Lions and Dragons and Wolves, oh my!

I watched the Game of Thrones season 8 premier at a friend’s house. He was throwing a party to usher in the show’s final season. We sat around discussing the previous seasons and where we thought the show would go. We even filled out a bracket predicting deaths, who would sit on the throne at the end of the show, who Tyrion’s real parents might be, etc.

So as I strolled down the yellow brick road of Westeros in my mind, I thought of a few of the characters I had met along the way. Lions and Dragons and Wolves, oh my!

The Lions of House Lannister have been the most constant, daily villains. They are a greedy, power-hungry family, currently led by Cersei. Through her actions so many people have died. And her brother, the King Slayer, has been at her side through most of these deeds. Up until the end of last season that is, when he finally seemed to come to his senses, and left her to head North. The hold out Lannister has been Tyrion. Always one to go his own way, he honestly seems to want what is best for Westeros, not just for him and his family.

Further down the road (across the Narrow Sea at the start of the show), we run into the Dragons, both of House Targaryen and literal dragons. Though I would say that characters like Jon Snow and Arya Stark have changed a lot, I would say Daenerys has had the most character growth across the show. From where she was in the first episode, in the process of getting sold off in exchange for an army. To now being the “Mother of Dragons” and fully in control of that same army, as well as other armies and people. Dany and her dragons have been on quite a quest to get where they are.

Next we meet House Stark, the Wolves of Westeros, rulers of the North. The Starks have been trough some crazy adventures, and though their numbers have dwindled, we are left with some amazing individuals. Arya has become quite capable at taking care of herself, and taking care of her Death List. Sansa has learned how to govern and read people very well, as Littlefinger discovered a bit too late to save himself. Bran is now on a whole new level of power as the Three-Eyed Raven. Finally, we have Jon Snow, raised as a bastard, we learned last season that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

These are our main players, and though Cersei has been evil and selfish throughout the series, she isn’t our Wicked Witch. That honor belongs to the Night King and his Winged Monkeys (the White Walkers). Last season he killed, and reanimated, one of Dany’s dragons. In doing so, finally finding the power he needed to take down the wall keeping him out of Westeros. And now he and his ever growing army of the undead are heading straight for all of our heroes.

I may be in Kansas and summer is fast approaching, but winter is certainly here in this version of Oz. And with only five episodes remaining, so much is going to happen. What will Jon do with this new information? What will Dany do if (when) she finds out? How will Cersei deal with now being against both of her siblings, as well as pretty much the whole rest of the world? Will everyone finally come together to fight the White Walkers? Who will sit on the Iron Throne when the credits roll? I’ll be there every episode to find out.

Endgame

I can’t think of a single movie franchise that has kept me as entertained, or as happy, as the MCU. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is something that has never happened before and I’m not sure if it’s possible to do something like it ever again. The way they have woven movies and storylines together, the balancing of so many different characters and the fact that they now get everyone to sit through the entire credits are some amazing feats.

As much as I’m a fan of movies, and quite a few franchises to boot, there will always be Star Wars Episode 1 that I want avoid. Indiana Jones is marred by The Crystal Skull. Star Trek has had its up and downs over the last four decades. And please, don’t get me started on Spider-Man 3 or X-Men: The Last Stand. But still as a whole I love all of these franchises, they showed me worlds as a kid that I wanted to be a part of, or they brought pieces of my childhood to life. I will always find comfort in them.

But the MCU is on an entirely different level. Are there certain movies that are better than others? Of course there are, but in my opinion, we’re just saying they are bad compared to other Marvel movies. Even Thor: The Dark World is so much better than so many other movies out there and certainly better than the movies listed above.

We’ve been through almost three phases of movies. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the Ironman helmet close or Cap pick up his shield and rush into battle. Or at the end of Phase 1 when the Avengers were all finally assembled as a team and the camera sweeps around them when they regrouped in the final battle and so many more iconic moments in so many of the other films. After 21 movies, in just over 10 years, here we are, at the Endgame.

What will Endgame bring? Will the dusted return? Will other characters not make it to the closing credits? I honestly have no idea, which is what makes this month so exciting. Marvel has promised this will be a game changer, and I hope it is. Even if some characters find a way back, I’m still envisioning other characters dying and/or sacrificing themselves to save others. It’s been a great 10 years and I’m looking forward to the new direction. I hear Captain Marvel will be the new linchpin of the franchise, replacing Tony and Cap going forward. Does that mean one or both of them will die? And if so, will Bucky take over the mantle of Captain America or maybe it will be Falcon that dons the Red, White and Blue? Both of those scenarios have happened in the comics, so either could happen. Will we ever see Riri Williams (a.k.a. Ironheart) or Wiccan, or Hulkling, I have no idea, but I really hope we meet them and many more.

But I think the largest game changer is Disney (owner of Marvel) buying Fox Entertainment. With this move they now retake control over X-Men and the Fantastic Four properties. Will Reed Richards and Sue Storm meet up with Bruce Banner? Will Thor dine with Wolverine and Jubilee? The possibilities are almost endless, and I for one will be in line for each new film to see where they go. This may be the Endgame, but I still see a very bright future for the MCU.

Beauty

It’s my first blog post on my new site. And deciding what to write about is actually pretty hard without some sort of direction. Should I just blatantly talk about who I am? What my favorite color is? My favorite movie? My favorite thing to read? How I usually spend my weekends?

After a bit of thought I think the best thing to talk about is beauty. Not superficial beauty, not hair dye, or make up, or Spanx. Things that just touch on the surface. But natural beauty, the wonder that is in the details. The small things that differentiate between something looking good or fine, to taking it to the next level and making it special. The perfectly concentric circles of a ripple in a still pond, the veins that give life and color to leaves, clouds streaking across the sky over mountain peaks.

And then taking that natural beauty and using those ideas in design. Using proper kerning between letters, finding that perfect color palette, and deciding if a unique shape will be what a viewer needs to really see what a client is trying to convey. Are they holistic, are they trying to bring fear, or just make you hungry.

Good design is beautiful, even when it’s supposed to say something terrible. There is a grace behind it. Something that takes it further than you thought it could go. I do my best to listen to what my client is saying and then give them what they need to accomplish that goal. Sometimes it’s what they thought coming in, but other times I get to show them something they never dreamed of. And to see that spark in their eye, when it’s right. It’s what make this job so great.

I love what I do. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, I have a passion for beauty, I try to find it all around me and to see it in everything I do. I want to take my clients to the next level, show them things that no one has taken the time to show them.

But to answer my questions from earlier. I am Daniel Tiller and I’m a Graphic Designer. Green. Jurassic Park. Comic Books. With friends and family or playing video games. I have a pretty good life, and I hope you do to.