in the footsteps of giants
@jeffreykoval has written a very flattering piece that covers my virtual appearance at the LHFF, which I very much enjoyed, so it’s satisfying to know the attendees got a lot … Continue reading in the footsteps of giants
Category: Academia
Keeping up to date
If you subscribe to this site via email or something like WP Reader, I wanted to let you know that I only update it with major announcements. Those would be … Continue reading Keeping up to date
A bibliographic archeology of game-like conspiracy narratives: examining the Ong’s Hat Incunabula catalog
James A. Hodges (School of Information, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA) Journal of Documentation ISSN: 0022-0418 Article publication date: 21 April 2025 Abstract Purpose This paper aims to reframe contemporary research on … Continue reading A bibliographic archeology of game-like conspiracy narratives: examining the Ong’s Hat Incunabula catalog
Getting out of the way with Joseph Matheny
The Cosmic Salon This is such an incredible conversation with a truly lovely soul and fellow journeyman — Joseph is behind many things in this reality that folks may not … Continue reading Getting out of the way with Joseph Matheny
RADICAL: THE HYPERGAME OF ANARCHIST FAIRIES
The insurrection of which you are the hero We will see later how this central idea of radical mutual aid is embodied. In the meantime, what form does Hypergaming actually … Continue reading RADICAL: THE HYPERGAME OF ANARCHIST FAIRIES
Ong’s Hat creator Joseph Matheny on the blurred lines between fiction and reality
Sat down and had a discussion with Greg, one of the curators of one of my favorite OG websites, The Daily Grail. LINK: https://www.dailygrail.com/2023/12/ongs-hat-creator-joseph-matheny-on-the-blurred-lines-between-fiction-and-reality/ Ong’s Hat. For those who were … Continue reading Ong’s Hat creator Joseph Matheny on the blurred lines between fiction and reality
CAN HYPER-SINCERITY SAVE US?
RECENTLY, INTERNET CREATIVES ARE TRANSFORMING THEIR VULNERABILITIES INTO STRENGTH, BREAKING DOWN ALL BARRIERS OF HUMAN RESPECT. IS THE FEAR OF RIDICULE EXPERIENCING ITS FINAL HOURS? SOURCE: https://www.archyde.com/can-hyper-sincerity-save-us/ Photo caption: BEWARE … Continue reading CAN HYPER-SINCERITY SAVE US?
Technikart 273 Digital Version
I recently sat down via Zoom with Jean-Baptiste Chiara of the French Art magazine, Technikart . Here is a link to the issue that has our conversation within. Description of … Continue reading Technikart 273 Digital Version
Hortus Semioticus 9/2022 – 07 – Ong’s Hat
ONG’S HAT and the construction of a suspicious model readerJorge Flores [PDF] Abstract. In the late 1980s, an art collective led by writer Joseph Matheny created a multimedia narrative eventually … Continue reading Hortus Semioticus 9/2022 – 07 – Ong’s Hat
Penny Royal:Season Two, Episode Eleven: Road To Nowhere
Where are these roads leading us? Are they leading us to answers to the Penny Royal mystery? More circles, cycles, and loops. The manifestation of the ouroboros, and the realization … Continue reading Penny Royal:Season Two, Episode Eleven: Road To Nowhere
Conversations with Diane Di Prima
This book includes a chapter that is comprised of an interview I did with my late, great, friend Diane DiPrima. I miss you, my friend. “Diane di Prima (1934-2020) was … Continue reading Conversations with Diane Di Prima
Taxonomizing Conspiratorial Information Practices: Examining the Ong’s Hat Legend
Taxonomizing Conspiratorial Information Practices: Examining the Ong’s Hat LegendAuthorsJames A. Hodges, The University of Texas at AustinFollow Publication Date10-8-2021 Document TypePresentation Publication TitleSociety for Social Studies of Science 2021 Annual … Continue reading Taxonomizing Conspiratorial Information Practices: Examining the Ong’s Hat Legend
Augmented Reality Games, Interactive Narrative and the Documentary TV Series Hellier
Preview of presentation to be given by David Sweeney (@dktrdm Twitter), The Glasgow School of Art Fri, August 6, 2021 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT https://interactivefilm.blogspot.com/2021/07/augmented-reality-games-interactive.html Interactive Film and … Continue reading Augmented Reality Games, Interactive Narrative and the Documentary TV Series Hellier
Ong’s Hat: Is Princeton Opposed to Satire? The Ballad of “Jojo” Jayaditya Deep
Poe’s law is an adage of Internet culture stating that, without a clear indicator of the author’s intent, every parody of extreme views can be mistaken by some readers for … Continue reading Ong’s Hat: Is Princeton Opposed to Satire? The Ballad of “Jojo” Jayaditya Deep
This Is Not a Game
Conspiracy theorizing as alternate-reality game “Many quotes from a long and enjoyable conversation I had with the author made it into this article. I hope you find it as enlightening … Continue reading This Is Not a Game
Why Conspiracy Theories Have Become the Most Influential Art Form of Our Time
One of the earliest internet-era conspiracy theories, “Ong’s Hat” (look it up) also began as an online art project by Joseph Matheny. It took on an eerie life of its … Continue reading Why Conspiracy Theories Have Become the Most Influential Art Form of Our Time
Alternate Reality Games | Ong’s Hat | Know Your Meme
Precursor: Ong’s Hat In the 1980s transmedia artist Joseph Matheny[2] launched the Ong’s Hat game, inspired by play-by-mail multiplayer games run by Flying Buffalo.[3] Though Ong’s Hat may not have … Continue reading Alternate Reality Games | Ong’s Hat | Know Your Meme
The Surprising Online Life of Legends – Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong’s Hat
A very interesting article/review of Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong’s Hat. From The Chronicle of Higher Education: Now, from the you-can-learn-something-new-every-day files, comes Michael Kinsella’s Legend-Tripping … Continue reading The Surprising Online Life of Legends – Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong’s Hat
A conspiracy thread: Brave New World Order
Because I’m posting this on Halloween, I thought I‘d try to stick to the theme of trickery. However, I’m not going to be talking about deceptive demons or satanic rituals. … Continue reading A conspiracy thread: Brave New World Order
Corrections to Brian Dunning’s Skeptoid Podcast About Ong’s Hat
The first thing one learns upon becoming a subject of press interest is that there’s actually very little one can generally do in the face of inaccurate or even malicious … Continue reading Corrections to Brian Dunning’s Skeptoid Podcast About Ong’s Hat
Slate-Decoder Ring: The Incunabula Papers
What lies at the heart of Ong’s Hat? Listen to this episode of Decoder Ring: LINK TO DECODER RING PAGE Decoder Ring is a podcast about cracking cultural mysteries. Every … Continue reading Slate-Decoder Ring: The Incunabula Papers
humdog on the future then, which is now
My dear, late friend humdog wrote this in 1994. You may recognize the name as one of the people I dedicated the Ong’s Hat project to. Her name, in real … Continue reading humdog on the future then, which is now
Legend Tripping Online:: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong’s Hat reviewed by Lynne S. McNeill for Western States Folklore Society
Legend Tripping Online:: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong’s Hat reviewed by Lynne S. McNeill for Western States Folklore Society http://folklore.usu.edu http://www.folkloristics.com McNeillReviewOfKinsella Also: Lynne and Legend Tripping Online:: … Continue reading Legend Tripping Online:: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong’s Hat reviewed by Lynne S. McNeill for Western States Folklore Society
Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search For Ong’s Hat Review from Religious Studies Review
Review by Joseph Laycock for Religious Studies Review Texas State University, Philosophy, Faculty Member Article first published online: 12 SEP 2014 Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search For Ong’s Hat Review from … Continue reading Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search For Ong’s Hat Review from Religious Studies Review
CREEPYGAMING & THE NARRATIVE: A THEORY-BASED POP CULTURE OF ‘PLAYABLE’ LORE
Dominique Angela M. Juntado, M.A. Doctoral Candidate in Social & Cultural Anthropology University of the Philippines Diliman Email: dmjuntado@gmail.com International Journal of Social Sciences Abstract Having been written for fellow … Continue reading CREEPYGAMING & THE NARRATIVE: A THEORY-BASED POP CULTURE OF ‘PLAYABLE’ LORE
English 3700: American Folklore: Legend, Rumor, and Conspiracy Theory
Sec. 1: MW 2-3:15 & T 6:30-9 (film screening) / Sec. 2: MW 4-5:15 & T 6:30-9 (film screening) This course examines three major folklore genres – legend, rumor, and … Continue reading English 3700: American Folklore: Legend, Rumor, and Conspiracy Theory
Joseph Matheny 