MONSTROUS	
  +	
  EXPLOSIVE	
  JUNCTIONS:	
  
WORKING	
  WITH	
  HYBRID	
  FORMS	
  
	
  
	
  
By	
  
	
  
Myron	
  Campbell	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
A	
  THESIS	
  ESSAY	
  SUBMITTED	
  IN	
  PARTIAL	
  FULFILLMENT	
  OF	
  THE	
  	
  
REQUIREMENTS	
  FOR	
  THE	
  DEGREE	
  OF	
  
	
  
MASTER	
  OF	
  APPLIED	
  ARTS	
  
	
  
in	
  
	
  
Media	
  Arts	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
EMILY	
  CARR	
  UNIVERSITY	
  OF	
  ART	
  +	
  DESIGN	
  
	
  
2012	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
©	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  2012	
  
	
  

Abstract	
  
	
  

This	
  thesis	
  paper	
  addresses	
  a	
  personal	
  journey	
  into	
  a	
  longtime	
  fascination	
  with	
  

mythological	
  hybrid	
  characters.	
  The	
  studio	
  component	
  of	
  my	
  thesis	
  work,	
  the	
  thesis	
  project,	
  
entitled	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  is	
  an	
  interactive	
  animation	
  installation	
  that	
  depicts	
  
moments	
  from	
  a	
  hybrid's	
  life	
  in	
  its	
  natural	
  habitat.	
  The	
  viewer,	
  while	
  engaged	
  with	
  the	
  
animation,	
  must	
  remain	
  quiet	
  and	
  stationary	
  so	
  as	
  not	
  to	
  disturb	
  the	
  hybrid.	
  If	
  it	
  is	
  disrupted	
  or	
  
annoyed	
  it	
  may	
  respond	
  unexpectedly,	
  perhaps	
  violently.	
  
	
  

This	
  paper	
  also	
  describes	
  an	
  interest	
  in	
  interactive	
  narrative	
  and	
  non-­‐linear	
  storytelling.	
  

It	
  uses	
  both	
  David	
  Clark's	
  88	
  Constellations	
  for	
  Wittgenstein	
  and	
  my	
  own	
  work	
  as	
  primary	
  
examples,	
  for	
  dismantling	
  the	
  expectations	
  of	
  conventional	
  storytelling,	
  while	
  also	
  introducing	
  
ideas	
  of	
  anti-­‐narrative	
  and	
  anti-­‐interaction.	
  	
  
	
  

My	
  method	
  has	
  been	
  informed	
  by	
  Giorgio	
  Agamben’s	
  theoretical	
  interpretations	
  of	
  

umwelt,	
  as	
  a	
  means	
  to	
  illuminate	
  visualizations	
  of	
  a	
  hybrid	
  and	
  its	
  actions	
  and	
  reasons	
  for	
  
being.	
  	
  The	
  concept	
  of	
  umwelt	
  also	
  helps	
  to	
  establish	
  the	
  notion	
  of	
  the	
  monster:	
  if	
  the	
  hybrid	
  is	
  
deprived	
  of	
  its	
  basic	
  needs,	
  or	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance	
  (as	
  described	
  by	
  Agamben),	
  then	
  the	
  
monstrous	
  side	
  has	
  the	
  potential	
  to	
  reveal	
  itself.	
  I	
  use	
  the	
  concept	
  of	
  umwelt	
  as	
  a	
  lens	
  through	
  
which	
  to	
  view	
  Mary	
  Shelley’s	
  novel	
  Frankenstein	
  and	
  Alan	
  Moore’s	
  graphic	
  novel	
  Swamp	
  Thing,	
  
to	
  examine	
  the	
  complex	
  personality	
  of	
  a	
  so-­‐called	
  hybrid	
  monster	
  and	
  its	
  capacity	
  for	
  good	
  and	
  
evil.	
  In	
  addition,	
  this	
  paper	
  also	
  examines	
  an	
  attraction	
  to	
  horror	
  and	
  the	
  abject,	
  by	
  way	
  of	
  using	
  
Jan	
  Švankmajer's	
  film,	
  Little	
  Otik,	
  as	
  a	
  primary	
  case	
  study.	
  
	
  

ii	
  

Table	
  of	
  Contents	
  
Abstract	
  ..........................................................................................................................................	
  ii	
  
Table	
  of	
  Contents	
  ..........................................................................................................................	
  iii	
  
List	
  of	
  Figures	
  .................................................................................................................................	
  iv	
  
	
  
Acknowledgements	
  ........................................................................................................................	
  v	
  
	
  
Dedication	
  .....................................................................................................................................	
  vi	
  
	
  
Interruptions	
  ................................................................................................................................	
  vii	
  
Interruption	
  #1	
  ................................................................................................................	
  viii	
  
Interruption	
  #2	
  .................................................................................................................	
  18	
  
Interruption	
  #3	
  .................................................................................................................	
  41	
  
	
  
Introducing	
  Hybrids	
  ........................................................................................................................	
  1	
  
	
  
Anti-­‐Narrative	
  and	
  Anti-­‐Interaction	
  ...............................................................................................	
  5	
  
88	
  Constellations	
  for	
  Wittgenstein	
  (to	
  be	
  played	
  with	
  the	
  Left	
  Hand)	
  ...............................	
  9	
  
	
  
Hyperreal	
  Hybrid	
  Methods	
  	
  ..........................................................................................................	
  12	
  
Une	
  Semaine	
  de	
  Bonté	
  ......................................................................................................	
  14	
  
	
  
Understanding	
  Hybrids	
  .................................................................................................................	
  19	
  
The	
  Narrative	
  Potential	
  of	
  Hybrid	
  Forms	
  ..........................................................................	
  19	
  
Hybrid	
  Methodology:	
  Applying	
  Umwelt	
  	
  ..........................................................................	
  21	
  
Umwelt	
  and	
  Umgebung	
  ....................................................................................................	
  25	
  
Frankenstein’s	
  Monster	
  ....................................................................................................	
  27	
  
Swamp	
  Thing	
  ....................................................................................................................	
  30	
  
	
  
Paradox	
  of	
  Horror	
  .........................................................................................................................	
  34	
  
Facing	
  Fear	
  of	
  Hybrids	
  ......................................................................................................	
  34	
  
Abjection	
  and	
  Hybrids	
  ......................................................................................................	
  36	
  
Otik	
  ...................................................................................................................................	
  38	
  
	
  
A	
  Way	
  Forward	
  .............................................................................................................................	
  42	
  
	
  
Works	
  Cited	
  ..................................................................................................................................	
  44	
  
	
  
Bibliography	
  ..................................................................................................................................	
  46	
  
	
  
iii	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  

List	
  of	
  Figures	
  
Figure	
  1.	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Angus	
  ..................................................................................................	
  1	
  
Figure	
  2.	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC	
  ..................................................................	
  4	
  
Figure	
  3.	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC	
  ..................................................................	
  8	
  
Figure	
  4.	
  David	
  Clark,	
  88	
  Constellations	
  for	
  Wittgenstein	
  (to	
  be	
  played	
  with	
  the	
  Left	
  Hand),	
  	
  .....	
  10	
  
Figure	
  5.	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Mu	
  study	
  sketch	
  ................................................................................	
  13	
  
Figure	
  6.	
  Max	
  Ernst,	
  Dimanche/La	
  boue/Le	
  lion	
  de	
  Belfort	
  	
  .........................................................	
  14	
  
Figure	
  7.	
  Max	
  Ernst,	
  Une	
  Semaine	
  de	
  bonté	
  ou	
  les	
  sept	
  éléments,	
  Capitaux,	
  ..............................	
  16	
  
Figure	
  8.	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Michael	
  Study	
  Sketch	
  …………………………………………………………...........23	
  
	
  
Figure	
  9.	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Bambi	
  sketch	
  with	
  real	
  deer	
  ..............................................................	
  25	
  
Figure	
  10.	
  Universal	
  Studios,	
  Frankenstein’s	
  Monster	
  ..................................................................	
  28	
  
Figure	
  11.	
  Snyder,	
  Scott	
  (w),	
  Yanick	
  Paquette	
  (p),	
  and	
  Nathan	
  Fairbairn	
  (i),	
  Swamp	
  Thing	
  #2.	
  	
  ..	
  31	
  
Figure	
  12.	
  Moore,	
  Alan	
  (w),	
  Stephen	
  Bissett	
  and	
  John	
  Totleben	
  (p),	
  and	
  Tatjana	
  Wood	
  (i),	
  
Swamp	
  Thing:	
  Love	
  and	
  Death	
  	
  ....................................................................................................	
  32	
  
Figure	
  13.	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC	
  ..............................................................	
  37	
  
Figure	
  14.	
  Jan	
  Švankmajer,	
  Little	
  Otik	
  ...........................................................................................	
  38	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  

iv	
  

Acknowledgments	
  
	
  
I	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  acknowledge	
  the	
  people	
  who	
  helped	
  me	
  throughout	
  this	
  thesis	
  project.	
  I	
  am	
  in	
  
eternal	
  debt	
  to	
  my	
  supervisor,	
  Randy	
  Lee	
  Cutler,	
  who	
  constantly	
  challenged,	
  questioned	
  and	
  
inspired	
  me	
  to	
  achieve	
  a	
  greater	
  understanding	
  of	
  my	
  work.	
  Throughout	
  my	
  thesis-­‐writing	
  
period,	
  she	
  provided	
  encouragement,	
  sound	
  advice	
  and	
  lots	
  of	
  excellent	
  ideas	
  that	
  kicked	
  my	
  
head	
  in	
  (in	
  a	
  good	
  way).	
  Thank	
  you	
  also	
  to	
  my	
  supervisor,	
  Maria	
  Lantin	
  for	
  her	
  endless	
  support	
  
and	
  encouragement	
  and	
  for	
  her	
  interactive	
  expertise.	
  I	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  thank	
  Karolle	
  Wall	
  who	
  
swooped	
  in	
  and	
  helped	
  me	
  attain	
  an	
  even	
  larger	
  clarity	
  in	
  my	
  writing.	
  And	
  thank	
  you	
  to	
  Michael	
  
Boyce	
  for	
  helping	
  me	
  polish	
  this	
  beast	
  of	
  an	
  essay	
  and	
  for	
  lending	
  me	
  his	
  ears	
  and	
  brains	
  and	
  
eyes	
  to	
  better	
  my	
  work.	
  I'll	
  give	
  them	
  back.	
  And	
  thank	
  you	
  to	
  all	
  members	
  of	
  the	
  graduate	
  
faculty	
  at	
  Emily	
  Carr	
  University.	
  I	
  would	
  also	
  like	
  to	
  express	
  gratitude	
  to	
  the	
  entire	
  group	
  of	
  
talented	
  students	
  I	
  shared	
  this	
  experience	
  with,	
  especially	
  Sean	
  Arden,	
  who	
  kept	
  me	
  sane	
  while	
  
writing	
  this	
  paper,	
  Kristina	
  Fiedrich	
  for	
  her	
  excellent	
  critiques	
  of	
  my	
  work	
  and	
  Elisa	
  Ferrari	
  for	
  
suggesting	
  that	
  I	
  read	
  Giorgio	
  Agamben.	
  This	
  thesis	
  would	
  not	
  have	
  been	
  possible	
  without	
  the	
  
support	
  of	
  my	
  amazing	
  family.	
  Thanks	
  to	
  my	
  parents	
  and	
  my	
  sisters.	
  A	
  special	
  thank	
  you	
  to	
  my	
  
wife,	
  Haley	
  Gurr,	
  for	
  encouraging	
  me	
  every	
  day	
  for	
  the	
  last	
  2	
  years	
  and	
  thank	
  you	
  to	
  my	
  little	
  
muse,	
  Mya	
  Rose,	
  for	
  sharing	
  her	
  dreams	
  and	
  stories	
  with	
  me.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

v	
  

	
  

	
  
For	
  Mya	
  Rose	
  
and	
  Ahmon	
  
	
  

	
  

vi	
  

	
  
	
  

	
  

Interruptions
	
  

Throughout	
  this	
  essay	
  there	
  are	
  a	
  series	
  of	
  interruptions.	
  They	
  are	
  excerpts	
  of	
  

conversations	
  I	
  had	
  with	
  my	
  then	
  two-­‐year-­‐old	
  daughter,	
  Mya,	
  who	
  was	
  having	
  recurring	
  
nightmares	
  of	
  monsters.	
  It	
  should	
  be	
  known	
  that,	
  to	
  my	
  knowledge,	
  no	
  one	
  has	
  explained	
  or	
  
described	
  to	
  her	
  what	
  monsters	
  are.	
  Through	
  a	
  process	
  of	
  cultural	
  conditioning	
  (i.e.,	
  stories,	
  
movies,	
  cartoons,	
  visits	
  to	
  the	
  aquarium,	
  etc.)	
  she	
  has	
  invented	
  what	
  she	
  believes	
  monsters	
  to	
  
be.	
  My	
  understanding	
  of	
  them,	
  from	
  her	
  perspective,	
  is	
  that	
  they	
  are	
  “little	
  and	
  wet	
  and	
  have	
  
bugs	
  for	
  teeth.”	
  In	
  her	
  recollections,	
  collected	
  in	
  the	
  thesis,	
  she	
  is	
  unable	
  to	
  distinguish	
  reality	
  
from	
  dreaming,	
  and	
  her	
  fear	
  of	
  monsters	
  is	
  clearly	
  noticeable.	
  Until,	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  the	
  last	
  
interruption,	
  when	
  after	
  a	
  few	
  failed	
  attempts,	
  I	
  am	
  finally	
  able	
  to	
  relieve	
  her	
  fear.	
  	
  
My	
  daughter’s	
  naive	
  viewpoint	
  on	
  monsters,	
  and	
  how	
  she	
  learned	
  empathy	
  for	
  them,	
  
was	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  main	
  inspirations	
  for	
  the	
  direction	
  I	
  took	
  in	
  my	
  thesis	
  work.	
  It	
  caused	
  me	
  to	
  
really	
  contemplate	
  the	
  creation	
  of	
  hybrid	
  characters	
  in	
  relation	
  to	
  understanding	
  their	
  motives	
  
for	
  being.	
  	
  

vii	
  

Interruption	
  #1:	
  Fear	
  of	
  Monsters	
  -­‐	
  03/27/11	
  -­‐	
  12:34am	
  
	
  

I’m	
  writing	
  at	
  my	
  computer	
  and	
  I	
  hear	
  crying	
  coming	
  from	
  my	
  daughter’s	
  room.	
  When	
  I	
  go	
  to	
  check	
  on	
  
her,	
  I	
  find	
  she	
  isn’t	
  just	
  crying	
  but	
  shuddering	
  with	
  sad	
  sobs.	
  “What’s	
  wrong?”	
  I	
  ask.	
  “M-­‐M-­‐Monsters	
  in	
  
my	
  m-­‐mouth	
  again.”	
  she	
  whimpers.	
  She	
  is	
  so	
  sad	
  and	
  so	
  scared.	
  I	
  snap	
  into	
  autopilot.	
  I	
  don’t	
  want	
  to	
  see	
  
her	
  cry	
  like	
  this	
  so	
  I	
  use	
  a	
  few	
  borrowed	
  phrases.	
  “Don’t	
  worry,”	
  I	
  assure	
  her.	
  “It	
  was	
  just	
  a	
  dream,	
  it	
  
wasn’t	
  real.	
  There	
  is	
  no	
  such	
  thing	
  as	
  monsters.”	
  	
  
	
  
“R-­‐R-­‐Really?”	
  she	
  asks	
  while	
  wiping	
  tears	
  from	
  her	
  face.	
  “Really.”	
  I	
  reply	
  with	
  a	
  stern,	
  very	
  dad-­‐like,	
  tone.	
  
But	
  in	
  my	
  mind,	
  I	
  know	
  I’m	
  full	
  of	
  shit.	
  I	
  remember	
  my	
  mom	
  using	
  this	
  phrase	
  on	
  me	
  when	
  I	
  was	
  a	
  little	
  
boy.	
  It	
  never	
  worked	
  then,	
  why	
  would	
  it	
  work	
  now?	
  
	
  
She	
  hugs	
  me	
  and	
  feels	
  better	
  for	
  now.	
  But	
  the	
  fear	
  is	
  still	
  lingering	
  and	
  is	
  sure	
  to	
  return.	
  

viii	
  

Fig.	
  1:	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Angus,	
  2012.	
  Detail,	
  13	
  x	
  21	
  in.	
  

Introducing Hybrids
	
  

During	
  the	
  first	
  year	
  of	
  the	
  Masters	
  of	
  Applied	
  Arts	
  degree,	
  I	
  started	
  to	
  uncover	
  a	
  

reoccurring	
  theme	
  in	
  my	
  practice	
  of	
  creating	
  hybrid	
  characters,	
  such	
  as	
  Angus	
  (Fig.	
  1),	
  who	
  has	
  
a	
  bear’s	
  head	
  and	
  human	
  hands.	
  It	
  was	
  not	
  a	
  conscious	
  decision	
  to	
  include	
  them.	
  Hybrids	
  were	
  
just	
  something	
  I	
  was	
  naturally	
  drawn	
  to.	
  This	
  surprising	
  realization	
  started	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  
unraveling	
  a	
  pre-­‐established	
  relationship	
  with	
  hybrid	
  forms	
  through	
  an	
  interest	
  in	
  experimental	
  
narrative.	
  	
  
	
  

Historically,	
  a	
  hybrid	
  being	
  is	
  generally	
  understood	
  as	
  something	
  composed	
  of	
  two	
  parts,	
  

often	
  conjoining	
  various	
  species.	
  However,	
  the	
  hybrid	
  being	
  explored	
  in	
  the	
  thesis	
  project	
  is	
  not	
  
limited	
  to	
  a	
  compound	
  of	
  just	
  two	
  parts.	
  In	
  fact,	
  the	
  approach	
  was	
  to	
  challenge	
  the	
  

1	
  

stereotypical	
  hybrid	
  as	
  composed	
  of	
  two	
  entities.	
  Additionally,	
  the	
  project’s	
  aim	
  was	
  to	
  not	
  
simply	
  imitate	
  characteristics	
  associated	
  with	
  the	
  species	
  that	
  comprise	
  the	
  hybrid.	
  For	
  
example,	
  the	
  hybrid	
  is	
  not	
  immediately	
  evil	
  or	
  deceptive,	
  just	
  because	
  it	
  is	
  part	
  snake.	
  The	
  
hybrid	
  explored	
  in	
  the	
  thesis	
  project	
  is	
  without	
  any	
  fixed	
  identity	
  and	
  is	
  representative	
  of	
  an	
  
emergent	
  ontology1:	
  one	
  that	
  offers	
  a	
  constant	
  state	
  of	
  evolution,	
  blurring	
  the	
  boundaries	
  of	
  
conventional	
  hybridity,	
  of	
  the	
  human	
  or	
  non-­‐human.	
  The	
  result	
  is	
  a	
  more	
  complex	
  and	
  
engrossing	
  character,	
  that	
  adds	
  the	
  potential	
  for	
  a	
  more	
  layered	
  narrative.	
  	
  
	
  

For	
  over	
  ten	
  years,	
  I	
  have	
  been	
  naturally	
  drawn	
  to	
  animating	
  and	
  creating	
  hybrid	
  

characters.	
  I’m	
  uncertain	
  why	
  this	
  happened,	
  but	
  I	
  assume	
  that	
  they	
  surfaced	
  through	
  an	
  
interest	
  in	
  material	
  wherein	
  hybridity	
  is	
  operative,	
  such	
  as	
  in	
  certain	
  myths	
  and	
  fairy-­‐tales,	
  or	
  in	
  
science	
  fiction	
  and	
  horror	
  films.	
  In	
  the	
  past,	
  my	
  work	
  was	
  influenced	
  principally	
  by	
  popular	
  
culture:	
  comics,	
  novels	
  and	
  movies	
  —	
  but	
  now	
  I’ve	
  broadened	
  the	
  field	
  of	
  my	
  influences	
  to	
  
include	
  philosophy	
  and	
  critical	
  theory	
  (particularly	
  as	
  it	
  relates	
  to	
  creative	
  practice).	
  
	
  

My	
  methodology	
  is	
  newly	
  informed	
  by	
  Giorgio	
  Agamben’s	
  theoretical	
  interpretations	
  of	
  

umwelt:	
  a	
  concept	
  originally	
  developed	
  by	
  zoologist	
  Jakob	
  von	
  Uexsküll	
  as	
  a	
  way	
  to	
  better	
  
understand	
  animals.	
  Uexsküll	
  described	
  umwelt	
  as	
  an	
  internal	
  environment-­‐world	
  that	
  exists	
  
conceptually	
  from	
  the	
  point-­‐of-­‐view	
  of	
  the	
  animal.	
  Agamben,	
  picking	
  up	
  on	
  his	
  idea,	
  theorized	
  
that	
  there	
  are	
  specific	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance,	
  which	
  constitute	
  an	
  umwelt.	
  	
  These	
  carriers	
  of	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
1
The	
  hybrid’s	
  “emergent	
  ontology”	
  harmonizes	
  with	
  post-­‐humanism	
  theory.	
  According	
  to	
  
philosopher,	
  Rosi	
  Braidotti,	
  “...post-­‐humanism	
  does	
  not	
  result	
  in	
  anti-­‐foundationalism.	
  It	
  rather	
  
stresses	
  the	
  need	
  for	
  process	
  ontology.”	
  (Braidotti	
  199)	
  Therefore,	
  the	
  post-­‐human	
  hybrid	
  

2	
  

significance	
  are	
  elements	
  that	
  are	
  deemed	
  important	
  to	
  the	
  character’s	
  survival,	
  such	
  as	
  food	
  
or	
  shelter	
  (40).	
  
	
  

By	
  establishing	
  the	
  umwelt	
  as	
  a	
  framing	
  device	
  for	
  creating	
  hybrids,	
  I	
  hope	
  to	
  be	
  able	
  to	
  

better	
  understand	
  their	
  actions	
  and	
  reasons	
  for	
  being,	
  and	
  thereby	
  also	
  have	
  a	
  clear	
  sense	
  of	
  
how	
  to	
  visualize	
  them	
  and	
  their	
  respective	
  environments.	
  I	
  find	
  this	
  approach	
  so	
  effective,	
  that	
  
it	
  has	
  altered	
  the	
  way	
  I	
  create	
  all	
  my	
  characters,	
  hybrid	
  or	
  otherwise.	
  The	
  process	
  is	
  more	
  
informed	
  and	
  less	
  arbitrary.	
  Further,	
  the	
  concept	
  of	
  umwelt	
  has	
  also	
  set	
  the	
  stage	
  for	
  a	
  
newfound	
  theory	
  of	
  mine	
  on	
  the	
  notion	
  of	
  monster.	
  If	
  the	
  hybrid	
  (or	
  any	
  animal	
  for	
  that	
  matter)	
  
is	
  deprived	
  of	
  its	
  basic	
  needs,	
  or	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance,	
  then	
  the	
  monstrous	
  side	
  of	
  its	
  
personality	
  is	
  likely	
  to	
  appear.	
  This	
  potential	
  for	
  horrific	
  acts	
  is	
  the	
  focus	
  of	
  such	
  hybrid	
  
characters	
  as,	
  for	
  example,	
  Mary	
  Shelley’s	
  “creature”	
  in	
  the	
  novel	
  Frankenstein,	
  Alan	
  Moore’s	
  
defender	
  of	
  the	
  swamp	
  in	
  the	
  graphic	
  novel	
  Swamp	
  Thing,	
  and	
  the	
  strange	
  baby	
  in	
  Jan	
  
Švankmajer’s	
  film	
  Little	
  Otik,	
  all	
  of	
  which	
  are	
  to	
  be	
  discussed	
  later.	
  
	
  

I	
  would	
  like	
  next	
  to	
  consider	
  hybrid	
  methods	
  that	
  are	
  employed	
  in	
  my	
  practice	
  utilizing	
  

interactive	
  and	
  non-­‐linear	
  narrative,	
  or	
  what	
  I’m	
  calling	
  anti-­‐narrative.	
  My	
  thesis	
  project,	
  In	
  the	
  
Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  explores	
  this	
  type	
  of	
  experimental	
  storytelling	
  by	
  using	
  an	
  interactive	
  
installation	
  that	
  reveals	
  animated	
  moments	
  of	
  a	
  hybrid’s	
  life	
  in	
  its	
  natural	
  habitat.	
  The	
  viewer,	
  
while	
  engaged	
  with	
  the	
  animation,	
  has	
  a	
  choice	
  to	
  get	
  the	
  hybrid’s	
  attention	
  or	
  simply	
  observe.	
  
Either	
  decision	
  elicits	
  a	
  unique	
  set	
  of	
  responses	
  consistent	
  with	
  what	
  I	
  have	
  designated	
  as	
  anti-­‐
narrative.	
  	
  

3	
  

	
  
Fig.	
  2:	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  2012.	
  Still,	
  1280	
  x	
  720	
  px.	
  	
  
	
  
Mu,	
  the	
  main	
  character	
  of	
  the	
  thesis	
  project	
  is	
  a	
  hybrid	
  (Fig.2).	
  Questioning	
  an	
  
anthropocentric	
  point	
  of	
  view,	
  it	
  serves	
  as	
  a	
  muse	
  to	
  a	
  self-­‐reflexive	
  process	
  of	
  discovery	
  and	
  
understanding	
  of	
  my	
  current	
  art	
  practice.	
  	
  A	
  non-­‐gender-­‐specific	
  hybrid,	
  Mu	
  is	
  constructed	
  
through	
  various	
  collage	
  techniques.	
  Hundreds	
  of	
  digital	
  photographs	
  are	
  used	
  in	
  layers	
  to	
  blend	
  
seamlessly,	
  producing	
  a	
  hyperreal	
  quality	
  within	
  Mu	
  and	
  its	
  world.	
  Like	
  a	
  Dr.	
  Frankenstein	
  
experiment,	
  cat	
  skin	
  is	
  blended	
  with	
  human	
  flesh,	
  and	
  a	
  dog’s	
  tongue	
  with	
  a	
  dolphin’s	
  mouth.	
  	
  
Each	
  layer	
  adds	
  different	
  characteristics	
  to	
  the	
  hybrid,	
  exemplified	
  in	
  the	
  animation	
  when	
  it	
  
growls	
  like	
  a	
  bear	
  and	
  hisses	
  like	
  a	
  cat.	
  	
  	
  
Mu’s	
  environment	
  plays	
  an	
  equal	
  role	
  in	
  the	
  work	
  and	
  is	
  a	
  hybrid	
  unto	
  itself.	
  It	
  is	
  made	
  
with	
  a	
  similar	
  collage	
  process,	
  combining	
  underwater	
  elements	
  with	
  those	
  found	
  above	
  the	
  
4	
  

surface.	
  This	
  is	
  evident	
  in	
  the	
  polyps	
  of	
  coral	
  woven	
  with	
  various	
  weeds	
  and	
  plants	
  that	
  
surround	
  a	
  dining	
  room	
  table,	
  and	
  the	
  entire	
  environment	
  is	
  lit	
  with	
  a	
  series	
  of	
  electric	
  light	
  
fixtures.	
  Mu	
  sometimes	
  crawls	
  across	
  the	
  ground,	
  sometimes	
  flies,	
  or	
  swims	
  from	
  room	
  to	
  
room.	
  Mu	
  is	
  comfortably	
  at	
  home	
  in	
  its	
  environment,	
  suggesting	
  that	
  it	
  has	
  inhabited	
  it	
  for	
  a	
  
long	
  time.	
  	
  
The	
  viewer	
  witnesses	
  moments	
  in	
  Mu’s	
  life	
  as	
  it	
  carries	
  out	
  routines	
  like	
  sleeping	
  and	
  
eating.	
  Mu’s	
  daily	
  activities	
  are	
  the	
  story,	
  delivered	
  in	
  a	
  random,	
  unrepeatable	
  sequence.	
  As	
  
viewers	
  observe	
  the	
  hybrid,	
  they	
  may	
  activate	
  elements	
  of	
  the	
  story	
  by	
  way	
  of	
  interaction	
  
and/or	
  anti-­‐interaction.	
  In	
  this	
  way,	
  the	
  delivery	
  of	
  the	
  story	
  challenges	
  conventions	
  of	
  linear	
  
narrative	
  and	
  introduces	
  aspects	
  of	
  anti-­‐narrative.	
  	
  
	
  

Anti-Narrative and Anti-Interaction
	
  

Anti-­‐narrative	
  is	
  not	
  void	
  of	
  narrative,	
  but	
  it	
  does	
  challenge	
  conventional	
  narrative.	
  The	
  

prefix	
  “anti”	
  is	
  used	
  to	
  dispute	
  narrative,	
  challenging	
  its	
  history	
  and	
  tradition.	
  The	
  role	
  of	
  the	
  
standard	
  linear	
  format	
  is	
  to	
  deliver	
  a	
  story	
  in	
  an	
  accustomed	
  fashion	
  similar	
  to	
  reading	
  a	
  
conventional	
  three-­‐act	
  story	
  in	
  a	
  book	
  from	
  front	
  to	
  back	
  or	
  sitting	
  through	
  such	
  a	
  movie	
  from	
  
beginning	
  to	
  end.	
  Each	
  viewer	
  experiences	
  the	
  delivery	
  of	
  the	
  story	
  in	
  roughly	
  the	
  same	
  way.	
  
Anti-­‐narrative	
  operates	
  by	
  activating	
  a	
  disorienting	
  affect,	
  displacing	
  what	
  is	
  expected	
  because	
  
of	
  the	
  habits	
  of	
  conventional	
  narrative.	
  
	
  

	
  This	
  does	
  not	
  mean	
  a	
  traditional	
  story	
  has	
  to	
  be	
  understood	
  in	
  a	
  linear	
  way.	
  For	
  

example,	
  Christopher	
  Nolan’s	
  feature-­‐length	
  film	
  Memento,	
  (2000)	
  is	
  sequential,	
  but	
  starts	
  with	
  
the	
  ending	
  and	
  moves	
  backwards	
  in	
  time	
  until	
  it	
  reaches	
  the	
  beginning.	
  Arguably,	
  this	
  is	
  not	
  a	
  

5	
  

customary	
  linear	
  narrative,	
  and	
  can	
  be	
  considered	
  non-­‐linear	
  because	
  of	
  its	
  fragmented	
  
timeline	
  that	
  refuses	
  chronological	
  order.	
  However,	
  Memento’s	
  reverse-­‐sequence	
  is	
  fixed	
  and	
  
each	
  viewer	
  is	
  led	
  through	
  a	
  sequential	
  linear	
  structure,	
  one	
  with	
  a	
  beginning,	
  middle	
  and	
  end.	
  	
  
	
  	
  

Bangsø,	
  Olav	
  et	
  al.	
  distinguish	
  the	
  difference	
  between	
  linear	
  and	
  non-­‐linear	
  methods	
  in	
  

a	
  paper	
  on	
  Non-­‐Linear	
  Interactive	
  Storytelling	
  in	
  the	
  following	
  way.	
  
	
  

	
  [A]	
  Story	
  is	
  linear	
  because	
  all	
  the	
  chapters	
  must	
  be	
  read	
  in	
  a	
  specific	
  order.	
  We	
  

cannot	
  expect	
  a	
  coherent	
  narrative	
  to	
  result	
  from	
  any	
  random	
  order	
  of	
  chapters,	
  so	
  
each	
  chapter	
  has	
  some	
  prerequisites	
  that	
  must	
  be	
  satisfied	
  by	
  the	
  preceding	
  chapters.	
  
E.g.,	
  to	
  identify	
  the	
  murderer,	
  a	
  motive	
  and	
  an	
  opportunity	
  must	
  have	
  been	
  established.	
  
In	
  contrast,	
  a	
  non-­‐linear	
  story	
  allows	
  chapters	
  to	
  be	
  read	
  in	
  different	
  orders	
  and	
  not	
  all	
  
chapters	
  have	
  to	
  be	
  read.	
  In	
  a	
  non-­‐linear	
  interactive	
  story	
  the	
  reader	
  can	
  influence	
  the	
  
order	
  of	
  chapters.	
  	
  (2)	
  
	
  

A	
  linear	
  method	
  is	
  primarily	
  passive	
  and	
  does	
  not	
  require	
  participation	
  or	
  interaction.	
  To	
  

reiterate	
  the	
  example	
  in	
  the	
  above	
  quote,	
  to	
  understand	
  the	
  motives	
  for	
  the	
  murder	
  in	
  chapter	
  
3,	
  you	
  must	
  first	
  read	
  chapters	
  1	
  and	
  2.	
  The	
  reader	
  understands	
  that	
  these	
  need	
  to	
  be	
  read	
  in	
  
sequential	
  order.	
  The	
  type	
  of	
  anti-­‐narrative	
  employed	
  in	
  the	
  thesis	
  project	
  combines	
  the	
  non-­‐
linear	
  story	
  with	
  interactivity.	
  Rather	
  than	
  a	
  single	
  path	
  through	
  a	
  story,	
  the	
  anti-­‐narrative	
  has	
  
multiple	
  entry	
  points	
  into,	
  possibly,	
  numerous	
  overlapping	
  stories.	
  In	
  this	
  way,	
  there	
  is	
  no	
  real	
  
chronological	
  logic	
  to	
  the	
  sequence	
  of	
  events.	
  The	
  viewer	
  can	
  explore	
  the	
  so-­‐called	
  “chapters”	
  
out	
  of	
  order	
  and,	
  in	
  fact,	
  it	
  is	
  encouraged.	
  A	
  certain	
  amount	
  of	
  participation	
  is	
  required	
  to	
  
interpret	
  the	
  pieces	
  and	
  find	
  the	
  story	
  rather	
  than	
  have	
  it	
  delivered	
  in	
  a	
  passive	
  experience.	
  This	
  

6	
  

non-­‐linear	
  approach	
  challenges	
  linear	
  conventions	
  that	
  break	
  down	
  expectations	
  of	
  what	
  a	
  
story	
  should	
  be	
  and	
  suggests,	
  instead,	
  what	
  it	
  could	
  be.	
  	
  
	
  

With	
  an	
  added	
  element	
  of	
  interactivity	
  comes	
  an	
  engagement	
  that	
  effects	
  the	
  direction	
  

and	
  flow	
  of	
  the	
  sequence.	
  This	
  arrangement	
  relies	
  on	
  a	
  participatory	
  relationship	
  that	
  is	
  
rewarded	
  with	
  a	
  narrative	
  or	
  unfolding	
  of	
  events.	
  “Interaction	
  is	
  a	
  relationship.	
  It’s	
  good	
  sex.	
  
It’s	
  bad	
  conversation.	
  It’s	
  indeterminate	
  behavior,	
  and	
  it’s	
  redundant	
  result.	
  It’s	
  many	
  things,	
  
none	
  of	
  which	
  can	
  be	
  done	
  alone”	
  (Meadows,	
  37).	
  This	
  quote	
  by	
  media	
  artist,	
  Mark	
  Stephen	
  
Meadows	
  recognizes	
  the	
  relationship	
  that	
  inherently	
  fuels	
  an	
  unpredictable	
  interactive	
  
experience.	
  This	
  is	
  not	
  to	
  say	
  that	
  traditional	
  narrative	
  cannot	
  be	
  interactive.	
  Interpretation	
  
while	
  reading	
  a	
  linear	
  novel	
  or	
  watching	
  a	
  linear	
  film	
  can	
  be	
  considered	
  a	
  form	
  of	
  interaction,	
  
albeit	
  a	
  very	
  subtle	
  one.	
  Meadows	
  continues:	
  
An	
  "Interactive	
  Narrative"	
  is	
  a	
  narrative	
  form	
  that	
  allows	
  someone	
  other	
  than	
  the	
  
author	
  to	
  affect,	
  choose,	
  or	
  change	
  the	
  plot.	
  The	
  author,	
  in	
  writing	
  [or	
  viewing]	
  this	
  
narrative,	
  allows	
  the	
  reader	
  to	
  interact	
  with	
  the	
  story.”	
  	
  (2)	
  
Interactive	
  narrative	
  requires	
  a	
  participant	
  to	
  activate	
  and	
  engage	
  with	
  the	
  storytelling	
  aspect	
  of	
  
the	
  work	
  and,	
  in	
  the	
  same	
  way	
  that	
  anti-­‐narrative	
  challenges	
  conventions;	
  anti-­‐interaction	
  is	
  
employed	
  to	
  dispel	
  expectations	
  of	
  interactivity.	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mount	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  the	
  story	
  
unfolds	
  when	
  the	
  viewer	
  is	
  quiet	
  and	
  stationary.	
  Much	
  like	
  when	
  observing	
  some	
  real	
  animals,	
  
if	
  hand	
  waving	
  or	
  shouting	
  is	
  detected,	
  Mu	
  does	
  not	
  appear.	
  However,	
  if	
  there	
  is	
  no	
  interaction	
  
Mu	
  emerges	
  and	
  carries	
  out	
  one	
  of	
  several	
  quotidian	
  routines,	
  including	
  eating,	
  sleeping,	
  
sexual-­‐satisfaction	
  and	
  self-­‐reflection.	
  Repeat	
  visits	
  can	
  result	
  in	
  varied	
  outcomes,	
  leading	
  the	
  
viewer	
  randomly	
  through	
  the	
  routines	
  in	
  isolation,	
  out	
  of	
  context	
  from	
  the	
  other	
  sections.	
  This	
  

7	
  

fragmented	
  approach	
  emphasizes	
  slices	
  of	
  narrative,	
  putting	
  sections	
  of	
  the	
  story	
  under	
  a	
  
microscope.	
  There	
  are	
  then	
  ‘moments	
  of	
  pause’	
  for	
  digesting	
  these	
  pieces	
  of	
  story	
  along	
  with	
  
their	
  visuals.	
  Since	
  there	
  is	
  no	
  distinguishable	
  dialogue	
  or	
  explanatory	
  narration,	
  the	
  role	
  of	
  the	
  
imagery	
  is	
  particularly	
  significant,	
  directing	
  the	
  narrative	
  using	
  an	
  exclusively	
  visual	
  mode	
  of	
  
communication.	
  

	
  

Fig.	
  3:	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  2012.	
  Still,	
  1280	
  x	
  720px.	
  	
  
	
  
Mu	
  may	
  get	
  tired	
  and	
  decide	
  to	
  rest	
  in	
  a	
  bed	
  of	
  newspapers	
  (Fig.	
  3).	
  	
  Without	
  any	
  
disruption	
  made	
  by	
  the	
  viewer,	
  it	
  continues	
  to	
  sleep	
  contently,	
  gradually	
  revealing	
  a	
  dream	
  
sequence	
  shown	
  from	
  its	
  point-­‐of-­‐view.	
  Then	
  a	
  companion	
  character	
  joins	
  its	
  slumber,	
  nestling	
  
into	
  Mu’s	
  bosom.	
  It	
  is	
  not	
  clear	
  who	
  this	
  new	
  character	
  is	
  or	
  its	
  relationship	
  to	
  Mu.	
  Eventually,	
  

8	
  

Mu	
  wakens,	
  fully	
  rested	
  and	
  continues	
  its	
  daily	
  activities	
  with	
  its	
  companion.	
  However,	
  if	
  Mu’s	
  
sleep	
  is	
  disturbed,	
  the	
  second	
  character	
  may	
  be	
  in	
  danger.	
  Waking	
  from	
  a	
  restless	
  sleep	
  will	
  
agitate	
  Mu,	
  causing	
  it	
  to	
  act	
  viciously	
  towards	
  the	
  visitor,	
  screaming	
  and	
  biting	
  at	
  them.	
  	
  
Paradoxically,	
  the	
  more	
  the	
  viewer	
  tries	
  to	
  interact	
  with	
  the	
  work,	
  the	
  more	
  frustrated	
  they	
  
may	
  feel.	
  Too	
  much	
  shouting	
  and	
  commotion	
  agitates	
  Mu,	
  causing	
  it	
  to	
  act	
  violently	
  and	
  hide,	
  
thus	
  halting	
  an	
  engagement	
  with	
  the	
  hybrid.	
  
	
  

Impatient	
  spectators	
  may	
  witness	
  a	
  monstrous	
  episode	
  if	
  they	
  wave	
  their	
  hands	
  or	
  

shout.	
  In	
  contrast,	
  the	
  patient	
  viewer	
  may	
  uncover	
  a	
  gentle	
  side	
  of	
  Mu	
  through	
  their	
  passive	
  (or	
  
anti-­‐interactive)	
  approach	
  with	
  the	
  work.	
  Either	
  way,	
  the	
  reaction	
  of	
  the	
  viewer	
  is	
  
unpredictable	
  and	
  their	
  interpretation	
  depends	
  largely	
  on	
  personal	
  choices	
  and	
  interactions,	
  
thus	
  the	
  work	
  abandons	
  any	
  notion	
  of	
  a	
  premeditated	
  experience.	
  This	
  experimental	
  approach	
  
has	
  been	
  chiefly	
  informed	
  by	
  the	
  oeuvre	
  of	
  the	
  artist	
  David	
  Clark,	
  whose	
  work	
  offers	
  a	
  breadth	
  
of	
  possibilities	
  when	
  constructing	
  interactive	
  narrative.	
  
	
  
	
  
88 Constellations for Wittgenstein (to be played with the Left Hand)
	
  
	
  

David	
  Clark	
  began	
  his	
  practice	
  as	
  a	
  filmmaker	
  approaching	
  narrative	
  in	
  a	
  very	
  

conventional	
  way.	
  With	
  the	
  introduction	
  of	
  interactivity,	
  the	
  narrative	
  structure	
  began	
  to	
  
change	
  along	
  with	
  how	
  the	
  viewer	
  engages	
  with	
  the	
  work.	
  Viewers	
  move	
  through	
  chapters	
  of	
  
the	
  story	
  by	
  choice,	
  their	
  experience	
  customized	
  to	
  their	
  own	
  curiosity	
  and	
  interests.	
  This	
  
approach	
  is	
  one	
  that	
  appeals	
  to	
  me	
  and	
  is	
  also	
  common	
  for	
  online	
  interactive	
  projects.	
  The	
  
viewer	
  uses	
  the	
  computer	
  mouse	
  to	
  control	
  the	
  experience,	
  pointing	
  and	
  clicking	
  in	
  the	
  
direction	
  they	
  wish	
  to	
  go.	
  	
  
9	
  

There	
  are	
  many	
  examples	
  of	
  interactivity	
  within	
  the	
  installation	
  context	
  such	
  as	
  the	
  work	
  of	
  
Canadian	
  artist	
  David	
  Rokeby.	
  In	
  this	
  essay	
  I	
  focus	
  on	
  one	
  artist,	
  David	
  Clark	
  who	
  has	
  directly	
  
informed	
  my	
  explorations	
  of	
  interactivity.	
  	
  Clark's	
  work	
  and	
  my	
  thesis	
  project	
  are	
  different	
  in	
  
some	
  ways:	
  His	
  is	
  online,	
  and	
  mine	
  is	
  an	
  installation;	
  his	
  requires	
  use	
  of	
  a	
  computer	
  mouse,	
  and	
  
mine	
  requires	
  only	
  a	
  body.	
  What	
  is	
  similar	
  is	
  the	
  role	
  of	
  participatory	
  experience	
  in	
  directing	
  the	
  
flow	
  of	
  the	
  story.	
  In	
  both	
  cases,	
  convention	
  is	
  challenged	
  and	
  there	
  is	
  a	
  desire	
  to	
  restructure	
  
what	
  is	
  expected	
  of	
  narrative.	
  
88	
  Constellations	
  for	
  Wittgenstein	
  (to	
  be	
  played	
  with	
  the	
  Left	
  Hand)	
  is	
  an	
  online	
  
exploratory	
  experience	
  made	
  up	
  of	
  short	
  animated	
  clips	
  inspired	
  by	
  the	
  life	
  and	
  work	
  of	
  the	
  
philosopher,	
  Ludwig	
  Wittgenstein.	
  It	
  manifests	
  its	
  own	
  unique	
  definition	
  of	
  anti-­‐narrative	
  with	
  
short,	
  documentary-­‐esque,	
  animated	
  clips	
  describing	
  moments	
  in	
  the	
  life	
  of	
  Wittgenstein,	
  in	
  a	
  
non-­‐linear	
  fashion.	
  In	
  fact,	
  the	
  narrative	
  structure	
  is	
  as	
  fragmented	
  as	
  the	
  collaged	
  visuals	
  
within.	
  	
  

	
  
Fig.	
  4:	
  David	
  Clark,	
  88	
  Constellations	
  for	
  Wittgenstein	
  (to	
  be	
  played	
  with	
  the	
  Left	
  Hand),	
  2009.	
  
Still,	
  900	
  x	
  475	
  px.	
  Used	
  by	
  permission	
  of	
  the	
  artist.	
  
10	
  

	
  
	
  

The	
  viewer	
  enters	
  the	
  piece	
  through	
  a	
  star-­‐map	
  navigation,	
  (Fig.	
  4)	
  and	
  is	
  presented	
  

with	
  88	
  stories	
  related	
  to	
  the	
  philosopher’s	
  life	
  in	
  the	
  form	
  of	
  constellations.	
  Each	
  story	
  
provides	
  connections	
  to	
  other	
  stories	
  within	
  the	
  project.	
  The	
  resulting	
  constellation	
  of	
  hyper-­‐
linking	
  pathways	
  allows	
  for	
  a	
  unique,	
  non-­‐linear	
  experience	
  that	
  challenges	
  thoughtless	
  
repetition.	
  	
  
	
  

Similarly,	
  In	
  The	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  uses	
  a	
  system	
  of	
  interactivity	
  that	
  is	
  also	
  difficult	
  to	
  

repeat.	
  The	
  viewer	
  has	
  the	
  option	
  of	
  how	
  to	
  interact	
  or	
  not	
  interact,	
  and	
  those	
  choices	
  affect	
  
the	
  delivery	
  of	
  the	
  story.	
  Both	
  Clark’s	
  and	
  my	
  own	
  artworks	
  feel	
  like	
  the	
  uncovering	
  of	
  a	
  
relationship,	
  rather	
  than	
  a	
  direct	
  telling	
  of	
  a	
  story.	
  Within	
  interactive	
  narrative	
  there	
  is	
  a	
  need	
  
for	
  exploration	
  and	
  connecting-­‐of-­‐the-­‐dots	
  (or	
  in	
  Clark’s	
  case,	
  stars).	
  The	
  viewer	
  can	
  move	
  
through	
  the	
  density	
  of	
  either	
  works	
  at	
  his	
  or	
  her	
  leisure,	
  digesting	
  a	
  breadth	
  of	
  information	
  and	
  
research	
  embedded	
  within	
  their	
  choices.	
  	
  
	
  

Media	
  artist,	
  David	
  Jhave	
  Johnston,	
  describes	
  88	
  Constellations	
  for	
  Wittgenstein	
  as	
  “a	
  

consummate	
  example	
  of	
  hybrid	
  interactivity,	
  future	
  cinema,	
  net-­‐art	
  and	
  scholarship”	
  
(Johnston).	
  I	
  would	
  agree,	
  and	
  I	
  appreciate	
  Johnston’s	
  use	
  of	
  the	
  term	
  “hybrid”	
  in	
  his	
  
explanation,	
  because	
  Clark’s	
  work	
  does	
  incorporate	
  various	
  elements	
  to	
  make	
  the	
  whole.	
  
Throughout	
  the	
  work,	
  the	
  viewer	
  witnesses	
  interplay	
  between	
  mediums	
  of	
  narration,	
  imagery,	
  
music	
  and	
  interactivity.	
  Johnston’s	
  description	
  of	
  futurity,	
  interactivity	
  and	
  research	
  informs	
  the	
  
use	
  of	
  hybridity	
  in	
  my	
  work,	
  i.e.,	
  merging	
  multiple	
  disciplines	
  to	
  make	
  up	
  the	
  whole.	
  
Johnston’s	
  description	
  of	
  “hybrid	
  interactivity”	
  is	
  crucial	
  to	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC.	
  It	
  
seems	
  rather	
  fitting	
  that	
  an	
  indeterminable	
  narrative	
  be	
  the	
  setting	
  for	
  Mu,	
  especially	
  since	
  I	
  do	
  

11	
  

not	
  pretend	
  to	
  have	
  all	
  the	
  answers	
  about	
  its	
  life.	
  In	
  fact,	
  this	
  type	
  of	
  narrative	
  allows	
  for	
  a	
  sort	
  
of	
  ambiguity	
  that	
  enriches	
  the	
  story,	
  and	
  the	
  open-­‐ended	
  experience	
  of	
  it.	
  
This	
  concept	
  of	
  interactive	
  narrative	
  helps	
  develop	
  the	
  following	
  section,	
  where	
  I	
  
investigate	
  the	
  various	
  methods	
  of	
  hybridity	
  that	
  exist	
  in	
  the	
  thesis	
  project.	
  Or	
  you	
  can	
  go	
  to	
  
page	
  18	
  for	
  a	
  nonlinear	
  experience	
  of	
  this	
  essay.	
  
	
  
	
  

Hyperreal Hybrid Methods
	
  
	
  

It	
  seems	
  natural,	
  and	
  a	
  bit	
  serendipitous,	
  to	
  be	
  working	
  with	
  hybrid	
  disciplines	
  to	
  create	
  

hybrid	
  characters.	
  In	
  The	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  is	
  constructed	
  completely	
  from	
  hybrid	
  or	
  
transdisciplinary	
  techniques:	
  the	
  assembly	
  of	
  multiple	
  disciplines	
  like	
  drawing,	
  digital-­‐photo	
  
manipulation,	
  photography,	
  sound	
  effects,	
  narrative	
  and	
  animation	
  with,	
  of	
  course,	
  
interactivity.	
  	
  
	
  

The	
  act	
  of	
  deconstructing	
  materials	
  and	
  reconstructing	
  something	
  new	
  references	
  

modernist	
  methods	
  of	
  art	
  making	
  such	
  as	
  collage,	
  assemblage	
  or	
  bricolage.	
  The	
  use	
  of	
  digital	
  
tools	
  in	
  the	
  collage	
  work	
  I	
  produce	
  allows	
  for	
  seamless	
  compositing	
  of	
  images.	
  These	
  tools	
  offer	
  
a	
  greater	
  flexibility	
  than	
  when,	
  for	
  example,	
  Pablo	
  Picasso	
  or	
  Hannah	
  Hoch	
  created	
  their	
  first	
  
collage	
  work	
  in	
  the	
  early	
  20th	
  century.	
  I	
  have	
  control	
  over	
  scale,	
  orientation,	
  colour,	
  and	
  can	
  
isolate	
  details	
  of	
  an	
  image	
  using	
  an	
  abundance	
  of	
  techniques	
  that	
  are	
  near	
  impossible	
  within	
  
the	
  constraints	
  of	
  traditional	
  mediums.	
  
	
  

What	
  these	
  tools	
  bring	
  to	
  the	
  collaged	
  hybrid	
  character	
  is	
  the	
  potential	
  for	
  a	
  seamless	
  

rendering	
  that	
  possesses	
  a	
  manner	
  of	
  realism	
  or	
  hyperrealism	
  that	
  Jean	
  Baudriallard	
  describes	
  
as	
  “the	
  simulation	
  of	
  something	
  which	
  never	
  really	
  existed”	
  (3).	
  Therefore,	
  what	
  is	
  rendered	
  is	
  
12	
  

beyond	
  real	
  or	
  even	
  surreal.	
  While	
  I	
  recognize	
  my	
  work	
  has	
  direct	
  linkages	
  to	
  surrealist	
  ideals,	
  
for	
  the	
  sake	
  of	
  this	
  paper,	
  I	
  have	
  limited	
  its	
  elaboration.	
  What	
  should	
  be	
  emphasized	
  are	
  the	
  
material	
  practices	
  present	
  to	
  construct	
  the	
  thesis	
  project	
  and	
  the	
  hyperrealistic	
  qualities	
  within.	
  
Surrealist	
  artist	
  Max	
  Ernst	
  described	
  an	
  artist	
  using	
  collage	
  techniques	
  as	
  someone	
  who	
  
‘juxtaposes	
  two	
  apparently	
  incompatible	
  realities	
  on	
  an	
  apparently	
  unsuitable	
  scale	
  .	
  .	
  .	
  and	
  .	
  .	
  .	
  
it	
  is	
  there	
  that	
  the	
  explosive	
  junction	
  occurs’	
  (Ernst	
  48).	
  	
  

	
  	
  
Fig.	
  5:	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Mu	
  study	
  sketch,	
  2011.	
  Ink	
  on	
  paper,	
  20.32	
  x	
  25.4	
  cm.	
  
	
  

This	
  idea	
  of	
  explosive	
  junction	
  is	
  one	
  that	
  resonates	
  with	
  the	
  systems	
  I	
  use	
  to	
  produce	
  

hybrid	
  characters	
  and	
  their	
  environments.	
  Drawing	
  and	
  sketching	
  is	
  a	
  central	
  component	
  early	
  
in	
  the	
  process.	
  This	
  starts	
  to	
  shape	
  the	
  form	
  and	
  provides	
  a	
  firm	
  basis	
  on	
  which	
  to	
  construct	
  the	
  
character.	
  From	
  there,	
  I	
  use	
  a	
  combination	
  of	
  searching	
  for	
  online	
  images	
  and	
  taking	
  digital	
  
photographs	
  to	
  find	
  the	
  right	
  elements	
  to	
  include	
  in	
  the	
  work.	
  This	
  is	
  where	
  explosive	
  junction	
  
happens.	
  I	
  wait	
  for	
  the	
  right	
  image	
  to	
  fit	
  in	
  the	
  composition	
  through	
  a	
  trial-­‐and-­‐error	
  method	
  
within	
  Photoshop,	
  allowing	
  for	
  transformation,	
  manipulation	
  and	
  exploration	
  to	
  occur.	
  The	
  
original	
  sketch	
  (Fig.	
  5)	
  produces	
  a	
  rough	
  idea,	
  but	
  the	
  choice	
  of	
  imagery	
  is	
  what	
  truly	
  defines	
  
13	
  

the	
  form.	
  This	
  process	
  allocates	
  a	
  space	
  for	
  discovery.	
  The	
  explosive	
  element	
  happens	
  when	
  
unexpected	
  images	
  generate	
  a	
  certain	
  correspondence	
  and	
  fit	
  successfully	
  together	
  in	
  an	
  
unexpected	
  way.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
	
  

Fig.	
  6:	
  Max	
  Ernst,	
  Dimanche/La	
  boue/Le	
  lion	
  de	
  Belfort,	
  1934.	
  Photomontage;	
  artist's	
  book,	
  
28.58	
  x	
  23.18	
  cm.	
  	
  

Une Semaine de Bonté
	
  

While	
  there	
  are	
  many	
  examples	
  to	
  illustrate	
  use	
  of	
  hybrid	
  methods	
  in	
  art	
  making,	
  I	
  focus	
  

on	
  the	
  collage	
  work	
  of	
  Max	
  Ernst	
  as	
  an	
  historical	
  context	
  for	
  the	
  thesis	
  project.	
  Ernst	
  was	
  a	
  
German	
  artist,	
  involved	
  primarily	
  with	
  the	
  Dada	
  movement	
  and	
  Surrealism,	
  whose	
  work	
  
contains	
  mythic	
  themes	
  and	
  anthropomorphism.	
  Ernst	
  used	
  hybrid	
  techniques	
  similar	
  to	
  my	
  
14	
  

own	
  to	
  create	
  his	
  hybrid	
  forms,	
  especially	
  those	
  presented	
  in	
  his	
  collage	
  book	
  entitled	
  Une	
  
Semaine	
  de	
  Bonté,	
  (Fig.	
  6).	
  
	
  

In	
  this	
  work,	
  Ernst	
  assembles	
  clippings	
  of	
  woodcut	
  illustrations	
  from	
  Victorian	
  novels,	
  

encyclopedias	
  and	
  natural	
  science	
  journals.	
  Because	
  of	
  the	
  artist’s	
  decision	
  to	
  source	
  only	
  
woodcut	
  illustrations,	
  the	
  images	
  blend	
  together	
  exceptionally	
  well	
  (despite	
  the	
  unavailability	
  
of	
  contemporary	
  digital	
  tools).	
  In	
  its	
  illusionary	
  appearance,	
  it	
  is	
  sometimes	
  impossible	
  to	
  tell	
  
where	
  one	
  image	
  ends	
  and	
  another	
  begins,	
  which	
  gives	
  it	
  a	
  ‘more	
  real	
  than	
  real’	
  (hyperreal)	
  
quality.	
  
	
  

The	
  artist	
  has	
  never	
  offered	
  a	
  full	
  interpretation	
  of	
  the	
  work,	
  although	
  art	
  historian	
  

Malcolm	
  Gee	
  suggests,	
  “each	
  of	
  the	
  books	
  projects	
  recurrent	
  themes	
  of	
  sexuality,	
  anti-­‐
clericalism	
  and	
  violence,	
  by	
  dislocating	
  the	
  visual	
  significance	
  of	
  the	
  source	
  material	
  to	
  suggest	
  
what	
  has	
  been	
  repressed”	
  (Gee).	
  This	
  quote	
  reveals	
  that	
  Ernst	
  may	
  have	
  been	
  dealing	
  with	
  was	
  
his	
  own	
  demons,	
  which	
  he	
  expressed	
  in	
  his	
  work.	
  Among	
  many	
  characters,	
  LopLop,	
  a	
  bird-­‐
human	
  hybrid,	
  was	
  a	
  predominant	
  alter	
  ego	
  for	
  Ernst,	
  whom	
  he	
  used	
  to	
  manifest	
  qualities	
  that	
  
reflected	
  his	
  own	
  instinctual	
  drives.	
  In	
  this	
  way,	
  he	
  was	
  hybridizing	
  himself	
  through	
  the	
  use	
  of	
  
an	
  alter	
  ego.	
  They	
  allowed	
  him	
  the	
  freedom	
  to	
  visualize	
  his	
  unconscious	
  and	
  explore	
  his	
  
repressed	
  desires.	
  Thus,	
  the	
  power	
  of	
  his	
  images	
  is	
  not	
  just	
  in	
  the	
  juxtaposition,	
  but	
  also	
  by	
  way	
  
of	
  the	
  proximity	
  they	
  have	
  to	
  our	
  own	
  repressed	
  desires.	
  	
  
	
  

It	
  is	
  not	
  only	
  the	
  hybrid	
  that	
  carries	
  out	
  acts	
  of	
  cruel	
  maliciousness	
  amongst	
  Ernst’s	
  

characters	
  in	
  Une	
  Semaine	
  de	
  Bonté,	
  it’s	
  also	
  the	
  human	
  characters.	
  The	
  idea	
  of	
  the	
  “monstrous	
  
hybrid”	
  is	
  contrasted	
  with	
  stories	
  depicting	
  the	
  loving,	
  tender	
  side	
  of	
  these	
  creatures,	
  while	
  at	
  
the	
  same	
  time,	
  portraying	
  humans	
  as	
  monsters	
  carrying	
  out	
  horrific	
  acts	
  of	
  violence.	
  In	
  

15	
  

conjunction,	
  the	
  human	
  is	
  associated	
  with	
  the	
  monster	
  and	
  the	
  monster	
  with	
  the	
  human,	
  thus	
  
complicating	
  the	
  prejudice	
  of	
  the	
  hybrid	
  as	
  pure	
  monster,	
  and	
  suggesting	
  that	
  both	
  human	
  and	
  
non-­‐human	
  are	
  capable	
  of	
  violent	
  acts.	
  
	
  

	
  
Fig.	
  7:	
  Max	
  Ernst,	
  Une	
  Semaine	
  de	
  bonté	
  ou	
  les	
  sept	
  éléments,	
  Capitaux,	
  1934.	
  Photomontage;	
  
artist's	
  book,	
  27	
  x	
  20.5	
  cm.	
  
	
  
	
  
Malcolm	
  Gee	
  also	
  suggests	
  that	
  the	
  source	
  material	
  has	
  been	
  “dislocated”	
  from	
  its	
  
intended	
  meaning.	
  New	
  messaging	
  emerges	
  by	
  juxtaposing	
  imagery	
  in	
  the	
  form	
  of	
  collage,	
  and	
  
yet	
  I	
  would	
  argue	
  that	
  the	
  original	
  intent	
  is	
  not	
  dislocated	
  entirely.	
  For	
  example,	
  there	
  is	
  a	
  
residue	
  of	
  a	
  bird’s	
  essence	
  left	
  with	
  the	
  head	
  of	
  the	
  crow	
  on	
  the	
  hybrid	
  figure	
  as	
  it	
  stands	
  
tugging	
  the	
  hair	
  of	
  a	
  helpless	
  woman	
  (Fig.	
  7).	
  Something	
  raw	
  and	
  visceral	
  translates	
  through	
  the	
  
head	
  of	
  a	
  crow	
  which	
  sits	
  on	
  top	
  of	
  a	
  human	
  body,	
  suggesting	
  that	
  the	
  monstrous	
  side	
  of	
  the	
  

16	
  

human	
  figure	
  has	
  become	
  too	
  much	
  and	
  has	
  begun	
  manifesting	
  a	
  visual	
  transformation.	
  Like	
  
many	
  stories	
  that	
  include	
  hybrids,	
  some	
  of	
  which	
  I	
  explore	
  in	
  later	
  chapters,	
  Ernst’s	
  use	
  of	
  the	
  
hybrid	
  character	
  can	
  be	
  interpreted	
  as	
  a	
  metaphor	
  for	
  the	
  monstrous	
  side	
  of	
  humanity.	
  
	
  

The	
  act	
  of	
  collage,	
  no	
  matter	
  how	
  seamless,	
  will	
  leave	
  traces	
  of	
  its	
  source	
  imagery.	
  Each	
  

image	
  contains	
  residual	
  traces,	
  adding	
  a	
  layer	
  of	
  meaning	
  that	
  overlaps	
  with	
  other	
  story-­‐
charged	
  images.	
  For	
  example,	
  within	
  the	
  face	
  of	
  Mu	
  there	
  are	
  traces	
  of	
  dolphin	
  in	
  the	
  mouth	
  
that	
  also	
  resemble	
  a	
  bird’s	
  beak,	
  suggesting	
  it	
  could	
  be	
  of	
  either	
  (or	
  both)	
  the	
  land	
  or	
  sea.	
  
Producing	
  collage	
  with	
  dolphin	
  or	
  bird	
  imagery	
  brings	
  a	
  history	
  of	
  these	
  animals	
  to	
  the	
  
composition.	
  By	
  association,	
  this	
  gives	
  the	
  character	
  a	
  more	
  complex	
  context.	
  Even	
  though	
  it	
  is	
  
unclear	
  what	
  exactly	
  Mu	
  is	
  made	
  from,	
  the	
  layered	
  materiality	
  carries	
  and	
  transmits	
  narrative	
  
content	
  that	
  combines	
  with	
  the	
  character’s	
  actions.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

It	
  is,	
  of	
  course,	
  impossible	
  to	
  understand	
  how	
  the	
  viewer	
  interprets	
  the	
  imagery	
  of	
  In	
  the	
  

Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC.	
  In	
  fact,	
  this	
  is	
  not	
  a	
  concern	
  while	
  making	
  the	
  work.	
  I	
  wish	
  only	
  to	
  allow	
  for	
  
interpretation,	
  the	
  potential	
  for	
  narrative.	
  A	
  hyperreal	
  quality	
  in	
  the	
  work	
  allows	
  for	
  a	
  
disorienting	
  affect	
  on	
  the	
  viewer,	
  while	
  at	
  the	
  same	
  time	
  inviting	
  a	
  comprehension	
  of	
  the	
  
character’s	
  complex	
  ontology.	
  	
  

17	
  

Interruption	
  #2:	
  Monsters	
  are	
  real	
  -­‐	
  03/29/11	
  -­‐	
  7:44pm	
  
	
  
It’s	
  time	
  for	
  bed	
  and	
  Mya	
  won’t	
  go	
  into	
  her	
  room.	
  She	
  is	
  sitting	
  in	
  the	
  dark	
  hallway	
  with	
  her	
  head	
  down,	
  
deep	
  in	
  her	
  hands.	
  Her	
  elbows	
  are	
  resting	
  on	
  her	
  kneecaps.	
  Her	
  long	
  blonde	
  hair	
  is	
  covering	
  her	
  face.	
  
She	
  reminds	
  me	
  of	
  Cousin	
  It	
  from	
  The	
  Munsters,	
  which	
  is	
  kind	
  of	
  goofy,	
  but	
  she	
  also	
  looks	
  like	
  that	
  
creepy	
  girl	
  from	
  The	
  Ring.	
  I	
  let	
  the	
  situation	
  grab	
  hold	
  of	
  me	
  and	
  I	
  feel	
  a	
  chill.	
  I	
  look	
  behind	
  me,	
  
nervously.	
  Her	
  fear	
  is	
  affecting	
  me.	
  She	
  says	
  the	
  monsters	
  are	
  in	
  her	
  room	
  and	
  she	
  is	
  too	
  scared	
  to	
  go	
  in.	
  
She’s	
  so	
  genuinely	
  afraid	
  that	
  it	
  almost	
  has	
  me	
  convinced	
  there	
  are	
  monsters	
  in	
  her	
  room.	
  I	
  start	
  to	
  
picture	
  what	
  is	
  beyond	
  the	
  dark	
  threshold.	
  I	
  head	
  towards	
  the	
  door,	
  admittedly,	
  a	
  little	
  freaked	
  out	
  as	
  to	
  
what	
  I	
  might	
  find.	
  	
  
	
  
There	
  is	
  nothing	
  there,	
  visibly	
  anyway.	
  
	
  
I	
  realize	
  my	
  last	
  attempt	
  at	
  solving	
  her	
  monster	
  problem	
  was	
  a	
  failure.	
  Now	
  I	
  feel	
  like	
  a	
  liar.	
  I	
  told	
  her	
  
there	
  was	
  no	
  such	
  thing	
  as	
  monsters	
  and	
  now	
  they’re	
  back.	
  I	
  wonder	
  what	
  she	
  thinks	
  of	
  me.	
  I	
  decide	
  to	
  
try	
  a	
  different	
  approach.	
  I	
  pretend	
  they	
  are	
  real	
  and	
  I	
  found	
  them.	
  Once	
  again,	
  in	
  my	
  stern,	
  dad-­‐like	
  
voice,	
  l	
  tell	
  them	
  to	
  ‘GO	
  AWAY,	
  MONSTERS,	
  SHOO!!’	
  
	
  
	
  If	
  they	
  come	
  back,	
  I’ll	
  just	
  tell	
  Mya	
  they	
  aren’t	
  good	
  listeners.	
  
	
  
She’s	
  apprehensive	
  at	
  first	
  -­‐	
  until	
  she	
  comes	
  into	
  the	
  room	
  with	
  me	
  and	
  sees	
  they	
  are	
  not	
  there.	
  She	
  
believes	
  they	
  are	
  gone.	
  However,	
  I	
  failed	
  to	
  foresee	
  that	
  if	
  they	
  have	
  the	
  ability	
  to	
  leave,	
  they	
  also	
  have	
  
the	
  ability	
  to	
  come	
  back.	
  

18	
  

Understanding Hybrids
	
  

Conventional	
  ideas	
  of	
  the	
  hybrid	
  being	
  (such	
  as	
  the	
  Minotaur:	
  part	
  man,	
  part	
  bull	
  or	
  the	
  

Harpy:	
  part	
  woman,	
  part	
  bird)	
  suggest	
  they	
  are	
  often	
  generated	
  from	
  merging	
  human	
  with	
  
animal.	
  	
  This	
  is	
  a	
  strange	
  designation	
  because	
  we,	
  as	
  Homo	
  sapiens,	
  are	
  animals.	
  While	
  I	
  
recognize	
  that	
  we	
  are	
  all	
  animals,	
  I	
  will,	
  in	
  this	
  paper,	
  continue	
  with	
  the	
  conventional	
  
designation	
  of	
  human	
  as	
  anything	
  that	
  is	
  Homo	
  sapiens	
  and	
  animal	
  as	
  all	
  other	
  animate	
  living	
  
entities.	
  
	
  
The Narrative Potential of Hybrid Forms
	
  
	
  Watching	
  the	
  news,	
  I	
  am	
  astounded	
  with	
  how	
  dark	
  and	
  corrupt	
  human	
  behavior	
  can	
  be.	
  
There	
  is	
  never	
  any	
  shortage	
  of	
  stories	
  about	
  murderers,	
  rapists,	
  child	
  molesters,	
  etc.	
  
Disturbingly,	
  this	
  is	
  what	
  the	
  human	
  being	
  is	
  capable	
  of.	
  Within	
  the	
  animal	
  kingdom,	
  female	
  
lions	
  do	
  not	
  often	
  copulate	
  with	
  their	
  lion	
  mate	
  while	
  raising	
  a	
  cub.	
  In	
  this	
  instance,	
  male	
  lions	
  
have	
  been	
  known	
  to	
  maul	
  their	
  children	
  to	
  death	
  out	
  of	
  sexual	
  frustration.	
  There	
  are	
  also	
  
reported	
  cases	
  of	
  bottlenose	
  dolphins	
  attacking	
  and	
  killing	
  non-­‐competing	
  porpoises	
  with	
  
repeated	
  blows	
  to	
  the	
  abdomen	
  with	
  their	
  noses.	
  One	
  begins	
  to	
  wonder	
  why.	
  Why	
  commit	
  
such	
  horrendous	
  acts	
  upon	
  another?	
  What	
  were	
  these	
  animals	
  (humans	
  included)	
  deprived	
  of	
  
to	
  cause	
  them	
  to	
  behave	
  in	
  this	
  way?	
  Could	
  their	
  choice	
  to	
  do	
  harm	
  have	
  been	
  altered	
  had	
  they	
  
not	
  been	
  deprived?	
  Or	
  is	
  it	
  purely	
  in	
  their	
  nature?	
  Humans	
  and	
  animals	
  are	
  complex	
  beings,	
  and	
  

19	
  

the	
  hybrid	
  blurs	
  the	
  boundaries	
  between	
  them,	
  while	
  still	
  containing	
  as	
  much	
  capacity	
  for	
  good	
  
as	
  evil.	
  Philosopher,	
  Rosi	
  Braidotti	
  references	
  Donna	
  Haraway’s	
  cyborg2	
  when	
  she	
  states:	
  	
  
As	
  a	
  hybrid,	
  or	
  body-­‐machine,	
  the	
  cyborg,	
  or	
  the	
  companion	
  species,	
  is	
  a	
  connection-­‐
making	
  entity;	
  a	
  figure	
  of	
  interrelationality,	
  receptivity	
  and	
  global	
  communication	
  that	
  
deliberately	
  blurs	
  categorical	
  distinctions	
  (human/machine;	
  nature/culture;	
  
male/female;	
  oedipal/non-­‐oedipal).	
  	
  (Braidotti	
  200)	
  
According	
  to	
  Braidotti,	
  one	
  cannot	
  perceive	
  the	
  hybrid	
  as	
  securely	
  identified.	
  For	
  example,	
  Mu	
  
is	
  indeterminable	
  in	
  its	
  gender,	
  having	
  characteristics	
  of	
  both	
  male	
  and	
  female	
  (breast	
  of	
  a	
  
female	
  and	
  male-­‐pattern	
  baldness).	
  Perhaps,	
  the	
  very	
  essence	
  of	
  a	
  hybrid	
  is	
  that	
  they	
  inhabit	
  an	
  
evolved	
  configuration	
  of	
  multiple	
  worlds,	
  and	
  multiple	
  species.	
  There	
  is	
  a	
  coalescence	
  of	
  
ontologies	
  in	
  their	
  physical	
  makeup	
  (a	
  collage	
  of	
  sorts)	
  that	
  might	
  also	
  suggest	
  that	
  their	
  range	
  
of	
  behavior	
  is	
  as	
  varied	
  as	
  their	
  bodily	
  form.	
  	
  
	
  

Hybrids	
  are	
  liminal	
  beings.	
  As	
  composites	
  they	
  possess	
  unpredictable	
  natures	
  that	
  are	
  

intricate	
  and	
  convoluted.	
  The	
  merging	
  of	
  foreign	
  species,	
  behaviors	
  and	
  consciousnesses	
  foster	
  
this	
  complexity.	
  They	
  remind	
  us	
  of	
  what	
  remains	
  of	
  our	
  core	
  animal	
  instincts	
  and	
  challenge	
  the	
  
artificial,	
  socially	
  constructed	
  boundary	
  between	
  human	
  and	
  animal.	
  	
  
	
  

In	
  the	
  context	
  of	
  humans	
  who	
  identify	
  with	
  mythical	
  hybrids,	
  American	
  anatomist	
  D.S.	
  

Lamb	
  states,	
  “One	
  of	
  the	
  most	
  striking	
  and	
  familiar	
  qualities	
  of	
  the	
  primitive	
  human	
  mind	
  is	
  the	
  
disposition	
  to	
  personify”	
  (Lamb	
  277).	
  With	
  their	
  ongoing	
  presence	
  as	
  a	
  trope	
  in	
  storytelling,	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
2
In	
  Cyborg	
  Manifesto,	
  Haraway	
  writes:	
  "A	
  cyborg	
  is	
  a	
  cybernetic	
  organism,	
  a	
  hybrid	
  of	
  machine	
  
and	
  organism,	
  a	
  creature	
  of	
  social	
  reality	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  a	
  creature	
  of	
  fiction."	
  Haraway’s	
  cyborg	
  is	
  a	
  
hybrid	
  that	
  rejects	
  boundaries	
  such	
  as	
  those	
  that	
  separate	
  human	
  from	
  animal.
20	
  

animalistic	
  hybrids	
  can	
  be	
  understood	
  to	
  personify	
  certain	
  human	
  traits,	
  but	
  that	
  is	
  not	
  their	
  
only	
  purpose.	
  In	
  the	
  following	
  section	
  I	
  analyze	
  options	
  beyond	
  anthropomorphic	
  
personification	
  of	
  human	
  qualities	
  onto	
  such	
  hybrid	
  characters.	
  
	
  
Hybrid Methodology: Applying Umwelt
	
  

In	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  generating	
  hybrid	
  characters,	
  I	
  have	
  sought	
  to	
  understand	
  how	
  they	
  

are	
  interpreted	
  in	
  stories	
  and	
  art.	
  In	
  his	
  book	
  The	
  Open:	
  Man	
  and	
  Animal,	
  philosopher	
  Giorgio	
  
Agamben	
  deconstructs	
  the	
  role	
  of	
  man	
  as	
  a	
  superior	
  being	
  and	
  the	
  effects	
  of	
  distinguishing	
  
humans	
  from	
  animal	
  entities.	
  Agamben	
  utilizes	
  the	
  research	
  of	
  zoologist	
  Jakob	
  von	
  Uexküll	
  to	
  
explore	
  various	
  methods	
  of	
  understanding	
  animals.	
  Uexküll	
  proposed	
  that	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  
comprehend	
  animals	
  we	
  have	
  to	
  first	
  identify	
  their	
  umwelt.	
  Loosely	
  translated	
  from	
  German,	
  
this	
  means	
  “environment”	
  or	
  “surrounding	
  world”	
  and	
  is	
  a	
  term	
  that	
  Uexküll	
  describes	
  as	
  a	
  
being’s	
  internal	
  environment-­‐world,	
  which	
  exists	
  conceptually	
  from	
  the	
  point-­‐of-­‐view	
  of	
  the	
  
animal.	
  As	
  Agamben	
  states	
  	
  
There	
  does	
  not	
  exist	
  a	
  forest	
  as	
  an	
  objectively	
  fixed	
  environment:	
  there	
  exists	
  a	
  forest-­‐
for-­‐	
  the-­‐park-­‐ranger,	
  a	
  forest-­‐for-­‐the-­‐hunter,	
  a	
  forest-­‐for-­‐the-­‐botanist,	
  a	
  forest-­‐for-­‐the-­‐
wayfarer,	
  a	
  forest-­‐for-­‐the-­‐nature-­‐Iover,	
  a	
  forest-­‐for-­‐	
  the-­‐carpenter,	
  and	
  finally	
  a	
  fable	
  
forest	
  in	
  which	
  Little	
  Red	
  Riding	
  Hood	
  loses	
  her	
  way.	
  	
  (41)	
  
Agamben	
  then	
  theorizes,	
  “[t]he	
  first	
  task	
  of	
  the	
  researcher	
  observing	
  an	
  animal	
  is	
  to	
  recognize	
  
the	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance	
  which	
  constitute	
  its	
  environment”(41).	
  These	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance	
  
can	
  be	
  interpreted	
  as	
  elements	
  that	
  are	
  deemed	
  important	
  to	
  the	
  animal.	
  An	
  excellent	
  and	
  
rather	
  gruesome	
  description	
  of	
  an	
  umwelt	
  by	
  Uexküll	
  is	
  revealed	
  in	
  a	
  later	
  chapter:	
  

21	
  

[T]he	
  eyeless	
  animal	
  finds	
  the	
  way	
  to	
  her	
  watchpoint	
  [at	
  the	
  top	
  of	
  a	
  tall	
  blade	
  of	
  grass]	
  
with	
  the	
  help	
  of	
  only	
  its	
  skin’s	
  general	
  sensitivity	
  to	
  light.	
  The	
  approach	
  of	
  her	
  prey	
  
becomes	
  apparent	
  to	
  this	
  blind	
  and	
  deaf	
  bandit	
  only	
  through	
  her	
  sense	
  of	
  smell.	
  The	
  
odor	
  of	
  butyric	
  acid,	
  which	
  emanates	
  from	
  the	
  sebaceous	
  follicles	
  of	
  all	
  mammals,	
  works	
  
on	
  the	
  tick	
  as	
  a	
  signal	
  that	
  causes	
  her	
  to	
  abandon	
  her	
  post	
  (on	
  top	
  of	
  the	
  blade	
  of	
  
grass/bush)	
  and	
  fall	
  blindly	
  downward	
  toward	
  her	
  prey.	
  If	
  she	
  is	
  fortunate	
  enough	
  to	
  fall	
  
on	
  something	
  warm	
  (which	
  she	
  perceives	
  by	
  means	
  of	
  an	
  organ	
  sensible	
  to	
  a	
  precise	
  
temperature)	
  then	
  she	
  has	
  attained	
  her	
  prey,	
  the	
  warm-­‐blooded	
  animal,	
  and	
  thereafter	
  
needs	
  only	
  the	
  help	
  of	
  her	
  sense	
  of	
  touch	
  to	
  find	
  the	
  least	
  hairy	
  spot	
  possible	
  and	
  
embed	
  herself	
  up	
  to	
  her	
  head	
  in	
  the	
  cutaneous	
  tissue	
  of	
  her	
  prey.	
  She	
  can	
  now	
  slowly	
  
suck	
  up	
  a	
  stream	
  of	
  warm	
  blood.	
  	
  (46)	
  
From	
  this	
  description,	
  the	
  umwelt	
  of	
  the	
  tick	
  can	
  be	
  characterized	
  as	
  having	
  three	
  carriers	
  of	
  
significance:	
  first	
  is	
  the	
  need	
  for	
  a	
  temperature-­‐specific	
  liquid	
  which	
  happens	
  to	
  be	
  blood;	
  
secondly,	
  a	
  particular	
  odor	
  that	
  emanates	
  from	
  mammals	
  that	
  they	
  are	
  drawn	
  to	
  and,	
  lastly,	
  the	
  
ability	
  to	
  distinguish	
  the	
  hairy	
  parts	
  of	
  the	
  mammal	
  with	
  exposed	
  fleshy	
  areas.	
  With	
  these	
  
carriers	
  of	
  significance	
  one	
  can	
  achieve	
  a	
  better	
  understanding	
  of	
  its	
  basic	
  modes	
  for	
  survival	
  
and	
  actions	
  of	
  being,	
  allowing	
  for	
  insight	
  into	
  its	
  unique	
  existence.	
  	
  
	
  

	
  

	
  

22	
  

	
  
Fig.	
  8:	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Michael	
  study	
  sketch,	
  2011.	
  Ink	
  on	
  paper,	
  20.32	
  x	
  25.4	
  cm.	
  	
  
	
  
My	
  methodology	
  is	
  permeated	
  by	
  Agamben’s	
  proposed	
  system,	
  and	
  informed	
  by	
  
Uexküll’s	
  research.	
  Together	
  they	
  help	
  for	
  an	
  understanding	
  of	
  the	
  creation	
  of	
  animal	
  worlds	
  
and,	
  simultaneously,	
  inform	
  the	
  way	
  in	
  which	
  I	
  create	
  hybrid	
  characters.	
  Before	
  deciding	
  on	
  
Mu,	
  I	
  came	
  up	
  with	
  30+	
  character	
  ideas	
  based	
  on	
  pre-­‐existing	
  hybrids	
  in	
  mythology	
  and	
  popular	
  
culture	
  such	
  as:	
  Mickey	
  Mouse	
  (Fig.	
  8),	
  Bambi,	
  The	
  Human	
  Fly,	
  Medusa,	
  The	
  Minotaur	
  and	
  Hello	
  
Kitty,	
  along	
  with	
  several	
  entirely	
  new	
  creations.	
  With	
  a	
  rough	
  idea	
  of	
  what	
  animal	
  components	
  
the	
  hybrid	
  would	
  contain,	
  I	
  started	
  drawing	
  with	
  the	
  attempt	
  to	
  push	
  past	
  cute	
  and	
  cartoony,	
  
and	
  consider	
  what	
  they	
  would	
  look	
  like	
  with	
  actual	
  flesh	
  and	
  bone.	
  The	
  next	
  step	
  was	
  to	
  list	
  and	
  
define	
  the	
  personality	
  and	
  umwelt	
  that	
  wasn’t	
  just	
  an	
  evaluation	
  of	
  its	
  appearance	
  but	
  of	
  its	
  
body	
  language	
  and	
  interior	
  world.	
  	
  
23	
  

Mu	
  originally	
  began	
  as	
  a	
  re-­‐interpretation	
  of	
  The	
  Little	
  Mermaid	
  and	
  was	
  drawn	
  by	
  
combining	
  human	
  parts	
  with	
  those	
  of	
  a	
  walrus	
  and	
  a	
  beluga	
  whale.	
  Later,	
  by	
  defining	
  Mu’s	
  
carriers	
  of	
  significance,	
  a	
  better	
  understanding	
  of	
  both	
  its	
  umwelt	
  and	
  its	
  physical	
  appearance	
  
were	
  developed.	
  In	
  the	
  final	
  rendering,	
  I	
  forced	
  myself	
  to	
  disorient	
  and	
  further	
  question	
  
whatever	
  initial,	
  biased,	
  notions	
  of	
  its	
  behavior	
  and	
  environment	
  that	
  I	
  may	
  have	
  gathered,	
  
based	
  on	
  my	
  original	
  sketch	
  and	
  of	
  the	
  stereotypes	
  that	
  follow	
  the	
  various	
  animal	
  components	
  
that	
  make	
  up	
  the	
  hybrid.	
  This	
  is	
  in	
  an	
  attempt	
  to	
  empty	
  out	
  any	
  strong	
  associated	
  symbolism	
  in	
  
order	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  new	
  personality.	
  	
  
Once	
  Mu	
  was	
  complete,	
  I	
  had	
  the	
  environment	
  to	
  consider.	
  Looking	
  at	
  Mu’s	
  unkempt	
  
appearance,	
  my	
  first	
  thought	
  was	
  that	
  it	
  should	
  live	
  in	
  a	
  run-­‐down	
  shack	
  in	
  some	
  polluted	
  back	
  
alley	
  somewhere,	
  eating	
  garbage.	
  The	
  problem	
  was	
  that	
  I	
  was	
  profiling	
  Mu	
  based	
  on	
  its	
  
appearance.	
  I	
  wanted	
  to	
  challenge	
  my	
  own	
  preconceived	
  ideas	
  of	
  the	
  character	
  with	
  the	
  
intention	
  that	
  the	
  viewer	
  would	
  also	
  be	
  challenged.	
  There	
  is	
  no	
  reason	
  why	
  it	
  couldn't	
  live	
  in	
  a	
  
home	
  that	
  was	
  cared	
  for	
  and	
  kept	
  clean	
  in	
  areas	
  like	
  the	
  dining	
  room,	
  while	
  private	
  spaces,	
  like	
  
the	
  bedroom,	
  were	
  left	
  a	
  mess.	
  	
  
I	
  acknowledge	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  virtually	
  impossible	
  to	
  generate	
  a	
  pure	
  umwelt	
  for	
  Mu	
  or	
  any	
  
other	
  being.	
  Instead,	
  I	
  wish	
  to	
  separate	
  initial	
  projections	
  from	
  the	
  hybrid	
  entirely,	
  and	
  keep	
  
questioning	
  its	
  reasons	
  for	
  being,	
  rather	
  than	
  jumping	
  to	
  conclusions	
  based	
  on	
  its	
  appearance.	
  	
  
Yet,	
  I	
  utilize	
  this	
  process	
  of	
  understanding	
  to	
  disorient	
  my	
  own	
  subjectivity	
  enough	
  to	
  create	
  
what	
  I	
  hope	
  is	
  an	
  objective	
  space	
  in	
  which	
  Mu	
  can	
  exist	
  and	
  retain	
  some	
  ambiguity.	
  Uexküll	
  calls	
  
this	
  objective	
  space	
  where	
  we	
  observe	
  other	
  animals	
  umgebung	
  –	
  a	
  term	
  which	
  is	
  elaborated	
  
on	
  in	
  the	
  following	
  section	
  through	
  the	
  lens	
  of	
  animation.	
  	
  

24	
  

Umwelt and Umgebung
	
  

Not	
  surprisingly,	
  as	
  an	
  animator,	
  I	
  have	
  been	
  investigating	
  hybrid	
  forms	
  within	
  the	
  realm	
  

of	
  animation.	
  There	
  is	
  a	
  long	
  history	
  of	
  anthropomorphic	
  characters	
  in	
  animation,	
  prominently	
  
seen	
  in	
  children’s	
  films.	
  Through	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  attributing	
  human	
  characteristics	
  to	
  animals,	
  
films	
  like	
  Disney’s	
  Bambi	
  fail	
  to	
  consider	
  the	
  umwelt	
  of	
  a	
  baby	
  deer.	
  Bambi	
  is	
  a	
  puppet	
  made	
  to	
  
carry	
  out	
  human	
  actions	
  (Fig.	
  9).	
  Evolutionary	
  biologist	
  Stephen	
  Jay	
  Gould	
  suggests	
  that,	
  
Disney	
  animators	
  knew	
  well	
  that	
  the	
  large	
  eyes	
  of	
  Bambi	
  would	
  elicit	
  an	
  emotional	
  
response	
  from	
  audiences	
  more	
  akin	
  to	
  the	
  affection	
  displayed	
  toward	
  a	
  human	
  child	
  
than	
  if	
  they	
  had	
  drawn	
  the	
  deer’s	
  eyes	
  to	
  scale.	
  	
  (Daston	
  and	
  Mitman	
  11)	
  	
  

Fig.	
  9:	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  Bambi	
  sketch	
  with	
  real	
  deer.	
  2012.	
  Drawing,	
  20	
  x	
  26	
  cm.	
  
25	
  

	
  
Through	
  anthropomorphism,	
  the	
  creators	
  of	
  children’s	
  animations	
  are	
  able	
  to	
  evoke	
  an	
  
empathetic	
  response	
  from	
  the	
  audience.	
  Disney	
  characters	
  often	
  hold	
  true	
  to	
  stereotypes	
  
derived	
  from	
  human	
  projections	
  and	
  exaggerations	
  of	
  animal	
  behavior:	
  the	
  timid	
  baby	
  deer,	
  the	
  
mischievous	
  rabbit,	
  the	
  wise	
  old	
  owl,	
  and	
  the	
  villainous	
  snake.	
  Different	
  from	
  an	
  umwelt,	
  this	
  
approach	
  reflects	
  what	
  Uexküll	
  describes	
  as	
  umgebung,	
  which	
  Agamben	
  summarizes	
  as,	
  
[T]he	
  objective	
  space	
  in	
  which	
  we	
  see	
  a	
  living	
  being	
  moving.	
  Every	
  environment	
  is	
  a	
  
closed	
  unity	
  in	
  itself	
  which	
  results	
  from	
  the	
  selective	
  sampling	
  of	
  a	
  series	
  of	
  elements	
  or	
  
"marks"	
  in	
  the	
  umgebung,	
  which,	
  in	
  turn,	
  is	
  nothing	
  other	
  than	
  man's	
  environment.	
  	
  	
  
(40-­‐41)	
  	
  
The	
  umgebung	
  is	
  the	
  space	
  where	
  an	
  outsider	
  can	
  perceive	
  the	
  umwelt	
  of	
  another.	
  The	
  main	
  
difference	
  is	
  that	
  considering	
  another	
  living	
  being’s	
  umwelt	
  is	
  a	
  way	
  to	
  understand	
  how	
  they	
  
subjectively	
  perceive	
  their	
  environments	
  whereas	
  remaining	
  in	
  the	
  umgebung	
  means	
  to	
  only	
  
view	
  the	
  being	
  and	
  its	
  environment	
  from	
  an	
  objective	
  point-­‐of-­‐view.	
  	
  
	
  

Disney’s	
  umgebung	
  is	
  limited	
  to	
  showing	
  audiences	
  classic	
  stereotypes	
  in	
  many	
  of	
  their	
  

characters,	
  while	
  animation	
  as	
  a	
  medium	
  has	
  the	
  potential	
  to	
  do	
  much	
  more	
  by	
  challenging	
  
expectations,	
  blurring	
  boundaries	
  between	
  human	
  and	
  animal,	
  and	
  creating	
  fantastical	
  worlds	
  
where	
  hybrids	
  exist.	
  There	
  is	
  no	
  discernible	
  way	
  to	
  understand	
  another’s	
  umwelt	
  entirely.	
  	
  As	
  
humans,	
  we	
  cannot	
  experience	
  the	
  umwelt	
  of	
  a	
  dolphin	
  or	
  bird	
  without	
  our	
  own	
  perspective	
  
interfering.	
  In	
  this	
  way,	
  it	
  is	
  impossible	
  to	
  completely	
  escape	
  anthropomorphic	
  and	
  
anthropocentric	
  tendencies	
  when	
  deciphering	
  the	
  behavior	
  of	
  another	
  being.	
  Yet	
  the	
  attempt	
  

26	
  

to	
  apply	
  the	
  sensibilities	
  of	
  a	
  particular	
  umwelt	
  disorients	
  the	
  umgebung	
  enough	
  to	
  mitigate	
  
presumptions	
  and	
  projections	
  that	
  come	
  with	
  simple	
  anthropomorphism.	
  	
  
	
  

Working	
  across	
  time	
  and	
  genres,	
  I	
  am	
  fascinated	
  with	
  the	
  ongoing	
  fabrication	
  of	
  strange	
  

hybrid	
  characters.	
  In	
  the	
  following	
  section,	
  two	
  classic	
  examples	
  of	
  fictional	
  hybrid	
  monsters	
  are	
  
discussed	
  along	
  with	
  some	
  definition	
  of	
  their	
  umwelt.	
  Identifying	
  their	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance	
  
aids	
  in	
  achieving	
  a	
  better	
  understanding	
  of	
  both	
  characters	
  that	
  reveals	
  insight	
  into	
  their	
  
behavior	
  and	
  their	
  potential	
  for	
  violent	
  and	
  monstrous	
  acts.	
  	
  

Fig.	
  10:	
  Universal	
  Studios,	
  Frankenstein’s	
  Monster.	
  1935.	
  Drawing,	
  1,194	
  ×	
  1,499	
  px.	
  

Frankensteinʼs Monster
	
  

The	
  tradition	
  of	
  monstrosity,	
  which	
  is	
  especially	
  evident	
  in	
  Mary	
  Shelley’s	
  1818	
  novel	
  

Frankenstein,	
  continues	
  to	
  haunt	
  my	
  imagination.	
  	
  Standing	
  over	
  8	
  ft	
  tall,	
  Frankenstein’s	
  

27	
  

monster	
  is	
  revolting	
  and	
  hideous.	
  His	
  grotesqueness	
  stems	
  partly	
  from	
  his	
  appearance	
  (a	
  
slightly	
  translucent,	
  yellowed	
  skin)	
  and	
  partly	
  from	
  the	
  technologically	
  of	
  his	
  creation	
  (having	
  
been	
  constructed	
  of	
  chemicals	
  and	
  the	
  assembly	
  of	
  stolen	
  body	
  parts	
  from	
  multiple	
  corpses)	
  
(Fig.	
  10).	
  However,	
  his	
  behavior	
  can	
  be	
  read	
  as	
  more	
  complicated	
  than	
  a	
  straightforward	
  
monster.	
  At	
  the	
  time	
  of	
  his	
  birth,	
  the	
  creature	
  is	
  caring	
  and	
  tender	
  and	
  as	
  innocent	
  as	
  any	
  
newborn.	
  Unlike	
  his	
  mute,	
  dull-­‐witted	
  behavior	
  in	
  the	
  Hollywood	
  movie	
  portrayals,	
  Shelley’s	
  
original	
  depiction	
  is	
  one	
  of	
  intelligence	
  and	
  kindness.	
  In	
  the	
  following	
  passage,	
  Dr.	
  Victor	
  
Frankenstein	
  is	
  woken	
  with	
  a	
  start	
  by	
  the	
  creature	
  watching	
  fondly	
  over	
  him.	
  
...by	
  the	
  dim	
  and	
  yellow	
  light	
  of	
  the	
  moon,	
  as	
  it	
  forced	
  its	
  way	
  through	
  the	
  window	
  
shutters,	
  I	
  beheld	
  the	
  wretch—	
  the	
  miserable	
  monster	
  whom	
  I	
  had	
  created.	
  He	
  held	
  up	
  
the	
  curtain	
  of	
  the	
  bed;	
  and	
  his	
  eyes,	
  if	
  eyes	
  they	
  may	
  be	
  called,	
  were	
  fixed	
  on	
  me.	
  His	
  
jaws	
  opened,	
  and	
  he	
  muttered	
  some	
  inarticulate	
  sounds,	
  while	
  a	
  grin	
  wrinkled	
  his	
  
cheeks.	
  (57)	
  
The	
  creature	
  is	
  undeniably	
  perceived	
  and	
  treated	
  as	
  wild	
  and	
  unruly	
  throughout	
  the	
  story.	
  After	
  
numerous	
  attempts	
  at	
  integration	
  and	
  acceptance,	
  both	
  society	
  and	
  his	
  own	
  creator	
  reject	
  him.	
  
This	
  results	
  in	
  the	
  creature’s	
  feeling	
  disgust	
  towards	
  himself.	
  Given	
  a	
  voice	
  in	
  the	
  story,	
  he	
  
reflects,	
  “I,	
  the	
  miserable	
  and	
  the	
  abandoned,	
  am	
  an	
  abortion,	
  to	
  be	
  spurned	
  at,	
  and	
  kicked,	
  
and	
  trampled	
  on”	
  (Shelley	
  210).	
  This	
  feeling	
  of	
  rejection	
  fuels	
  his	
  rage,	
  as	
  he	
  takes	
  revenge	
  on	
  
his	
  unsympathetic	
  maker,	
  Dr.	
  Victor	
  Frankenstein.	
  The	
  monster	
  is	
  provoked	
  into	
  this	
  vengeful	
  
state	
  as	
  a	
  result	
  of	
  a	
  love-­‐less	
  and	
  affection-­‐less	
  relationship	
  with	
  his	
  creator.	
  Perhaps	
  the	
  
monster’s	
  need	
  for	
  “affection”	
  is	
  one	
  of	
  his	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance,	
  and	
  the	
  deprivation	
  of	
  that	
  
carrier	
  gives	
  rise	
  to	
  a	
  brutal	
  temperament.	
  Although	
  there	
  are	
  numerous	
  violent	
  acts,	
  the	
  

28	
  

creature’s	
  embodiment	
  of	
  humanity	
  arguably	
  outweighs	
  his	
  acts	
  of	
  monstrosity.	
  Though	
  the	
  
creature	
  makes	
  frequent	
  attempts	
  to	
  gain	
  friendship	
  with	
  others,	
  the	
  rejection	
  he	
  endures	
  and	
  
the	
  deprivation	
  of	
  the	
  carrier	
  of	
  significance	
  (i.e.,	
  affection),	
  results	
  in	
  murderous	
  actions	
  on	
  his	
  
part,	
  all	
  targeted	
  toward	
  Frankenstein’s	
  friends	
  and	
  family	
  members.	
  The	
  motive	
  for	
  horrific	
  
acts	
  is	
  established	
  and	
  the	
  creator’s	
  monster	
  is	
  unleashed.	
  	
  
	
  

George	
  Levine,	
  an	
  editor	
  of	
  a	
  recent	
  collection	
  of	
  essays	
  on	
  Frankenstein,	
  observes:	
  "So	
  

pervasive	
  has	
  been	
  the	
  recognition	
  that	
  the	
  monster	
  and	
  [Dr.]	
  Frankenstein	
  are	
  two	
  aspects	
  of	
  
the	
  same	
  being	
  that	
  the	
  writers	
  in	
  this	
  volume	
  assume	
  rather	
  than	
  argue	
  it"	
  (Levine	
  15).	
  Dr.	
  
Frankenstein	
  denies	
  having	
  any	
  involvement	
  in	
  the	
  initial	
  murders,	
  that	
  adds	
  to	
  rejection	
  of	
  the	
  
creature,	
  and	
  leads	
  to	
  further	
  killings.	
  His	
  shame	
  and	
  fear	
  and	
  loss	
  of	
  social	
  standing	
  are	
  
obstacles	
  to	
  the	
  well	
  being	
  of	
  his	
  loved	
  ones.	
  It	
  is	
  arguable	
  that	
  had	
  it	
  not	
  been	
  for	
  his	
  keeping	
  
the	
  beast	
  a	
  secret,	
  the	
  murders	
  may	
  not	
  have	
  happened.	
  This	
  apparent	
  shame,	
  indirectly,	
  puts	
  
the	
  blame	
  on	
  Dr.	
  Frankenstein	
  for	
  the	
  bloodshed.	
  This	
  man,	
  having	
  the	
  appearance	
  of	
  
normality,	
  in	
  contrast	
  to	
  the	
  beast’s	
  inhuman	
  countenance,	
  harbors	
  the	
  monster-­‐within	
  that	
  
grows	
  with	
  hatred	
  towards	
  his	
  creation.	
  I	
  agree	
  with	
  Levine	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  indeed	
  Dr.	
  Frankenstein	
  
who	
  is	
  the	
  monster,	
  and	
  not	
  the	
  creature	
  after	
  all.	
  
	
  

The	
  complex	
  behavior	
  of	
  Frankenstein’s	
  creation	
  demonstrates	
  an	
  infinite	
  potential	
  for	
  

both	
  horror	
  and	
  beauty.	
  In	
  truth,	
  this	
  story	
  could	
  not	
  have	
  achieved	
  such	
  levels	
  of	
  horror	
  had	
  
the	
  compassionate	
  side	
  of	
  the	
  creature	
  not	
  been	
  evident.	
  	
  It	
  is	
  my	
  aspiration	
  to	
  achieve	
  this	
  
quality	
  of	
  complexity	
  in	
  my	
  own	
  hybrid	
  characters,	
  and	
  effectively	
  destabilize	
  the	
  distinction	
  
between	
  human	
  and	
  monster	
  for	
  the	
  viewer	
  –	
  or	
  at	
  least	
  to	
  challenge	
  the	
  conventional	
  
opposition	
  of	
  them.	
  

29	
  

Swamp Thing
	
  

Swamp	
  Thing,	
  a	
  comic	
  book	
  created	
  by	
  writer	
  Len	
  Wein	
  and	
  artist	
  Berni	
  Wrightson	
  is	
  

reminiscent	
  of	
  the	
  Frankenstein	
  narrative,	
  but	
  with	
  a	
  modern	
  twist.	
  In	
  the	
  origin	
  story,	
  Dr.	
  Alec	
  
Holland,	
  a	
  biologist,	
  joins	
  with	
  The	
  Green,	
  an	
  elemental	
  community	
  of	
  all	
  living	
  plants	
  on	
  earth,	
  
and	
  thus	
  becomes	
  Swamp	
  Thing,	
  inheriting	
  the	
  ability	
  to	
  animate	
  vegetation	
  and	
  communicate	
  
with	
  all	
  plant-­‐life.	
  As	
  a	
  result	
  of	
  this	
  hideous	
  transformation,	
  he	
  becomes	
  a	
  powerful	
  
supernatural	
  being,	
  but	
  he	
  is	
  tortured	
  by	
  his	
  ‘gift’	
  of	
  being	
  able	
  to	
  hear	
  the	
  voices	
  of	
  vegetation.	
  
For	
  example,	
  in	
  the	
  following	
  frames	
  (Fig.	
  11),	
  he	
  can	
  hear	
  the	
  screaming	
  of	
  trees	
  being	
  
strangled	
  by	
  other	
  plants.	
  	
  He	
  describes	
  plant	
  life,	
  which	
  appears	
  to	
  be	
  beautiful,	
  as	
  the	
  most	
  
vicious	
  strain	
  of	
  life	
  in	
  existence.	
  	
  
In	
  its	
  genesis,	
  in	
  1971,	
  Swamp	
  Thing	
  appeared	
  to	
  serve	
  as	
  the	
  perfect	
  stereotypical	
  hero	
  
comic:	
  a	
  scientist	
  is	
  transformed	
  into	
  a	
  monstrous	
  humanoid	
  after	
  a	
  chemical	
  explosion,	
  and	
  
who	
  then	
  fights	
  evil	
  in	
  a	
  crusade	
  to	
  regain	
  his	
  humanity.	
  Unfortunately,	
  this	
  was	
  not	
  compelling	
  
enough	
  to	
  sustain	
  an	
  audience	
  and	
  after	
  a	
  huge	
  drop	
  in	
  sales,	
  the	
  book	
  was	
  put	
  into	
  retirement.	
  
The	
  story	
  lacked	
  depth,	
  and	
  characterization	
  of	
  the	
  Swamp	
  Thing	
  was	
  an	
  all-­‐too-­‐familiar	
  
revenge	
  scenario.	
  	
  

30	
  

Fig.	
  11:	
  Snyder,	
  Scott	
  (w),	
  Yanick	
  Paquette	
  (p),	
  and	
  Nathan	
  Fairbairn	
  (i),	
  Swamp	
  Thing	
  #2.	
  2011.	
  
Illustration;	
  comic	
  book,	
  17.15	
  x	
  8.5	
  cm.	
  
	
  
Alan	
  Moore	
  resurrected	
  the	
  series	
  in	
  1982,	
  altering	
  the	
  origin	
  of	
  Swamp	
  Thing	
  by	
  
evoking	
  ancient	
  mythological	
  folklore.	
  Moore	
  was	
  influenced	
  by	
  traditional	
  legends	
  of	
  “The	
  
Green	
  Man”	
  who	
  was	
  said	
  to	
  represent	
  rebirth	
  and	
  "denote	
  fertility,	
  growth	
  and	
  renewal.	
  
Green	
  leaves	
  are	
  symbolic	
  of	
  life	
  renewed"	
  (Varner,	
  192).	
  Drawing	
  from	
  this	
  rich	
  source	
  
material,	
  Moore	
  began	
  to	
  develop	
  a	
  character	
  with	
  an	
  enhanced	
  and	
  intricate	
  behavior	
  more	
  
conflicted	
  about	
  the	
  transformation.	
  He	
  feels	
  strength	
  and	
  power	
  as	
  Swamp	
  Thing	
  yet	
  still	
  longs	
  
for	
  his	
  human	
  form.	
  Moore’s	
  version	
  inserts	
  a	
  degree	
  of	
  wisdom	
  into	
  the	
  character	
  that	
  was	
  
previously	
  absent,	
  creating	
  a	
  riveting	
  narrative	
  quality	
  that	
  reveals	
  Swamp	
  Thing’s	
  unusual	
  
ontology.	
  The	
  creature’s	
  origin,	
  as	
  described	
  by	
  a	
  scientist	
  in	
  issue	
  #21,	
  comes	
  after	
  Alec	
  
Holland’s	
  death.	
  	
  

31	
  

[Alec	
  Holland]	
  decomposes	
  [at	
  the	
  bottom	
  of	
  the	
  swamp].	
  Those	
  plants	
  eat	
  him.	
  They	
  
eat	
  him	
  as	
  if	
  he	
  were	
  a	
  planarian	
  worm,	
  or	
  a	
  cannibal	
  wise	
  man,	
  or	
  a	
  genius	
  on	
  rye!	
  They	
  
eat	
  him...and	
  they	
  become	
  infected	
  by	
  a	
  powerful	
  consciousness	
  that	
  does	
  not	
  realize	
  it	
  
is	
  no	
  longer	
  alive!	
  It	
  was	
  a	
  plant	
  that	
  thought	
  it	
  was	
  Alec	
  Holland!	
  	
  (Moore	
  11)	
  
	
  

His	
  newly	
  merged	
  consciousness	
  begins	
  a	
  process	
  of	
  morphing	
  bones,	
  organs	
  and	
  flesh	
  

from	
  various	
  sources	
  of	
  plant-­‐life.	
  Interestingly,	
  the	
  beast	
  in	
  this	
  case	
  is	
  not	
  a	
  human	
  
transformed,	
  but	
  instead	
  a	
  memory	
  of	
  the	
  man	
  restored	
  from	
  “supple	
  plant	
  fiber”	
  (Moore	
  12).	
  

	
  
Fig.	
  12:	
  Moore,	
  Alan	
  (w),	
  Stephen	
  Bissett	
  and	
  John	
  Totleben	
  (p),	
  and	
  Tatjana	
  Wood	
  (i),	
  Swamp	
  
Thing:	
  Love	
  and	
  Death	
  Vol	
  2.	
  1984.	
  Illustration;	
  comic	
  book,	
  34	
  x	
  26	
  cm.	
  
	
  
	
  

32	
  

Along	
  with	
  Holland’s	
  residual	
  memories	
  come	
  recollections	
  of	
  a	
  woman	
  he	
  loves.	
  The	
  
female	
  character,	
  Abby	
  Arcaine,	
  is	
  faced	
  with	
  reconnecting	
  with	
  her	
  past	
  lover	
  through	
  the	
  
transformed	
  mess	
  of	
  vines	
  and	
  weeds	
  that	
  now	
  is	
  Swamp	
  Thing.	
  The	
  plant	
  creature	
  is	
  haunted	
  
by	
  memories	
  that	
  are	
  not	
  quite	
  his	
  own,	
  yet	
  exist	
  within	
  him	
  as	
  the	
  residue	
  of	
  his	
  humanity.	
  
These	
  memories	
  develop	
  into	
  a	
  renewed,	
  yet	
  transformed,	
  love	
  for	
  Abby	
  Arcaine,	
  one	
  that	
  is	
  
reciprocated	
  over	
  time.	
  In	
  this	
  relationship,	
  the	
  reader	
  discovers	
  a	
  gentler,	
  more	
  humane	
  side	
  
to	
  the	
  beast,	
  one	
  that	
  is	
  sensitive	
  and	
  caring	
  (Fig.	
  12).	
  However,	
  his	
  monstrosity	
  still	
  surfaces	
  in	
  
the	
  face	
  of	
  danger,	
  when	
  he	
  rips	
  limbs	
  from	
  other	
  creatures	
  that	
  pose	
  a	
  threat	
  to	
  him	
  or	
  his	
  
loved	
  ones.	
  
	
  

Similar	
  to	
  Frankenstein’s	
  monster,	
  Swamp	
  Thing’s	
  makeup	
  is	
  constructed	
  from	
  torture	
  

and	
  torment.	
  Regardless	
  of	
  its	
  monstrous	
  appearance	
  though,	
  the	
  desire	
  to	
  find	
  its	
  own	
  
humanity,	
  while	
  not	
  over-­‐powering,	
  still	
  remains,	
  whether	
  through	
  the	
  physical	
  rebuilding	
  of	
  its	
  
human	
  form	
  or	
  in	
  acquiring	
  the	
  love	
  of	
  a	
  woman.	
  The	
  creature,	
  still	
  filled	
  with	
  conflict,	
  is	
  tasked	
  
with	
  administering	
  a	
  balance	
  between	
  human	
  beings	
  and	
  their	
  environment,	
  while	
  infected	
  
with	
  a	
  willful	
  survival	
  drive	
  and	
  the	
  viciousness	
  of	
  plants,	
  animals	
  and	
  humans.	
  This	
  intricacy	
  
allows	
  for	
  a	
  richness	
  of	
  character	
  and	
  draws	
  out	
  complex	
  emotions.	
  	
  
	
  

Moore	
  seems	
  to	
  have	
  understood	
  that	
  it	
  was	
  important	
  to	
  allow	
  the	
  reader	
  to	
  see	
  

through	
  the	
  eyes	
  of	
  Swamp	
  Thing,	
  aiding	
  in	
  the	
  reader’s	
  experience	
  of	
  the	
  creature’s	
  umwelt.	
  
One	
  of	
  Swamp	
  Thing’s	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance	
  could	
  be	
  interpreted	
  as	
  the	
  maintenance	
  of	
  
balance	
  between	
  human	
  civilization	
  and	
  the	
  environment.	
  Another	
  could	
  be	
  love,	
  which	
  he	
  
clearly	
  benefits	
  from.	
  One	
  carrier	
  of	
  significance	
  does	
  not	
  outweigh	
  the	
  other,	
  but	
  rather,	
  there	
  
exists	
  a	
  balance	
  of	
  the	
  two	
  that,	
  in	
  turn,	
  ties	
  intrinsically	
  to	
  the	
  creature’s	
  existence.	
  	
  

33	
  

	
  

Swamp	
  Thing	
  and	
  Frankenstein’s	
  creature	
  are	
  both	
  characters	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  easily	
  

perceived	
  as	
  fearful	
  monsters.	
  They	
  are	
  grotesque,	
  oftentimes	
  vicious,	
  and	
  murderous.	
  
However,	
  after	
  much	
  reflection	
  on	
  the	
  stories,	
  I	
  believe	
  that	
  this	
  negative	
  perception	
  becomes	
  
harder	
  to	
  support.	
  By	
  defining	
  their	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance,	
  I	
  have	
  to	
  consciously	
  ask	
  myself:	
  
What	
  do	
  they	
  need	
  to	
  survive?	
  What	
  food	
  do	
  they	
  eat?	
  What	
  are	
  their	
  privations?	
  	
  
Deprivation	
  is	
  of	
  particular	
  interest,	
  as	
  it	
  results	
  in	
  revealing	
  something	
  seemingly	
  
monstrous.	
  For	
  example,	
  if	
  someone	
  steals	
  a	
  dog’s	
  T-­‐bone	
  steak,	
  it	
  could	
  get	
  vicious.	
  If	
  that	
  dog	
  
is	
  starving,	
  it	
  may	
  even	
  attack	
  out	
  of	
  pure	
  desperation.	
  Yet,	
  supply	
  it	
  with	
  love,	
  affection,	
  food,	
  
water	
  and	
  a	
  regular	
  run	
  in	
  the	
  park,	
  and	
  one	
  hopefully	
  experiences	
  a	
  tender	
  side	
  to	
  the	
  dog.	
  
The	
  prospect	
  of	
  experiencing	
  fear	
  of	
  the	
  hybrid	
  is	
  one	
  that	
  must	
  be	
  acknowledged.	
  In	
  the	
  
following	
  final	
  chapter,	
  an	
  attraction	
  to	
  horror	
  and	
  the	
  abject	
  are	
  examined	
  while	
  historicizing	
  
some	
  common	
  trepidations	
  about	
  cross-­‐species.	
  
	
  

Paradox of Horror
Facing Fear of Hybrids
	
  

For	
  the	
  last	
  two	
  centuries,	
  the	
  hybrid	
  has	
  been	
  employed	
  in	
  films,	
  literature,	
  myths	
  and	
  

fairytales	
  as	
  a	
  metaphor	
  for	
  the	
  dark,	
  monstrous	
  side	
  of	
  human	
  nature.	
  Works	
  such	
  as	
  
Frankenstein	
  and	
  Swamp	
  Thing	
  represent	
  a	
  general	
  cultural	
  conditioning	
  to	
  fear	
  the	
  hybrid,	
  
which	
  is	
  often	
  represented	
  as	
  a	
  disfigured	
  beast,	
  a	
  monstrosity	
  of	
  man,	
  and	
  an	
  adversary	
  of	
  the	
  
brave	
  and	
  virtuous.	
  The	
  monstrous	
  hybrid	
  must	
  be	
  defeated	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  secure	
  the	
  natural	
  
order	
  of	
  things	
  and	
  retain	
  a	
  triumph	
  of	
  good	
  over	
  evil.	
  In	
  1900,	
  D.S.	
  Lamb	
  writes	
  in	
  reference	
  to	
  
the	
  “Mythical	
  Monster”	
  

34	
  

	
  [W]e	
  shall	
  find	
  that	
  almost	
  without	
  exception	
  the	
  good	
  or	
  helpful	
  things	
  were	
  
personified	
  by	
  forms	
  that	
  are	
  natural	
  or	
  normal	
  and	
  comely,	
  and	
  the	
  bad	
  or	
  hurtful	
  by	
  
forms	
  that	
  are	
  unnatural	
  (so-­‐called),	
  abnormal,	
  and	
  uncomely,	
  perhaps	
  even	
  hideous	
  
and	
  monstrous.	
  	
  (278)	
  
	
  Hybrid	
  characters	
  arguably	
  contain	
  projections	
  of	
  impurity	
  and	
  are	
  therefore	
  associated	
  with	
  
the	
  suggested	
  “badness”	
  that	
  Lamb	
  is	
  referring	
  to.	
  As	
  a	
  result,	
  the	
  hybrid	
  existence	
  is	
  usually	
  
expressed	
  as	
  malformation	
  and	
  evil,	
  aiding	
  in	
  the	
  general	
  fear	
  against	
  hybridization.	
  Freak	
  
Shows,	
  like	
  that	
  of	
  American	
  showman,	
  P.T.	
  Barnum’s,	
  began	
  to	
  be	
  very	
  popular	
  in	
  the	
  mid-­‐
19th	
  century.	
  These	
  spectacles	
  showcased	
  “unnatural”	
  hoax	
  creatures	
  like	
  the	
  Feejee	
  Mermaid,	
  
which	
  was	
  a	
  fallacious	
  mummified	
  half-­‐human	
  and	
  half-­‐fish.	
  Others	
  included	
  real-­‐life	
  oddities	
  
like	
  the	
  deformed	
  Joseph	
  Merrick	
  who	
  was	
  coined	
  Elephant	
  Man	
  to	
  establish	
  both	
  fear	
  and	
  
fascination	
  in	
  the	
  audience	
  with	
  the	
  adoption	
  of	
  a	
  hybrid	
  name.	
  	
  On	
  the	
  surface,	
  these	
  
creatures	
  can	
  be	
  terrifying.	
  Yet	
  the	
  monstrosities	
  and	
  creatures	
  of	
  the	
  freak	
  shows	
  like	
  
Barnum’s,	
  according	
  to	
  philosopher,	
  Christopher	
  Cox,	
  	
  	
  
can	
  easily	
  be	
  read	
  as	
  cruel	
  spectacles	
  that	
  primarily	
  serve	
  to	
  affirm	
  the	
  normality	
  of	
  their	
  
spectators.”	
  Yet	
  historian	
  Erin	
  O’Connor	
  suggests	
  another	
  reading,	
  one	
  more	
  akin	
  to	
  
Barnum’s	
  own.	
  In	
  the	
  freak	
  show,	
  ‘[m]onstrosity	
  does	
  not	
  register	
  defect	
  as	
  disease;	
  
instead	
  it	
  makes	
  human	
  aberration	
  into	
  an	
  advertisement	
  for	
  a	
  new	
  embodiment.’	
  	
  	
  
(Cox	
  22)	
  
Mu	
  explores/proposes	
  a	
  new	
  ontology,	
  a	
  new	
  embodiment	
  that	
  transcends	
  the	
  hybrid	
  as	
  
malevolent,	
  while	
  continuing	
  to	
  allow	
  for	
  the	
  potential	
  of	
  horrific	
  acts.	
  It	
  has	
  the	
  potential	
  to	
  be	
  
either,	
  depending	
  on	
  the	
  interaction	
  with	
  the	
  viewer.	
  Mu’s	
  external	
  and	
  internal	
  configuration	
  

35	
  

crosses	
  boundaries	
  and	
  displaces	
  notions	
  of	
  purity	
  of	
  species,	
  challenging	
  thus	
  what	
  it	
  means	
  to	
  
be	
  human,	
  animal	
  or	
  hybrid.	
  This	
  emergent	
  condition	
  of	
  being	
  allows	
  for	
  an	
  opportunity	
  to	
  
examine	
  what	
  it	
  is	
  to	
  be	
  more	
  than	
  human	
  or	
  more	
  than	
  animal.	
  All	
  species	
  are	
  capable	
  of	
  
carrying	
  out	
  monstrous	
  acts,	
  of	
  being	
  a	
  monster.	
  Fear	
  can	
  arise	
  at	
  the	
  thought	
  of	
  losing	
  what	
  is	
  
deemed	
  important	
  in	
  one’s	
  life,	
  revealing	
  the	
  monster.	
  The	
  frightening	
  notion	
  is,	
  on	
  a	
  primal	
  
level,	
  that	
  one	
  might	
  enjoy	
  losing	
  control.	
  
	
  
	
  
Abjection and Hybrids
	
  

Contemporary	
  philosopher,	
  Noel	
  Carrol,	
  describes	
  a	
  “paradox	
  of	
  horror”	
  as	
  a	
  parallel	
  

attraction	
  to	
  and	
  repulsion	
  from	
  the	
  genre	
  (160),	
  but	
  offers	
  an	
  opportunity	
  within	
  the	
  said	
  
paradox	
  to	
  uncover	
  attractive	
  qualities	
  within	
  abject	
  hybrids.	
  First,	
  what	
  is	
  meant	
  by	
  abjection?	
  
In	
  The	
  Powers	
  of	
  Horror,	
  philosopher	
  Julia	
  Kristeva	
  describes	
  abjection	
  as	
  the	
  loss	
  of	
  distinction	
  
of	
  clear	
  boundaries,	
  stating,	
  	
  
It	
  is	
  thus	
  not	
  lack	
  of	
  cleanliness	
  or	
  health	
  that	
  causes	
  abjection	
  but	
  what	
  disturbs	
  
identity,	
  system,	
  order.	
  What	
  does	
  not	
  respect	
  borders,	
  positions,	
  rules.	
  The	
  in-­‐
between,	
  the	
  ambiguous,	
  the	
  science,	
  the	
  shameless	
  rapist,	
  the	
  killer	
  who	
  claims	
  he	
  is	
  a	
  
savior.	
  	
  (4)	
  	
  	
  
According	
  to	
  this	
  definition,	
  abjection	
  is	
  not	
  exclusively	
  a	
  response	
  to	
  filth	
  or	
  wretchedness;	
  it	
  is	
  
to	
  filth	
  disguised	
  within	
  cleanliness,	
  or	
  to	
  the	
  hero	
  hidden	
  within	
  the	
  monster.	
  It	
  seems	
  that	
  for	
  
Kristeva,	
  an	
  abject	
  being	
  contains	
  a	
  paradox:	
  it	
  does	
  not	
  respect	
  known	
  boundaries	
  and	
  consists	
  
of	
  both	
  attractive	
  and	
  repulsive	
  qualities.	
  A	
  killer	
  can	
  have	
  an	
  initial	
  enticing	
  quality	
  about	
  him,	
  

36	
  

perhaps	
  to	
  lure	
  in	
  unassuming	
  prey.	
  This	
  method	
  of	
  disguising	
  evil	
  with	
  goodness	
  is	
  frightening,	
  
making	
  the	
  monster	
  even	
  more	
  fearful,	
  since	
  it	
  is	
  initially	
  encountered	
  as	
  beautiful.	
  	
  
	
  

On	
  the	
  surface,	
  Mu	
  is	
  fleshy	
  with	
  many	
  visible	
  scars	
  and	
  blemishes	
  on	
  its	
  slightly	
  

translucent,	
  blubbery	
  skin.	
  It	
  has	
  sharp	
  teeth	
  and	
  greasy	
  hair.	
  At	
  first	
  glance	
  it	
  is	
  repulsive,	
  yet	
  it	
  
is	
  my	
  hope	
  to	
  counter	
  or	
  mitigate	
  this	
  repulsiveness	
  with	
  benevolent	
  acts.	
  For	
  example,	
  while	
  
eating,	
  it	
  may	
  share	
  its	
  food	
  with	
  a	
  friend.	
  Therefore,	
  even	
  while	
  Mu	
  can	
  be	
  seen	
  as	
  abject,	
  it	
  
demonstrates	
  a	
  moment	
  of	
  naïve	
  pleasure.	
  The	
  playfulness	
  it	
  shows	
  when	
  it	
  enjoys	
  a	
  flickering	
  
light	
  counters	
  an	
  exclusive	
  reading	
  of	
  it	
  as	
  abject	
  (Fig.	
  13).	
  Mu’s	
  actions	
  are	
  unpredictable,	
  
reinforcing	
  its	
  indiscernible	
  boundaries	
  of	
  good	
  and	
  evil.	
  	
  	
  
	
  

	
  
Fig.	
  13:	
  Myron	
  Campbell,	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  2012.	
  Still,	
  1280	
  x	
  720px.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  

It	
  is	
  understandable	
  that	
  the	
  idea	
  of	
  a	
  hybrid	
  could	
  evoke	
  fear.	
  Mu	
  can	
  be	
  interpreted	
  as	
  

abject	
  because	
  of	
  an	
  unusual	
  appearance	
  that	
  is	
  disparate	
  from	
  what	
  is	
  expected	
  of	
  humanity,	
  

37	
  

and	
  that	
  is	
  beyond	
  comprehension.	
  Interacting	
  with	
  In	
  the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  allows	
  the	
  
viewer	
  to	
  engage	
  Mu	
  in	
  its	
  own	
  world,	
  or	
  umwelt,	
  providing	
  an	
  opportunity	
  to	
  empathize	
  with	
  
it.	
  If	
  this	
  were	
  to	
  happen,	
  it	
  could	
  blur	
  the	
  boundaries	
  of	
  human	
  and	
  animal,	
  human	
  and	
  hybrid.	
  	
  
The	
  elastic	
  realm	
  of	
  collage,	
  mixed	
  with	
  animation,	
  allows	
  for	
  exaggeration	
  within	
  hybrid	
  
forms	
  and	
  their	
  environments.	
  It	
  gives	
  license	
  to	
  create	
  unconventional	
  yet	
  empathetic	
  
characters.	
  The	
  strange	
  and	
  otherworldly	
  are	
  brought	
  to	
  life	
  (so	
  to	
  speak).	
  By	
  way	
  of	
  using	
  the	
  
film,	
  Little	
  Otik,	
  by	
  Czech	
  stop-­‐motion	
  animator	
  Jan	
  Švankmajer,	
  I	
  have	
  examined	
  my	
  own	
  
particular	
  application	
  of	
  the	
  “paradox	
  of	
  horror”	
  as	
  referred	
  to	
  by	
  Carroll.	
  
	
  
Otik
	
  

Švankmajer's	
  worlds	
  are	
  always	
  in	
  a	
  state	
  of	
  flux:	
  inanimate	
  objects	
  become	
  animate,	
  

characters	
  and	
  environments	
  constantly	
  change	
  and	
  transform.	
  What	
  is	
  familiar	
  is	
  altered	
  and	
  
reconstituted,	
  echoing	
  the	
  Surrealist	
  motto	
  of	
  making	
  the	
  familiar	
  strange.	
  

	
  
Fig.	
  14:	
  Jan	
  Švankmajer,	
  Little	
  Otik,	
  2000.	
  Film	
  still,	
  1920	
  x	
  1080	
  px.	
  Used	
  by	
  permission	
  by	
  
Zeitgeist	
  Films.	
  
	
  
	
  

38	
  

	
  

Švankmajer	
  utilizes	
  animation	
  to	
  achieve	
  a	
  disorienting	
  affect	
  for	
  the	
  viewer.	
  His	
  

characters	
  (such	
  as	
  a	
  dancing	
  T-­‐bone	
  steak	
  or	
  a	
  disembodied	
  head)	
  are	
  often	
  situated	
  within	
  
the	
  context	
  of	
  the	
  real	
  world	
  (which	
  is	
  also	
  reminiscent	
  of	
  activating	
  Ernst’s	
  “explosive	
  
junction”).	
  In	
  his	
  feature	
  film,	
  Little	
  Otik	
  (2000),	
  a	
  man	
  and	
  wife	
  care	
  for	
  Otik,	
  a	
  tree-­‐human	
  
baby	
  boy.	
  An	
  introduction	
  to	
  Otik	
  shows	
  fundamental	
  infantile	
  qualities	
  like	
  innocence	
  and	
  
naivety	
  that	
  are	
  attractive	
  and	
  create	
  empathy	
  for	
  the	
  creature.	
  As	
  he	
  ages,	
  his	
  hybrid	
  and	
  
emergent	
  nature	
  is	
  revealed,	
  becoming	
  more	
  inhuman,	
  first,	
  by	
  eating	
  his	
  mother’s	
  hair	
  (Fig.	
  
14),	
  and	
  later	
  by	
  killing	
  and	
  eating	
  the	
  neighbours.	
  But	
  just	
  when	
  Otik	
  is	
  at	
  his	
  most	
  monstrous,	
  
he	
  befriends	
  a	
  little	
  girl	
  who	
  feels	
  sorry	
  for	
  the	
  creature,	
  and	
  so	
  the	
  viewer	
  may	
  echo	
  her	
  
feelings	
  of	
  empathy.	
  Personally,	
  I	
  find	
  myself	
  rooting	
  for	
  the	
  beast.	
  	
  
	
  

	
  Like	
  Frankenstein’s	
  monster,	
  Otik	
  has	
  been	
  forced	
  into	
  a	
  human	
  existence,	
  but	
  their	
  

makeup	
  is	
  fundamentally	
  different.	
  Frankenstein’s	
  monster	
  is	
  timid	
  and	
  compassionate,	
  
propelled	
  to	
  kill	
  only	
  because	
  of	
  a	
  lack	
  of	
  affection.	
  In	
  contrast,	
  a	
  raw	
  bestial	
  nature	
  resides	
  in	
  
Otik,	
  echoing	
  Agamben’s	
  tick,	
  and	
  it	
  shares	
  a	
  similar	
  desire	
  for	
  blood	
  as	
  his	
  carrier	
  of	
  
significance.	
  Otik	
  becomes	
  a	
  predatory	
  creature	
  because	
  the	
  need	
  for	
  blood	
  is	
  part	
  of	
  his	
  
composition.	
  Unlike	
  Frankenstein’s	
  monster,	
  he	
  is	
  not	
  driven	
  by	
  circumstance	
  to	
  kill;	
  he	
  is	
  born	
  
to	
  do	
  so.	
  Otik	
  is	
  at	
  first	
  treated	
  as	
  human,	
  but	
  it	
  rejects	
  this	
  projection	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  satisfy	
  its	
  wild	
  
untamed,	
  animal	
  needs.	
  Certainly,	
  he	
  has	
  moments	
  of	
  tenderness	
  and	
  shows	
  human	
  qualities,	
  
like	
  when	
  as	
  an	
  infant	
  he	
  is	
  laughing	
  with	
  his	
  mother.	
  But	
  these	
  serene	
  moments	
  of	
  Otik’s	
  youth	
  
that	
  preface	
  goodness	
  are	
  later	
  countered	
  with	
  merciless	
  acts	
  of	
  murder.	
  And	
  yet,	
  Otik’s	
  child-­‐
like	
  naivety	
  still	
  exists	
  even	
  during	
  these	
  kills,	
  which	
  thus	
  compels	
  the	
  viewer	
  to	
  question	
  the	
  

39	
  

creature’s	
  responsibility	
  in	
  these	
  murderous	
  actions.	
  The	
  abject	
  nature	
  of	
  its	
  conflicting	
  drives	
  
blurs	
  the	
  edges	
  between	
  savagery	
  and	
  innocence.	
  
	
  

Otik	
  contains	
  a	
  blend	
  of	
  unquantifiable	
  traits	
  that	
  I	
  model	
  my	
  hybrids	
  after,	
  a	
  paradox	
  of	
  

horror	
  that	
  inhabits	
  indecipherable	
  amounts	
  of	
  good	
  and	
  evil.	
  This	
  paradox	
  is	
  ultimately	
  
unpredictable,	
  and	
  it	
  contains	
  an	
  intricate	
  configuration	
  that	
  is	
  only	
  partially	
  revealed	
  at	
  any	
  
given	
  time.	
  What	
  is	
  first	
  interpreted	
  as	
  evil	
  is	
  made	
  questionable	
  —	
  however,	
  the	
  same	
  could	
  
also	
  be	
  said	
  of	
  goodness.	
  	
  
I	
  see	
  it	
  as	
  important	
  that	
  I	
  treat	
  Mu	
  with	
  some	
  sensitivity.	
  In	
  order	
  to	
  successfully	
  present	
  virtue	
  
within	
  a	
  hybrid	
  character,	
  I	
  must	
  simultaneously	
  reveal	
  viciousness	
  and	
  vice	
  versa.	
  

40	
  

Interruption	
  #3:	
  Monsters	
  are	
  your	
  friend	
  -­‐	
  04/02/11	
  -­‐	
  11:25am.	
  
	
  

My	
  daughter	
  and	
  I	
  are	
  having	
  breakfast	
  with	
  her	
  Grandmother.	
  When	
  I	
  mention	
  the	
  monster	
  nightmares	
  
to	
  her	
  I	
  can	
  see	
  Mya’s	
  mood	
  shift.	
  Her	
  shoulders	
  haunch	
  and	
  she	
  looks	
  down	
  at	
  her	
  plate	
  of	
  pancakes.	
  
She	
  is	
  getting	
  scared	
  thinking	
  about	
  them	
  again.	
  Her	
  Grandmother	
  recognizes	
  this	
  and	
  jumps	
  in,	
  “Mya,	
  
don’t	
  worry	
  about	
  monsters.	
  They	
  are	
  just	
  lonely	
  and	
  all	
  they	
  really	
  want	
  to	
  do	
  is	
  play	
  with	
  you.	
  So	
  next	
  
time	
  you	
  see	
  one,	
  just	
  invite	
  it	
  to	
  come	
  and	
  play	
  with	
  you	
  and	
  it	
  won’t	
  scare	
  you	
  anymore.”	
  	
  
	
  
Mya	
  is	
  apprehensive	
  about	
  this	
  but	
  her	
  Grandmother	
  is	
  very	
  convincing.	
  I	
  jump	
  in	
  too.	
  “You	
  don’t	
  have	
  
to	
  be	
  scared,	
  Mya.	
  I	
  think	
  they	
  are	
  more	
  scared	
  of	
  you	
  than	
  you	
  are	
  of	
  them.”	
  Another	
  borrowed	
  phrase	
  
but	
  it	
  seems	
  fitting.	
  	
  
	
  
Not	
  long	
  after,	
  Mya	
  tells	
  me	
  the	
  name	
  of	
  her	
  new	
  monster	
  friend,	
  Ahmon,	
  and	
  then	
  says,	
  “Monster’s	
  
nice	
  now”.	
  	
  
	
  
And	
  I	
  believe	
  her.	
  	
  

	
  

41	
  

A Way Forward
	
  
	
  

My	
  daughter	
  Mya	
  has	
  become	
  a	
  significant	
  component	
  to	
  my	
  ever-­‐changing	
  

methodology.	
  Our	
  talks	
  and	
  her	
  naïve	
  perspective	
  on	
  the	
  world	
  directly	
  influences	
  how	
  I	
  think	
  
of	
  the	
  characters	
  and	
  worlds	
  I	
  create.	
  One	
  can	
  only	
  speculate	
  as	
  to	
  how	
  these	
  visions	
  and	
  
stories	
  affect	
  her.	
  I	
  suspect	
  because	
  of	
  our	
  many	
  conversations	
  about	
  monsters,	
  Mya	
  
exaggerates	
  her	
  stories	
  to	
  amuse	
  me,	
  which,	
  of	
  course,	
  they	
  do.	
  	
  
	
  

The	
  interruptions	
  that	
  appear	
  so	
  abruptly	
  in	
  this	
  paper	
  are	
  partially	
  an	
  embellishment	
  on	
  

my	
  part	
  to	
  further	
  experiment	
  with	
  narrative,	
  but	
  they	
  also	
  contain	
  a	
  fundamental	
  link	
  to	
  
umwelt.	
  One	
  of	
  Ahmon’s	
  carriers	
  of	
  significance,	
  according	
  to	
  my	
  mother,	
  is	
  friendship.	
  It	
  just	
  
wants	
  companionship,	
  and	
  when	
  it	
  was	
  deprived	
  of	
  this,	
  it	
  got	
  angry	
  and	
  scary.	
  Of	
  the	
  three,	
  
the	
  last	
  interruption	
  is	
  my	
  favorite.	
  When	
  it	
  was	
  happening,	
  I	
  remember	
  thinking	
  about	
  how	
  
lucky	
  Mya	
  was	
  for	
  having	
  such	
  an	
  enlightened	
  Grandmother	
  to	
  offer	
  her	
  a	
  unique	
  assessment	
  
of	
  monsters.	
  	
  
	
  

These	
  interruptions	
  were	
  just	
  three	
  of	
  many	
  conversations	
  I	
  have	
  had	
  with	
  her	
  about	
  

monsters.	
  And	
  actually,	
  while	
  writing	
  the	
  first	
  drafts	
  of	
  this	
  paper,	
  I	
  decided	
  to	
  ask	
  her	
  about	
  
them	
  again.	
  “Do	
  you	
  ever	
  see	
  your	
  monster	
  friends?”	
  I	
  ask?	
  “No”,	
  she	
  replies.	
  “They	
  are	
  mean	
  
and	
  stinky	
  and	
  cry	
  too	
  much.	
  And	
  they	
  don’t	
  listen.”	
  Hmmm.	
  Maybe	
  they	
  are	
  just	
  not	
  
compatible.	
  
	
  

This	
  project,	
  and	
  this	
  essay,	
  has	
  come	
  to	
  an	
  end	
  and	
  yet	
  it	
  doesn't	
  feel	
  like	
  the	
  end.	
  

Along	
  with	
  Mya,	
  the	
  device	
  of	
  umwelt,	
  as	
  interpreted	
  by	
  Agamben,	
  has	
  forever	
  altered	
  my	
  
method	
  of	
  visualizing,	
  not	
  just	
  hybrids,	
  but	
  all	
  the	
  characters	
  and	
  environments	
  I	
  will	
  potentially	
  
create	
  in	
  the	
  future.	
  I	
  see	
  this	
  as	
  the	
  start	
  of	
  a	
  more	
  focused	
  trajectory	
  into	
  the	
  creation	
  of	
  
42	
  

hybrids	
  and	
  characters,	
  with	
  the	
  intent	
  to	
  break	
  down	
  preconceived	
  notions	
  of	
  monstrosity.	
  I	
  
am	
  also	
  interested	
  in	
  the	
  larger	
  undermining	
  of	
  conventional	
  approaches	
  not	
  just	
  in	
  imagery	
  
but	
  also	
  in	
  all	
  methods	
  used.	
  This	
  newfound	
  technique	
  of	
  creation	
  has	
  altered	
  the	
  way	
  I	
  develop	
  
characters,	
  hybrid	
  or	
  otherwise.	
  The	
  process	
  is	
  more	
  informed	
  and	
  less	
  arbitrary.	
  Once	
  I	
  
determine	
  a	
  character’s	
  umwelt,	
  there	
  is	
  a	
  wealth	
  of	
  personality	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  revealed	
  in	
  even	
  
the	
  most	
  banal	
  actions	
  and	
  visuals.	
  With	
  this	
  addition	
  to	
  my	
  development	
  process	
  of	
  listing	
  a	
  
characters	
  umwelt,	
  I	
  look	
  forward	
  to	
  the	
  characters	
  I	
  am	
  going	
  to	
  meet	
  in	
  the	
  future.	
  	
  
My	
  intention	
  is	
  to	
  continue	
  working	
  on	
  a	
  series	
  of	
  interactive	
  installations	
  much	
  like	
  In	
  
the	
  Caves	
  of	
  Mt.	
  Ida,	
  BC,	
  perhaps	
  by	
  introducing	
  the	
  hybrids	
  to	
  each	
  other,	
  crossing	
  over	
  
narratives	
  from	
  one	
  character	
  to	
  the	
  next.	
  What	
  I	
  find	
  endlessly	
  rewarding	
  about	
  this	
  entire	
  
process	
  is	
  a	
  newfound,	
  more	
  informed	
  way	
  to	
  consider	
  my	
  research	
  and	
  my	
  praxis.	
  It	
  is	
  in	
  the	
  
space	
  in	
  between	
  these	
  two	
  components	
  that	
  I	
  intend	
  to	
  spend	
  most	
  of	
  my	
  time.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

43	
  

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Carroll,	
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Ernst,	
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44	
  

Overview.	
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<	
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Levine,	
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Essays	
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Angeles:	
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Moore,	
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Lesson."	
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of	
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Publishing,	
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45	
  

	
  
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Leydier,	
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Man"	
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Kingdom.	
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47