What comes to mind when I mention “classic anime” or “anime canon”? What kinds of films are included in the “anime canon”? Paige Sammartino: In terms of films, Studio Ghibli is the first thing that comes to mind, particularly Princess Mononoke. Films like Akira and Ghost in the Shell are not only great on their…
Kickstarter of the Week: Adult Coloring Books
Were you that kid, too—did your parent know exactly how to get you out of their hair, and all it involved were colored pencils and a book full of empty line drawings? Were you that kid who disdained tables to lie flat on the floor, feet in the air, nose to crayon to coloring book for…
Circus Dreams Come True in Karneval: A Review
Karneval, vols. 1 & 2 Mangaka: Touya Mikanagi. Translation: Su Mon Han. Lettering: Alexis Eckerman. Yen Press March 2015 & July 2015 Review copies were provided by Yen Press. Just imagine: what if Cirque du Soleil were actually a band of government-sanctioned assassins dedicated to fighting an underground ring of genetically engineered criminals? Can you…
Swords of Sorrow: Dejah Thoris & Irene Adler Wrap it Up
Swords of Sorrow: Dejah Thoris & Irene Adler #3 Leah Moore (writer), Francesco Manna (artist), Jay Ancleto (cover artist), Erica Schultz (letterer), Ivan Nunes (cover colors), Inlight Studio (interior colors) Dynamite Entertainment August 2015 (This article contains spoilers for Swords of Sorrow #3, which was reviewed using a copy provided by Dynamite Entertainment) Hello, and welcome to our…
Books That Shaped Me: A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea sank into me like a song. I don’t recall the exact summer that I first read it. It was somewhere between Patricia C. Wrede’s Dealing With Dragons and Mercedes Lackey’s Arrows of the Queen, and I was somewhere between ages nine and thirteen. It was probably one of those summers I spent…
When Boy’s Love Goes Bad: CLAMP’s Legal Drug
(Disclaimer: Review copies of Legal Drug and Drug & Drop vol. 1 and vol. 2 were supplied by Dark Horse. This essay also contains some light spoilers.) First, a primer! If you’re familiar with boy’s love, girl’s love, yaoi, yuri, shonen-ai, or shojo-ai just go ahead and skip this paragraph. For those of you who…
4 Takes On Archie #1: Nostalgia, Indifference, Curiosity, Excitement
Archie #1 Mark Waid (w), Fiona Staples (p), Andre Szymanowicz (c) Archie Comics Released: July 2015 Archie Comics provided us with a press copy of the issue for an impartial review. We’ve already discussed who is the hottest Riverdalian. Now to dig even deeper into Archie #1. While there are some confirmed Archie fans at WWAC,…
What’s in a Medium? The Three Faces of “The Devil is a Part-Timer!”
The Devil is a Part-Timer! Satoshi Wagahara (writer); 029 (Oniku) (illustrator); Kevin Gifford (translation) Yen On (Please note: review copies of the manga and light novel were provided by Yen Press.) Once upon a time, in the cross-shaped kingdom of Ente Isla, the devil had his day. Or many days, really. In fact, he and…
Nerdlesque Will Make Your Geek Heart Dance: an Interview with Jo Jo Stiletto and Sailor St. Claire
When I caught wind of Emerald City Comicon’s special event, “Guardians of the Sexy: a Geeky Celebration in Burlesque,” my heart soared. Geeky burlesque, aka “nerdlesque”? Yes! I am so there! And then I tried to buy tickets and discovered they were sold out, and I was sad. When I heard how awesome the show was, I wept salty…
Review: Swords of Sorrow #3
Swords of Sorrow #3 Gail Simone (writer), Sergio Davila (illustrator), Jorge Sutil (colorist), Erica Schultz (letterer) Covers: Tula Latoy (A), Emanuela Lupacchino & Ivan Nunes (B), Robert Hack (C), and Cosplay Variant (G) Dynamite July 8, 2015 (Disclaimer: This contains spoilers and is based on an advanced review copy from Dynamite.)
Kickstarter of the Week: 14 Days (of Chronic Pain)
Chronic pain made a big impact on my childhood, and it continues to impact my adult years. I don’t personally suffer from chronic pain, but those around me do; multiple close family members of mine have migraines and other forms of chronic pain. Many of you who are reading this can probably relate, as a…
Experience Satoshi Kon’s Dreams One More Time: a Review of Dream Fossil
Dream Fossil: the Complete Stories of Satoshi Kon Satoshi Kon Translation by Yota Koutani Vertical Comics, May 19 2015