Popular Culture Magic 2.0 by
Taylor Ellwood and Storm Constantine is published by Megalithica Books in
paperback. This is a thinking person’s informative guide to everything you ever
wanted to know about popular culture and how it is used for ‘magical’ purposes.
Cartoon, video game, book and film
super heros have an obsessed fan base that incorporates the clothes, music,
vocabulary and tastes of their idols into their everyday life. Characters from
Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Buffy, are examples.
The book, which has been described
as a grimoire, takes an intellectual approach to this phenomenon which is
similar to the Tibetan creation of the 'tulpa''. When a fan fixates on their
chosen icon, they often take on board an entire corporate brand, such as with
Disney for instance, with portrayals of the character in theme parks, games,
advertising, toys and other marketing outlets. Groups and networks are created
where ideas are shared, meetings and conventions can be part of the experience.
A fantasy world attracts new aspects of life previously unknown and unexplored.
Popular culture has mushroomed with modern technology, and it influences our
modern world beyond that which we might fail to realise.
