeds on the flesh of the recently deceased. They are similar to vampires in that sunlight and artificial light disturb them and can burn them to death.

The meaning of the word ghoul has been extended to refer to those whose vocations deal with death, such as undertakers of gravediggers. In the Victorian era, it was common to call someone of such a macabre profession a ghoul (as an insult). Since the modernization and commercialization of the death industry, the use of this name in reference to a mortician has died out (pun intended), and modern day ghouls stay relegated to works of fiction.

Perhaps the most famous ghoul is the star Algol in the constellation Perseus. It's name is derived from the Arabic ra's al-ghul or "the head of the ogre/demon" and it is colloquially known as the Demon Star. This modern monicker is not alone in its dark nature: in Hebrew, Algol is know as Rosh ha Satan or "Satan's Head," in Latin as Caput Larvae or "Spectre's Head," and in Chinese astronomy it is known as Tseih She or "piled-up corpses."


Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist

Poetry Tuesday: "Sonnet 100" by Shakespeare

Where art thou Muse that thou forget'st so long,
To speak of that which gives thee all thy might?
Spend'st thou thy fury on some worthless song,
Darkening thy power to lend base subjects light?
Return forgetful Muse, and straight redeem,
In gentle numbers time so idly spent,
Sing to the ear that doth thy lays esteem,
And gives thy pen both skill and argument.
Rise resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey,
If time have any wrinkle graven there,
If any, be a satire to decay,
And make time's spoils despised everywhere.
Give my love fame faster than Time wastes life,
So thou prevent'st his scythe, and crooked knife.


By Shakespeare

Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist

A new month, a new background

With each new month, I give "The Lonely Alchemist" blog a shiny new background. January's background (with matching header) is "Bohemian" from the fabulous ItkuPilli. I adore all of ItkuPilli's backgrounds and use them exclusively. The digital collages are quaint, fantastic, fairy-like, ghostly, creepy, sexy, spectral, etc... I simply can't say enough good things about these blog backgrounds. If you are a blogger looking for a fresh look for your blog, check them out!

Along with a brand spanking new background, we at "The Lonely Alchemist" blog have a few new resolutions as well. Here they are:

~ post at least 4 times a week

~ post about sustainable or consumer-friendly issues at least 3 times a month

~ blog about every good Steampunk artist we come across

~ review as many Steampunk movies as possible

~ go to a Jane Austen Society of America convention and blog about it

~ go to either an Abney Park or Beats Antique concert (ohhhhh yeah!)

~ make at least 5 posts in foreign languages, just for the heck of it


So now you know a bit of what the next year should look like. If there is anything else you think we should absolutely do in 2012, leave a comment so we can put it on our calenders. And if we fail a little in our resolutions, please do forgive us! Keep your eyes pealed for... for... a lot of awesomeness! Happy New Year!

Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist

A Steampunk New Year!

Why not ring in the new year with a lovely collection of Steampunk artwork! Here are some beautiful creations from Etsy. Just click on the pictures to see more...
















Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist