Around here we’re talking a lot about Halloween costumes. Halloween has become a fun and interactive holiday that goes beyond just trick or treating as homemade costumes are shared across social media. I can’t sew (yet), but I can do my makeup decently, and I can learn how to put various costume pieces together in…
Hanzai Japan: From Crime Fiction to Surreal Noir
Hanzai Japan: Fantastical, Futuristic Stories of Crime From and About Japan Edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington Haikasoru October 20, 2015 Haikasoru bills this as a collection of crime fiction from and about Japan, and as such, my initial response was mixed. Crime fiction usually is not on my list of preferred genres, but…
Review: Chainmail Bikini
Chainmail Bikini Hazel Newlevant (Editor), Various artists Fall 2015 Chainmail Bikini is an anthology centered on the experiences of women gamers. Video games, tabletop games, card games—they’re all covered in this book, with points of view on how alienating, connecting, frustrating, and wondrous gaming can be. The book was funded with Kickstarter, and includes over 40 artists….
How to Make a Zine the Chicago Zine Fest Way
Hey there, baby zinesters! Have WWAC’s zine reviews left you itching to create something of your own? You’re in luck, because Chicago Zine Fest (CZF) organizers Savay, Heather and Johnny Wawrzaszek graciously taught my artist-friend Bike Morch and me a simple binding technique. The Chicago Publishers Resource Center (CHIPRC) lent us their space for this…
NYCC 2015: A Q&A with Kodansha Comics
I was at New York Comic Con (NYCC) this past weekend, and got the opportunity to sit, and chat with the Kodansha execs: Mr. Hiroaki Morita (President of Kodansha Advance Media/Vice-President of Kodansha) Mr. Kohei Furukawa (President and CEO of Kodansha USA/Vice-President and Head of Rights, Media, Digital, and International at Kodansha) Mr. Yasumasa Shimizu (Senior Vice-President…
Book That Shaped Me: Great Expectations
I’m the reader and writer I am today because of Great Expectations, by which I mean, I’m the reader and writer I am today because I watched an episode from season one of South Park. Wait, what? Let me explain … As kids, most of us experience pop culture through adaptations, whether they’re the large-print…
TIFF Reviews: Parisienne & A Tale of 3 Cities
I didn’t go to as many screenings at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and because I wouldn’t be seeing that many, I decided to narrow it down to a theme. I decided to go for films that were: outside of Canada & the United States of America starred woman (or women) of colour AND/OR is directed…
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to [My] Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Shotaro Ishinomori (mangaka); Dan Owsen (translation); Yukiko Whitley (cover & interior design) VIZ Media, May 2015 Disclaimer: this review is based upon a review copy provided by the publisher and contains light spoilers. So there’s this boy with blonde hair, pointy ears, and a green outfit….
Mighty Marvel Monday: NYCC Edition
…and we’re back with an All New Mighty Marvel Monday: NYCC Edition! Before I get started, Happy Thanksgiving to my beloved Canadians, and Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, and eight other cities across America. In honor of these two events, one reminding us to not only be thankful but to…
“This is Halloween!”: A History, Part 1
In this special article, Ginnis sought out a historian to reveal some of the secrets behind the history of this great season. Fortunately, she discovered a “Mad Historian” who takes a perverse pleasure in tackling the maddeningly mundane questions that plague so many of us like “How did Halloween come to be?” In Part 1 of this two…
Critical Mission Failure: The Significance of Death in Video Games
When I played Final Fantasy XI, my first MMO, I kept a gallery of all my favourite death moments. The best was the time I went to introduce myself to Tiamat, the dragon that used to take about 36 players three hours to kill on a good day. I managed to survive three hits before adding another glorious death to my…
Review: Toil & Trouble #2
Toil & Trouble #2 Mairghread Scott (script), Kelly & Nichole Matthews (art & colors), Warren Montgomery (letters), Kyla Vanderklugt (cover) Archaia October 7, 2015 Disclaimer: This review may contain spoilers and is based on an advanced review copy from Boom/Archaia. Join me for a review of issue #2 of Mairghread Scott and Kelly and Nichole…
