Vucub Caquix and the Hero Twins

When Al Rae approached us to write a piece to present at the media launch of the 2012 CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival, he gave us two guidelines: 1) do your thing for 5-10 minutes, and 2) the theme is “Mayan legend and the 2012 ‘Apocalypse'”.

Vucub Caquix and the Hero Twins was the result.

It’s based on a Mayan legend about Vucub Caquix (woo-koob kuh-keesh), a demon macaw who steals the crown of the Sun. The Sun hides in shame, and although the crown continues to produce light, Vucub Caquix cannot provide the nourishment that only the rightful Sun can. With everything going to hell in a handbasket on Earth, the Moon asks heroic brothers who look absolutely nothing like each other identical twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque (hoo-nach-pu and shball-an-kay) to slay the demon and recover the Sun’s crown. Should be easy, right?

Featuring a bo-staff-versus-two-obsidian-studded-paddles fight and the only pun we’ve ever made that was so bad we actually apologized for it live on stage, Vucub Caquix and the Hero Twins was ten minutes of pure excellence, if we do say so ourselves.

Pictures below the fold.