RSS feed for Tim Bavlnka
ON COMICS CHARACTERS
ON SCI-FI FRANCHISES
ON GRANT MORRISON
ON TV AND MOVIES
OTHER BOOKS
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Tim Bavlnka
Tim Bavlnka has a Master’s degree in Popular Culture at Bowling Green State University. He recently completed his thesis analyzing the works of Grant Morrison, titled Superheroes and Shamanism: Magic and Participation in the Comics of Grant Morrison and discusses how Morrison implements magic into narrative construction. His research interests include comics, digetic and extradiegetic narrative relationships, American black metal, contemporary forms of occult creativity, 4chan, and other internet communities. Tim currently lives in Madison, WI and occasionally writes on his blog PopCultureBomb.com.
MAGAZINE CONTENT BY TIM BAVLNKA (5 TOTAL)
The Heroic Struggle of Beta Ray Bill
This is a somewhat informal essay on a character that has fascinated me for a few years, Beta Ray Bill. While it echoes the work of folklorists and the hero narrative (Propp, Campbell, et al),… [more]
Upgrade Your Vision: 3D Comics and Narrative Purpose
Within the narrative of Final Crisis, Morrison wrote a two-issue mini-series called Superman Beyond 3D (2008-2009). This story was placed into the Final Crisis collected publications, forming an integral part of the complete narrative.
Super-Hero Comics and Reader Textualization: Participation and Narrative Construction
This is a piece that explores the idea of textualization in super-hero comics and how these stories are constructed. More than that, it is an introduction to exploring purpose — why are super-heroes so engaging… [more]
Diner Walls and Black Backgrounds: Punisher Max and Extradiegetic Poetics
I have had a few conversations about the work of Garth Ennis over the years, and have concluded that his work (and indeed, he himself) is misinterpreted or misunderstood by the average comic consumer.
The Origin of the Punisher and the Narrative Power of War
I do not think it is entirely unfair to suggest that the commonly agreed upon origin for the Punisher is focused on the idea of vengeance over the death of Frank Castle’s family. This is… [more]