No puedes repaqueta una cutura. Translation: “you can’t repackage a culture.” In America, the cultures of people of color tend to be bastardized by white mainstream outlets in various forms. In recent years, the specific culture of Latinx Americans has been twisted, distorted, and conflated in regards to the popular Sugar Skull trend that has…
From Halloween’s Origins to Crafting Geek-Inspired Halloween Goods
As self-identified and unabashed geeks, costumes aren’t something limited to Halloween for most of us, but it sure does make it extra fun! For this month, lifestyle celebrated this readily available excuse for playing dress-up with a series of how-to’s, as well as general thoughts on costuming.
Shinbun Saturday: Manga Faces Bans and Criticism
Increasing pressure on Japan to ban manga featuring sexualizd portrayals of minors Earlier this week, a UN special envoy called for Japan to ban manga featuring sexualized images of children. The request comes after a new law criminalizing possession of child pornography came into effect this past summer. Under the law, manga containing pedophiliac content…
Death in Video Games According to a Five Year Old
My youngest brother is a gamer in the loosest sense of the term. He really enjoys watching others play games, almost as much as he enjoys telling others how to play games. He especially likes completely dictating every gaming action to another person and then celebrating the outcome as his own success. He’s six (five…
From Princess to Ash: Navigating My Childhood Halloween Costumes
Halloween tends to send us into a web of nostalgia. We reminisce over our favorite childhood Halloween candies (some of them long discontinued), our favorite scary movies, carving pumpkins, and of course costumes. Skimming through our memories, some of those costumes make us laugh, some make us cringe, and others forces us to wonder what…
It’s Different Than the Comics: Scarlet Witch
Warning: There will be some Age of Ultron spoilers in here. There might also be a tiny rant about how I truly believe not having the Young Avengers in the MCU is a tragedy and a big mistake. Carry on.
New Jersey via Pakistan via Scotland: Making Mine Ms. Marvel
I can’t remember exactly where I read the announcement. But what I do remember is the excitement and happiness I felt as I rapidly posted about the introduction of Kamala Khan on Facebook. As I trawled through articles about the new Ms. Marvel and interviews with co-creators G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat, any fears…
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…
Ciara’s Costume Party: Blaming Beyoncé
October birthdays that come late in the month often get the fun of also being costume parties. Especially if you’re a celebrity like Ciara, with a famous boyfriend like NFL quarterback Russell Wilson. The sports star threw his girlfriend a surprise masquerade party for her 30th birthday at the Warner Bros. studio, complete with renting the…
The Thursday Book Beat: The Harry Potter Play Is A Sequel!
The Harry Potter Play: The Unusual Sequel The play we all thought was just a random Harry Potter play is actually the sequel fans have been eagerly waiting for. The Cursed Child (part 1 & 2) is all about Harry’s youngest son Albus Severus Potter: It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t…
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…
E – N – I – D: Ghost World and Name Fluidity
Ghost World Daniel Clowes Fantagraphics Books 1997 What’s in a name? Everything. Names play a big part in Ghost World. The characters are called by their legal names, nicknames, imagined names, and incorrect names. They receive these names through birth or social interaction, and the usage of these names communicate specific intentions.
