7: OG Comics & Mysticism I (feat. Eric Millar of Outlet Press)

This week of Black Hoodie Alchemy brings us our first guest: my friend and colleague, Eric Millar! While he's done the cover of my book Hunt Manual and we've talked back and forth for nearly a couple years, this actually marks our first real-time conversation, and we had a helluva time. Eric comes around to have a serious but informal discussion about old school comic books, their culture and content, and what that means to modern philosophy, magick, and mysticism. 

TRUE BELIEVERS, YOU WON'T FIND TALK ABOUT JOSS WHEDON, ZAK SNYDER, OR SEQUEL THEORY BULLSHIT HERE.

IF ANYTHING, ALLOW THIS CONVERSATION TO TRANSPORT YOU BACK TO THAT OLD, DINGY, BACK ROOM OF YOUR FAVORITE '90S COMIC SHOP. SMELL THE OLD PAPER, PULL OUT YOUR TRADING CARDS AND SLEEVED COMIC BOOKS AND DICE AND GET READY.

Eric takes an approach to the analysis of superhero comics and what it means from a Jungian standpoint to be a fanatic and to experience fanaticism. This unique mindstate is something that alchemists have been fascinated with for thousands of years -- and learning to utilize and experiment with this mindset is the greatest reason comic books have always attracted actual magicians and philosophers to their creation teams. We also discuss whether or not you can truly equate comic books to mythology in terms of archetypes -- and if you can, what are the easy pitfalls and important distinctions that we need to make when analyzing comic books in this way?

We talk about Jack Kirby, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Rick Veitch, Frank Miller, Steve Ditko, and we try to take Stan Lee down a peg! 

As for superheroes and their stories, we discuss my boy Spidey, Batman, Superman, Swamp Thing, Justice League, Marvel 2099, and a lot more!

Eric Millar's info:

Outlet Press books and posts

paperback of THE FOUR COLOR GRIMOIRE

Four Color Grimoire 00 post online

my info:

my book Dive Manual

my book Hunt Manual (the cover illustrated by Eric)

my website

outro song:

MAGNETO (feat. Pacewon) - Babylon Warchild

support Independent Music -- especially that black hoodie rap!

additional content from our comic book conversation:

Grant Morrison Disinfo Con

Alan Moore is a wizard

Jack Kirby's 'New Gods'

Rick Veitch's dream-imagery comics

Stan Lee Media scandal

Kirby vs. Lee