Do you ever look at things you like and realise that they’re all the same thing, every one of them? Just varied details on an essential appeal. Me, for example, I’ve been re-reading X-Men archives for the past two months and paying close attention to which details make me like the whole so much. And here’s what…
The Glory of Sophie Campbell
Heads you lop, tails you lose The half “Amazonian,” half demon Gloriana Demeter has gone through a few transformations since her first appeared in Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood Strikefile #1 in 1993. She garnered a solo series written by Mary Jo Duffy and drawn largely by Mike Deodato and J. Morrigan, which ran from 1996 to 1997. Glory was a…
Book Beat: Canada Reads Winner, Reading Without Walls, and Young Black Female Poets
Hi, book lovers! It’s me, Ashley! My friend Stephanie took over for a while, because my life was consumed with stress and grief over the loss of someone in my field of work. I am back though, still a bit stressed, still grieving a bit, but feeling better. I am reading all my favourite, weepy…
Daddy Issues #2: Charles Xavier and His Special Institute For Training A Child Death Squad
To “celebrate” father’s day I’ve written a selection of essays on some of comics worst ever dads. From adoptive fathers to absent ones, from rich and fascist to poor and useless, I’ve got ’em all! So strap in, grab your daddy issues, a stiff drink, and get ready to realise that pretty much all of…
Women in British Animation: Petra Freeman
“Animation is for weirdos.” —Petra Freeman During the eighties and nineties, Channel 4’s patronage of experimental animation provided opportunities for new talent across the country. Some of these animators arrived at the medium very much through the back door, bringing with them aesthetic sensibilities unlike those of anyone else in the field. One such person…
A Whistle Stop History of Fanfiction: Part Two
Last time on Holly’s Whistle Stop History of Fanfiction, I discussed the idea that a lot of what is often considered classic literature in fact sprung from fanfiction, stories about existing characters, or people, with a few tweaks and name changes. Which is all very well, but I’m sure some of you are there saying…
Idle Animations: El Presidente Doesn’t Care
Idle Animations is a recurring series in which I play games without playing them, exploring quiet, still moments, how games fill space and time, and what happens when you let a game play itself.
Jughead: The Hunger Has No Bark, No Bite, Some Fleas
Jughead: The Hunger Frank Tieri (w), Michael Walsh (a) Archie Comics March 29, 2017 We all know that Jughead is super hungry, but what if he was hungry for… human flesh? No, we’re not talking about zombie Jughead. You can find him in Afterlife With Archie. This comic is about werewolf Jughead, which is like,…
Previously on Comics: RIP Comics Alliance
Hello all, this is Kayleigh Hearn with the first Previously on Comics for April! I hope you all had a great weekend and no one pranked you with screaming zombie videos or fake Congressional runs. Onward! On March 31 it was abruptly announced that Comics Alliance would be shutting down. Since its founding in 2009,…
How Yuri!!! On Ice Reawakened Figure Skating Fandom In Us
Yuri!!! On Ice is a surprise hit not only for its creators, but for its fans, both actual figure skaters and figure skating fans alike. Elite figure skaters have been showing their YOI love by taking to Twitter. For three ’90s figure skating fans, YOI triggered a lot of nostalgic and new love for the…
It’s Just a Little Crush: A Review of The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
The Upside of Unrequited Becky Albertalli Balzer + Bray April 11, 2017 Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for honest review Racing heart, dry mouth, a butterfly cotillion in your tummy–Molly Peskin-Suso’s quite familiar with all the weird feelings that a crush can bring, thank you very much. She’s had no less than…
Black Rain: Hiroshima and the Cold War
Kuroi Ame (Black Rain) Directed by Shohei Imamura Produced by Hisa Iino Written by Ibuse Masuji & Toshiro Ishido Starring Yoshiko Tanaka, Kazuo Kitamura, Etsuko Ichihara, and Keisuke Ishida Distributed by Hayashibara Group, Imamura Productions, and Tohokushinsha Film Co. May 13, 1989 “Today is already yesterday.” Shohei Imamura’s 1989 film Kuroi Ame, based on a…
