I was sitting back watching something on google and an ad came on for a movie called "infinite"... I was twiddling with a sling in my hand (as I do when watching TV) when all of a sudden a black leather plaited sling was on the screen - my jaw hit the floor! Unfortunately from what I have read it doesn't seem the sling is a major part of the movie... and apparently the movie is pretty terrible... so i haven't watched it yet.

It got me thinking about the sling in modern media (TV/film/books). Has anyone got any examples where slings are depicted accurately and favorably?

I saw somewhere on here about a goblin slayer cartoon using a sling - that was interesting - made me want to write a historically accurate comic about a slinger... if there are any good comic drawers out there hit me up!

The Power of One

Great flick with a good message. Also has slinging in it but you probably wont like how its portrayed unless you really have a thing against chickens.

I actually sent a few slimgs to the production company for that movie, mine didnt make it. Thankfully cuz i saw the reviews.

   This is an oldie.  Though some of the slinging is far fetched The Clan of the Cave Bear does portray slinging favorably... plus you get to see Daryl Hannah naked. 

vetryan15 wrote on Aug 27^th, 2021 at 6:54am:

I actually sent a few slimgs to the production company for that movie, mine didnt make it. Thankfully cuz i saw the reviews.

Are you dead set?! How did that come about?!

That’s cool- I wonder where they got the sling- it looks pretty nice!

The power of one is a good one!

I remember our teacher got us to watch clan of the cave bear back when we were in year six… I do t remember it well so don’t remember slinging in it.

Are there any comics or books with slings?

Tarzan :D

As for books the one you will here most often here is the Redwall series.

Come to think of it the first few books of The Wheel of Time have a few scenes with slings. For us, knowing what a sling can and cant do they arent exactly believable but still good.

CrazyBrave333 wrote on Aug 28^th, 2021 at 3:14am:

vetryan15 wrote on Aug 27th, 2021 at 6:54am: I actually sent a few slimgs to the production company for that movie, mine didnt make it. Thankfully cuz i saw the reviews. Are you dead set?! How did that come about?! That’s cool- I wonder where they got the sling- it looks pretty nice! The power of one is a good one! I remember our teacher got us to watch clan of the cave bear back when we were in year six… I do t remember it well so don’t remember slinging in it. Are there any comics or books with slings?

I have an esty store, and sell slings. Thats where the production company came across and purchased.  But as i said. Mine didnt make the final cut. Which i was mad at first, but then saw the reviews. I was fine with it,  I have pieces in museums, some famous celebrities,  a couple churches and some non profits have mine. I teend to be about getting my name out there, and spreading the sport, getting people to do it. If i was in it for money. I would be poor, since all these new sling sellers,  most make cheap crap, amd get away with it. Due to people being uneducated.

Well now I'll have to watch tarzan! and need to look into wheel of time and redwall...

There was a Redwall cartoon series made in Britain. It aired on PBS in the states. It followed the books pretty well, ncluding the slinging. You can find it on Youtube.

In LOST, the 'other' Tom used a sling to immobilize Kate, I think it was in season 2.

Also, in the RTS PC game Stronghold Crusader, the Muslims have rock slinger units.

I am currently writing an historical fiction novel based on the life and times of my Clan Home progenitor, Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria and later Dunbar, set in the period from 1030 to 1100. 

The story has a viewpoint character named Ælfric, who is a scop or bard who follows Gospatric throughout his historically accurate adventures.  Ælfric is a slinger, in fact a staffslinger who uses a Jorvik (York style) leather pouched sling on his walking-stick spear. 

StaffSlinger wrote on Sep 19^th, 2021 at 9:53am:

I am currently writing an historical fiction novel based on the life and times of my Clan Home progenitor, Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria and later Dunbar, set in the period from 1030 to 1100.  The story has a viewpoint character named Ælfric, who is a scop or bard who follows Gospatric throughout his historically accurate adventures.  Ælfric is a slinger, in fact a staffslinger who uses a Jorvik (York style) leather pouched sling on his walking-stick spear.

Am keen to read it!

My daughter actually also told me about books by Anh Do called Wolfgirl who's main weapon is a sling - she was pretty proud to bring it to my attention and plans on dressing up as wolf girl next chance she can... I'll make a special sling for her costume...

In the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox there is a scene that shows a mouse slinging. Here: https://youtu.be/JFb0xS9_rOY at 1:13 (I couldn't find a higher res clip so its a little hard to see, sorry) :V

There is a sling shown briefly in the Amazon film Infinite. It isn't shown being used and if you didn't already know what it was, you would miss it completely.

I had completely forgotten - my favorite childhood book 'Coral Island' by RM Ballantyne has a sling in it - 3 blokes stranded on an island - one uses a bow, one a spear and the protagonist uses a sling...

I wish I paid more attention as a kid! I would have been slinging from 9 years old instead of starting in my late 20's/early 30's (cant remember)

   There's an old French TV show with a slinger as the hero.  It's popped up on the forum a few times.  I can't remember the name right now.

"Thierry la fronde" or in English : Thierry the sling. He's a kind of Robin Wood  with a sling.
It's an old (sixties) black and white TV show. No historical accuracy. Watching recently, I noticed a barbed wire fence on the edge of a field. But nice heroes.
Back then, I was a kid and I liked this TV show.

https://www.ina.fr/video/I08266093

For fun  :)

In the video game Far Cry Primal you can use a sling.

Well, there's always the 1952 movie "Slinging in the Rain".... :D

Jokes aside, I noticed a thread from last year discussing Linus's use of a blanket as a sling in the Charlie Brown Christmas (https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1640515369).

In this clip from Star Wars the Phantom Menace, there are what appear to be slings (around 2:34). https://youtu.be/r1rO06hp6C8?t=154

There is an older science fiction series, Dumarest of Terra.  The character grows up on Earth in a post-apocalyptic time.  He hunts with a sling while growing up.  He stows away on a spaceship and spends most of his life as a drifter.  But the series is about his efforts to find and return to his home, to earth.    His main weapon is a knife.  But he often talks about using the sling to stay alive and he uses one from time to time as an adult.  Author E.C. Tubb

Wow -- I'd forgotten the Dumarest Saga.  I met Tubb decades ago at a WorldCon in Boston.... 1971/ '72?

The new Planet of the Apes movie had a sling appear in the first 5-10 minutes, but sadly no more after that. There was more extensive use of the bola later on.

Game of Thrones springs to mind. Even old Tarzan is thrown. And what? Gold, of course. The ultimate slinger film is Sodom and Gomorrah with Stuart Granger.

TOMBELAINE wrote on Jul 27^th, 2022 at 7:10am:

https://www.ina.fr/video/I08266093 For fun  :)

Hysterical !
Reminds me so much of the English series Robin Hood.
:)

13 Assassins

I've got a two player fighting game based on slings in the works right now... It'll be a while until I release anything but the mechanics are coming along nicely so far. My profile picture is actually one of my early concept arts/animations.

There is a book called "Earth's Children" about a human girl living with neanderthals. The sling is used throughout the book as their primary hunting weapon for small game.

Video games count right? Already discussed in the thread about how people here found the sling but there are a few video game examples (sorry for a bit of double-posting).

Age of Empires and Stronghold already mentioned there. I'm currently playing Enter the Gungeon (2016) and you can use a sling as a weapon in that game as well:

https://enterthegungeon.fandom.com/wiki/Sling

https://ageofempires.fandom.com/wiki/Slinger_(Age_of_Empires)

https://stronghold.fandom.com/wiki/Slinger

As accurate and favorable as you can get from pixelated video games I guess.

I've played Enter the Gungeon. Definitely one of my favourite games, and the sling is really good in it too.

Primate wrote on Aug 12^th, 2024 at 8:11am:

There is a book called "Earth's Children" about a human girl living with neanderthals. The sling is used throughout the book as their primary hunting weapon for small game.

100%!  The most popular reason people try out slinging used to be because of David & Goliath or history in general.  Today I think it's more likely to be games or social media.  But Clan of the Cave Bear is definitely on the list too.  That book is what started my slinging path.

Rewatching "The Witcher" and just realized the mages are using slings in the final episode of Season 1