#Comix Experience events

[the-everqueen]

I suppose this is an ask based on the above tags because I do love hearing any elaboration regarding Rose, especially since I do recall in one of the interviews that there was supposed to be a scene with her and Desire but (I think) it was cut from the script.

ye! there's a bit at the end of the doll's house arc (in the comix) where Dream monologues about how the Endless exist to serve (i don't have my copy of the comix with me or else i'd give citations). it's a somewhat clumsy wrap-up for the arc, though it gives a good insight into how Morpheus conceives his function (and by extension, himself). the gist is that Desire's "error" was to try to manipulate humans (the Walkers) to their personal ends, rather than recognize that humans, as sentient beings, have an impact on the Endless, i.e. it's not a one-way relationship.

i think the show adaptation does a better job of making a coherent narrative out of the comix arc. Rose is less passive as a protagonist; she makes active choices and her motivations are clear. she also straightforwardly REFUSES to be used by the Endless. she resists Dream's attempts to use her as a dowsing tool for his missing Arcana. she articulates the unfairness of expecting her to die because of cosmic familial dynamics she had no say in. i see a lot of meta about how much Dream sees Rose as a person (and he does, though i think he sees himself in her, in that she also has no choice to be what she is [Vortex] and she wants both connection and to have her own life, which...i have Thoughts about how a Black woman is only relatable insofar as she mirrors "universal" experiences/suffering), but very little discussion around how that doesn't matter, because he's going to kill her anyways. Rose being unknowingly marked for death from the outset and refusing death, up until the last moment when it seems there's no alternative (and even then her motivation is ensuring that Jed and Lyta will be okay)...ah! that's Blackness as an ontological condition! she dreams, she desires, she persists in the face of death. everything that the Endless are, she is, too.

(i would have loved to see what the writers envisioned re: Rose meeting Desire. that's a thing i'm going to explore in LA guard dog, pt. 2, but obviously in the show Rose doesn't have all the context that Dream has for why she's a vortex or Desire's part in events. i think she could be a lot more drawn to Desire than Dream, because Desire isn't trying to kill her but also because of the nature of Desire...and one of Rose's biggest wants is family.)

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 15/02/2024

Corridors of Vine

Season 6 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume FF

Ripped by Heboyi

Right, okay, we've had a good streak recently of covering more "traditionally good" rips for the blog - arrangements and remixes like NIGHTMARESCAPE 〜Unrestrained HyperCam 2〜 (Final Boss Phase 2), genuinely good arrangements like mlp racism anthem (comix zone arrange), even the premiere of a new Season with the Magolor's Shoppe Fusion Collab. I think its about high time we change the clock to something "stupider" - the kind of rip that reminds you just how much SiIva is driven by the wild imagination, skill, and commitment-to-the-bit of its contributors. Only within a community like SiIvaGunner's will you get something like Corridors of Vine.

With memes as a whole, there seems to exist some sort of...invisible hierarchy that defines their public perception, that I've always found really fascinating. It's not impossible to understand why this hierarchy exists: Memes like the Hampsterdance in Wario's Hampster Mine, the Sparta Remix in THIS. IS. SOLEANNA. and more call back to a different, more innocent time in internet history, wheras memes like Despacito in Plains of Des-passing-to and It's Everyday Bro in It's Everyday Lake are oft met with comments like "I hate that I love this", or other similar sentiments. Memes generally follow a trend where, once one has worn out its period of inferred relevance - typically once it stops being a niche internet activity and spreads to marketing teams and unfunny people in general - its labeled as "dead" and unwanted, left as a relic of a smaller period of internet activity. That is, of course, unless it gets brought back into fashion by virtue of nostalgia and given some sort of new spin, as we've seen happen with Doge as of late - until that then too becomes co-opted by unfunny people (this time crypto-grifters) and the cycle begins anew. Yet part of what makes SiIvaGunner as a channel so great, is that very few of the memes it uses ever reach that state of abandonment: the team is so good at finding new, inventive ways to use memes as old as from Season 1, to where they rarely feel stale. And if they do feel stale - well, then that can ironically become part of the joke, playing into just how samey and played-out the joke is for a sort of ironic appeal.

All of this is to say, that I always find it immensely funny whenever the team decides - seemingly at the drop of a hat - to begin using memes that have been thoroughly labeled as dead for years by that point. A meme like the Harlem Shake didn't have so much as a pulse by the time Season 6 rolled around even past its sole revival to relevancy a few years back from being attached to Ajit Pai - yet The Harlem Shakeover of that very season was one containing over THREE HUNDRED rips utilizing the joke, next to none of which were made with the intention of sounding bad. Funny enough, then, that one of the first events we'd see during that same Season would be doing the exact same thing to a meme that's likely far more loathed than the Harlem Shake ever was - Damn Daniel, the core joke to Corridors of Vine.

Damn Daniel is perhaps the closest we've ever gotten to having a meme that felt like a social experiment - a complete non-sequitor of a joke starring an average, marketable teen and his immaculate footwear. At the peak of Vine's age of randomness humor, the series of various videos on Daniel's Vans absolutely blew up - and immediately, there were cynics from outside of Vine, older internet dwellers mainly, who made a big point about how lacking-in-funny the videos were. Yet the guy, Daniel, made it onto the damn Ellen Show of all things within mere weeks after his debut, and in a way it kind of made Damn Daniel a symbol for everything considered wrong about Vine: its mainstream appeal and focus on short, memeable videos had created a form of shitposting that...no longer felt like they were part of a community.

That is, of course, just my summary of the opinions I gathered from all the way back in 2016 - back when SiIvaGunner itself was first revving up into gear. And I find it so incredibly befitting that it was during Season 6 that the Damn Daniel event occurred on SiIvaGunner - the Season all about letting go of the past. To have it begin with SiIvaGunner, itself a 2016 meme, acknowledging its near polar opposite made around the same time: A meme that was, for a solid while, one of the most wanted-dead memes of all, one that the internet as a whole frankly felt a kind of hatred toward during what would come to be a rather cynical, hateful year in general.

There's definitely an overarching aura of irony applied to the anniversary celebration's rips regardless, of course - part of the joke with Corridors of Vine is that its using a song otherwise so closely enveloped in emotion and vulnerability (one SiIva itself used to similar effect with 時の回廊 ＜ver. CCC＞), alongside a joke that's so bitterly remembered that its mere inclusion makes it difficult to take seriously. Yet Corridors of Vine takes itself as seriously as the concept could be, it is a genuinely fantastic YTPMV using several of the famous Damn Daniel Vines in conjunction with one another, resulting in an infectiously catchy combination of lead- and backing melody instrumentation. I do think the commitment to the bit worked excellently, and the comments of the video itself appear to agree with me - despite how beloathed Damn Daniel itself was, the time to properly acknowledge and accept it had arrived, and we were for once actually...enjoying the meme?

To circle back to the point made in the second paragraph here - the truth is, there are very few memes that wind up actually full-on dead for long. Dead memes as a concept are a label we put upon jokes we feel have ran their course, yet especially in the world of YTPMV there will always be people out there able to prove the naysayers wrong, even if the intentions are purely ironic. Ironic or affectionate, the end result is the same, isn't it? You've got a smile out of your audience through your work in adapting the meme! And through all the comments expressing their concerns over returning to the hellscape that was 2016s meme culture, those smiles - even through the barrier of the internet, felt as if they were shared by all of us. The entire event - and Corridors of Vine in particular - showed Damn Daniel a sense of affection it likely hasn't had since the days when the SiIvaGunner channel's name began with a G.

Here's to 8 years, Daniel.

...Stussy man, Damn.

[dashshaw]

Are Ollie and I coming to your town?

We’re hitting the road, signing and doodling in our new books and talking to our favorite people (the moderators and YOU). What better time to bounce around our country than shortly after our lovely election? 

Schrauwen’s got SUNDAY, from Fantagraphics. A day in the life of Thibault Schrauwen (related). He checks his email and procrastinates. The book takes off. I’ve got BLURRY, from NYRC. A man can’t decide between two dress shirts. The store manager helps him choose. The book goes off. Two great tastes that taste great together. Plus, at these events, we’re talking to the very coolest people who emailed us back. 

The tour begins next week...

Nov 7th Desert Island Brooklyn has commissioned a giant original risograph print. (That’s the image repeated above.) The Nov 7th 7pm signing event is extra special because it’s Ollie’s birthday! Apparently this is the third birthday he’s spent with me. I feel bad about this, so please other people come. Let’s make it a party.

Then Nov 8th, Brian Baynes will interview Ollie for a forthcoming Bubbles zine LIVE in Philadelphia, Partners and Sons. 6pm. I’ve never been to this store and it looks great.

Then Nov 9th, we are in Chicago where our spiritual brother Conor Stechschulte (Ultrasound) will talk to us. Quimby’s! One of my favorite places. 4pm start time so we all get to bed early that night.

Next we’re on the West Coast. Nov 12th, Los Angeles! At Secret Headquarters 5pm with moderator Sandi Tan (Shirkers, Lurkers). I wonder what Tan will ask us. This one has a preorder link, which will help them know how many books to order: https://thesecretheadquarters.bigcartel.com/category/event-books

Nov 14th, Zap’s San Francisco, Comix Experience, talk with Justin Hall (No Straight Lines) 6pm which I bet will also be special and unique. All of these talks and events are going to have their own unique style. This one will be broadcast live on Comix Experience’s YouTube page, which is perfect because Ollie and I will have our stand up routine completely in sync by this time.

What a joy to do this tour. Love to anyone who shows up. Thanks NYRC and Fantagraphics.

[comixexperience]

We are ridiculously excited to announce that we will have Gerard Way (@official-gerardway) and Nick Derington (@nickderington) with us on Wednesday June 21st at 5pm for a signing for their book Doom Patrol! You MUST purchase a copy of DOOM PATROL: BRICK BY BRICK from Comix Experience in order to attend the public signing; only 250 people may attend. Pre-sales are available immediately. 1) We are preselling DOOM PATROL: BRICK BY BRICK starting immediately at both stores (305 Divisadero St. and 2381 Ocean Ave.) and online.  Click here to order online now! You MUST have a copy of DOOM PATROL: BRICK BY BRICK, purchased from us, in order to attend the signing! 2) People who buy a copy will be assigned a number in a FIFO ("First In, First Out") fashion. The first person to pre-buy will be #1, the second will be #2, and so on. This FIFO positioning will be between both stores and online sales. It doesn't matter which way you buy it from Comix Experience, we'll do FIFO by time/date bought! 3)  We will give people their number when they pick up their pre-sale copy – which you can do starting on Wednesday 5/31/2017 – or at any time before the signing. ALL COPIES HAVE TO BE PICKED UP AT DIVISADERO ST. You also may pick your copy up the day of the signing, obviously. We will not know your number until 5/31 (because: two stores and online sales), so please do not ask before. Copies bought between the release date of the book and the signing on 6/21 will be assigned a number on the fly. 4)  That number will then give you a general "time slot" to show up, rather than having to line-up early. In other words: people who are #1-20 will be let in between approximately 5 and 5:15, #1-40 will be let in between about 5:15-5:30, #1-60 will be between 5:30 and 5:45, etc.  NOTE:  THESE ARE NOT EXACT TIMES, YET.  The goal is that if you are #64, you'll know that you don't need to show up before 6 PM, rather than having to get in line and wait for several hours.   The day of the event, we will provide regular updates on twitter (ie: "#1-15 can now line up", "#1-30 can now line up" and so on) – that Twitter account is @comixexperience, so please consider following it. 5)  If you are person "#1," that doesn't mean you are "the first person in line," per se (though you might be!), it just means that you'll be able to show up at any point during the signing and get "right in."  Person #64 "can't" get in before 6 PM. (for example)   Person "#1" could show up at 6 PM if that's better time for them, and they won't have to wait for more than a few minutes because we'll be allowing in people #1-100 (or whatever) during that period – the first 90 of which have hopefully already cycled through. 6)  There will be a THREE ITEM LIMIT on items signed – DOOM PATROL and any two other things you choose.  Again: you MUST have a copy of DOOM PATROL: BRICK BY BRICK bought from us, in order to attend the public signing. If people want more than three items signed, it is possible, but not likely, that we may be able to allow you to get in line a second time.  This is really not likely.

[btwitsgoku]

10 Best Anime Movies that will make you cry on Netflix

In this article we talk about the 10 best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix.

You’re all aware that most anime films contain numerous emotional, sentimental, and heartfelt moments. We can sometimes connect with them and relate to their experiences with our own, which causes us to cry. There are many anime series that are full of emotions and life lessons, but we don’t have a lot of time to watch long-running series. That’s why we enjoyed watching anime movies and felt the same way the anime series did. This article will tell you about the top 10 best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix. All of these movies are available and easy to stream in high quality on Netflix.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix.

10. Garden Of Words

Garden of Words is a 46-minute long running drama film that was created by Makoto Shinkai. Studio CoMix Wave Films animated this beautiful and heart-touching movie in 2013. This movie depicts how people evolve in an odd and disconnected manner, regardless of their age. Sometimes adults may also feel less mature than teenagers.

This film follows the stories of Takao Akizuki, a 15-year-old student, and Yukari Yukino, a 27-year-old working woman. Takao frequently skips his school’s classes in order to sketch shoe designs in Shinjuku Gyoen’s garden. Yukari also avoided her office work and spent her time in the same garden.

Takao gradually began to talk to her about his love of shoes and even offered her a pair. While Yukari refuses to reveal anything about herself, including her own name. Following that, a lot of things happened in between them that changed your perspective on maturity. Well, I’m not going to tell you that. C’mon, put in some effort and find out for yourself by watching this, one of the best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix.

9. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Anohana: The flower we saw that day is a 99-minute coming-of-age film. Super Peace Busters, a trio of three artists composed of Tatsuyuki Nagai, Mari Okada, and Masayoshi Tanaka, made this fantastic film. This film was brilliantly animated by Studio A-1 Pictures in 2013. It demonstrated true friendship and an unbreakable bond between childhood friends which make it one of the best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix.

This film tells the story of six childhood friends who attended the same grade school. But, following the untimely death of one of their friends, Menma, they are all separated from one another. Jinta Yadomi, the group’s leader, dropped out of high school and lived as a loner for the next five years.

One day, the ghost of Menma appears in front of Jinta and requests a favour in order to grant her wish. She also claims that if she does not fulfil her dream, she will be unable to enter the afterlife. Jinta decides to assist her and gathers all four of her childhood friends. They all went through several emotional experiences and formed a strong friendship bond with one another. All of these events are fascinating, and I don’t want to ruin them. Rather than searching the internet, watch this movie and figure it out for yourself.

8. Children Who Chase Lost Voices

Children Who Chase Lost Voices is also known as “Journey to Agartha.” This 116-minute adventure film was created by the most popular director, Makoto Shinkai. This film was animated by Studio CoMix Wave Films and released in 2011. Due to its great and wonderful world building and plot, it became one of the best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix.

This movie depicts the story of a young girl named Asuna Watase who attends an elementary school. She lives with her pet cat, Mimi, and spends her spare time listening to the mysterious music emanating from the whisker receiver. One day, she was attacked by a terrifying creature, but a teenage boy named Shun saved her. Shun informs her that he is not from their world and that he has come from Agartha, the land of the dead, to find something.

The next morning, Shuns was found dead in the river, which Asuna did not believe. Asuna then hears the word Agartha from Morisaki, her teacher. After that they both decided to travel to Agartha via the gate of life and death in order to resurrect Morisaki’s wife’s soul. They saw many mysterious things on their journey that we can only imagine. This film delves into the afterlife things and vibes that we only experience at the end of our lives. So hurry up and watch this amazing film.

7. Flavour of Youth

Flavors of Youth is a 75-minute Japanese-Chinese drama film made up of three short films. This fantastic film features three incredible short films: The Rice Noodles, A Little Fashion Show, and Love in Shanghai. All three films have distinct plots and themes, as well as incredible emotional and heart-wrenching movements. That’s why this film is known as one of the best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix. In 2018, two well-known studios, CoMix Wave Films and Haoliners Animation League, animated this film.

The story of the Rice Noodles depicts our underlying affection for our hometown. It also perfectly depicts how we feel when we leave our hometown and move to the city for school or work. “A Little Fashion Show,” the second story, depicts the love and closeness between two sisters. Yi Lin is an older sister who is a model, and Lulu is a younger sister who is a fashion designer. Lulu decided to become a fashion designer in order to assist her sister in her modelling career. They are always supportive of one another and live happily together.

The last story, Love in Shanghai, beautifully depicts a childhood romantic relationship. Li Mo is a young boy who is not good in academics at school, whereas Xiao Yu is a lovely girl who is an excellent scholar in school. They are more than friends, and they have always wanted to live together.

As a result, there are many worries regarding whether they will be able to live together despite their significant academic differences. You already know what you need to do to find out. So hurry up and see this amazing movie.

6. 5 cm per second

5 Centimeters per Second is a romantic anime movie that was created by Makoto Shinkai. CoMix Wave Films developed this lively animated film in 2007. This film depicts three major phases in Takaki Tono’s life: Cherry Blossom, Cosmonaut, and 5 Centimeters per Second. In each phase, it depicts Takaki’s relationship with the girls around him.

In the first phase, Cherry Blossom depicts Takaki’s elementary school life. He is very close and has a strong friendship with Akari Shinohara. They both have a lot in common and have a similar attitude. After graduation from elementary school, they separated from each other. In the second phase, Cosmonaut shows Takaki’s senior high school life. Takaki’s classmate, Kanae Sumida, has a love feeling for him but has never had the courage to confess it to them. Because she knows that he is looking for another person and decides not to say anything to him. 

In the last period, 5 Centimeters per Second, Takaki became a programmer in Tokyo. He became depressed and resigned from his job after learning about Akari’s marriage to another guy. They both begin a dual narration in which they both recall a recent dream in which they both saw the cherry blossoms together.

This film is filled with emotional and lovely moments that will keep you hooked until the end. That’s why this film is known as one of the best anime movies that will make you cry on Netflix. I strongly advise you to watch this beautiful romantic film in order to understand the true meaning of love.

Click here to read more

[ellarotteveeldesignresearch]

Did social injustices and political issues influence the Psychedelic design movement of the 1960′s?

Main Points:

Point 1: Societal views: Opposing views on issues such as the Vietnam War, feminism and the Civil rights movement - how the ‘peace movement’ came about.

Point 2: Hippie’s alternative view. Why create psychedelic posters? How they were seen as a form of counterculture/ anti-government due to their association with psychedelics. Why did all of these designs become a counterculture movement? How this related to the underground print movement.

Point 3: Psychedelic movement, rock music, fashion and culture and how ‘listening’ to these countercultural posters were seen as passing ‘a visual acid test’ to enlightenment. How this relates to/ influenced future and current day design.

More Resources:

Resource 1

Out Come the Freaks: The Emergence of the Psychedelic Underground

Ian Lowey and Suzy Prince, Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2014

Link: https://www-bloomsburydesignlibrary-com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/encyclopedia-chapter?docid=b-9781474293914&tocid=b-9781474293914-chapter2&pdfid=9781474293914.ch-002.pdf

Main Messages:

- Examining the pop cultural underground of teenagers, hippies, young intellectuals and commercial pop. Influence of Aubrey Beardsley.

- ‘the Underground is the first of the pop explosions to have evolved a specifically graphic means of expression’ ( The Observer, 1967). Pop/ Rock LP cover and concert poster as main forms of media. 

- Hapshash and the Coloured Coat and Martin Sharp as poster artists and record cover designers during ‘The Summer of Love’

- Psychedelic posters made ‘most contemporary commercial advertising look both uninventive and sloppy’ and were ‘not so much a means of broadcasting information as a way of advertising a trip to an artificial paradise’ ( The Observer, 1967).

- Swiss-modernist design was very common at the time (prior to the psychedelic movement)

- The idea of psychedelic posters being alienating to people who weren’t already on their experiential message level.

- Psychedelic club ‘UFO’. Art nouveau and fairytale illustration influencing design for these events.

- Underground print press and comix created from hippie counterculture used psychedelic design also 

- ‘the nature-loving flower-power generation arose as a reaction against the increasingly technocratic nature of Western society, which they saw as reaching its logical conclusion in the kind of industrialised warfare that was characteristic of the American military campaign in Vietnam’; appealing to those consuming psychedelics at the time.

- ‘psychedelic experience directly together with Western Victoriana as having a more immediate impact on the flowing aesthetic of the psychedelic poster.’

- Artists had the ‘intent on giving visual expression to the subcultural scenes in which they were immersed.’

- Colour theory of Josef Albers on Victor Moscoso. The ‘Big Five’ creating most of the concert and event posters in their area.

- Mouse studios; satirical work

- Wilsons work influencing future rock poster design

- Op art influencing hippie art

- Psychedelic design switching to a design style for aesthetics over psychedelic experience.

- ‘the psychedelic concert poster as the visual encapsulation of the acid experience.’

Resource 2

Print and Protest in the Disunited States

David Crowley, 2009

Link: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHioQh6vaQ1f_660avHqehX5LEStxh3GpqBCg7yJ_AGctQHveBRJ7_J33_hsGryMzIxwAAAA4jCB3wYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHRMIHOAgEAMIHIBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDM6Ljtt8Zmcqa-qt2gIBEICBmizpnC1wTXh21KSnGJnoJdSPcH7qoZakfx3GQqbVu_3fhMJXmLIQFNyAv6Vx6-7KQDFySUvV-rvGziGYTmIPMyw78uoM78HDosqTMw1Wea90QyTGjzBXRF8jVovlIIpCUDsR1hO8HjuTonIUDN_y256fty-G0GVYVZUhkOMhyedN4QspRERI3cq6disLn_iQTrm9zgwGfhmTdBs=

Main Messages:

- Protests were considered ‘un-American’ activities

- Posters for political activism and protest were often involved with labour and wages (e.g. the grape growers denying minimum wage to their farm workers)

- Psychedelia being rare amongst these designs, with low-tech character designs being more striking

- Cortez + linocuts

- Looking into the present and future; posters being a thing of the past, more people use their phones, is the poster method still effective in current day society? Globalization

Images:

Andre Psychedelic, Shepard Fairey, 1989

Obey -- Make Art Not War, Sheperd Fairey, 2019

Grateful Dead, Wes Wilson, 1967

Junior Wells and his Chicago Blues Band, Victor Moscoso, 1966

[oosteven-universe]

Chasing the Dragon #5

Chasing the Dragon #5 Magma Comix/Heavy Metal Comics 2021 Written by Denton J. Tipton Illustrated by Menton3 Lettered by Gilberto Lazcano    Explore a dark fantasy world ravaged by the rampant abuse of a drug made from the blood of dragons. The fatal, final faceoff between alchemical forces arrives, with the fate of Obsidian Bay hanging in the balance!    I’m such a fan of this story.  It has been this ethereal and oddly romantic story where the two escaped slaves find solace in each other's company as they break the bonds of addiction.  Of course that’s an oversimplification of the story but its essence is right there.  With the truth of their former mistress having been learned and taking on a new visage and having truths revealed about each other than they’d dare to have hoped, which after that reveal I was more shocked than anything and considering all we’ve seen that’s saying something.  Denton really went and threw any kind of rulebook, if ever there was one, out the window and let the story be taken where it wanted to go.  It is impressive in that manner and I have to say that I fully enjoyed this more because of how I feel this is being told.      I really am enjoying the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a marvellous job in fleshing them out.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story as it rockets towards its conclusion the more I actually want to see.    I’m pretty impressed with how we see this being structured and how the layers continue to grow, evolve and strengthen.  How the revelations and the twists and turns that happen along the way seem to play themselves out and come in such a way that they add such great depth, dimension and complexity is phenomenal.  For me this feels only like the beginning and now that we’ve been introduced to this world it still has so much to offer and we’ve only scratched a little corner of the itch it left us.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably achieved.    The interiors here have been so quintessential Menton3 in how they look and they evoke feelings and emotions out of the reader.  The work is exquisite, it truly is.  For one of those rare instances it’s all about the overall imagery and I'm okay with the mood, tone and feel without all the backgrounds being utilised.  We still get this marvellous depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is brilliantly rendered through how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work.  There are times the work is romanticised and others downright creepy and yet there’s still this majesty to the work that feels so elegant and regal it’s stupendous.  That two-page spread with all the brightness that we see is utterly mesmerising and counterbalances that darkness perfectly. ​    This is a gorgeous book and you’d be hard pressed to find what niche it belongs to, making it a one-of-a-kind unique experience.  With such amazing writing & characterisation wrapped up in these fantasy fuelled interiors be prepared for the unexpected.

[eyegiene]

Happy Hour starts tomorrow at 4pm—pull up a chair, hoist a tankard of your favorite adult beverage, fire up that internet gizmo, and listen in—toss no virtual tomatoes! update! DAY 4: Wednesday, September 16 Comics and the Classroom (Live panel discussion) 4PM – 5PM PDT Moderated by Dr. Theresa Rojas Panelists: Kathryn Blackmer-Reyes, Christopher Gonzalez, and William Nericcio Classrooms around the world experience the benefits of studying visual and textual culture together. Comics, one of the best examples of this intersection, offer unlimited opportunities for critical thinking and storytelling. Theresa Rojas (Professor, Modesto Junior College) moderates this panel discussion on comics and the classroom, featuring panelists Christopher Gonzalez (Professor, Utah State University), Kathryn Blackmer Reyes (Librarian, San Jose State University), and William Nericcio (Professor, San Diego State University). Registration Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MbTyo63nQIyrKaMXmTIeYA ------------------ More comics fun on the horizon! #mextasy #comics #comix main event website: thelatinocomicsexpo.blogspot.com Presented by Hyundai Additional Support provided by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation, Robert Gumbiner Foundation, City of Long Beach, Arts Council of Long Beach #LatinoComicsExpo #MOLAA #MolaaEnCasa #LCXWorldwide #LCX2020 Please also tag us: @molaaart #mextasy https://www.instagram.com/p/CFLc4eJALbl/?igshid=hjqooetyu0lg

[claycomix]

depression comix #448

To see the comic on the depression comix site, click here.

Recently I’ve had to go back on medication so that event inspired this. This may not be everyone’s experience but when I’m depressed I have ideas but I lack the energy and motivation to put them down, but on medication it’s hard to get inspired by stuff when you do have the energy to do it. I like these simple strips with few words but get the point across, they’re hard to do because the comparison has to be clear. But they’re great when they work.

View Original Post: https://wp.me/p3KYMB-pfv

[the-everqueen]

“Rose and the Corinthian are both people who need care, in different but complimentary ways, and i think that's part of what fascinates me about pairing them.”

I would say this ask is more of a “Thoughts on Corirose” one, based on your excellent quote/response here from LA Guard Dog part 1 👀

i do not remember saying this, which is funny to me because looking back at my comment replies on that fic, i was clearly burned out from final year of grad school. i'm way more loquacious now that my brain isn't running on fumes and spite. but i DO remember how much i appreciated each comment; those ao3 notifications in my inbox were little sparks of delight amid rejection emails and, later, a wave of onboarding paperwork.

anyways i stand by past me's words. i feel like fandom downplays how much Rose has lost: she's a young adult from a broken home, her mom died and left her with limited material resources to start her own life, she met Unity and then almost immediately lost her, she got her brother back but only after he's been through hell, and now she's his only living guardian. she's never really had a childhood. so it makes sense, to me, that deep down she'd really want to be cared for. she had to be The Responsible One with Lyta, with Jed, with the Endless. when is someone going to watch out for her? and yeah, the implication at the end of s1 is that she has this whole found family who are invested in her, but caring about someone is different from caring for them. also accepting care from people you feel have already given you a lot can be difficult when you're used to being self-sufficient and circumstances have taught you that the only person you can really trust to stick around is yourself. i skip ahead to post-comix in LA guard dog, but even with some distance from the events of the Doll's House arc, she's still a mid-20s woman in a parental role for a traumatized preteen. that's a lot for someone who isn't also a daughter of the Endless and the only remaining adult of her human bloodline.

enter the Corinthian. he's useful for Rose in a few ways: he can't die, he can shoulder some of the responsibilities involved with raising a kid (at very least the stuff that takes minimal skill but maximum brain space, like school schedules and chores and packing lunch). also he's an utter hedonist, which is great for getting Rose acclimated to the idea of having things she likes rather than just what she needs. look, he wanted a fancy coffee so he got her this fancy floral pastry. extrapolating from the comix (including the dreaming run, but i'm cherry picking there), he's very much a person who shows feeling through action, even when that's at direct contradiction with his words. and that's great for Rose, who i imagine has had a lot of people say nice things to her and then utterly fail to show up for her in the ways that matter.

i'm talking about him like he's a tool, which admittedly is how Dream still conceptualizes him to some degree in this au. but he's aware this time around that's not what the Corinthian needs, hence giving him to Rose. i don't know that Rose can think of the Corinthian as an object, based on her experiences and who she is as a person. Rose imagines possibilities that Morpheus could not. so her idea of care for a Nightmare looks different, too, and the crux of the LA guard fic pt. 2 is the question "is that enough?" idk! but i think it matters to the Corinthian. there's a moment in the dreaming comix, during Coco's Year As A Real Boy, where he muses that his bf Sila has become more than a distraction to him--i think someone seeing the Corinthian as a person, beyond his function as a mirror (aka what he can do for/to them), is the realization of a story he's been telling himself for a long time. about him and the Dreaming, about him and Dream.

tl;dr: Coco and Rose are both people who have been positioned as non-subjects in their respective worlds and that means they're both weirdly able to affirm each other's subjectivity.

[buzzdixonwriter]

Trigger Warnings

Recently on my Facebook page someone took me to task who was triggered by a political cartoon I shared.

The cartoon showed the symbol of Justice being held down and muffled by the arms of a male figure. 

Before we go further, let me state there is no judgment to be passed on the person who was triggered.

They have a personal history that explains why the image would trigger them.  Their reaction is not to be evaluated:  It happened, and it needs to be acknowledged.

And while I don’t think the image crossed the line and serves a greater good as a warning against an onrushing authoritarian mindset (elsewise I wouldn’t have shared it), to the person in question my motives and rationales don’t matter.

They saw something that reminded them of trauma in their past and it hurt them.

To have caused that hurt, even unintentionally, is something I regret and apologize for.

. . .

I belong to a writers’ group that meets once a week at a local bookstore.

It’s a good group, although last year it was an even better group.

I’ll explain.

While no one is compelled to participate, those who bring something to share with the group typically read it aloud at the table.

Mind you, we’re literally in the middle of the bookstore as we do this.  They’re open for business and customers of all ages are coming and going until the store closes and the writers’ group ends at 8pm.

While the group’s membership has always been elastic, with new members joining and old ones leaving for whatever reason, our core group numbered around ten, divided roughly evenly among those who identified as female, those who identified as male, and those who identified as non-binary.

[SIDEBAR: At this point I have lost those who read the first block above and decided I was an unrepentant sexist because I didn’t retract what I posted even though I expressed regret for causing hurt, and now those who assumed I was going to stand up to what they consider “political correctness”.  

So be it.

I am a writer, and a writer faces two primary charges:  Know thyself and To thine own self be true.

To know one’s self means to constantly be questioning and re-examining one’s presumptions, weighing them against new knowledge and experience.

To be true to one’s self means not to compromise that self-knowledge in a desire to please others.

I write for an audience of one, and if I am not satisfied with what I write, of what value is your opinion?

You may very well challenge what I write after the fact and you may indeed convince me to change my mind -- it has happened -- but unless I believe in the veracity of what I write when I write it, it’s all bullshit.]

The group was very diverse in opinion / style / skill / politics.

We tacitly agreed that politics in any work read aloud would not be commented on.  

We would assess the style and technique, but never challenge a writer’s personal beliefs directly.  (See above “to thine own self be true”)

We carefully and respectfully critique style and technique.  No one ever says “Your story is stupid” though they might say “It was hard to follow the characters’ motivations”.

We support other writer’s efforts even when not in our wheelhouse, and seat writers who specialize in sci-fi of a libertarian bent, old school horror, gender-bender romances, and my own off the wall material.

(The other writers are unfailingly polite and never once say, “What the hell were you thinking, Buzz?”)

And we respect of the fact not all of us write at the same skill level or the same stage of our careers; no matter, if you’re there to hone and improve your craft, we’re there to help.

But while we set no preconditions on what can / can not be read at the table, we realize a few practical real world concerns need to be addressed.

First, as mentioned we meet in a working bookstore during business hours.  Everybody from elderly retirees to grade schoolers could come in at any hour.  Being aware of our venue, if one’s material might be considered edgy, we wait until the store seems less crowded to read it or skip over the more adult / violent / gruesome parts.

(Here’s where style and technique come into play.  A traditional monster story can get away with fantasy carnage that would redline a contemporary crime story.  A non-binary romance written by someone from that background is more palatable than a similar tale written by a heterosexual for titillation.  A skillful writer can describe something in a manner that creates a vivid impression in their audience without using any explicit language.)

Second, among the table itself sit those not comfortable with certain types of stories or scenes.  We consider it good manners to offer a heads up before reading a story -- “This one is a little risqué” or “This is a crime story with some gruesome details” -- so that those who might be triggered by such material can either prepare themselves for it or, if they know they would respond poorly, leave the table while it’s read.

(Acceptable table etiquette states if one feels triggered by a story one may leave the table until it’s finished.  We view this not as a reflection on the story or writer but simply an acknowledgment of the effect of the story on the one who heard it.)

As I said, as good as the group is now, a year ago it was even better.

But then the Turdmonger showed up.

. . .

I’m going to refrain from describing the Turdmonger.  I will limit my comments on their writing to this saying it was a contemporary crime thriller.

No, I’m lying, I’ll comment further: While there certainly are real life parallels to the story being read, I personally found the style and technique laughable, sounding much more like something a 12 year old boy would write than a person my age or older.

And by this I don’t mean that the sentence structure and story flow felt awkward (though that argument certainly could be made) but that the crimes were described at a 12 year old’s level of sophistication and titillation, not the way a mature adult would be expected to approach the material.

Soon-ok watches murder mysteries and crime documentaries and shows like Forensic Files all the time and I know there are myriad means of conveying brutal / explicit information without raising a typical audience’s “ick!’ factor, much less actually triggering someone susceptible.

The Turdmonger triggered quite a few people their first time reading at the table, but despite being upset those writers felt willing to count it as simply the Turdmonger’s ignorance of the table guidelines.

We clued the Turdmonger in and asked for warnings in the future; the Turdmonger agreed to do so.

Next time the Turdmonger read, same problem.  No warning, then =boom!= -- really rough stuff.

People looked visibly distressed when the Turdmonger did this.  Again, we requested the Turdmonger give a warning or better yet, bring copies for those of us willing to read their work and provide feedback.  (IIRC, mostly the male readers volunteered to expose ourselves to this, though one or two female or non-binary writers may have done so as well.)

So, problem solved, yes?

No.

The next time the Turdmonger appeared, back to their old tricks.  Now people looked more than a little upset.

They saw this not as a simple mistake, but a deliberate pattern.

The Turdmonger got cautioned yet again on appropriate for table read etiquette.

Despite that, the Turdmonger seemed unable to grasp female and non-binary writers writing about their own traumatic experiences could do so with far greater authority than the Turdmonger.

First off, they always prefaced their reading with a trigger warning, and they always kept an eye on the venue, careful not to continue reading when children or people who might be offended came within earshot.

Second, they wrote from the point of view of someone who actually suffered significant trauma in their past, and wrote not so much to titillate or entertain as to exorcise demons of their own.

Because of my personal schedule, I’m frequently the first person to bolt out of the bookstore when the table ends at 8pm.

As a result I wasn’t privy to discussions some table members had after the store closed.

While I knew the Turdmonger’s readings upset many of them, I wasn’t aware how deep and how painful their trauma went.

Events conspired against me and I missed a couple of meetings.  When I returned, the table felt on edge.  

The Turdmonger returned the previous week and read a new story, one that by all accounts sounded deliberately crafted to spit in the face of those who asked for trigger warnings.

The Turdmonger appears to have gotten their jollies out of tormenting those who felt triggered.

That’s why the Turdmonger never brought more copies for volunteers to read; by and large we were somewhat older, somewhat more seasoned, certainly less likely to be triggered by their clumsy attempts at provocation.

(I mean, geeze, I was an editor at Penthouse Comix and wrote for The Little Clowns Of Happy Town; there are no horrors left to make me blanch.)

I’ll spare the he / she / they said of that meeting, mostly because it would not be fair for me to try to summarize the various divergent opinions, but also because it serves no purpose in this narrative.

The Turdmonger achieved their desired result.  The writers’ group split up, with roughly a third staying with the original group, and the bulk of the rest -- mostly female and non-binary writers -- forming a new group.

Which is a pity, because several of them were among the best and most insightful writers in the group.

. . . 

The bookstore writers’ group still meets, and we’re slowing rebuilding our ranks.

We lost many of our best members, and I’m saddened by that:  They truly contributed great insights to the table.

The Turdmonger, achievement unlocked, never came back.

I would love to have the Turdmonger return…just once.

At the table and at other venues such as conventions, etc., I am very judicious in my feedback.

Not everybody operates at the same level, and while I might point out areas where a writer or artist can work to improve their craft, I will never be cruel or dismissive.

But if I am being paid as an editor and you are being paid as a writer and you turn in a sub-par piece of crap, I will rip out your heart and shit in the hole.

Promise.

That’s what you get for disrespecting my craft.

And oh, dear Turdmonger, how I hope you come back just one time.

One time is all that I will need.

. . . 

Last week a writer who is a mom came to our table for the first time with her 14 year old daughter in tow (I’m guessing 14; definitely under 16).

The story I planned to read that night featured a 14 year old schoolgirl getting comeuppance on an obnoxious boy her age.

Some might call it risqué’ but I carefully avoided anything explicit and kept the style and tone down to a PG-13 level.

But still…the daughter’s first visit to the table, and she’s subjected to a story she might find (a) embarrassing if not (b) creepy?

So I said I would shelve the story until a later time.

Fortunately, that later time turned out to be just two hours when mom and daughter needed to leave early.

Once they left I read the story to the rest of the group.

They laughed.  They found it entertaining.  They agreed I didn’t cross any lines.

But they also thought I made a damn good choice in not reading it in front of the girl and her mom.

Now it’s not impossible that after I sell the story and it’s published, the girl may find it and read it herself, and in the privacy of that read (as opposed to being trapped at a table with a bunch of adults) find it cute and funny and get a kick out of it.

Or she might ask, “What the hell were you thinking?”

To which I would say:   “Child, get in line…”

. . .

So back to my Facebook post, the one that unfortunately triggered a person through no fault of their own.

A few days ago I posted on colonialism, and how it affected our storytelling over the last five centuries.

I approached the topic from the angle of old pulp magazines, citing with deliberate vagueness how they frequently featured damsels in distress and / or the evil “Other” on their covers.

When I wanted to find art to highlight the post, I realized I couldn’t use any actual pulp covers.

Doing so would undermine the very argument I was making.

Instead I posted a Carl Barks’ Scrooge McDuck painting that spoofed the old style pulp covers.

It’s anthropomorphic ducks and pigs parodying the tropes of old adventure pulps.

You can’t successfully argue that it carries the same meaning as the original pulp covers because it displays those tropes and ridicules the reasons for them.

I mean, how seriously can you take a dance hall dame when she’s a DUCK?

(From my tenure at Penthouse, I know some people out there most certainly do get off on anthropomorphic ducks; nonetheless, they remain outliers, not the standard.)

The point of art in whatever form is to get the audience to look at something afresh, to see connections and meanings previously hidden.

I can’t fault and certainly would never blame the persons who felt triggered by the image I shared for what they felt.

That’s a wholly legitimate reaction.

It’s unlikely I’ll post something that might produce this particular trigger in the future; it’s just too specific to the political comment in question.

If I do think an image might trigger this person, I’ll make an effort to see that it doesn’t pop up on their Facebook feed.

As a writer, I keep a lot of references handy.

I’ve got a large number of medical photos that would upset a great many people.

Those will never be shared with the public at large.

I’ve got a few crime and war photos I will never share.

But you will see some old comic book and pulp covers I use for fictoids (i.e., add captions and dialog to), as well as old time magazine ads and illustrations from less enlightened eras.

You’ll also see almost everything I post along those lines either deconstructs or ironically comments on the image depicted.

I never present it as is.

So while I will take care in the future, I make no promise never to post or say things that may trigger people without warning.

What I find acceptable and appropriate clearly is not what everybody finds acceptable and appropriate.

I will promise to listen to responses, and try to learn from them.

That’s the only way I can be true to myself.

  © Buzz Dixon

[allistrations]

I finally did my first “reading” of my debut graphic novel The Lab The Escape Panel at @greenlightbklyn ! It’s a wordless book so it was a bit of an experiment but I think it werked! 🤟🏻 Thank you so much @mkupperman for hosting the event!! 👍🏻🍷🤭I’ll definitley try to do a silent reading again soon and thank you to everyone who came out!!! Thank you @sowhatpress for the photos😆! #debutbook #debutgraphicnovel #graphicnovel #comic #comics #comix #comicreading #comicsrule #comicbooks #comicart #comicbookart #comicbookartist #graphicnovels #graphicnovelist #omg #silentreading #iwassonervous #ithinkitworked #thankyou (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B82jnOAjP8v/?igshid=kfyri6jn5kvd

[comixexperience]

We’re so excited for the Doom Patrol book club meeting/signing with Gerard Way and @nickderington in June that we decided to get our storefront ready a little early!

more info: http://www.comixexperience.com/way.html

amazing window design by @jooliefiveash and @honeymungerdontcare

[nuthingoodat4]

Short Run Comix Arts Festival Seattle 2019

You know how you don’t realize you’re missing something until  you get it? That was the exact feeling I had during and after my experience at Short Run Comix Arts festival Seattle. First I didn’t realize how badly I needed the 19 hour plus train ride to just sit and be,relax and take in the beautiful scenery of Northern California, Oregon forest and Washington state countryside. I just didn’t imagine that I would enjoy letting someone else get me to my destination. If you know me then you’d realize I don’t like flying and I drive to comics shows and I get nervous letting others take the wheel but I digress.

The train ride to Seattle was cool and all but I truly wasn’t ready for how lovely Seattle is and how colorful the trees and water and public art on buildings and huge statues brought an pop culture but refined urbane energy to the city. I arrived a day early to rest and check out the tourist areas. It was funny how the brief mist and fog of Friday morning gave the streets an oddly cheerful autumn almost Holiday vibe. I got a chance to check out the Public Market well known for Pikes fish where they throw the fish out to ya and walk around to the sea port side of the market to relax in the sun. I am always nervous before events so this was a great chance get my mind off of the next day.

I created a mini comic in the hotel and found a Staples to have a few copies made, turned out that I didn’t have enough room on my table to display it so I’ll probably give a few away at upcoming shows. It’s just a one page folded mini about a Unicorn that likes pizza. LOL. As a said I’m always super anxious about comics/zine events so got up early Saturday and of course it was raining. Hello Seattle. I’m not sure if the Lyft driver was new to the city or I just didn’t put in the correct destination but we got lost. He unceremoniously dropped me off about 3-4 blocks from the venue on the other side of the Seattle center. Did I mention it was raining? on me and my rolling bag full of paper comics? and there was a mega hill of grass and random buildings between me and the venue? So after getting another Lyft and after asking 2-3 people on the street and then a guard/valet for the Seattle center we found the Fisher Pavilion. Thank God I gave myself an hour to find the place, well because turns out a 8 minute Lyft ride would turn into a 40 minute adventure.

  After entering the Fisher Pavilion and entering a big hall set up with rows and rows of tables, I  don’t know what I was expecting but I received such a warm and welcoming greeting from “Otts” and  I immediately felt a sense of calm wash over me and gained an awesome burst of excitement. I remember thinking, “it’s gonna be okay” Thank you Otts because I’m not sure you realized how helpful and calming your positive energy was at that moment. So Thank you.

Set up was fairly quick and my table mate was very sweet James the Stanton who has amazing art and comics. Check him out here, https://gnartoons.com/

It is always nice to run into friends as well like Eunsoo Jeong, https://eunsoo.art/ and Golden,https://www.instagram.com/d.s.press/?hl=en  oh man I definitely loved seeing them and getting great big hugs. I can’t wait to catch up with them again in Oakland at Oakland creates, https://www.facebook.com/events/984791398527204/

I’m sending positive vibes to Kelsey too, https://www.instagram.com/agathafrye/?hl=en  I hope everything worked out and maybe next year I’ll table at Olympia zinefest if ya’ll will still have me.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed chatting with everyone who came by my table. I didn’t take attendee photos like I have in the past and to be honest I was so busy trying to help everyone and explain my comic and drawings that I felt like it would take away from the experience of just being in the moment and appreciating all the generous folks who spent time and energy with me. This was my first time in Seattle and my first time tabling at Short Run after several years of applying. I am so grateful. Thanks Seattle you all were amazing and I’m still smiling.

Short Run is very well organized too and I loved the name badges with my name on it and the ability to have lunch pre-ordered and available was top notch. The organizers were all so helpful and checked on me throughout the event which was very cool. Thank you so much. I didn’t get to shop although I did get to walk around a bit after quickly taking powder room breaks but man every time I returned to my table folks were waiting for me.

I look forward to tabling again in the future. I’m missing you Seattle. yep that’s me waving from California.

See ya next time!  I did take alot of photos of my trip on the train and around the city so please enjoy those photos as always on my flickr page here, https://www.flickr.com/photos/storm1sky/albums/72157711769696538

[imagecomics]

ALERT: Aleš Kot will sign THE NEW WORLD on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 from 6-8 PM at Comix Experience! #NewComicsDay #NCBD #LCS 

Details here: https://www.comixexperience.com/events/2019/1/18/ales-kot-signs-the-new-world

[oosteven-universe]

Night Hunters #3

Night Hunters #3 Floating World Comics 2021 Written by David Baker Illustrated by Alexis Ziritt Lettered by Robert Negrete    Everything goes downhill. There’s no turning back. The only answer is pick up your gun and put one foot in front of the other.    I don’t know precisely what it is about this book that I really, really like but it’s definitely there.  This is very nontraditional for my tastes and yet the story is so well written and Alexis’ interiors are so underground comix that I grew up with that I can’t escape how they make the reader feel.  This is some definitely odd stuff and that it’s set in South America kind of makes sense what with the disparity between rich and poor being what it already is, there is no real middle class to speak of mind you.  Add in the whole mechanicalized aspect, not quite cyborg but close, and things begin to really go in a direction that could make some uncomfortable and others hyper intrigued.  Either way it’s really well done to the point where you just want to know more and more about this world they all have to live in.    I really like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The whole deal with him and his father that is some heavy writing right there and leads directly into the character development.  How a man who uses a click to communicate can be so expressive through that one red eye is astonishingly unreal to me.  It is utterly fabulous and the way we see those around him are fleshed out beautifully.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we see a much fuller picture begin to take shape.    I like how this is being structured and how we see the layers within the story continue to grow, change and evolve over time.  How everything he’s done feels for naught right now, if that changes we’ll see and I hope so, is a lot of emotion coming at us.  The way everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well move the story forward is delightful to experience.    The interior artwork is super crazy.  It’s erratic, chaotic and the linework is almost all over the place and yet the amount of emotion and feeling that brings the reader is stupendous.  The composition within the panels and how backgrounds and foregrounds are utilised to bring us this depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the book is extraordinary.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling.  The colour work is nicely rendered as well.  The solid colour use like a properly packed in tattoo really makes the interiors pop.   ​    There is depth and complexity to the story that you don’t really expect to see but it is so nice and subtle that really makes for some interesting reading.  I mean that a mechanical man is taking care of his father who’s almost been replaced with mechanical parts and since he’s a cop those where he live don’t want him there.  It’s harsh, it’s raw and it is completely honest and sometimes that’s what hurts the most.  You can’t find something that has so many different aspects, techniques and things you just don’t think should work together but totally do.  This is so intelligently written with smart characterisation and some dynamic interior artwork.