Monomyth in 17 Easy Steps
Writer & Illustrator
Self-Published Zine
2018
Project Synopsis
The Monomyth in 17 Easy Steps is a satirical comic zine that reimagines Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey through the lens of a disgruntled office worker who’s finally had enough. On a particularly soul-crushing Monday, he quits — and thus begins his absurd, mythic quest through copy rooms, cubicle labyrinths, and existential coffee breaks. Zany, humorous, and surprisingly insightful, this zine playfully breaks down the classic monomyth structure in 17 punchy, illustrated steps, making ancient storytelling theory feel hilariously modern (and mildly caffeinated).
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
TRANSLATING WITH HUMOR
At the start of this production, I was put in charge of testing various methods to create the natural terrains of the entire show. This was a fun time of experimentation. There are a lot of tried and true ways that we use in stop motion to achieve certain looks, but they can sometimes start to look rote. We wanted to challenge ourselves to try something new, and make the “normal” things to be made in a totally new way.
For example, we experimented with using dyed wood chips and sawdust for our grass textures. I was in charge of the early tests to determine the proper look and scale of this important terrain texture. In the end we ended up using a combination of both, dyed green and yellow, to achieve the grass at various different scales.
