If Ian from ‘Mythic Quest’ and Mac from ‘It’s Always Sunny..’ ever meet, there’d be a fistfight, says Rob McElhenney
The Hindu
Ahead of the second season launch, co-creators Megan Ganz and Rob McElhenney and the rest of the cast of ‘Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet’ — Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, Imani Hakim, F. Murray Abraham, and Jessie Ennis — chat about why the Apple TV Plus series is more than about video games
At the mention of ‘Hyderabad’, actor Danny Pudi breaks into a ear-to-ear grin, spreads his arms wide and exclaims over a video call, “Hyderabad!” with the familiarity of a man from the Godavari district. He continues, “One of my last trips before the pandemic was to Hyderabad, and I cannot wait to be back.” Starring in season two of Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, Pudi plays Brad Bakshi, the shark-like head of monetisation at developer studio Mythic Quest. Season one saw a team of game developers, testers, writers and other staff led by the egotistical Ian (Rob McElhenney), working on an open-world role-playing game – very similar to World of Warcraft and Skyrim – called Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet.
A vacuum cleaner haunted by a ghost is the kind of one-liner which can draw in a festival audience looking for a little light-hearted fun to fill the time slots available between the “heavier” films which require much closer attention. A useful ghost, the debut feature of Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke being screened in the world cinema category at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), even appears so in the initial hour. Until, the film becomes something more, with strong undercurrents of Thailand’s contemporary political history.

Sustainability is not an add-on, but stamped firmly into the process: every piece is biodegradable, waste-free and unembellished, free from glitter or beads. “Products should be sustainable and biodegradable so that our planet is not harmed,” says Anu Elizabeth Alexander, a student of Sishya, Adyar. At a recent exhibition, the stars she made sold the fastest, followed by the small diamonds. “I would like people to know about the process, how it is created, and that it is sustainable,” says Anu. Infanta Leon from Kotturpuram developed an interest in crochet as a teenager. It was a hobbyhorse that evolved into a steed that would help her embark on a journey of identity-shaping creative engagement. She started making Christmas-themed decor two years ago, spurred by a desire to craft safe, eco-friendly toys for children. “With a toddler at home, and my elder child sensitive to synthetic materials, I wanted to create items that were gentle, durable and tactile,” she explains. Her earliest creations were small amigurumi toys which gradually evolved into ornaments that could adorn Christmas trees with warmth and charm.











