The Twelve Labours of Hercules — Clip #3: Can't Look

THE TWELVE LABOURS OF HERCULES

Edwin Janzen
Twelve-channel video installation
Clips of various duration, 2009

The television cartoon series The Mighty Hercules was created by Trans-Lux Productions in 1962 and first aired from 1963 to 1968. Featuring the substantially reimagined exploits of the demigod Hercules, the series chronicled Hercules efforts — contained in bite-sized, five-minute episodes — to defend humanity against a series of relentless, conniving villains: the evil wizard Daedalus, the sea witch Wilhemine and Murdis, the Mask of Vulcan. Blending surpassingly cheap animation with a submerged homoeroticism and a chipper combat-readiness typical of Hollywood sword-and-sandal movies (but without the blood), The Mighty Hercules offered young viewers a totally unique (and, in hindsight, somewhat bewildering) cartoon-watching experience.

There is a titans disconnect between the serious academic study of classical history and mythology and the life of those same subjects in the popular mind. History is edged aside by historicism, as characters and subjects real and mythical are appropriated and reappropriated for a vast array of purposes by popular media, including Hollywood movies, advertising, Discovery Channel documentaries and, indeed, Saturday morning cartoon shows. In popular culture, the various heroes and demigods no longer represent themselves, their own struggles, their personal glory and prowess; they represent whatever we want them to.

In this installation, the demigod Hercules, already removed one degree from the ancient myth by the T.V. cartoon show, finds himself removed a second time — reappropriated, redeployed. Locked into the ephemerality of video in the age of mechanical — indeed, digital — reproduction, our friend Hercules finds that, in the postmodern age, his dozen already Herculean tasks have become more exacting — indeed, downright Sisyphean. Accordingly, he labours on, imprisoned in a digital, purgatorial state of unending cacophony, violence and emergency.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• video
• art
• installation
• mighty
• hercules
• newton
• daedalus
• loop

[eddyrapide]

Thanks!  :)

[eddyrapide]

Jesus, people, read the write-up!

[50zcarsman]

An artful deconstruction of the Bronze Age mythological hero. Well said.

[ZedStone1]

i had to remind myself that this isn't a super high budget made just in time for the holidays film. great action, script is tight, terrific casting, this has it all!!! all thats missing is the 12$ tub of popcorn! 300 eat your heart out!

[Andyp12]

THis is hilarious, look at it, it runs like an obese woodsman.

And swipes like a rubber prop from The Thing.

[kendrakebake]

It makes it hard to forget when they repeat the same things over and over. It makes it hard to forget when they repeat the same things over and over. It makes it hard to forget when they repeat the same things over and over......It makes it hard to forget when..........................

[Chll2010]

Why do u keep doing the same scene over and over

[oscarbear1]

Seriously, almost 6 minutes of the same scence?? what a waste.

[raystar8888]

WHY IS THIS "MONSTER" SO MAD AT HERCULES? What did Hercules say or do to it? Is it Hercules' fault? Or........gulp.......MINE?????­??

[khomplex]

wtf...