About the League of 40 & FAQs

“Steal nuggets of wisdom from the past for the prosperity of the future and inspire some good in the chaos of the world.”

The League of 40 brand is designed as a toy box built with components of myths and legends, history, fables and pop culture influences from around the world. We want to use words of wisdom from the past to speak to younger (and future) generations in a new way, offering thought leadership, affirmations and new takes on work/entrepreneurship.

Beyond the brand name, the League of 40 is the name of a group of heroes in a chaotic fantasy world that answers the question “What if Robin Hood had his own Justice League?” We want to craft comical, thought-provoking stories in this universe that will influence people of all ages the way old fables did for so many generations. People will be challenged to see if they can find all the references from iconic stories in original stories from this brand new world. While the protagonists of most of the stories are based on tricksters and thieves, the only trick of this brand is the subtle way of teaching life lessons through humorous, short-form entertainment and we are only stealing nuggets of wisdom (not gold) from the past.

The brand and story universe is intended to be family-friendly, embodying a world of fun, controlled chaos and promoting messages of freedom, positivity, representations of all people, equality, family and service to others through media, clothing, “inspo-graphics” and more. Sports, music and other forms of entertainment have different effects, but stories are intended to make people feel something. People connect through stories, and it is said it is easier to entertain someone than to educate them. These stories aim to do both. The books, comics and potential cartoons will have lessons ingrained in them about everything from dealing with bullies and protecting the weak to serving communities and recognizing our own shortcomings, and so much more. Even the clothing is an expression of the story behind the person wearing it!

So, with all that said, come on and join the League!

 

FAQs you may not be asking, but we’ll answer anyway!

Why the red hand putting up an L? The red hand symbol of the League of 40 is a spin on the phrases “caught red-handed” and “five-finger discount”. The L-shaped fingers are often associated with the word “loser”, and in fact, the tricksters in some folklore and myths are portrayed as fools or losers, but in this brand we are flipping that. The five fingers and palm of the hand also have some symbolism for the 5 realms in the story universe.

Why root for thieves & tricksters? Ever heard of Robin Hood? Well, you probably rooted for the thief who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Were you a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Well, ninjas are trained assassins by definition. You’ve probably even enjoyed characters like Batman, Naruto, Captain Jack Sparrow, Doctor Who and many others who could be categorized as tricksters/rogues/thieves. Plus, these thieves live by a code and tricksters don’t just play pranks, but in most stories, tricksters influence cultural change and reveal wisdom/ hidden knowledge. So, come to know and love these guys!

What does “League of 40” mean? With this being originally built on the question of “What if Robin Hood had his own version of the Justice League?”, the immediate thought was of Aladdin and the 40 Thieves, however instead of making the 40 thieves antagonists, they would be heroes. The number 40 can represent trials, tests, change, death and new birth, which is why I think it is a very significant number in a world where old ideas a tried, tested, changed, dying and given new life.

Aren’t you just ripping off other characters? No. These characters are wholly original takes and combinations of myths, legends, folklore, pop culture, history and tall tales from all over the world. Every culture has its own version of the creation myth, the epic hero, struggles of good or evil, superstitious practices—you get the idea—but these things often borrow from influences of other characters. It is said that there is nothing new under the sun, and it is proven that it is much easier to get invested in something new when you can identify something familiar in it. So, if there is a character you recognize, feel free to get to understand the world through that character’s POV and enjoy the ride with them!

Aren’t there enough antiheroes in media right now? Maybe… Maybe not! But the beauty of this brand is we can go back to the times when death was not so heavily emphasized and the antiheroes do some questionable things in that morally grey area that doesn't require copious amounts of blood and death. In fact, there will be little to no deaths. Let’s keep it “Looney Tunes-PG-13” at the worse.

What does it mean to "seek CHAOS"? CHAOS is an acronym standing for “Change, Hope, Allies, Opportunity and Salvation". Everyone experiences chaotic times in their life where they feel adversity, a loss of control, confusion or helplessness. In these times we have to remember to be adaptable to changes, hopeful we can prevail over the situation, find allies who can help us through, create opportunities to make our struggle a success, and find salvation when we emerge with victory.