My love for audiobooks continues to increase, especially as my life gets busier with work and expanding interests. I want to read all the things (my to-read pile is at 638 on Goodreads, and I probably actually have about half of those books on my physical book shelf, in piles in my room, loaded onto…
DC Daily Planet: Rumors, retcons, and #Rebirth
I thought last week was pretty crazy for DC with #DCWeek in full effect but it turns out that was just the tip of the ice burg. On Friday, the DCU got flipped upside down by a series of rumors followed by a mysterious promotional image posted by Dan Didio and Jim Lee. Let’s break…
Mysteries of Gravity Falls: Cryptograms and Ciphers
Gravity Falls is one giant mystery. There’s a puzzle wrapped around every inch of Gravity Falls, and we just can’t seem to get enough. Mysteries expanding from who the author of the journals is to who runs and knows about the mysterious happenings around the town. It continues into the three journals themselves, with the different…
Onward and Upward: The Magicians’ Rocky Start, and Where the Show Can Go From Here
I got my heart’s desire, and there my troubles began. A pessimistic start to the first book in The Magicians series by Lev Grossman, you might say. We want things, claims the narrative, and we will continue to want them even as we learn that they will destroy us. Showcase’s TV adaptation mirrors that desire a little…
The Thursday Book Beat: Diversity Discussions in Publishing Take the Transcontinental Stage
Welcome back to Book Beat, readers! It’s been a pretty busy week for the book industry, and leading the news charge is the release of Lee & Low’s diversity baseline survey results. 34 publishers and 8 literary review journals participated, including Big Six publishers Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and Macmillan. Unsurprisingly, the results of the…
Zine Review: Jane: Documents from Chicago’s Clandestine Abortion Service 1968-1973
Jane: Documents from Chicago’s Clandestine Abortion Service 1968-1973 Firestarter Press, 2004 January 22nd marked the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Perhaps it is more apt to say it sort of legalized abortion as, according to a recent article from Mother Jones, over 1,000 state laws restricting abortion…
Can Companies Criminalize Cosplay?
The upcoming Supreme Court case of Star Athletica, L.L.C., Petitioner v. Varsity Brands, Inc., et al. has a lot of people in the geek community concerned that this may be the case. The case involves cheerleading uniforms—but it does have potential ramifications for cosplay and wearable fandom items. In this case, Varsity claims that designs can be…
The Truth is Out There: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
There was a moment during The X-Files season ten premiere that made me sit up and cheer. It wasn’t seeing Mulder or Scully’s face again after all these years. It wasn’t about seeing an alien space ship crash, or an alien autopsy. The moment didn’t include explosions or romantic tension between our beloved protagonists. It…
Review: Toil & Trouble #4-5
Toil & Trouble #4-5 Mairghread Scott (writer), Kelly & Nichole Matthews (illustration), Warren Montgomery (letters), and Kyla Vanderklugt (cover) Archaia December 2, 2015 and January 6, 2016 Last month, issue #4 proceeded through the showdown between Riata and Smartea at breakneck speed. This month, issue #5 shows the devastating results. Disclaimer: This review is based…
Get Your Game on Wednesday: If you like that, try this edition
Happy Wednesday, gaming lovelies! This week, I thought we’d try something fun with a little “if you like that, check this out” action. So grab a cup of refreshment and let me know what you think. If you like the look of Destiny, check out The Solus Project Similar to the stunning world images in…
Incredible Indie Tuesday: Female Artist Claire Wendling Makes Grand Prix Shortlist Despite Festival Fail
While the film industry’s been wrestling with the complete shut-out of any people of color from the Oscars acting nominations, a similar storm has been brewing over comics’ most prestigious award. Unfortunately, #AngoulemesSoMale does not a great hashtag make, so it may have flown under your radar! It all revolves around a lifetime achievement award given to…
Not Your Average Wizard: An Interview with Stella Maeve of The Magicians
Every generation seems to have a wizard story of origin: our grandparents may remember Frodo and The Lord of the Rings, while our parents might have introduced us to The Chronicles of Narnia. As the kids who grew up with Harry Potter have aged, the idea of magic has remained a fascinating escape. It’s this eternal draw to magic…