Obsessions would end up the life of Phil Shaw, starting in kindergarten with Disney’s The Little Mermaid, using them as a source of inspiration. This early infatuation with iconic female characters began a life-long interest in gender boundaries and the power behind this divide. As a general rule of thumb, most learning comes from difficult situations; his work also would become evident of this, pushing comfort zones and what general society really doesn’t want to the foreground. These obsessions would progress over time, corresponding with Pop Culture, each leading Phil to continuously evolve his mindset with society. Titanic (1997) granted Phil an appreciation for passion, sexuality, morbidity and intricacy; pop phenomenon Pokémon, gave way to a new self-aware understanding of obsession as well as a cultural influence that created a feeling of belonging to a larger group; Harry Potter conjuring an exploration in media, dimension, and fantasy. Over time media influences would range from film-based work, to comic illustration, to fine art work encompassing the body and nudity exploration. All media encompassed his love for storytelling. His work began to take on an interest in the idea of heroism, taking heavy influence from the 2009 film adaptation of the comic book hero Batman, The Dark Knight. From this more sophisticated reference, a sensibility towards a darker nature grew. The modern and sleek qualities of the film itself gave a push in Phil’s to begin to think what it is to be of contemporary time; evident in his constant appropriation of Pop Culture in general. Phil’s work took on an influence of not only comic book characters but also heroes of Greek myths; evident in his use of iconic figures as god like personifications. From this a mixing of the superhero and spirituality began in his work with the penning a story of an Islamic superhero. His interests in film lead him to flesh out the tale of The Green Guardian. The story having a heroine not only reflected thoughts on female power but also the difference in culture as well as difference in spirituality vs. sexuality. The female heroine created a character that allowed him to explore different aesthetics as the Islamic portrayal of female attractiveness differs greatly from the classic American ideals of a woman. The power of the female became a theme of sorts in Phil’s work. It is not so much a controversial idea now publically, but when most of society thinks of a powerfu