Thought Bubble is a comics convention based in Leeds, England, and it’s a show I’ve not heard a bad word about. Recognised by large publishers (this year was notable for Image not having a booth) and creators of all audiences and sales performances, it’s got the atmosphere of legitimacy and an all-ages attendance record. This…
It’s a Crime: Two Perspectives, Worlds Apart, on Tet
Tet IDW Paul Tucker & Paul Allor Issue three out now Claire Napier: I’ve complained before about my inability to find graphic crime fiction that satisfies me on the same levels as my favoured crime prose. Well, I can shut up now. Tet is that book. I’ve known Paul Allor for a while; we’re acquainted on…
Looking at Men With No Clothes On: The Goddamned
A bit later I’ll talk about racial coding. But first: something pleasant (and NSFW).
Old Friends: Who’s Your Favourite Comic Book Character?
What do we love? Comics! Why do we love them? For various reasons! But among those reasons, of course, lies this one: a lot of comics let us form emotional bonds with made-up people. Characters! We all have favourite characters, right? Here are some of ours.
Oh My, Shiranui! AJ Brooks Talks Grappling, Costumes, & Video Games
U SERIOUS BRA is here again — the fun jazzy column where Wendy and Claire talk about how breasts are being treated in blockbuster video games. Such as Street Fighter! R. Mika. That’s a name that has bounced around the internet since her reveal trailer, as part of the line up for Street Fighter V. The only…
Letting Yourself Harass Zamii For Love of Steven Universe: Life Lessons From Going Too Far
Content warning: we’re going to talk about harassment and self-harm. Do you get a shiver down your spine and a catch in your heartbeat when you tell somebody they’ve done something hurtful? That’s really entirely okay. Physical responses to internal stress and the feedback of bravery aren’t rotten. It’s alright to enjoy the roller coaster…
WWAC Reflections on the “King of Horror”
It’s spooky season, and that means rolling out our favorite scary stories. Stephen King, also known as the “King of Horror,” is an iconic author, impacting the horror genre with books such as The Shining, It, and Carrie. He has written over 50 novels and around 200 short stories, and his body of work continues…
Understanding the Da Vinci Code: Why Quest Thrillers Work
The first six or so pages of my paperback copy of The Da Vinci Code are taken up with a collection of praise and excerpts from favourable reviews, from publications of all types. People loved this book. And you know what? They were right. The Da Vinci Code is what they call an airport novel….
Don’t Destroy the Brain: Corpse Talk Lets History Be Gross
Running in British weekly comics magazine The Phoenix, now seeing its second collected volume released by David Fickling Books, the conceit of Corpse Talk is that the reader is viewing a talk show. The host—the cartoonist—is visited by the dead bodies of big movers of the past, now deceased, and together they discuss important moments…
Guilty Gear’s Guilt-Free Wicked Woman: I-No
Guilty Gear is a fighting game series that began in 1998. Guilty Gear: Xrd SIGN came out in 2014; with a pachinko game and a free-roaming melee-action title also in the bag, the franchise is going strong. In the two-dimensional, Street Fighter mould, the main games star two serious men with a rivalry—one blonde, one…
Hover Boards Don’t Work on Water
Predicted in 1985. Created in 2015. #LexusHover. https://t.co/ZCAGKVkA6L pic.twitter.com/pYLQU31R4w — Lexus (@Lexus) October 21, 2015 I clicked the link feeling silly and remembering the feeling just after I told my parents, confusedly, about the amazing way that rabbits could now be grown from pellets. Live and Kicking, a Saturday morning magazine show for young people back in…