Pic of the Week . . . Jerad S Marantz

I'm pretty sure Jerad S Marantz has featured before in the Pic of the Week collection, but I'd have to go back through previous posts to find out for sure.

So, without further ado, allow me to (re)introduce this week's artist, Jerad S Marantz.

Jerad is a phenomenal concept designer for the film and games industry. He's worked on games such as Richard Garriot's Tabula Rasa, Guild Wars and Lineage Forever. I don't actually know these games but I'm sure many out there do. However, I DO know some of the films he's worked on, films such as Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, Avatar, Clash of the Titans, Spiderman (2012), Transformers 3, The Burrowers, Apparition, Jonah Hex, The Deaths of Ian Stone, Race to Witch Mountain, Wolverine Origins, XMEN First Class, Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Dragon Ball Evolution, Percy Jackson and the Olympians and I am Legend.

His concept art gave life to some of the creatures that gave these films meaning.

I couldn't decide on a specific piece for today, but I did decide on a film. Despite some of the ravings it got, whether people loved it or hated, I've always been a fan of Clash of the Titans, old and new, and so have gone the ancient Greek route.

See if you can recognise some of these characters...

Enjoy!

Creative Selling Tactics . . .

I have to share this blog with you. It's one of my favourite work blogs that I wrote about a year ago . . . and I think it's a shame that it's now disappeared into the deep blue depths of cyberspace.

Let me enlighten you on what I fill - or used to fill - my professional time with. I work for an internet retail company, and after they discovered my passion for writing, they handed me the company blog to nurture and nurse back to health after a slow start in life. (I can now call myself a web copywriter. I just love that title . . . lol).

But what they didn't bargain for was my creative juices. Occasionally they were flowing with a vengeance, and so on some days the company blog become slightly . . . fictional. But the challenge I loved was writing something fictional about a product we sold.

I've always had a love of the mythical legends of ancient Greece, and so when I decided to blog about our Hot Stone Massage Kits that we were selling at the time, I just couldn't resist it. And you know what? It must have worked because we soon sold out . . . lol. So now, presenting to you the creative selling post I once wrote. (The facts may not be quite true with the original legends, but when you only have a short section of time in which to write something, they were the best that I could remember.)

The Greek Legend of Hotstones . . .

Once, many years ago, there was a Seer, who foretold a tale of a brave young man who would travel the lands and slay the beast Medusa. Medusa was originally a beautiful woman who used her long tresses to woo and seduce men. Outraged that her temple had been violated, the goddess Athena set a curse upon her, turning her luscious locks into snakes, and making it so that if her eyes were to fall upon any man again, they would instantly be turned to stone. People feared this vile beast, and so preyed that the Seer's words would become truth.

One day, upon his travels, the Seer came across a curious young man, basking in the sun. This man was called Iydalnis Basalt, and instantly the Seer saw his hero within, despite the sneers from his neighbours and rumours of his stubbornness and laziness. He tried to persuade Iydalnis that he had a destiny to fulfill, but all Iydalnis wanted to do was lay in the sun. Eventually the Seer had to resort to burning his home down on a quest to get Iydalnis into action, and it worked.

Together, Iydalnis and the Seer traveled across the land in hunt for the legendary fem-fatal, Medusa. Many adventures were shared, until eventually they came across the ruined temple where Medusa was said to reside. Iydalnis insisted on a sleep before entering to fulfill his destiny and slay the beast, but the Seer refused him, and so dubiously and lethargically, Iydalnis entered.

For an hour he silently scouted the ruins in search, and just before he was about to leave he saw her, with a head full of withering snakes. As he approached her from behind with his gleaming sword poised for certain slaughter, she turned to glare at him. Horrified by the sheer ugliness of the creature, Iydalnis froze in mid attack . . . and was turned to stone.

Yep, you guessed it. The Seer had been wrong. He should have foreseen Perseus slaying the beast instead of the lazy Iydalnis.

But one thing he did discover was that Iydalnis Basalt was now made of the smoothest stone he had ever seen. Eventually he called it Basalt stone, and that once heated, to get it into action, the lazy characteristics with which Iydalnis possessed would come forth. When placed on the body in certain areas, these heated up characteristics would transfer through the skin, and were found to be very calming and therapeutic - and before long these hot stones became famous throughout the world for their fantastic and detoxing relaxation methods.

A much plausible theory to believe as opposed to volcanic rock cooling and scientific blah blah blahs . . .

(Did you notice the name, Iydalnis Basalt? Hot stones are made from Basalt rock, and Iydalnis came from being bone idol and lazy - ie relaxing. Get it? lol)

Pic of the Week vs Clash of the Titans...

I went and saw the new release of Clash of the Titans during the week. The original was my all-time favourite film whilst I was growing up, with tales of winged horses, giant scorpions, the Kraken, and of course, the horrific half woman - half serpent, Medusa, who could turn any man to stone with a single glance. This was probably a tell-tale sign that I would grow up with a deep fascination with fantasy.

The new version doesn't quite follow the original, but it was still a fantastic film, and the graphics were superb (still getting used to 3D, though). And for any fan of the original, look out for the golden owl in the new one. He gets a cameo appearance which made me giggle. I don't think the director could resist slipping it in there.

However, it got me thinking. Greek religion back then wasn't a simple one. You had numerous Gods, demi Gods, Titans, Giants, and monsters, including the Cyclopes, Minotaurs, Herpes and Centaurs. Each had their own tale to tell, whether it be a tale of love, of heroism, of murder and betrayal, or even jealousy. It made me wonder whether Greek Mythology was the birth of the fantasy genre.

The tale of Medusa is one that has always struck me. She was always my favourite character in the original Clash of the Titans, and I'll give credit where it's due for the new version of her. A beautiful woman made to look ugly. There are many different variations of her tale, but the one I like best is tragic and sad, and brings life to the beast forced to dwell in her ruined temple.

It is said that Medusa was one of three daughters. She was stunningly beautiful with long flowing hair but arrogant to go with it. She was very promiscuous and flirtatious, and one day caught the eye of Poseidon, God of the Sea. In terror, she fled for sanctuary to the temple of Athena, but Poseidon caught up with her and had his wicked way with her inside. Athena was outraged and disgusted by this happening in her temple, and put a curse of Medusa, turning her into a half woman-half serpent, with snakes for her hair. She also made it that if she ever set her gaze upon another man again, they would be turned to stone. So Medusa was cursed to stay in the temple, alone, miserable and a victim of a crime that she wasn't entirely answerable to, until Perseus brought about her end and beheaded her. No wonder men feared to go any where near her. They're afraid to go near any woman with a grudge.

If you delve deep into Greek Mythology, there are so many fantastic ideas that could be used to inspire. I find it all fascinating, and seeing as it's Pic of the Week day, and in celebration of the new release of Clash of the Titans (and in memory of the cursed Gorgon), I present to you the new an improved version of Medusa...