Artists not writing...

I've done a lot of work on artists' writing, on how as authors artists contribute to the discussion of their work or navigate their ways out of creative or critical cul de sacs (often not ones of their own making, more like ossified inherited critical positions whose dogma is shattered as much by writing as by making) through its use.

I think it's important to point out (as I always do when I'm talking) that I don't always mean writing when I say 'writing'. I'm really talking about anything that requires one to slow down, choose one's words, take advantage of the opportunity to edit for clarity or emphasis...Lately I've been thinking about short films as a way of getting thins kind of 'writing' out to the world.

I'm interested in the one above because it seems like a generative example. If you know of others, please pass them on. I hope to spend some time with this stuff in a seminar I'm doing this summer. Meanwhile, enjoy...

Dangerous minds

For some time, I've been wanting to gather images of intellectual threats. My kids are very into superhero cartoons these days, and it's hard to ignore the number of arch villains whose identity is bound to intellect. This might be a sequel to last year's Lincolnpalooza...or maybe not. As someone who spends a lot of time in school, I'm curious about this whole smart and dangerous thing. Please suggest intelligent enemies in the comments, and enjoy....

Brainiac, from Justice League, wants to know about all things in the universe. His curiosity is consuming... planets.

The Brain, from Teen Titans - don't know what's up with him.

Who can forget Vincent Price, as Batman's nemesis - Egghead? "The World's Smartest Criminal", who seems to have fallen from between the lines of Richard Hofstadter's Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

I'm fairly sure this evil scientist is supposed to be Peter Lorre...a Frankenstein reference?

Syndrome wanted to use his brilliance to confer superpowers on everyone (after making himself rich and destroying Mr. Incredible)

Dr. Frankenstein is probably the archetypal evil genius - one whose pursuit of knowledge leads him beyond the pale of conventional ethics. Is that what people are afraid of?