#the director/producer/editors all deserve promotions

[firepony67]

Public Service Announcement -

If you haven’t watched &Team’s Aoarashi music video, you absolutely should (for your own health and happiness)!

The video and the song itself are both just unbelievably beautiful, and it somehow captures the perfect summer vibes.

[sanstropfremir]

I might just go on a huge tangent on here so I sincerely apologize, but I think this is something you've slightly touched on before, so maybe it's interesting to you? About the fact that literally Nobody on the staff/people who work behind the scenes of everything in the kpop industry are credited, mentioned or acknowledged for their work (other than, for example, the surface level “the designer deserves a raise!!!” that i so often see in mv comments :/). What I wanted to talk about specifically though is the company’s complete lack of crediting of these people?? I wanted to look into who directed this new mv that just dropped that I really liked the artistry, editing, and general composition of, but I found absolutely nothing across the group’s yt videos or their pages of who the director is, perhaps the set designer, editor, etc. Utterly taken aback, I checked the descriptions of other kpop music videos, from the most popular to more unknown groups (Twice, Dongkiz, to name a few), and again, nothing. I thought I was going insane, so I looked at mvs for like Amercian bands, and their video details are completely filled with the information of the producer, the recording studio, mixer, master, etc. etc, my point is: so much more than just the group’s twitter or merch page??? I’m like what is going on?? I noticed the kpop mv's only list licensing info at least, but so did the american ones? Idk. It’s either me not knowing where to look, or maybe I’m late to the fact that that is just how things work with kpop group companies or the industry as whole, just giving you no details as to who the hell else worked on this mv or song. I love my biases and appreciate their contributions, but I do not buy for a second that, more often than not, they wrote or produced or mixed absolutely nothing. I think it’s a huge shame that this is done because it reinforces the false idea that the idols are the ones responsible for everything we’re seeing and listening to. Maybe that’s the point, and that’s exactly what the industry wants you to believe, which that just makes it really sad. (Wait also maybe it all gets hidden because its work for hire or the companies buy ownership copyright...)

so i want to clarify some things for you, from the perspective of someone who works in the arts industry. firstly, and most importantly: visible credits exist in western filmic media because of unions. and there are still a LOT of fields that are not unionized. for thousands of years it was fundamentally understood that no performance based art form was done singularly by an individual, so there was often not a reason for there to be 'credits' in the first place. the whole assuming the face of the project is the person who did the most work thing? that's a very new phenomenon in the history of art, and it's capitalism's fault.

secondly: um. you are definitely not looking in the right places bc people are ABSOLUTELY credited? especially music production staff? i guess if you only look at a music video then sure yea there's not always credits there, but companies literally release tracklists and highlight medleys on their main social medias AS PROMOTION that have LISTS of their arrangers and composers. hell, tan's most recent tracklist has their fucking midi programmer on it????

also..............the fucking ALBUMS HAVE CREDITS IN THEM. i can't believe i have to say this but THE ALBUMS ARE THE MAIN PRODUCT AND THEY HAVE PAGES OF CREDITS IN THEM. i...????

like???

i got addy (@hoforwonho) to send these to me, these are from a lucy album and nayeon's album, and they literally have pages of credits???

lastly, and most importantly: the only people who are being 'fooled' into thinking that idols are 'producing' most of the content are western fans. because that is the stereotype promoted BY THE WESTERN MUSIC INDUSTRY. so that is the lens through which you view the korean music industry. koreans and korean fans are well aware that idols do not produce their own artistic content, there is quite literally a stigma around idols in sk about how they are not viewed as artists SPECIFICALLY because of this. gdragon and jonghyun were HUGE deals for being some of the first idol producers + songwriters. music is a huge part of the korean entertainment industry and people who make music are very much a visible part of it. kim eana is a very famous lyricist and she has a popular radio show. kbs just did a whole competition show featuring producers as the contestants. companies are not required to put credits in music videos because music videos are only one part of a kpop cb, and they are also not obligated to put those credits in english. just because you can't find something doesn't mean that it doesn't exist and the whole industry is at fault for it.

[felassan]

Highlights and insights from the MELE launch cast & crew reunion panel

[rewatch link] [highlights & insights from the N7 Day 2020 reunion]

In case a text format is better for anyone (in terms of accessibility for example). Cut for length.

Some paraphrasing.

If anyone’s interested in just the line-reading session, it starts at timestamp ~1:04:45.

In addition to the cast and crew from the N7 Day reunion, at this reunion also in attendance were: 

Mac Walters (Project Director for MELE, Lead Writer of the og MET)

Melanie Faulknor (Lead Producer for MELE)

Crystal McCord (Producer for MELE)

Fred Tatasciore (Saren)

Seth Green (Joker)

Kimberly Brooks (Ash)

Ash Sroka (Tali)

This was the biggest reunion / meetup of the cast so far, and some of the cast and crew were meeting for the first time here.

It’s been so long since the og MET that PW & KW are getting to watch their kids experience playing it for the first time

JHale doesn’t play but since MELE she’s been sneaking around Twitch jumping into peoples’ MELE livestreams to lurk, watch and comment a bit

What drew Seth to the character of Joker? The whole concept of the game. He likes games and MET’s mechanics (different trees of adventure, stacking reputation, choices carrying between games) at the time were the most sophisticated that he’d ever heard pitched. He thought this was new and exciting and wanted to be a part of it. For the character they cast him based on his personality traits (i.e. he sounds quite similar to Joker personality-wise)

Would Seth ever want to play Joker again if the opportunity presented itself? Sure, he loves the character, and if the writers ever had more things to explore/expand with Joker he’d be down for it. 

Seth said that it’s a different kind of fan that approach him about this project. The fans have spent many many hours in an intimate exchange with “him” that he hasn’t been a part of, but they experienced it nonetheless. “I’ve hugged a lot of strangers, you know what I’m saying? It’s great, you get an interaction with fans that you never get as a performer in any other experience”

Seth has been a space guy since he was little, it inspires him

With the state of the world the way it is now [covid, masks etc], does Ash think Tali’s story will be more impactful now than it was before? Ash hopes so, and that anything they do here will have a positive impact on a bigger level. Ultimately that’s why most of them do what they do, they want to reach people in deep ways. She hopes Tali is an inspiration in courage, bravery, standing up for what’s right and thinking about the greater good

The [MELE I think] dev team had a last team meeting with Greg Zeschuk, one of the founders of BioWare, who they had invited to it. He was regaling them with stories of the inception of Mass Effect. “You would imagine this sort of well-laid out, drawing boards everywhere... [but] it was basically just a napkin sketch in a Greek taverna with him and Casey going ‘We wanna do a space opera’, and then it took off”

The process of creating lore through development is very organic. A lot of it comes from character and story development. It builds up over the course of the game’s development. They did the codex entries at the end, the idea being that if they saved them for as late as they could, then they could pull from the story, characters and meaningful moments, and build them from there

PW wrote a bunch of the codex entries, elevator banter & lots of little bits of lore. They describe their time on the og MET as being a “baby writer”. They originally came in after Mac had back surgery and a junior writer was needed to fill in. “It was really fun, it was us sitting in a room together going ‘What do you think a hanar or a krogan thinks about this or that’?” For a first project for them this was an amazing experience - the world building itself creatively with all these awesome people

They tried to add multiplayer in every game but only got it to work in ME3

They had a lot of plots laid out in ME1 that they called “global plots”. These were outside the core critical path and would take players from planet to planet, and were sprawling stories. They pulled out a lot of really interesting concepts and ideas from these that did make it into the game, but all of the global plots ended up getting cut due to time. Mac still has old diagrams and spreadsheets which detailed how all of these would have come together

Q. If you all had to take a long-distance road-trip with two squadmates, who would you take and why? PW: “Jack and Mordin. Mordin because the drive would never lack for things to talk about at length quickly, Jack because you know you wouldn’t pay for the room. You wouldn’t know how you’d get the room, but you wouldn’t be paying for it.” Courtenay: “I’d take Mordin because there’d be singing, and FemShep just to have this thing - happen. In the room that I get for free.” JHale at this point fistpumped while saying “Yeess” [then I think what she said was “steaming hot”]

Seeing as asari are long-lived, how open is Ali to one day reprising her role as Liara? “She’s a character very close to my heart, it was such a great opportunity. In some games that we work on the character has already been created or voiced by someone else, but this was really a group effort. When I first went into the booth, the only thing I’d seen of her was a sort of like, rendering, and we slowly kind of came to her voice and presence. I would love to bring Liara back any time... hey, she can live a really long time guys. :D”

Caroline and people who do what she does (Creative Performance Director) are so critical to the quality of games. Caroline: “This group of people are extraordinary. We were lucky to have such an extraordinary cast. Every [recording] session was new and challenging. It was a labor of love. I’m tearing up right now thinking about it. I’m remembering my last session with Jen, she was the last session, just sobbing and sobbing”. When JHale was trying to say the lines of Shepard’s goodbye with Garrus, a line hit her like a tonne of bricks and she was in tears and was like “Shepard does not cry”. “It took me a second, I got it out and took another run at it, it was in there but stuffed down as it should have been, and I finished the line [and there was silence in the booth when usually Caroline would have been talking to give direction or instruction] Did we lose her? Did Skype crash?” and it transpired that what had happened was that Caroline was in floods of tears

ME was the first time Keythe had ever come across branching dialogue. “Normally when we work on a script and it’s from page 1 to 100. In this it was get to page 5, then go back to page 2 and play it a little differently. The skill and the fun and joy of it was to be able to go back and play a scene in a different way, with different writing, with different outcomes. This was not only a challenge but a real treat. So to all the writers who dreamed up how this build-your-own-adventure plays out, you have my undying respect. It was a real pleasure”

VEDA is a proprietary system that BW use to record the dialogue, which is the closest way of having it feel like having people in the booth together (it’s all digital and VAs get to hear the line someone else has done in that scene). Caroline really pushed for this because of the amount of time etc that was wasted due to lack of this sort of thing on ME1. William: “It was a god send for me, thank you, getting to hear a cue from Jen or Mark.” Ali: “Us being able to bounce off each other helps make it more real. This for me was the most real acting experience on a game I had ever had - the writing being so good, Caroline helping us through, being able to hear each other.” JHale was always early coming in to record relative to the others so only got to use VEDA a few times - a bit of Liara content and the scene with Anderson towards the end. “Those two times, oh my god it was amazing”. VEDA being a thing also helps from a scheduling standpoint

Seth and Tricia Helfer (EDI) only got to be in the booth actually together 1 time, to record/shoot a piece of promotional video. “We actually got to record a scene together and we were like ‘oh my god this is the best thing ever’. It was great, even though I had to stand on a stool. She’s the best”

Seth: “As an actor, the kind of opportunity to do this kind of material in games just didn’t exist.” Fred: “Oh, never! I had never had a villain part that was complicated like that. In a game? Never before, it was really interesting”

Raphael always goes back to the fact that ME brought more women into gaming than any other game before it. “The writing and the complexity of the relationships gave us so much ballast”. “This set this apart from running, shooting, gunning, looting”

JHale: “What I noticed in the times before when I got to be around fans, there was a huge hunger among women in the gaming world for something they could really jump into. They were starving for something which fed them what they deserved and needed”

Mac: “[praising Caroline] Caroline would often come to us as writers and challenge us and say, as an example, ‘Do we really need another male character to do this? Why are we writing another male character for this?’ She pushed that very early and to the betterment of everything we created”

PW: “Karin and Cookie and all of the editors across the trilogy, [were critical in] making sure that Shepard sounded consistent - [especially since] we had a large writing team, writers came and went, Mac is the only one with a significant writing contribution on each of the games”

PW: “[on game dev] It’s a process of getting hundreds of people pointed in the same direction, all believing that this is something worth doing”

Ash: “Having all the different possibilities and avenues, going back to play them all out in the different ways [really helped to round the character of Tali out and make her feel like a natural person]”.

VAs only get paid for the original recording sessions, not again (as in they don’t any royalties or anything from something like the remaster)

In MELE, they left all the original credits at the end of each game in

Fred: “It’s creating in five dimensions [because of all the outcomes and relationships etc]”. Seth: “The cool thing is that the audience feels that. They’re immediately struck by how dense, thought-out, prepared and planned the entire universe is”

How was it for the new MELE devs coming onto this? Crystal: “I knew it [the series and fans’ love for it] was big, but I didn’t know it was BIG! Working on MELE there was this infectious excitement. Being part of it was so exciting.” Melanie: “I came on at ME3, I had a 3 or 4 year honeymoon period with BioWare. Coming onto MELE, I’m getting really emotional. One of my first meetings originally was going into a cinematic review for an epic Tali scene in ME3”. Crystal: “On MELE, we had an hour or 2 every day where the team came together to play the game. In those reviews, a lot of the devs who worked on the original would tell all these stories. It was really fun to hear all the inside stories on ME’s creation and be a part of that”

DC: “Should this unit get vaccinated?” Ash: “Of course”

How do they think ME will be viewed in the next 10-20 years, what do they think its legacy will be? A piece of history, ground-breaking. It broke down some barriers and opened doors for people. It’s a powerful, powerful community. It’ll continue to age quite well and be enjoyed by a new generation, it’s original and evergreen and there’s a lot in it that people go back to. There’s a lot of universal things in it (personal experiences, like there will always be love, people fighting to belong, trying to make sense of their pasts etc)

JHale and Alix did the “I love you Shepard, now go save the world again” Shep-Sam exchange and both got teary. It was then Seth’s turn to line-read: “Jesus Christ, now that I’m good and choked up, fucking mess”. Ali was also actually crying from it

Seth: “It can’t be overstated, this community is so large and global, it is one of the most powerful fandoms that I’ve ever been greeted with. Thank you”. Ash: “It’s the most amazing group of fans ever. We’re all so grateful”

Some funny anecdotes/stories:

PW didn’t realize that Alix could do different accents. They remember a time when they were listening in the booth and an Alliance soldier was complaining about the gear had been given. They said “Wow that’s really good, who is that?” and the VO producer said “That’s Alix, Patrick”, “because she wasn’t doing her [normal British accent but was doing a Californian accent instead]. Alix roasted me later for not recognizing her voice and never let me heard the end of it”

Alix: “[on Sam’s toothbrush] Caroline’s like, ‘So then she pulls her toothbrush’ and I’m like ‘What? Sorry? A toothbrush?’ and obviously it’s funny now as everyone knows that Sam’s thing is her toothbrush. Caroline’s like ‘Yeah, you’ve gotta like, flirt, over the toothbrush’ and I’m like ‘Who wrote this - a frickin toothbrush, are you kidding me? Really guys?’ ANYWAY. I was wrong and it worked. :D”

Fred: “I remember a 12 year old kid coming up to me and being like [flat tone] ‘Oh yeah. I killed you’.”

Keythe: “The other assasin I play is Kellogg in Fallout 4. People come up to me like ‘Omg. I love you so much. And then I fucking KILLED you!’”

Courtenay once went out to dinner in NZ with a few prominent people from the Game of Thrones cast. “Everyone around was making a big deal out of it like ‘Omg, it’s so-and-so from GoT’. I was feeling a bit like ‘Hi, I’m here, just nobody’. And I looked around in the restaurant and there's one guy in the corner and he’s got an N7 shirt on and he’s just looking at me like [knowing look, does a peace sign]. And I’m like ‘I got one! I love you guys!’”

PW: “I have a question for the cast members, because I don’t know if JHale has done this to all of you or if she just does it to the devs. Show of hands if Jen has ever made you do push-ups.” JHale: “It’s just you guys”

Karin: “One of my favorite editing files that I ever had was a ME file. It was before Seth was coming in for a session. I opened it up and it was just 20, 25 lines with the word ‘Shit’, over and over again, and I was like, ‘This file is perfect, I don’t need to do anything to it, have fun!’”

Seth: “Didn’t we do a track that’s like 60 seconds of laughing? Escalating laughing? I don’t know about other actors but for me getting into a laughing fit is kind of like trying to get into a crying fit, it takes the same level of commitment, you start to follow a path until like you’re hysterically uncontrollably laughing. I remember looking through the glass, and I’m deep in it at this point, and I make eye contact, and I can see from the other side of the booth and they’re like [making ‘okay you can stop’ now gestures] - ‘Like that’s plenty, we got it’ and I was like ‘okay, okay [dying]’”

JHale: “The craziest thing Mark and I had to deal with was how many times we had to say ‘I should go’”. Mark: “We also, Caroline and I tended to use that as short hand when I needed to go to the bathroom”

The panel host: “The first time I interviewed Ali was a decade ago. She did the ‘I’ll flay you alive with my mind’ line halfway through, it was my first interview and I literally fell out of my seat [from being star-struck]”

Ash line-read Tali’s drunk omni-tattoo scene and in response DC said “I totally get why people wanna romanticize all these characters :D”. Karin: “We’ve had more than one person come up to us and show us actual tattoos that looked like that”

[source]

[kuramirocket]

Sonia Gutierrez dreamed of returning to her hometown of Denver as a television reporter for the city's defining news station: KUSA 9News. When she finally achieved it, however, it came at too steep a cost, she says.

Gutierrez says she was told that she could report on immigration, an issue about which she cares deeply, but only if she were to state her own immigration status on air in every story on the subject.

"I was put in a box simply for who I am," Gutierrez says.

She had never tried to hide that her parents had brought her as a baby from Mexico without documentation. But Gutierrez, 30, says she balked at the station's directive. She was told she could continue pitching stories about immigration, but, she says, she was asked to pass off her ideas and sources to other reporters.

Gutierrez is no longer with KUSA. Nor are two other Latina reporters. One had pushed editors to involve Black and Latino colleagues in more decisions about news coverage. The other's contract was not renewed five months after she had returned after having a stroke. She, too, had challenged station leaders on how they cover issues affecting Latinos in Colorado.

Over the course of a year, from March 2020 to March 2021, KUSA allowed each of the women's contracts to lapse without renewal, the way television stations typically part with their journalists.

"It is racist to require a Latino reporter, a Hispanic reporter, to disclose their own immigration status [to viewers] before reporting on immigration," says Julio-César Chávez, the vice president of National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

The outcry has focused an unwanted glare on Tegna, one of the nation's largest and most prominent owners of local television stations, just as the company faces claims of racial bias from a dissident investor.

"9News is the market leader in Denver and has been for decades," KUSA news director Megan Jurgemeyer says, "Having worked at another station in town, it was always viewed as the top competition and who we wanted to beat."

9News is unusually woven into the fabric of its parent company. Tegna's CEO Dave Lougee used to be the station's news director. KUSA's general manager, Mark Cornetta, is also the executive vice president of Tegna Media, the company's local television division. And Patti Dennis, a Tegna vice president and director of recruitment, is herself a former KUSA news director who still works out of the station's main building in Denver. All three are white, as are Jurgemeyer and Ryan.

Parent company faces its own issues with race

Tegna faces its own allegations of racial bias. An activist hedge fund, Standard General LP, recently nominated rival directors, saying it wanted to diversify the company's largely white board. 

In an April federal securities filing, Standard General accused Tegna of racist practices stretching back years.

In 2019, a sports anchor at the company's Phoenix station accused its general manager — recently promoted from a job as KUSA's sales manager — of making "loud and unwelcome racist and sexist comments about coworkers" at a baseball game, in a civil complaint reviewed by NPR

Jamie Torres, a Denver city council member, was among the Latina state and local public officials who met twice with KUSA executives following the dismissal of the three journalists. She says the meetings left her unconvinced that there would be real progress beyond some changes in language and style.

"The conversation felt just incredibly transactional," Torres says.

And it renewed long-held frustrations: Torres says the three Latina journalists had been hired after an earlier round of discussions between the station and Denver-area Latino officials about representation at KUSA.

"Why Don't You Pitch It To Telemundo?"

While in college, Gutierrez interned at the local affiliate of the Spanish-language network Telemundo. Back then, it was housed inside KUSA's headquarters. Though owned by Tegna, KUSA is an affiliate of NBC, and Telemundo is part of NBC's parent company, Comcast.

As Gutierrez rose at Telemundo Denver, she also pitched stories to KUSA.

She says she often heard back: "That's a great story idea, why don't you pitch it to Telemundo?" Her response: KUSA also needed to serve Latino families — the ones who speak English.

"After a while, when stories wouldn't get picked up, I would just take it upon myself to do the interviews, write up a little [script] and give it to the anchors and say, 'It's done.' To the producers, 'It's done. You want it or not?' " Gutierrez says it was easier to hand off the idea fully baked.

After a stint at a station in Columbia, S.C., Gutierrez returned to KUSA as a reporter. She says KUSA leaders told her that she could be a defining person for the station, someone who would thrive there. By her telling, Gutierrez ignored the little slights that accreted.

Then, Gutierrez says, she was told she had to disclose that she had been a DREAMer, protected from deportation through the Obama-era policy called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, before she became a legal permanent resident through marriage. She didn't see why viewers needed to be told that in each of her immigration reports.

Gutierrez says she received no response when she asked for concrete examples of how her status had compromised her reporting. And when she refused to go along, Gutierrez says, she was told she would have to pass her story ideas and sources on immigration to other reporters.

"It's not like there was something wrong with me or my reporting," says Gutierrez, who left last year. "There was just something wrong with who I was — a liability to them."

Allegations of unfulfilled promises

Aguirre, 34, a Mexican-American who grew up near Midway Airport on the South Side of Chicago, says she had been inspired to become a journalist to tell stories about Latinos that were not simply about crime and immigration.

She came to Denver after being an anchor at a smaller station in Flint, Mich. 

Aguirre says she believed her pursuit of community-driven news brought value.

"I can tell a story in a much different way than a female white reporter can because I lived it. I know the questions to ask," Aguirre says.

In April 2019, Aguirre suffered a stroke that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and paralyzed her on her left side; as she built back strength and returned in the fall.

After roughly six months, as new newsroom leaders rotated in she did not return to the anchor's chair. Aguirre alleges in a formal amended complaint she filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier this year.

Aguirre left the station in March 2020. Her attorney, Iris Halpern, says the complaint is currently in mediation.

"Because they're KUSA, they can just get somebody else," Aguirre says. "They can get another Latino who fills that Brown category, who's cheaper, younger, greener and more afraid to ask any questions. Although I was recovering [from the stroke], I was still that woman who would push back. So I'd be in those meetings and I would ask 'Why?' "

"I was instructed not to wear my hair in a bun"

After two years as a reporter in Bakersfield, Calif., Lori Lizarraga says, she was told by 9News that she would be an asset and she joined the station. 

Lizarraga, whose mother was born in Ecuador and whose father is first generation Mexican-American, remembers saying, "'My voice will never track this [the word illegal] slew of words." She says she ended up shying away from stories involving immigration.

Lizarraga recalls even having her hairstyles vetoed. She wrote in Westword, "After six months, I was instructed not to wear my hair in a bun with a middle part anymore — a style I have seen and worn as a Mexican and Ecuadorian woman all my life. Not a good look, I was told."

"We Would Have Had Reporters On Every Corner"

Lizarraga, who left in March, says she hit an inflection point early last year. Colorado state regulators had just announced a record fine against a Canadian energy giant whose plant had been polluting nearby neighborhoods for years. She read up on it as she raced with a colleague in the official KUSA 9News van to the press conference.

"Ash was falling from the sky onto people's cars and yards and playgrounds," Lizarraga recalls. "Water was impacted."

She was struck by something else: The communities affected were heavily Latino. Yet, she says, state regulators had not consulted with those communities or even put out information in Spanish. And back in the newsroom, she says, producers focused solely on the size of the fine — potentially up to $9 million.

"I was very upset and I said, 'You know, if this were a community in a ZIP code just up the street with a different demographic, we would have had reporters on every corner ' " to interview residents, Lizarraga says. "And because this is a Spanish-speaking, low-income, largely immigrant community, we don't have an interest. We are choosing what is newsworthy based on what you care to talk about, not what is actually newsworthy."

"We have to confront management"

At KUSA, Lizarraga says supervisors resented her for demanding that African American colleagues be consulted on coverage about Floyd's murder and the protests. She thought they had a right to weigh in on questions such as: How much of the video of Floyd's death should be shown? When and if the word "riot" was appropriate? How much coverage should there be of police tactics?

Lizarraga says she rallied colleagues of color to object when the station decided to stage a town hall meeting on race and equity hosted solely by a white anchor. Instead of channeling that fervor, Lizarraga says, it was largely deflected.

"We can't be exhausted, we can't be scared," Lizarraga recalled telling colleagues. "We have to confront management and tell them that we have ideas and that we deserve a spotlight right now."

Meanwhile, she says, she was not recognized for the initiative she showed, such as the data-driven pieces that officials and advocates said (in text messages reviewed by NPR) served as a road map for government agencies seeking to arrange COVID-19 testing in heavily affected Black and Latino neighborhoods.

Life after KUSA 9News

Gutierrez now works across town at Rocky Mountain PBS. Aguirre is a local news anchor and reporter in Asheville, N.C., part of a television market that is about half the size of that of Denver.

Lizarraga returned to her family home in Dallas. In late March, she published her allegations against KUSA in Westword. "What Lori Lizarraga did took a lot of courage and bravery," the NAHJ's Chávez says, singling out Gutierrez and Aguirre for praise as well. "Journalism is an industry where a lot of people are mistreated, a lot of employees are mistreated, and discriminated against, and then people simply go quiet.

"For Lori to actually tell the world how bad the situation was, how bad she was being treated and how racist some of the management policies were, that takes real courage. She put her entire career in jeopardy."

In October, the Colorado ACLU will honor the three women for "fighting discrimination in the newsroom."

[blakemetothemoon]

THIS IS GONNA BE A DOOZY HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS.

There’s been some drama going on lately between FighterTutor and SaifahZon shippers. And since this blog is considered one of the top SaifahZon blogs (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN THANK YOU!) I thought I could post something that might help everyone calm down (mainly SaifahZon shippers) and understand each other a little better, at least I hope it can!

First of all, you all know my bias LOL but I am a fan of both couples and love that their relationships are so different while both having amazing chemistry, amazing actors, and so much fucking cuteness I die every week and then am revived by cuteness only to die again. And to FighterTutor fans: I’m SO sorry you guys are getting heat for your adorable ship. You don’t deserve it!!

I wasn’t sure whether to put this behind a read more, so let me know if you guys prefer I do that!

What’s going on:

Unlike many BL dramas where it’s 1 main couple + 1-3 side couples, SaifahZon and FighterTutor are both confirmed to be main couples. This gives the impression they will share equal screentime. Since the early part of the series, people have noticed a difference in the number and length of FighterTutor vs SaifahZon. We would need a supercut of both couples for episodes 1-8 to confirm EXACTLY but after episodes 9-10, FighterTutor currently have had more screentime.

What we know:

•SaifahZon have a sex scene filmed already!! This has been confirmed by both the director and novel writer. I won’t spoil anything else about it but we know it exists! Also angst is apparently coming nooooo

• The series is NOT done filming and they are now unable to film because of the corona virus. Like many places Thailand is in quarientine and gatherings are limited. Their quarientine is only 2 weeks right now, but this could possibly go longer. We need to be patient because their health and safety is the most important thing.

•There are missing scenes for SaifahZon. This has been confirmed by numerous members of production. Plus it’s obvious when they show scenes in promotional that aren’t anywhere in the show like Zon getting the keys to the rooftop. This was shown in the teaser for episode 6, I think, then didn’t exist in the episode itself. We DID see it in the flashback in episode 10!

•Also I was watching some of the special episodes and it looks like a few FighterTutor scenes were cut as well or just haven’t been seen yet??? So it probably isn’t a bias from the production team but a matter of something else we don’t know. 

•Many of these scenes will be in the extended cut on the DVDs and digital re-release that’s up for purchase. I’m sure they will eventually make it online (not because I’m endorsing that but, y'know, this is the internet). One of these scenes is how Zon was the reason for Sai’s morning wood in episode 7 which is such *chef’s kiss*

Things that are very true:

•People are allowed to be upset. SaifahZon shippers are allowed to be upset that their ship has less screentime when it was implied it would be more equal. FighterTutor shippers are allowed to feel upset when they want to be excited about their ship’s progress, but see an endless stream of negativity towards why they’re excited. These are both okay feelings to have! But where it becomes not okay is when we insult each other. I’ve mainly been seeing this from SZ shippers which really bums me out, but there is definitely some on both sides.

•We are the audience and not the creators. Demanding a show be different before it’s even finished isn’t respectful of that. That’s what fanworks are for!

•The vast majority of SaifahZon shippers are being reasonable. But when a show is popular and the audience is huge like Why R U’s, the loud minority is going to be bigger than in other fandoms. We can’t dismiss or simply say they should be ignored because while they don’t represent the true fans, they are still being rude.

•Criticising the show in general and criticising the show AT the people involved are very different things. One is understandable and the other feels like an attack. And, as someone who has had that happen, it really sucks. I’ve seen people leaving tweets towards official accounts, the actors, and other people involved in production that are very much attacking them. Reality and fiction are different which Zon is very much trying to teach us 😂

What can we do?

•Be kind. Don’t tag FighterTutor shippers in posts criticising the ship or simply being negative about it. Don’t reply to excited tweets about FighterTutor with why you’re bummed we haven’t gotten more SaifahZon. FighterTutor fans, try and understand why SaifahZon shippers are sad about what’s going on.

•Call out the shippers who are being toxic. We may ship different couples but we are all part of the Why R U family and the fandom can be lovely if we defend and protect each other against bad apples.

•And most importantly: Show our support for everyone involved in the show. They’ve poured their hearts and tears into bringing us such wonderful series. All the cuteness! All the sexiness! All the willingness to show us what healthy relationships look like in a genre that hasn’t always gotten that right! Keep loving on them. Who knows! The positivity I know we’re capable of could lead to more seasons or special events or many other things. So let’s focus on that!

Okay, long post over. Thanks for reading and I hope it makes sense! It’s hard to focus and write with a baby crawling all over me 😂

[writingquestionsanswered]

Rejection Woes

Anonymous said:  Hi. I apologise for the missing part. I've been rejected by 250+ agents. Most said I have an intriguing and original premise with complex characters, but it's not right for their list right now. Some loved the concept and writing, asking for the full manuscript, and then rejected it for reasons like it had too hard issues, the violence made them uncomfortable, a character seemed underdeveloped, they didn't connect with the voice, or they simply don't feel passionate enough to represent it. I've had two professional editors and one literary agent look it over. They didn't mention any of the above issues, but felt immersed and connected, and they told me that my manuscript is different. The literary agent also told me to query the best agents out there because that's what my manuscript deserved. I sent it to an independent publishing house for yet another opinion (since I always doubt praise), and the director there compared my writing to Kahlil Gibran and wanted to publish it. However, I have to pay for the publication, and they'll distribute it to Amazon, Waterstones, and Barnes & Nobles, as they have some kind of deal with them. (I checked the publishing house and it's legit). 

At this point, I'm so lost and I don't feel like a writer, or that my manuscript is worth being published. I can't figure out if something's wrong with my writing, or if it's just a matter of taste and whether my manuscript fits the format of a mainstream YA Fantasy for the agents. One of the professional editors was also a consultant at a well-known press and she was adamant about acquiring my manuscript from me (claiming that it was a powerful and different manuscript) once I'd cut the things that she wanted me to cut to follow the YA Fantasy formula, so I reworked most of it, but didn't feel comfortable compromising on the things that represented my culture and were essential to the plot. She seemed insulted and rejected me. This entire process of querying, receiving all this contradicting feedback, and being rejected over and over, has convinced me that I don't have what it takes to write a successful story, and my writing isn't good enough for the publishing world. All I wanted was to tell a story that mattered beyond just the entertainment value. To have my voice be heard. I'm sorry for dumping this on you. I don't even know what I'm trying to ask anymore. 

First, more than anything else, I want to give you some virtual hugs and make sure you understand that rejection, and having a hard time finding a home for an unusual story, is not a reflection upon the quality of your story and your talent as a writer. It also doesn’t mean there’s not an audience for your book. There’s an audience for everything--it just takes a little longer to find that audience for books that stray from the “tried and true” formula, and neither agents or publishers are interested in putting in the time to search for an audience. (More on that in a bit...)

So, what’s the explanation for the conflict between the praise you’ve received and the inability to find an agent to represent you? The explanation is money. Plain and simple.

You see, the traditional publishing industry has one goal: to make money. Every decision they make is what’s best for the bottom line. And what people may not realize about the publishing industry is that every manuscript they take on presents a potential financial risk. Why? Because they’re going to pour a ton of money into that manuscript in order to turn it into a book that can sit on shelves. They have to buy the manuscript from the agent, thus paying both the agency and the author. They have to pay their in-house team (editors, cover artist, marketing, legal, overseas rights, etc.) to get the book ready for production, and then they have to pay for the physical production of the book and thousands upon thousands of copies. Finally, they have to pay to ship those books out to book stores and Amazon, and they have to pay to promote the book. It’s a costly venture. The cost of publishing a single book for a traditional publisher can be well into the tens of thousands of dollars range, and they not only need to make all of that money back, they want to make a profit, too.

The bottom line is that a traditional publisher is going to do everything they can to minimize that initial risk by making sure every manuscript they take on is one that is likely to do well. In other words, they’re always going to look for books that follow “tried and true” formulas, because they know they’re probably going to sell well. The more a book strays from what’s known to sell well, the bigger a risk it presents. For that reason, books that stray from the usual formula are almost always written by established and successful authors. Why? Because established, successful authors have a built-in fan-base, so their name alone will drive much of the book’s sale. This grants some wiggle room in which the author and publisher can take bigger risks. They’re not going to do that with a debut author or an author with only a few books to their name. So, what can you do? These are your options...

1. Pursue Traditional Publishing with Another Manuscript

If you want to break into traditional publishing, you have to do it with a manuscript that falls in line with current trends and doesn’t push the boundaries too hard. Once you get published and have a few more formulaic books under your belt, if your books sell reasonably well, you can talk to your agent or publisher about the more risky manuscript.

2. Pursue an “Assisted Publishing House” (But Beware...) It’s super important to understand that any publishing house that makes you pay to publish your book isn’t an “independent publishing house” but an “assisted publishing house,” often called a “subsidy publisher” or “vanity press.”

An “independent publishing house” is a small traditional publishing house, meaning that you don’t pay them. They cover the costs of book production, just like in the bigger traditional publishing houses. The only difference is that you may not get an advance or may get only a very small one (hundreds of dollars vs thousands.)

The problem with assisted publishing houses (again, not the same thing as an independent publishing house) is that they are a breeding ground for scammers. They can look “legitimate” and still rob you blind. And, unlike traditional publishers (who don’t pay themselves until your book sells), most assisted publishers pay themselves out of what you pay them to produce your book. In other words, they’re not taking a risk by publishing your book. They get paid (out of your pocket) whether your book sells or not. And, despite what many of them claim, they simply do not have the same reach as traditional publishing houses as far as getting your books onto actual bookstore shelves.

The advantage to this kind of publisher, if you can find one that’s vetted by groups like ALLi, is that you don’t have to worry about doing all the footwork to get your book produced. You pay them and they do most of the work. It can also make a writer feel like they look more legitimate if they have what sounds like a traditional publishing house behind their book. And, obviously, since they’re not taking on a financial risk by contracting to publish your book, they’re much more likely to publish books that don’t follow current trends and known formulas for success.

3. Self-Publish (AKA “Indie Publish”)

The indie publishing industry has bloomed over the last ten years or so. The advent and popularity of e-books and the accessibility of indie author services has made indie publishing a more accessible, more viable route for writers whose books don’t follow current trends or “tried and true” formulas, and for writers who, for various other reasons, aren’t interested in the traditional publishing industry.

The main drawback to self-publishing is that many still view it as an inferior route to getting published, which is unfortunate because traditional publishers are just as likely to crank out some really awful books, and indie authors are just as likely to publish really fantastic, award winning fiction. The other drawback is that it’s a lot of work and it does cost money, though depending on how much you’re able to do on your own, it’s possible to publish an e-book (and even a print version) pretty much for free. The amount of money you put into your book is entirely under your control.

The benefit to being an indie author is you’re 100% in control of everything. You control the rights, you control the content, you get to decide on the title and choose what’s on the cover... no one can tell you what you can and can’t do. There are boat loads of services out there targeted toward indie authors, everything from editing and book formatting to cover design and marketing, all in a variety of price ranges. The indie author community is also strong and supportive, with lots of wonderful social media communities, not to mention organizations like The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and The Association of Independent Authors. 4. Try Social Publishing

This is an emerging yet popular means of publishing that is cost-free and a great way for budding authors to find an audience. Ultimately, social publishing is when you post your story to a site where others can read it for free. Sites like Wattpad, Tapas, Swoon Reads, Booksie, and Underlined allow you to post your book so others can read it and offer feedback, and sometimes popular authors on these sites catch the attention of agents and traditional publishers. Alternatively, you can post your story in installments through your blog.

The downside, obviously, is that you don’t get a physical copy of your book and you don’t get paid. But the upside is that it’s free, there are few restrictions, and it’s a great way to help you find an audience for an unusual story, not to mention start to create a built-in fanbase. Having a built-in fanbase can be hugely important if you decide to indie publish, as well as if you decide to seek traditional publishing. You can also go on to open up a Patreon account, which at least gives you an option for making some money off the content you create.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope that one of these options will work for you. The important thing is to not get discouraged. Try to focus on the fact that you’ve gotten so many wonderful compliments about the manuscript. People love what you’ve done--they’re just too afraid to take a risk in publishing it, but the options above offer a variety of routes around that obstacle. Good luck and hang in there! <3

[studylifeusa]

What is Environmental and Green Art?

Environmental art involves artistic works which have the intent of becoming a part of or enhancing the environment, whilst making a statement on ecological and conservation issues.

Environmental art became increasingly popular in Western societies as issues surrounding the environment arose in the 1950s and 1960s. It was then that artists began to distinguish the developing relationship between man, nature and crucial ecological problems, and the growing awareness of these issues influenced artists to express these concerns in a variety of conservational art forms. While environmental art has conventionally focused on ecological issues and political, historical or social context surrounding the environment, today, we see the movement adapt into further artistic expression, including Land Art, Conceptual Art, Earth Art. Notably, there has been a rise of the art of ‘sustainability’, also known as ‘Green Art’. Green art is the practice of using environmentally friendly, non-toxic and natural materials. Combining these art forms will depend on the artistic intent. For example, tapestry or textile artists can use natural fibres and exhibit their work in natural settings using ecological themes, whilst painters focused on environmental and green art can use sustainable, organic and recyclable materials. Below, we have explored environment artists and their ecological artworks.

Examples of Green Art: John Sabraw 'Toxic Sludge Paint'

Huffington Post

Activist and environmentalist John Sabraw is an artist whose paintings, drawings and collaborative installations are all produced in an eco-conscious manner. His ‘sludge’ pieces are created using paint he makes himself. They are a movement to turn pollution into paint. Sabraw uses heavy metals extracts (oxidized sludge) of abandoned coal mines to create these stunning pigments. In turn, he helps to reduce the ongoing pollution affecting our planet.

Pinterest

‘Junk Artist’ Gabriel Dishaw turns disposed materials into artwork, eloquently promoting reusable materials that have been shamelessly thrown away. Through this, he produces beautifully defined sculptures. Dishaw’s Shoe Series recreate widely popular shoe trends, from Nike to Adidas.

Examples of Environmental Art

Naziha Mestaoui’s ‘Virtual Forest’

DZine Trip

Naziha Mestaoui is a pioneer in digital art, and is both an artist and architect. Her One Beat One Tree art piece projects virtual forests into city spaces. Expressing the very real truths behind the destruction of our natural world, onlookers can connect to these digital trees through their smartphone as they grow in rhythm with a person's heartbeat. The trees have since promoted the growth of 13,000 new saplings.

Olafur Eliasson’s ‘Iceberg’

Icelandic born Olafur Eliasson has confronted climate change through his crystalline movement, Ice Watch. He placed giant melting blocks outside the Tate Modern and Bloomberg headquarters in a bid to raise awareness of the ever-growing issues surrounding climate change. The ice is taken from Greenland’s Nuup Kangerlua fjord, where they had been melting into the ocean.

Hyperallergic

Icelandic born Olafur Eliasson has confronted climate change through his crystalline movement, Ice Watch. He placed giant melting blocks outside the Tate Modern and Bloomberg headquarters in a bid to raise awareness of the ever-growing issues surrounding climate change. The ice is taken from Greenland’s Nuup Kangerlua fjord, where they had been melting into the ocean.

More, the movement shows us there are better ways to create art that is both unique and innovative by using eco-friendly materials. John Sabraw’s vibrant paints created using metal extracts to reduce pollution production are an unforgettable example of this.

The Importance of Environmental and Green Art

Environmental activists speak out in support for a greener planet and to improve our Earth's natural environment through protection from harmful human activities.

While some protest with their voices, others demonstrate their environmental passion through art. Dr. Reiss states that "Art has an important role to play in raising our awareness of environmental issues, offering opportunities for direct action and helping us to imagine other worlds and possible futures.” Both green and environmental art showcase nature’s wonders and its breathtaking aesthetic, and remind us of something deeper. It is a reminder of the negative environmental impact humankind has on the world. More, the movement shows us there are better ways to create art that is both unique and innovative by using eco-friendly materials. John Sabraw’s vibrant paints created using metal extracts to reduce pollution production are an unforgettable example of this.

Environmental art is undeniably on the rise and is expected to continue with the increasing issues facing our world's climate. These types of artwork serve a purpose, and send us a clear and concise message that something has to change, and now, to save our planet from further, irreparable destruction. Perhaps through such art works, we can recognise the error of our ways and treat our planet with the love and respect it deserves.

On June 11 2019, Christie’s Education presented a symposium on artists’ response to the environmental crisis. Organised by Dr. Julie Reiss, our Program Director of the M.A. Modern and Contemporary Art and the Market. Julie is also the editor of Art, Theory and Practice in the Anthropocene. The symposium appealed to anyone who wished to know more about specific ways artists have responded to global climate change and its consequences. Original article: https://www.christies.edu/news/2019/may/what-is-enviornmental-and-green-art

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[architectnews]

SBID International Design Awards 2022 News

SBID Design Award 2022, Building Interiors Prize News, Images, Architects, Past Winners

SBID International Design Awards 2022

3 March 2022

Society of British and International Design Annual Interior Architecture Prize

The SBID International Design Awards is Open for 2022 Entries!

The Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) is back with its industry-acclaimed interior design awards for 2022.

4SPACE – PAPA Bar:

SBID International Design Awards 2022 Call

Entries opened for 2022 with Early Bird rates, inviting designers to submit before 14 March to take advantage of exclusive entry pricing.

Design Command – Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant: photo : Kirsten Holst

Set to champion the world’s most skilled and accomplished creative professionals as the UK’s home for interior design excellence, the SBID will celebrate another year of outstanding interior design solutions with the 13th annual edition of the esteemed SBID International Design Awards.

Oktra – Crowe UK:

Equipped with an assembly of expert judges, the judging panel features a host of revered industry figures from some of the most exciting companies at the forefront of design, media and business. With Global Digital Director of Architectural Digest, David Kaufman; Executive Editor for ELLE DÉCOR (US), Ingrid Abramovitch; Dean and Professor of Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Sarah Whiting; and CEO of Rigby & Rigby, Iain Johnson (to name a few), entrants have a unique opportunity to showcase their work on the SBID Awards’ global stage and exhibit designs directly to an audience of distinguished professional peers, press and potential clients.

DaE International Interior Design – Markhem Metropolis Sale:

With award categories spanning both the commercial and residential sectors across Interior Design, Product Design and Fit Out, SBID welcomes entries from all corners of the professional design community, who work together to drive industry standards and produce the exceptional interior environments that shape the way we live, work and play.

Entries will close for 2022 at 5pm (BST) on 23 May 2022.

ICRAVE – Marquee Avenue Singapore:

About the SBID International Design Awards

The SBID International Design Awards attracts entries from over 85 countries worldwide, serving to recognise, reward and celebrate design excellence across a broad range of residential and commercial categories for Interior Design, Product Design and Fit-Out. Each year the SBID Awards champions, challenges and helps to transform design industry standards – a parallel it shares with the companies that participate!

Evaluated by leading experts for technical content and aesthetic creativity, winning a SBID International Design Award signifies outstanding achievement, with industry recognition that is second to none for the deserving winners.

Mercurio Design Lab – Doji Tower:

About SBID (Society of British and International Interior Design)

The leading British accrediting body for the professional interior design industry across the UK and internationally. From the commercial to the residential sectors, SBID champions competence and best practice at all levels, continuing to guide and measure the profession through its quality-assessed framework for Interior Design Accreditation and ongoing industry training.

SBID Accreditation demonstrates professionalism and helps the public identify qualified interior designers; distinguishing trained interior design professionals from untrained hobbyists. For over a decade SBID has represented, promoted and protected the interests of practicing interior designers in industry, government and trade, creating a widely recognised benchmark for professional standards to develop future growth.

MGM Grand Paradise – MGM Cotai Emerald Villas:

SBID International Design Awards 2022 images / information received 030322

Location: 10 Molasses Row, London, SW113UX, United Kingdom

Previously on e-architect:

SBID International Design Awards

SBID Awards 2021 Winners

Past winners:

Beijing Daxing International Airport Building design by Zaha Hadid Architects and ADP Ingeniérie photography : Hufton+Crow

Club & Bar Design – ICRAVE – Marquee Avenue Singapore:

SBID Awards 2020 Winners images courtesy of SBID SBID International Design Awards 2020

SBID International Design Awards 2019 SBID International Design Awards 2019

Restaurant Design Finalist Idea International, Bulgaria: image courtesy of SBID SBID International Design Awards News

SBID International Design Awards 2017 The Whale Bar at the St Regis Hotel in The Maldives: image courtesy of architects SBID International Design Award 2017 Winner : The Whale Bar in The Maldives

SBID International Design Awards 2016 Bussola Restaurant in Dubai by LW Design Win Restaurant Design Award: image courtesy of architects SBID International Design Awards 2016

SBID International Design Award 2017 Winners

SBID UK Pavilion for Interior

Comments for the SBID International Design Awards 2021 page welcome

Website: www.sbid.org

The post SBID International Design Awards 2022 News appeared first on e-architect.

[ghostbustershq]

Out Today, Randy Edelman's 1989 Ghostbusters II Score Album!

The wait is over! After 30+ years of fans wondering if they’ll ever get an official release of Randy Edelman’s bouncy and jovial score to Ghostbusters II, today is the day! Sony Masterworks has remastered and released 16 tracks, including three that have been newly recorded and one scored for the film but not ultimately used.

Stay tuned to the HQ for an in-depth analysis of the score, we’ll be doing our best impression of David Collins soon and trying to line up some of the cues with the film to see what and where material was unused or altered in post production.

And don’t forget the vinyl release hits October 16th. As previously mentioned here on the site, there are glow-in-the-dark Barnes and Noble and Mondo exclusives forthcoming. Stay tuned for more information on those as it develops.

In the meantime, here’s much more information from the good folks at Sony Masterworks:

GHOSTBUSTERS II

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE BY RANDY EDELMAN

AVAILABLE TO STREAM FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER & ON CD TODAY

SCORE TO THE 1989 FILM CLASSIC WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL BEGINNING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15 – PREORDER NOW

NEW YORK, NY – For the first time ever and 32 years after the film’s 1989 release, the Original Score to Ghostbusters II is now available to stream and on CD format today from Sony Classical – LISTEN HERE. Featuring score music by award-winning musician, producer and composer Randy Edelman, the 16-track album includes original recordings of the film classic’s score as well as 3 newly re-recorded tracks and an additional song originally recorded by Edelman for the film but not featured in its final production. The album will also be available in vinyl format beginning Friday, October 16, arriving as a gatefold set featuring photos from the film – PREORDER HERE.

Of the score, composer RANDY EDELMAN says, “In Ghostbusters II, the characters and storyline were expertly conceived and then acted in the sequel brilliantly. The story took place a few years later, but in a sense each character already had a distinct personality, which hadn’t changed a bit. In a way, they carried their own music and soul with them. Their interactions in each scene would determine if musical accompaniment was necessary, and, in most cases, it was not. The new storyline and menace the city of New York was facing, the dark nature of the evil Carpathian, that was where this score would be most urgent. That and the supernatural, explosive and inventive methods of the group of our forward-thinking pals, was where the heart of my score would and should lie. Though I had watched and thoroughly loved the original film several years before, I decided not to view it during my involvement with the sequel. I knew I needed to carefully sculpt a musical palette for this new specific screenplay and did not reference any aspect of the original movie, trying to give Ghostbusters II a well-deserved, new color all its own. I will always appreciate the fact that this decision of mine was never once questioned.”

Speaking of his collaborators to the project, Randy continues, “Upon looking back at any score after so many years, a composer is surely cognizant of those who they were surrounded by, in a process that is always so challenging in many ways. In the case of the sequel to Ghostbusters, I was working on one of my first large scale orchestral works and one that followed the great success of the first movie. I was assisted by the great orchestrator, Mr. Greig McRitchie, music editor Kathy Durning, and engineers Elton Ahi and Robert Fernandez. I have elsewhere here thanked [Director] Ivan Reitman for a stern, yet assuring hand, in his direction at all times, and his confidence in trusting me totally throughout the always delicate process. The large orchestra gave me a spiritual high at each session, and I thank all the wonderful players who participated and lent their talent to my efforts. I got to revisit a few thematic moments for this collection, and it was a blast to be able to do that. It brought back all those incredible memories, and made that magic happen right now, once more. How lucky to experience it over again – I am one fortunate piano player!”

ABOUT RANDY EDELMAN

Music royalty with a career challenging the longevity that rivals the Queen of England, composer, conductor, singer and celebrated piano phenomena Randy Edelman has long been given tribute as one of the most profound and recognizable film, television, and sports soundtrack architects on the planet. A hybrid fusion of Mozart and Bruce Springsteen, there seems to be a certain bedazzlement or wizardry connected to him and his music that leaves a trail of glitter behind never to be forgotten.

Raised in Teaneck New Jersey, Randy was born with the ability to hear music and transcribe it onto the piano. After a brief quarrel with fate where Randy was temporally thrust into the pursuit of pre-med, he moved into full-time piano and composition study at the Cincinnati Music Conservatory where he was then able to follow his unquestionable destiny. He eventually procured an arranging assignment at James Brown’s King Records. In 1970 Randy relocated to New York to work as a staff writer at CBS Records while simultaneously playing piano in Broadway pit orchestras.

Like a seductive alchemist Randy began to write and record his own albums transforming the world’s anguish into a narrative of truth and granting him a thriving audience in the UK and a television spot on “Top of the Pops.” After enjoying the triumph of the British collective effervescence at the London Palladium and Drury Lane Theatre, Randy began to pursue a new interest in LA where he became interested in creating the life, blood and essence of the movies through music, making the plainest faces come alive with promise.

Randy is responsible for creating an endless cascade of many of the world’s most known soundtracks including: Ghostbusters II, 27 Dresses, While You Were Sleeping, The Last of the Mohicans, Kindergarten Cop, Dragonheart, XXX, Twins, My Cousin Vinny, The Mask, Beethoven, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Anaconda, Mummy 3, Gettysburg, Billy Madison, Leap Year, The Whole Nine Yards, EdTV, Daylight and an endless array of others. Some of the television shows and series he scored include: MacGyver, Mr. Sunshine, Backdraft 2 for Netflix, and Citizen X for HBO. These credits only touch the surface of his accomplishments. He has also created the music for “Dare Mighty Things” for NASA’s final Shuttle launch, “Wimbledon, Grand Slam Tennis Series” for ESPN, “ESPN Sports Century,” and even the NBC “on air” Olympic Theme, of which he has celebrated over 20 years of Olympic themed glory keeping the musical flame alive.

Aside from crafting and orchestrating the scores that gave life to the films, a myriad of artists have covered and recorded Randy’s original songs from his solo albums. Included in that catalog is Barry Manilow’s “Weekend in New England,” The Carpenters’ “I Cant Make Music” and Nelly’s “My Place,” reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Hip Hop charts. Others include Willie Nelson’s “Down in the Everglades,” Patti LaBelle’s “Isn’t it a Shame,” Olivia Newton John’s “If Love is Real,” Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “Blue Street,” Royal Philharmonic’s “Grey,” and a list that continues endlessly. Randy has also opened live in breathtaking arenas for icons such as Frank Zappa and The Carpenters.

Randy has also received some of the most prestigious awards including BMI Top Grossing Film Awards, BMI’s highest honor, the Richard Kirk Award for Outstanding Career Achievement, the Lifetime Achievement Award in Film Scoring and Composition, the Best Accolade from the Los Angeles Film Awards, an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts and an Emmy for the close of the Olympic Broadcast.

Like a musical Chameleon, Randy continues to compose and record, lighting up the world like fireworks plunging into the night sky and shattering the darkness. The grand composer of modern and future times has just released his highly anticipated anthemic song of hope and inspiration titled “Comin’ Out the Other Side.” The single is now available worldwide via Soho Records. The song promotes an epidemic of joy and happiness as a grand finale to a time best forgotten….

He continues to work on the score for his musical, “Short Cut,” telling of the construction of the Panama Canal. Most recently Sony Masterworks is releasing Randy Edelman’s orchestral score to Ghostbusters II in all formats....

[aion-rsa]

The Office: The Frustrating, Moving Story Behind Steve Carell Leaving

https://ift.tt/2SLlIgL

Warning: contains spoilers for The Office: An American Workplace.

On screen, Steve Carell’s departure from The Office was pretty perfect. His farewell episode ‘Goodbye, Michael’ and those running up to it, were emotional and satisfying. They showed branch manager Michael Scott finally getting the love he’d always craved, and crucially, deserving it too. Once a thin-skinned, desperate-for-approval man-child, Michael had been redeemed into somebody who didn’t take himself too seriously and no longer needed the spotlight. After a long, hard (that’s what she said) journey, his future with Amy Ryan’s adorably dorky character Holly Flax was set. Michael Scott had grown up and it was time to go.

However well-played Carell’s farewell was, it didn’t have to be the end of his time on the show. Speaking on the ‘An Oral History of The Office’ podcast presented by Brian Baumgartner (who played Kevin Malone on the show) producer Ben Silverman and editor Claire Scanlon explained that Carell was prepared to stay on for more, but the network frustratingly fluffed it.

When The Office started, its cast signed the customary contracts holding them until the end of a potential seven seasons. (By no means a sure thing early on. The show’s pilot is famed for being one of lowest-rated ever tested at NBC, early viewing figures weren’t strong, and it wasn’t until 2005 movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin made Carell a comedy star that NBC really sat up and took notice.) As the seven-season deadline approached in 2009-10, everybody but Carell renegotiated for a further two seasons. 

For showrunner Greg Daniels, that made it pretty clear Carell was planning to leave, but according to Silverman and Scanlon, it wasn’t so. Editor and director Claire Scanlon told the podcast, “Steve said he would have come back, they didn’t even try!”

Silverman, who spearheaded the US remake of the British mockumentary series and was co-chairman of NBC Entertainment between 2007 – 2009, told Baumgartner, “When I heard the story of how the network went about its process with him after the fact, it made me so depressed how they had kind of blown something that they could have saved.” 

Scanlon describes feeling cross about the way things went, telling the podcast, “I feel like NBC dropped the ball, because I knew the story behind it, which was they just never even bothered, which was just like so dumb. I don’t know what was wrong with them.” 

One thing wrong was that during the 2010 – 2011 season six to seven period, Comcast bought a controlling share in NBCUniversal, and replaced network chairman Jeff Glaspin with Bob Greenblatt. According to Baumgartner’s podcast, the feeling was that the new broom had little affinity or familiarity with The Office and didn’t realise what a boon it was to have Carell (by this point a major movie star) leading the cast. 

The rise in streaming and proliferation of new media during this period also made the sitcom’s relatively strong viewing figures appear to be on the slide. After original showrunner Greg Daniels left at the end of season four to start the spin-off that turned into Parks and Recreation, and The Office’s producer-champion Ben Silverman had left NBC in 2009, there was nobody at the network to fight the show’s corner, or to impress the importance of re-signing Carell. 

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Then in April 2010, when season six of The Office was in its final months of airing and the network should have been laying out the red carpet to get Carell to re-sign, it blanked him. Carell was in the UK promoting Date Night with Tina Fey. Speaking to DJ Greg James at BBC Radio One, Carell was asked about his future on The Office and said publicly that his contract was due to end after the following season. Asked if he’d stay on, Carell told James, “I don’t think so. I think that will probably be my last year.” A lead of Carell’s fame would expect a public statement like that to reach the network and prompt an overture followed by a series of ‘what can we do to convince you?’ meetings. But no overtures came. According to ‘An Oral History of The Office’, NBCUniversal simply let Carell go without a fight, leaving Dunder Mifflin Scranton without its regional manager.

Carell reportedly discussed leaving The Office with original showrunner Greg Daniels on the set of season six finale ‘Whistleblower’. That episode’s director Paul Lieberstein (who also played HR manager Toby Flenderson on the comedy show) told Baumgartner that Steve and Greg went into the plane on which they were filming Carell’s scenes with Kathy Bates as Sabre CEO Jo Bennett and held up filming by not coming out for a while. “I think that’s when Steve told Greg he’s not coming back,” Lieberstein told the podcast. 

Greg Daniels took the news graciously. “You couldn’t be mad,” he told Baumgartner. “[Carell] was so graceful and full of integrity that you could never be mad. Because he became a huge star in season two. The fact that he was still doing 28 episodes of TV some years really put a crimp in the number of movies that he did, and it’s, I think, testament to his integrity that he went ahead and completed the whole series according to his original contract of seven years.”

Carell’s integrity was cited multiple times by his co-stars and the creatives on the podcast. During the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike (prompted in no small way by the first webisodes NBC asked the writers of The Office to produce unpaid, as ‘promotional material’), Carell led from the front and showed solidarity by, amicably, refusing to go on set and film until the writer-producers were back in the job. During that same period, incidentally, Greg Daniels paid crewmembers from his own chequebook, so the integrity clearly ran both ways. 

Carell’s reluctant decision not to extend his contract having gone uncontested by the network at least allowed plenty of time to plan just the right exit for Michael Scott. Cue the return of Amy Ryan. The character of Holly was only intended as a temporary paramour for Scott, designed to see him interact with his first real romantic peer (Dunder Mifflin boss Jan Levinson and real estate agent Carol – played by Carell’s real-life wife Nancy – emphatically did not see Michael as their equal), but it became clear that Holly should be Michael’s endgame.

It was Carell’s idea for Michael to secretly sneak out of the office the day before his big going-away party. Carell told Baumgartner, “That would be the most elegant representation of his growth as a human being, because Michael lives to be celebrated, you think that’s all he wants, he wants to be the centre of attention and he wants pats on the back, he wants people to think he’s funny and charming and all of those things, but the fact that he’d walk away from his big tribute, his big send-off and be able to, in a very personal way, say goodbye to each character, that to me felt like it would resonate.”

Filming ‘Goodbye, Michael’ was “emotional torture,” Carell told the podcast. “Imagine saying goodbye for a week. It was just fraught with emotion and joy and sadness and nostalgia, but it was also really beautiful. I treasure doing that episode, because it did allow me to have a finality with everybody.”

The very last goodbye scene shot was with John Krasinski as Jim, but the most memorable was with Jenna Fischer as Pam, who very nearly misses her chance to say goodbye, and just catches Michael at the airport after he’s taken off his documentary mic. Paul Feig was directing the episode, and he told Fischer to run up to Carell and say goodbye to him not in character as Pam to Michael, but as Jenna to Steve. It didn’t matter what she said because the sound wouldn’t be recorded. “I ran up to Steve and I just told him all the ways I was going to miss him and how grateful I was for his friendship and the privilege of working with him,” she told Baumgartner, “and I’m sobbing, and he’s sobbing, and we’re hugging and I didn’t want to let him go and I didn’t want the scene to end, and then finally Paul Feig says ‘cut’.” And then… they’d taken so long sobbing and hugging that Feig asked her to do it all over again, but faster. And that’s what she said. 

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The Office: An American Workplace is available to stream on Netflix.

The post The Office: The Frustrating, Moving Story Behind Steve Carell Leaving appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[recentanimenews]

Anime Awards 2021: Meet the Judges & Categories Revealed!

As the insanity that has been 2020 comes to a close, we begin to look towards the future, and to the awards show that captures the best of the year in the world of anime: the Anime Awards! Today, we’ll be formally introducing you to our incredible class of judges from around the world who helped curate and craft the nominees we’ll soon be revealing. But first — we would like to introduce you to the categories for this year’s event!

    Anime of the Year <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Animation <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Opening Sequence (OP) <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Ending Sequence (ED) <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Boy <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Girl Best Score <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Performance by a Voice Actor (Japanese) <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Performance by a Voice Actor (English) <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Director <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Character Design <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Protagonist <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Antagonist <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Fight Scene <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Couple <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Drama <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Fantasy <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Best Comedy

  If these categories look familiar, that’s for good reason; they’re the same ones we used last year. After carefully considering voting behavior, audience feedback, social media engagement, and insights from industry leaders, we were happy to find a collection of categories that satisfied the most needs for the most people, and allowed the greatest number of anime to be celebrated with the world. The nominees themselves are one of the most exciting parts of the Anime Awards, and in just one short month, the six nominees per category will be shared with the world on the Anime Awards Website. Please keep an eye out for more details, and fun ways to share your votes and predictions with your fellow fans.

    Last year, we added more judges than ever before — that is, until now! As both the audience of Crunchyroll and the Anime Awards becomes increasingly international, so too has the panel of judges. With more than fifty judges representing dozens of unique countries and cultures around the world from all walks of life, I can safely say that this year’s class of judges is the best the Anime Awards has ever had.

  The judges for the Anime Awards play a critical role, determining the nominees for every category in an independent capacity, based entirely on their own critical perspectives and opinions of the anime released in the last year. Judges were hand-selected by Crunchyroll’s community team based on their reputation, regard, and credibility, and represent large swaths of the huge diversity that can be found in the anime fandom at large.

  Just as with last year, the judge nomination process will also go towards the final winners of each Anime Award, weighed 70:30 with fan votes. Based on the last four years of Anime Awards, we found that this ratio achieved the most meaningful results: the fan vote was impactful and flipped several categories, but the awards were not simply a popularity contest and many underrated titles were still able to take home awards. We saw more positivity than ever before with last year’s changes, and so we're happy to keep this same ratio for this year's event.

  As a note the bios you’ll see below were written by the judges in their language of choice and have been adopted for your pleasure in whichever language you’re reading right now. Beyond translation, they have only been altered by the Crunchyroll team for clarity. Without further delay, please meet our judges for the 2021 Anime Awards!

  Meet the Judges!

  Ajay Stewart     Ajay, better known online as “AnimeAjay”, is a British anime fan, specialising in all things related to animation. His YouTube and Twitter presence are focused on the behind-the-scenes at Toei Animation, and has become the go-to source for fans looking to know the ins and outs of animation, and who was responsible for their favourite scenes.

Alfonso "Fonzy" Ortiz     Alfonso "Fonzy" Ortiz is the Senior Manager for qdopp Inc. and Editor-in-Chief for Honey's Anime. Originally from Texas, he was a cook for 13 years, lived in LA and Tokyo where he found his dream job working in the anime and gaming industry, and has just under a decade of experience as well. Honey’s Anime is his passion and loves helping to bring as much great content to readers about the anime, manga, and gaming industry. It’s the best place for anime enthusiasts as we are all fans!

Andrew McDanell     After consuming anime for over 25 years, Andrew started up the Otaku Spirit Animecast podcast with his brother, Chris.  Connecting with fans from many countries across the world, their goal has always been to break from the mold and serve a community with a positive and entertaining view of the fandom they love so much.  With over 1300 anime titles under his belt and passing 900 anime reviews recorded, Andrew has enjoyed giving every show a chance and never falls onto the 3 episode rule.

Antonio Escudero     Antionio Escudero has been a fan of anime, manga, and video games for over 30 years and considers it his lifestyle. He's currently part of the editorial team of Misión Tokyo, where he writes to promote both his passion for and the legal consumption of Japanese culture.

Bruno De La Cruz     Journalist for AnimeLand magazine and the French anime/manga press since 2014.

Burak Dogan     Burak Dogan is an editor and press contact at the German anime news website Anime2You. Besides covering News and reviewing countless anime and manga releases on the German market, he can also be met at various conventions. Since 2011, he has watched over 1,000 individual shows.

bxakid (Julien)     Julien, or bxakid is a french content creator and journalist for Webedia. Anime enthusiast forever, one waifu at a time. Caitlin Enger    Caitlin Moore has been an anime fan since it cost $30 for a two-episode VHS tape. She has been writing about anime every chance she’s gotten since high school, and now is a staff writer for Anime Feminist and contributes regularly to Anime News Network as well as running panels at conventions and podcasting every chance she gets. She analyzes anime through a progressive, intersectional lens and has a deep love of shojo and josei manga and anime.

Caroline Segarra     Working as an animator, journalist, streamer, and voice-over artist, Caroline's specialties include Japan, anime, manga, and Japanese music. Caroline is also founder of the audiovisual production company Fantastic Raccoon, is currently on LeStream, and has worked at Nolife, Japan FM, Japan LifeStyle.

Clarissa Graffeo     Clarissa Graffeo is one-third of the Anime World Order podcast and occasional contributing writer for Otaku USA magazine. As a fan of anime and manga for over 20 years that makes her practically ancient by anime fan and Hollywood standards, and she should probably have more to show for it. Clarissa has run numerous panels at East coast conventions both alone and with her fellow AWO hosts, on a variety of topics such as BL, Black Jack, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, anime openings, and building plastic model kits. In both the podcast and convention panels, she attempts to balance detailed discussions of individual works and the industry with accessibility to new viewers, and is hopefully successful at least some of the time.

Daryl Surat     Having just turned 40, Daryl Surat is a revenant otaku bound in human flesh and er, NOT inked in blood. Having spent the majority of over 25 years as an anime fan existing in near isolation, trapped in the MMO that is social media, the 2020 quarantine hasn’t really been noticeable! As a contributor to Otaku USA Magazine (https://ift.tt/187UJdS) as well as the Anime World Order podcast (www.animeworldorder.com), Daryl is A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE all of the deserving nominations were proposed by him.

Михаил Судаков     Creator of the KG-Portal.ru website, anime lover with 20 years of experience, admirer of Makoto Shinkai, Hayao Miyazaki and P.A. Works. Big fan and collector of retro games, retro computers and retro consoles. Dawn H    Dawn (aka "Usamimi") is the producer/host of The Anime Nostalgia Podcast, a mix of waxing nostalgic with fellow older fans while introducing younger fans to older titles! The podcast also serves as an oral history from before things like streaming & social media were commonplace, and how anime & manga fandom has always been diverse. She's used her knowledge to write for outlets like Anime News Network and Crunchyroll, & has helped on multiple anime releases from AnimEigo & Discotek Media.

Dennis Vsesvyatskyi     CEO of 2x2 tv-channel, home of adult animation in Russia. 2x2 is broadcasting international animation and anime-hits since 2007 and has it's own animation studio. Brand 2x2 has a significant cultural status among russian viewers and fans of animation and is expanding it's influence every year with new shows, art-statements and collaborations. Our motto is: "Don't grow up, it's a trap!".

Diego Lima     IGN Brazil reporter, writing about the entertainment industry since 2014. Started career as a host for Gazeta Games, on Radio Gazeta, and then as the host of a gaming radio show at Band FM, discussing classic titles. Joined IGN Brazil in 2017, as a gaming and anime specialist. When Diego is not writing about horror games and fighting games, he's writing about Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Naruto, BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS, Attack on Titan, Yashahime and many other series.

Eunice Ibama     Eunice Ibama started @blackgirlsanime as a simple meme page in 2017 as an escape during one of the hardest times of her life—without many hopes attached to it. As an outlet for her own struggles, she began to grow a community. Then, as BGA grew, the hope to create a safe space for black women that love anime and its culture blossomed. Cue the adding on the fearsome foursome of Shanequa, Bri, Kim, and Chels and it was like the stars aligned for the brand. Emboldened by their unshakeable bond with each other and the passion that brought them together in the first place, the team buckled down and got to work making Black Girls Anime, LLC the best brand that it could be. Now equipped with an editorial website, ongoing partnerships with brands like Netflix and VIZ Media, and much more in the works the page has rapidly grown into a network that influences and advocates for not only black women, but people of color of all ages and backgrounds that feel underrepresented in the anime and nerd-centric communities.

Evgeniya "Jenya" Davidyuk     Jenya Davidyuk was born and raised in Novosibirsk, Russia, where she also graduated State University. Since 2005 she has been living and working in Tokyo, Japan as a seiyuu (voice actor), hosting radio and TV programs, and consulting on Russian language in anime and film production. As a part of her seiyuu career, she sings with Anime & Game Symphony project under Japanese conductor Kenichi Shimura, performing live concerts in Japan and Russia. Jenya has an N1 level certificate on the Japanese language proficiency test.

Geoff Thew     "Geoff Thew is a veteran video essayist who's spent the last 5 years talking about anime on his youtube channel, Mother's Basement. When he's not obsessively analyzing the little details in anime, from easter eggs in openings to fight scene choreography, he likes to help those who can't watch anime full time find better shows to fill the time they do have. Geoff and his partner Yazy live in beautiful BC, Canada, under the tyrannical rule of their three cats, Kuro, Junkrat, and Spaghetti.

Gerald Rathkolb     With a history of anime going back over 30 years, Gerald has has a connection to anime longer than most have been alive. Having started as part of the Robotech generation Gerald quickly outgrew that and is currently part of the Anime World Order podcast, the longest running anime-only podcast out there. A frequent writer for Otaku USA and contributor for Anime News Network, Gerald will continue to butt in where he's not welcome for the foreseeable future.

Hannah Collins     Based in the UK, Hannah is the Anime/Manga Feature Lead for CBR. As well as CBR, she has written about anime and manga for sites including The Mary Sue, Anime Feminist, Ranker, and WatchMojo, after getting her start in the blogging world with angry feminist rants and silly listicles about The Twilight Saga. A child of the ‘90s, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cardcaptor Sakura are her all-time anime and manga faves; more recently, she’s become obsessed with Spy x Family, Chainsaw Man, and Dr. Stone.

Jacob Parker Dalton     Jacob Parker-Dalton is an otaku journalist and writer for OTAQUEST. He has been watching anime and reading manga for the better part of 10 years, stemming from a childhood infatuation with Studio Ghibli. All he wants is for someone to adapt the rest of Medaka Box, the greatest manga of all time. His style icons are both Naoki Urasawa and Bob Dylan in equal measure. James Perkins    James Perkins is the Lead Anime Writer for the UK-based publication STARBURST MAGAZINE. A fan of this breathtaking art form for almost 25 years, he lives and breathes all things Anime. This is his first time as a judge for The Anime Awards and can't wait to celebrate this year's contenders.

Jazmine Moore     Jazmine Moore—known on TikTok as kiri.jaz—describes herself as a young Black woman who enjoys watching anime and creating anime/cosplay related content. She's also an artist who hopes to inspire others to believe that no matter who you are, you can love anime and enjoy the world that we created as a family.

Julio Velez     Julio Velez is a journalist and critic who has specialized in anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture for more than 15 years. He is also a promoter and enthusiast of Japanese culture and dubbing in Latin America and works as Editor-in-Chief at Otaku-Shi in Mexico's Cine PREMIERE magazine.

Kaho Shibuya     Kaho Shibuya is a Japanese talent, author, cosplayer and anison DJ in Tokyo. She has been passionate about manga and anime for her entire life as a 90s girl, who also started streaming as a Twitch partner in May 2020. Kambole Campbell    Kambole Campbell is a freelance critic based in London in the UK, writing and speaking on animation as well as other film and TV for the likes of Empire, Thrillist, Polygon, All The Anime, Sight & Sound, Little White Lies, the BBC, and others.

Kate Sanchez     Kate Sánchez is the co-founder and EIC of But Why Tho? A Geek Community, a website dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices in pop culture. She is also a Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic and member of the Austin Film Critics Association. In addition to writing, Kate is also a host on But Why Tho? the podcast, where she and her co-hosts discuss pop culture, and a host on Did You Have To?, a podcast dedicated uplifting brown and Black women in anime.

  Miki Koch Miki is the host and editor at Sumikai's Rolling Sushi podcast. She love calm and wholesome anime and like to consume anime-centric YouTube videos.   

Krystal Shanelle     Krystal is a 25-year-old content creator pushing the One Piece agenda. An anime fan since elementary school—with both the first and favorite series being Naruto—Krystal is most proud of cosplaying as Sakura from Naruto and Raven from Teen Titans. Krystal is currently studying animation and visual effects in Los Angeles with the dream of working on live-action anime, and is excited to be a judge for the Crunchyroll Awards!

Kwok-Wai Hanson     Kwok-Wai Hanson is a Writer/Host/Consultant within the anime industry. Since 2013, he has been creating content focused on data aggregation and community polls amongst seasonal anime series. Through his content creation, he has worked closely with various publishers from Japan and abroad within the industry. Currently, Kwok is the head of social at Mangamo, a manga subscription platform. He is also a host seen at Anime Expo and Crunchyroll Expo, including this year's Virtual Crunchyroll Expo.

Lauren Orsini     Lauren is a blogger and writer for outlets like Anime News Network and Forbes. She lives, works, and builds Gunpla in the Washington, DC suburbs.

Łukasz Kaczmarek     You don't know him, but you know his work. Łukasz Kaczmarek, also known as lukeatlook, is the person responsible for the Internet's most viral anime recommendation charts of the last decade, put together based on years of experience introducing his friends, students, and family to the world of anime. Sysadmin by trade, he's a vocal member of the anime community both on the Internet and the local Polish fandom, where he manages the English program at the biggest fan convention in Europe, Pyrkon, attended annually by over 40 000 unique guests from Poland and all of Europe.

Lynzee Loveridge     As executive editor of Anime News Network, Lynzee has the unique position of knowing what's tracking with the critics and with viewers in the anime fandom. She not only writes her own reviews every season but also reads everything from ANN's editorial staff! Outside of work, She's just a magical girl living in a Junji Ito world.

Maria Luiza Barros Maria Luiza, also known as Moo, is an actress, cosplayer and creates online content about anime and manga in Brazil since 2016. She's half of the duo behind Bunka Pop, a widely known anime and Japanese culture video series that were one of the most popular shows on the cable channel PlayTV. Now, Moo also works as a host on Bentô, an anime talk show created by Omelete, the biggest pop culture portal of the entire Brazilian internet.

Matheus Chami     A filmmaker who is passionate and bold when it comes to pop culture. Have a problem to solve? Call Chami!

Matt Schley     Matt Schley writes about anime for The Japan Times, Otaku USA Magazine, and elsewhere. He lives in Tokyo.

Megan Peters     Megan Peters is the editorial lead for anime coverage at ComicBook.com. As an entertainment journalist, she enjoys series such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Princess Jellyfish. Rumor has it she also likes K-pop and and comics as well!

  Michael Sudakov (Михаил Судаков) Creator of the KG-Portal.ru website, anime lover with 20 years of experience, admirer of Makoto Shinkai, Hayao Miyazaki and P.A. Works. Big fan and collector of retro games, retro computers and retro consoles.

Mohammed Naami     Mohammed Naami is the founder of Ai Show group, the biggest community for anime and manga in the Arabic speaking world, and was the Middle East representative in Anime Japan 2019, Saudi Arabia - Riyadh entertainment season Ambassador of 2019, and a host in Saudi Arabia Anime Expo 2019, the biggest Anime festival in the region.

Nino Kerl     Nino Kerl is the founder and producer of NinotakuTV and NinotakuDE. Since his early childhood, this Munich-based journalist has been an avid fan of both anime and Japan as a whole. Thus, his YouTube channel and news website are also heavily centered around Japanese pop culture.

Orophin Ancalimon / Денис Боровский     Orophin Ancalimon has been an active member of the Russian anime community for over ten years.  A person who has watched more than 1,500 anime of different genres, a blogger and creator of the Betrayed Expectations YouTube channel, where he analyzes various trends in anime, and also shares his impressions of interesting TV shows and films.  Recently write a column for Crunchyroll Russia.  His special interest is meha and maho-shojo anime, but at the same time he tries not to miss a single high-profile novelty.

  Priscila Souza Ganiko     A Brazilian entertainment journalist with a burning passion for anime, K-pop, and game related content, some of Priscila's favorite things are stories with good character development, bowls of ramen, emotional and inspiring OSTs, meaningful action sequences, and a great redemption arc, especially since "evil" characters end up being so irresistible.

Rafael Brito     Nicknamed 'Jiback', for over 7 years Rafael Brito has been editor-in-chief at JBox, one of the oldest Brazilian websites devoted to anime, manga, tokusatsu and all the japanese pop culture information.

Ricardo Santiago     Ricardo Santiago, better known as Rik, works as a content creator since 2008, producing a number of different, irreverent and creative segments on his YouTube channel and his livestreams. One of his most popular segments, Vamos Falar De... (Let's Talk About...), went on to become a succesful standalone channel.

Ryo Koarai     Ryo Koarai is an anime watcher and columnist at Kawadon-entertainment in Japanese talent agency, Miki-production. She watches over 100 anime titles aired and distributed in Japan every week since 2012, thus watches anime more than anyone else in Japan today. She writes anime-related columns on Yahoo! News Japan and is often invited to national TV news programs as a guest commentator. Additionally, she studies anime from an academic perspective as a Ph.D. candidate at Hokkaido University.

Semyon Kostin     Semyon is a staff journalist for online media DTF and regularly writes about anime, games, and movies. He has been watching anime since the mid-90s and still continues.

Sloan Lester     Known as Sloan The Female Otaku on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, Sloan is back to help judge the awards for a third time. Otaku isn't just for show, as she's seen over 300 anime and continues to educate others on anime across all platforms.

Sydney Sures     Anime content creator on Tiktok with the handle @morallygreyismyfavcolor. Long time anime fan, wildly over active imagination, and too much time on her hands. Wants to be a ninja, but knows she bruises way too easily; settles for reading fanfiction instead. Overshares her anime-centered daydreams on social media for others who share her same brand of crazy.

Theo Ellis     Theo J Ellis is the Founder of Anime Motivation, the largest anime site in the UK. And the biggest site dedicated to anime quotes and life lessons.

Tristan Gallant     Tristan "Arkada" Gallant is a Canadian YouTuber known for reviewing Japanese animation with his series Glass Reflection since early 2009, gaining a following of over 500K subscribers. With a variety of red outfits and overly enthusiastic expressions, he has displayed his passion for anime since his start, covering everything from shows like Mob Psycho 100 and Shirobako to related topics such as anime legality and industry support.

Valentin Paquot     Between the 80s and 90s France had what they call the "Generation Club Dorothée," a generation blessed with hours of anime on National TV. Nursed with high quality classic like Touch, Kimagure Orange Road, Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball, and many more, Valentin got hooked. Now, thanks to simulcast services, the availability of anime has never been so great. Valentin genuinely likes all kinds of anime, but has a particular sweet tooth for slice of life stories and worships Akemi Takada.

Quoc Viet Nguyen     Viet Nguyen is a video games journalist and host at Rocket Beans TV (YouTube & Twitch). He discusses anime and manga in his monthly podcast "Nani?! - Der Anime-Talk" and streams various games on his own Twitch channel. On Twitter, Instagram and Twitch, you can find him @Pixelviet.

Nezu aka "Madara's Daughter" Madara's Daughter is a content creator who dwells in the Anime Kingdom 24/7, cosplays, and would at least like to think she's funny!

By: Miles Thomas

[inapat13]

The Women Film Pioneers Project

I recently discover the Women Film Pioneers Project (WFPP), a truly interesting project if you’re curious about the pioneers women that worked at all levels of film production during the silent era and the beginning of cinema. The Women Film Pioneers Project is a digital publication and resource that advances research on the hundreds of women who worked behind the scenes during the silent film era. Always expanding, WFPP publishes original scholarship on women who worked all around the world as directors, producers, screenwriters, editors, and more. The WFPP is produced in partnership with Columbia University Libraries and with the support of Columbia University, School of Arts and Film Program.

This digital project provides lots of resources on its website, posted by many university researchers. We can find online a large bibliography of sources related to early cinema more broadly, as well as different national silent film industries and histories. In addition to that bibliography, we have access to the entire list of the works and primary sources made by the pioneers. Indeed, many of the women presented on the website produced their own writing and published content, like film reviews, screenwriting manuals, novels, plays or illustrations. The other page that came to my attention is a list of Silent Film Organizations, Festivals and Conferences that try to preserve and exhibit silent cinema, and/or the work of early women filmmakers. Also, a lot of movies directed, produced and/or written by these women are listed with a link to watch them on streaming. Finally, several very interesting essays have been published on the website and address issues like “African American women in the silent film industry”, “French film colorists”, or “Writing the History of Latin American women working in the silent film industry”. But beyond all these great resources, the portraits of those women are still the most important part of the project. For each pioneer, researchers try to establish the most exhaustive biography, add the bibliographical source and present the integrality of their work. 

This project, by promoting the work of women that have been overlooked in the history of early cinema, is truly important and we must give more visibility to this website. The work of Alice Guy-Blaché has only been rediscover a few years ago and it is time now to reinstate these women’s work in cinema history. The art of cinema could not be made without actresses, women producers, screenwriters and directors. This project needs a better recognition, and all these women deserves to be better known.

Have you ever heard about Tazuko Sakane, the first female director in Japan? Do you know Clara Kimball Young, the second female film star after Mary Pickford to set up her own namesake production company, the Clara Kimball Young Film Corporation? Or do you know Tressie Souders, the first African American woman director? 

Well, click on the link → https://wfpp.columbia.edu/pioneers/

Julie Haudry-Hurault

[meditativeyoga]

Yoga and the Breath: Antidotes for A Stressful Life

Stress is inescapable. We commonly equate stress and anxiety as unfavorable and also unfavorable, the pressures that we come across as we take on life's challenges and face our edge are typically the incentive for growth as well as modification. Also much stress could leave our anxious system out of equilibrium as well as our body depleted. Luckily, the breath techniques of yoga exercise offer the key to opening this vicious circle as well as bring back tranquility.

The degree to which we experience pressure packed circumstances as stressful often depends on how our body and minds react to the situation. The mind component of the equation may seem intuitive. If you regard an event to be demanding you will likely experience it as such.

But the mind affects the body and the other way around, in big component through the autonomic nerves (ANS). In understanding and also using the power of the ANS, we could obtain mastery over stress. Yogic breathing practices (pranayama) can help.

Stress and also the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

The free anxious system (ANS) is composed of 2 primary branches: the supportive nerve system (SNS), as well as the parasympathetic nerves (PNS). The SNS is like the body's gas pedal. When it is triggered heart rate and also respiration rise, as well as the body is primed for action. The SNS instantaneously bursts into activity the moment that you perceive danger.

The SNS is involved in an intricate dance with the limbic system - the region of the mind that is mainly accountable for emotion and also the immediate feedback to risk. The limbic system consists of the amygdala, hypothalamus, cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, as well as other vital structures.

In circumstances of impending threat the limbic system signals to the SNS to battle, stay clear of or escape threat. In response the SNS kicks into high gear, releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline to enhance heart rate and respiration, as well as to prepare you for action.

If you've ever had a close to miss out on while driving your cars and truck you recognize specifically just how this feels. Opportunities are you pounded on your brakes and also perhaps transformed the steering wheel prior to you even registered a hazard. At that point your heart is competing, your breathing is rough, as well as you could also have actually sweat diminishing your back. In an instantaneous your body feels as though it has run a 100-meter dash.

The parasympathetic nerves, on the other hand, is the body's break pedal. It is in charge of the "remainder and digest" response. When activated, the PNS releases acetylcholine and also other neurotransmitters that signal the heart and also breathing system to decrease, and the skeletal muscular tissues to relax.

The ANS as well as limbic system run in a continuous comments loop, each educating the other of what the body needs. Yet these systems do not work alone - they are highly affected by the mind's exec function.

Executive Function: The Mental Saboteur

Executive feature is an overarching term utilized to define the cognitive or psychological processes that the mind makes use of to organize and handle input. These procedures include arranging info, planning, focus, memory, trouble solving, spoken thinking, task changing, and also other psychological operations.

Executive function occurs primarily in the prefrontal cortex and frontal lobes of the mind. Structures in the executive feature and also limbic systems are extremely interconnected, with each sending countless signals back and forth in reaction to the constant bombardment of stimuli as well as info that we receive on a continuous basis.

What is amazing concerning the executive working system is that it could literally undermine our nerves. It can produce ideas and memories that evoke feelings of concern, horror, and also anxiousness all on its own. The autonomic nerves can not differentiate between just what is "real" as well as exactly what is thought of. It replies to self-created, mental occasions as though they were genuine, launching a cascade of signals that trigger the battle, flight or freeze response. This indicates that we could trick our nerves into thinking that we are experiencing a traumatic occasion simply by thinking of it.

If you think of something that you're scared of enough time, opportunities are you will certainly notice that your heart and also breathing price have actually increased, as well as you will feel uncomfortable physical feelings. Those with high levels of anxiousness or panic repeat these afraid situations over as well as over once again, signifying to their brains as well as bodies that risk is continuous. The outcome is physical and also mental exhaustion.

How Yoga Can Help

Fortunately, a number of yogic breathing practices (pranayama) could quell a hypervigilant nervous system.

In a landmark write-up published in 2010 in The Journal of Choice as well as Complementary Medicine, a group of scientists from Boston reported that yoga practice could assist to minimize stress and anxiety, and improve mood. In a subsequent research published in 2012 in Medical Hypotheses, this group likewise discovered that yoga exercise may work in treating stress-related conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety, high blood pressure as well as cardiac illness.

In a recent interview in Psychology Today, Chris Streeter, MD, associate teacher of psychiatry at BUSM as well as Boston Medical Center, and also the research's lead author noted, 'This paper offers a concept, based on neurophysiology as well as neuroanatomy, to recognize just how yoga assists individuals really feel much better by relieving signs and symptoms in numerous common disorders.'

Using the Power of Yoga to Alleviate Stress

The breath is an indication of physical and also emotional duress. Under stress, respiration comes to be quick, shallow and isolated in the upper breast. Superficial or fast breathing declares to the ANS that the body is in danger, causing SNS activation (battle, flight or freeze). Alternatively, sluggish, deep, diaphragmatic breath tells the ANS that the system is secure to kick back and repair, bring about PNS activation (remainder as well as digest).

We can generate parasympathetic nerve system (PNS) activation by strengthening and reducing the breath. First discover a kicked back position and concentrate on breathing in as gradually as well as deeply as you are able.

Once you could do that easily, begin to concentrate on exhaling as slowly as you can. This could be done incrementally, with each breathe out becoming a little bit longer than the last. This could not be easy initially, however in time as well as with practice you will uncover that breathing gradually and deeply, and also lengthening the exhale ended up being less complicated and more comfortable.

There are a variety of excellent resources that offer breathing exercises and examples. The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Lower Tension and Anxiousness, Enhance Concentration, and also Equilibrium Your Emotions by Richard Brown and also Patricia Gerbarg is an excellent resource for beginners.

Breathing exercises are an outstanding and efficient remedy for stress and anxiety, not to state that they are cost-free, and available to you at any time. It deserves the financial investment to learn how you can take tension into your personal hands, as well as to understand it. Your health relies on it.

B Elegance Bullock, PhD, E-RYT 500 is a psycho therapist, research study scientist, educator, yoga exercise and also mindfulness expert and author of Mindful Relationships: Seven Skills for Success - Incorporating the Science of Mind, Body and Brain. Her mission is to decrease stress, rise wellness as well as wellness and also boost the top quality of connections. She provides classes, workshops, writing as well as study that integrate the wisdom of applied neuroscience, psychophysiology, psychology and also contemplative science and also method. Her goal is to equip people, groups, leaders and organizations to minimize chronic anxiety and also rise understanding, attention, empathy, mindfulness and reliable communication to reinforce connections, release useless patterns and also unlock new and healthy and balanced methods of being. Dr. Bullock is likewise the Starting Director and also Principal Consultant of the International Scientific research and also Education and learning Partnership, a company devoted to phenomenal research study, program analysis, evaluation layout, strategic planning and capacity building to support equity, programmatic diversity and also clinical stability, as well as promote efficient leadership, decision-making and also social adjustment. Bullock is a Certified Viniyoga Therapist and also Faculty at the Integrated Wellness Yoga exercise Treatment (IHYT) Training program. She is the former Senior citizen Study Scientist at the Mind and Life Institute and also previous Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. For more info see www.bgracebullock.com.

[adastraradionews]

HutchCF announces Fund for Hutchinson grants

The Hutchinson Community Foundation announced award of 209 thousand dollars in grants from the Fund for Hutchinson this morning. The Fund for Hutchinson was establshed by HutchCF's founding board of directors in 1990 as a permanent resource for changing needs of Reno County, and since it's inception 3.7 million dollars in grants have been awarded to more than 170 area organizations. The grants were awarded in the areas of Arts and Culture, Civic Improvement, Health and Human Services, and Early Childhood and Youth Development.

These grants were awarded

Arts & Culture – $25,997

Family Community Theatre, $10,000 – Lift the Flag: Upgrade and remodel the Flag Theatre lobby, making the theater more pleasant and inviting for community members, whether participating as part of the cast and crew or attending performances for personal enjoyment. Funding will also cover the installation of a restroom in the men’s dressing room.

Family Community Theatre, $1,475 – Strategic Planning: Support for a facilitator to lead a strategic-planning retreat for the board of directors and develop a draft of a strategic plan. (Made from the Fund for Hutchinson – Community Leadership.

Hutchinson Symphony Association, $5,522 – Our Message is in the Music: Celebrate America’s positive spirit through an entire series of concerts and community collaborations featuring the different periods and genres of American music. Collaborations with Stage 9, Hutchinson Community College’s Badinage, Fox Theatre performers Sons of Serendip, and area high schools are among the highlights of the series. 

Hutchinson Theatre Guild (Stage 9), $9,000 – The Foundry: Provide students ages 12 to 18 an opportunity to produce and perform an original work of theater. Over the course of two weeks, middle-school students will work alongside high school mentors and adult instructors developing skills in all aspects of a theatrical production. Stage 9 will collaborate with the Hutchinson High School drama instructor and Hutchinson Middle School vocal music instructor for this theater lab.

Civic Improvement – $54,621    

Cosmosphere, $10,000 – Accessible Low Ropes Course: Transform a vacant lot at 11th Avenue and Ford Street in Hutchinson into a low ropes course that can serve people of all ages and abilities as they experience team building, develop leadership and problem-solving skills, and gain personal confidence. The Cosmosphere will partner with Disability Supports of the Great Plains on this project that will benefit not only the organizations’ camp programs and clients but also be available to the neighborhood and entire Reno County community.

Haven Gathering Place, $14,621 – Haven Gathering Place: Promote social and emotional health by creating a safe place where community members can connect with each other and learn about local resources. Funds will allow construction of an ADA-compliant restroom in the downtown Haven building being renovated for this project, which is a collaboration among Haven High School, Haven Chamber of Commerce and the city of Haven.

Hutch Rec, $15,000 x 3 years – Neighborhood Development: Final year of a three-year grant to support collaborative work with residents and community partners, including the city of Hutchinson and the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, on innovative neighborhood development strategies with the overarching goal of ensuring Hutchinson has safe neighborhoods and is an attractive place to live, work, play and raise an active family.

Interfaith Housing and Community Services, $15,000 – A Server to Continue Serving: Replace the organization’s outdated 2008 server with a new server that will provide the capacity and longevity necessary for continued operations. An updated server will ensure clients’ access to the phone system, computerized application processes, program information and payment services will be uninterrupted and that the organization’s staff can provide the effective service the clients deserve.

Health & Human Services – $37,335

BrightHouse, Inc., $15,000 – From Adequate to Exemplary: Updating the BrightHouse Child Visitation and Exchange Center: Increase BrightHouse’s capacity to provide high quality supervised child visitation and monitored exchange services by investing in technological and environmental upgrades, including visitation management software and furniture that will help create a more comfortable and welcoming experience for the children and families served.

Circles of Hope Reno County, $13,995 x 3 years – Bridge Funding for New Circles Director Position: First year of a three-year grant to create a part-time director position that will provide focus, structure and supervision for the program’s staff and volunteers. Having a director in place will also increase Circle’s capacity to recruit volunteers and develop and carry out fundraising efforts in order to sustain the initiative and grow its impact.

Poverty Collaborative Task Force, $2,500 – Capacity Building: Group coaching to strengthen collaborative relationships among people, churches, and organizations concerned about poverty, as well as costs associated with convening partners to better understand the emergency referral system and consider potential interventions for increased efficiency and empathy. (Made from the Fund for Hutchinson – Community Leadership)

Resilience Reno County, $5,840 x 3 years – Resilience Reno County 3.0: First year of a three-year grant for an AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service to America (VISTA) position to strengthen this collaborative effort to equip community members and organizations with resources on healing from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Ultimately, Resilience Reno County aims to create a trauma-informed community that is more empathetic and able to connect individuals and families who have experienced trauma to organizations offering supportive relationships and resilience-building tools. Partial match by the Davis Foundation.

Early Childhood & Youth Development – $45,396

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $2,500 – Diversity and Inclusion for All: Support a marketing and media campaign, along with after-hours events, Lunch and Learns, and Coffee and Conversation opportunities designed to recruit a diverse population of professional and retired community members throughout Reno County to serve as adult mentors for youth who are a minority or who identify as LGBTQ.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $1,700 – Catching up with Technology: Update aging office equipment with the purchase of two new laptops, which will allow the organization to be more efficient when serving clients and volunteers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson, Inc., $12,000 x 3 years – Hawk Huddle: Final year of a three-year grant for an after-school program providing seventh- and eighth-grade students at Hutchinson Middle School with homework help and opportunities to become involved in school events, allowing for continuous academic assistance while a sustainable funding source is built.

Circles of Hope Reno County, $3,696 x 2 years – Hutchinson High School Project-Building Capacity of Youth Who Are Living in Poverty: Final year of a two-year grant to increase the resilience of Hutchinson High School students from unstable homes by building their capacity to stabilize their lives and create their future stories.

Girls on the Run Heart of Kansas, $7,500 over 3 years – Program Expansion to New Sites & New Program Scholarships: Second year of a three-year grant to ensure that girls who would not typically have access to quality youth programming have the opportunity to participate in Girls on the Run (third- through fifth-graders) or Heart & Sole (sixth- through eighth-graders) programs that inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through experienced-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, $4,000 – Youth Entrepreneur Event: Host an event for Reno County high school students who are involved in entrepreneurship and journalism programs with the goal of providing practical experience in business and entrepreneurship, creating awareness of the opportunities available in Reno County, and providing tools and inspiring confidence to go after those opportunities. Annual Meeting speaker and editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine Jason Feifer will share experiences and knowledge with students during the event in February.

Hutchinson Public Schools, $4,000 – Expanding the IB Career-Related Programme: Provide support for scholarships and some of the necessary materials for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-Related Programme at Hutchinson High School, making rigorous college-preparatory courses more accessible and ensuring more students are college- and career-ready upon graduation. Matched by the Davis Foundation.

Kansas Children’s Service League, $5,000 – Healthy Families-Reno County: Increase the caseload capacity and community awareness for this program, which provides primary child abuse and neglect prevention services to Reno County families. Matched 1:1 by Medicaid.

Salthawk Community Support, $10,000 x 3 years – Removing Barriers to Education: Final year of a three-year grant providing students in need at Hutchinson High School with basic necessities and access to academic tutoring, financial education and self-esteem-building activities coordinated by emotionally encouraging staff and volunteers.

Helen Adams Hamilton Children and Education Fund – $24,888

To foster the growth, education and development of young people who are 18 years of age and younger, with a preference for funding activities that result in an early intervention in an at-risk child’s life.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $11,200 – Collective Impact Collaboration: Provide leaders of multiple agencies the time and resources to work toward developing a collective impact strategy for at-risk Reno County youth ages 14 to 21, with the ultimate goal of bringing together organizations and resources across the community to help youth overcome adversities, build relationships, develop work-ready skills and create a positive future story that they will be able to fully achieve.

Hadley Day Care Center, $13,688 – Countertops, Cabinets & Cubbies: Replace countertops and cabinets in six classrooms, ensuring safe storage of cleaning products and supplies. The grant will also fund construction of individual cubbies for the 70 children using the classrooms, allowing each child his/her own space for personal items, such as jackets, backpacks and an extra change of clothes.

Kansas Health Foundation Public Health Endowment Fund – $21,748

Supporting health and well-being through healthy lifestyles, behaviors and environments.

City of Hutchinson, $7,500 – Phase Zero Hutch: Experiment with a series of placemaking and tactical urbanism projects to help the community reimagine several of our public places. Community members will have the opportunity to experience short-term, low-cost demonstration projects in Midtown, the State Fair/Main Street area, and Farmington Park and offer feedback based on their personal interactions with the projects prior to a commitment of major public financing for permanent features.

Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland, $1,941 – Community Based Programs: Creating Tomorrow’s Leaders: Provide financial assistance for Reno County girls to participate in the Girl Scouts’ skill-building Community Based Program, attend summer camp and help with costs, such as uniforms and curriculum materials.

Headquarters, Inc., $2,158 – Collaborating to Prevent Suicide: Provide suicide prevention expertise to the Reno County Suicide Prevention Coalition as they select evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. Headquarters, Inc. will help identify public education, awareness campaigns and school-based suicide prevention initiatives that best fit the particular needs of the Reno County community.

Kansas Food Bank Warehouse, $5,000 – Food 4 Kids Backpack Program 2020: Provide volunteer-assembled, weekend food packets to children in Reno County who are experiencing food insecurity, allowing them to return to school on Monday mornings feeling less anxious, healthier and better prepared to learn.

Reno County Health Department, $1,400 – Creating New Connections: Welcome new people to the community by coordinating a quarterly potluck dinner and information-sharing session with the goals of raising awareness about community resources, encouraging attendees to become more vested in their new community, and providing a space and opportunity for social connections.

Rise Up Reno – Prevention Network, $3,749 – A Platform for Progress: Purchase a software platform that will allow the organization to more effectively manage contact with and service to stakeholders, helping to better match partners and participants with their specific interests among the many programs Rise Up Reno – Prevention Network (formerly Reno County Communities That Care) implements. The software platform will also increase staff efficiency, resulting in more time for direct contact with students and families.

[jay-michaels-public-relations]

Article contributed to Five Star Arts Journal by Jay Michaels

Comic Books – like their characters – have a secret identity. The mild-mannered paper and ink funnies are also the next level of Greek tragedy or Shakespearean epic.

Comic Artists – like their characters – also have a secret identity thrust upon them. Hard-working children of immigrants throughout the sixties grabbing a job in a time when such things were scarce drew fun and fantastical stories about improbable human beings … and outer planet dwellers. These progression-of-image books have – thanks to Godlike advances in cinema and the paranoia of psychiatrists throughout the fifties and sixties have become the new da Vincis and Picassos.

Sadly, like their characters, these artists were always lauded for their work. their stories are the fodder of -well- comic books.

Ditko tells the story of Steve Ditko, a comic book illustrator virtually forgotten by the masses, but celebrated by comic book fans everywhere. Chronicling his rise in the comic book industry, Ditko was instrumental in Marvel’s success by co-creating two of comics most iconic characters, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange and several of DC’s silver age icons, Hawk and Dove, Shade the Changing Man, and the Creeper. Ditko also worked for virtually every other publisher of note including Warren, Charlton, Pacific, and Eclipse, co-creating other iconic characters like Mr. A, the Question and Blue Beetle. he also created some of the 1950s most startling imagery in sci-fi and fantasy comics. ironically, Spiderman was meant to be one of those fantasy one-shot characters for a comic book called Amazing Fantasy. Stan Lee, planning to cancel the poor-selling monster book, let Ditko draw one of those far-out characters for the last issue. The rest, as they say …

The Daydream Theatre and TheatreLab NYC present DITKO, a play written & directed by Lenny Schwartz on October 1 & 2 at 7:30pm Tickets: $15 in advance at Ovationtix.com and $20 at the door the location of TheatreLab is 357 WEST 36th STREET 3RD FLOOR – NEW YORK

Some actors have the honor of playing Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and Lear … others have a more lofty experience. Derek Laurendeau plays Steve Ditko; Dave Almeida dons a cigar for his role as Jack Kirby; Anne Bowman plays a mystic master – no, not Doctor Strange … Ayn Rand. And Geoff White takes the elevator to the floor ABOVE Mount Olympus as Stan Lee. The avengers assembled also include Samantha Acampora, Christopher Ferreira as Jerry Robinson/Dick Giordano (talk about Marvel AND DC), Mindy Britto, Emily Lamarre, and Timothy DeLisle.

At the New York Comic Con in 2010, Stan Lee entered the stage and someone from the back of the house screamed “YOU’RE A GOD, STAN”  We asked the cast … well is he? Well, are you? And what’s it like playing Gods.

Derek Laurendeau: 

To me comic books aren’t becoming a religion, they are one. As with most religions you have practices, prayers, meditations, and most of all stories that give the moral standards and practices of them. Comic books in their own way share many of these. Many people routinely make pilgrimages to the conventions or their comic book shops to share in the collective story telling of hundreds of artists and writers. The whole community (artists, editors, writers, fans, etc.) shapes these stories. The stories give us the hope and ability to cope with the world around us. The comics are also a mythology on their own. Superheroes are god like and while the stories can be bombastic, heroic adventures at the end of it all the heroes themselves are just as human as we are and through that relatability you can gain strength to overcome any difficulties. Also like most religions there are divisions that you see when stories adapt and change. Most recently the Miles Morales Spiderman comes to mind as an example of the rift that can divide comic fans.

“I feel like we’re not playing gods. Ditko, Lee, Kirby, and Robinson were humans just like us.”

They had their flaws and faults just like anyone would have. The fans may see them as these deities, but at the end of the day they were just men and women creating from their imaginations. They created these characters not knowing what would happen. The act of creation is what they knew best and by putting the work in and giving their art every bit of energy they had they made magic happen on the pages. I feel like my responsibility to the role is to show the humanness of these great people. Yes they created heroes that will not be forgotten any time soon. But Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Jerry Robinson all started at the same place behind a table with nothing but an idea, paper, and something to write and draw with. The truth is anyone can do what they did as long as you have passion and are committed one hundred percent to making your destiny happen. However I do feel an extra responsibility to Ditko since very little is known of him and for a lot of people seeing the show it was the first time they had ever heard of him. So i feel a duty to do my best to represent Steve as the sure minded, smart, and talented artist he was.

Geoff White, like the characters he plays (Stan Lee) was a bit more irreverent. 

Growing up in the 60’s, I was the usual comic book kid… I occasionally grabbed a Superman or Spiderman. I’ve always had a healthy respect for the art form, but as I began college and studying theatre, my focus changed and comics faded in my life Except for my many friends who  are avid collectors. But, as an Actor, I do feel the responsibility of being true to any character I portray, but obviously playing Stan in the city, next to the Comicon is a little daunting.  Fortunately, Lenny is a true Fan and an insightful Director and I truly feel the audiences will enjoy the ride as much as we do.

Dave Almeida plays another king. Jack “King” Kirby. The man attributed to some of the greatest comic book characters of all time – who never got the respect he deserved … until after his passing. 

We the public may consider these creative writers and artists “gods”, but I would guess that they just considered themselves just “working Joes”, and getting paid for their services, just like screenwriters, journalists and commercial artists did at the time. These wonderful people gave us role models without even realizing it; role models who change the minds and hearts of a post war generation and their children.

Christopher Ferreira playing two comic book legends shared his thoughts as well.

When I was in grade school at that time, comics were the safe place where social outcast bookworms could find comfort in fantastic stories about heroes and a fantasy world.  It was ours.  Now comics are everyone’s.  Now I’m the expert who pretty girls turn to to learn about this world of mythical legend.  Now I feel like the prophets of old, leading new followers to the wonderful teachings of pulp fiction legends. I absolutely feel a strong responsibility to accurately portray such legends as Jerry Robinson and Dick Giordano.  I met Jerry twice in the later years of his life at the San Diego Comic Con and I was so blown away by his intelligence, exuberant personality and humbleness.  He did so much important work to get creators the credit and recognition they deserved.  I can only imagine how he encouraged and helped Steve Ditko in his early days of coming into the comic book industry.  Jerry was such a force in the comic book industry.  So my goal in bringing him to life again onstage in this version is to show how human of a man he was.  Comic book creators are people who care about the human race, I feel.  They write stories that show the best humanity can be.  Creating heroes that they wish we all could be.    

Anne Bowman practiced philosophizing by saying this.

What comes to mind is how comic book characters are like religious icons, known all over the world. Before I did this show I didn’t realize how often I see Spider-Man in my daily life, in many places other than TV.  For example, I went to the beach with family a few weekends ago, and my friend’s five-year-old was wearing a Spider-Man t-shirt. I told him I was in a play about the man who drew Spider-Man, and his eyes got wide. I knew Spider-Man when I was his age, too. That’s pretty incredible. 

    Emily Lamarre and Mindy Britto looked up in the sky and had this to say:

Emily Lamarre: I’ve been thinking about this all day and haven’t really found an answer for this question. I’ve been an outsider to the comic book world and through Ditko I learned that Ditko was the real creator of Spider-Man. I think with why comic books are becoming a religion as people look up to these characters because they are strong, and brave. They even may pass down the stories of these characters to their children in hopes to take the lessons and ideals that they had and use them in real life. With the creators like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Jerry Robinson, and Bill Finger, they created these characters and the world they live in for people to read and look up to.

Mindy Britto: To be honest, comic books are a bit of a new phenomenon for me. I feel that comic books offer an escape into another reality. Comics are always indicative of pop culture, reflecting both modern society and a new market of readers. Writers come up with religious back stories to keep the character current and provide relatability and depth. It makes sense that comic books are becoming a religion due to the complexity of the world that we live in and the desire to explore and uncover.

  =================

JAY MICHAELS, an indie film and live event producer and promotional executive, is considered an authority on comic books and horror movies. He is the host of “Terror Talk” on the burgeoning streaming station, Terror TV. Michaels, a notable presence in the world of independent theater and film as a producer and an actor, has been charting horror and science-fiction on film and television and appraising comic books and other ephemera since 1973. He is also a judge for the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival.

  Adventure takes four colors, two staples, and one dream Article contributed to Five Star Arts Journal by Jay Michaels Comic Books - like their characters - have a secret identity.

[olaluwe]

The nation’s foremost tertiary institution, University of Ibadan, UI, was agog; all roads led to the apex institution. Between 20 and 21 September 2017, the school was beehive of activities, academics, writers, poets and several others thronged the institution for a common purpose and goal. That was to celebrate a poet, a literary icon, Christopher Okigbo who passed on 50 years ago. Okigbo lived between August 16, 1932 and September 1967, he was a literary giant whose works live on despite the fact that many of those who terminated his life 50 years ago had long been forgotten.

The event in form of a conference was the golden jubilee anniversary of the demise of Okigbo. The conference was organised by Okigbo Foundation, COF, in collaboration with UI, through her Departments of English and Classics, Faculty of Arts. In attendance at the opening ceremony held at the institution’s Trenchard Hall were renowned literary icons, scholars, publishers, traditional leaders, academics and socio-cultural groups, family and friends of the deceased.

The conference has the theme: “Legacy of Christopher Okigbo-50 years.” Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, UI, Prof. Yinka Aderinto; Prof. Olutayo Charles Adesina, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Prof. Oluwatoyin Jegede, Prof. Babatunde Omobowale, Prof. Mufutau Temitayo Lamidi, Prof. Ademola Omobewaji Dasylva, Prof. Dele Layiwola, Prof. Ayo Ogunsiji, Dr Doyin Aguoru, Dr Kazeem Adebiyi, Dr Tunde Awosanmi, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State represented by his Deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo Alake; Ambassador Judith Sefi Attah, Kunle Ajibade, Executive Editor of The News Magazine; Chief Joop Berkhout, Chairman, Safari Books Limited, and Bankole Olayebi, Director, Bookcraft Limited were among the participants.

Setting the agenda of the day, COF Chairman, Okey Okuzu, said that the goal of the foundation was to restore to Okigbo the place he deserved internationally and to further his humanist vision and ideal through the promotion of contemporary creation in Nigeria and cultural exchange worldwide. Addressing the conference, the Vice Chancellor, UI, Prof. Abel Olayinka, who was represented by the institution’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, DVC, Administration, Professor Emilolorun Ayelari described Okigbo as a literary giant, and icon of African literature, who was famous for his exploits in the genre of poetry “He was one of the early African writers who later came to define what is today known as modern African poetry. As a member and pioneer of what literary critics today refer to as the Ibadan School of Poetry, Okigbo is unarguably the crest bearer of his generation of poets, the generation often described as the modernist or obscurantist. The University of Ibadan is proud of his contributions to the evolution of this school. “Though simultaneously famous and notorious for his style of versification, some of the major strengths of Okigbo as a poet were his prophetic vision and capacity for myth-making. As a poet with prophetic endowment, intimations of the political crises and the Nigerian civil war had been foreshadowed in his poetry long before the events actually happened. This prophetic vision is one of the qualities that continues to endear his works to generations of literary critics and readers of his works. Even his most inveterate critics recognise this gift of his”, he said. Olayinka explained: “Perhaps, Okigbo’s significance as a literary icon is best measured not just by what he did as a poet, but by the effects of such deeds. His works have continued to inspire many poets of succeeding generations. His works have also continued to generate enduring bodies of criticisms, which also continued to enrich African literary scholarship. There is no African anthology of poetry devoid of regional, national or temporal limitations that does not feature Christopher Okigbo. Okigbo has been listed in Encyclopedias, yearbooks and has been the subject of many conferences, dissertations, doctoral theses and book length studies. There is no doubt that UI shares in these achievements since Okigbo was a product of our prestigious university. This is why the university will always be interested in sustaining his legacy”. Delivering a paper titled, “Why Okigbo Matters,” Prof. Dan Izevbaye provided a description of the poetry of Okigbo. According to him, Okigbo’s earliest poems, lyrics in ‘The Horn and Black Orpheus’ published between 1958 and 1961, are modelled mainly on Igbo musical forms, as well as elements of Latin and Italian poetry. This shows that Okigbo was not deracinated but cosmopolitan, and also firmly rooted in his culture of origin. It also shows the central role of music in his composition.” He said that Okigbo’s poetry and poetics were shaped by historical necessity in the form of the cultural encounters that produced the translation of African cultures into their modern forms. “With the approach of independence in the 1950s and ‘60s, the new African elite had a choice – to continue from a colonial to a neo-colonial status, or to seek a distinct identity by re-examining the cultures in which they function and the institutions that regulated their lives. The translation of their European experience into new forms of identities and institution was the necessary solution to the alternatives of a subaltern status for colonised cultures, which included their imperfect control of the vehicles of communication between the cultures of the colonised and the colonisers, with particular regard to language, worldview, institutions and lifestyles”, Izevbaye said Izevbaye further noted that this activity of adapting the two sets of inherited forms and institutions into new ones was evident, not only in the language and worldview of the emergent African language literature by the generation of Okigbo, Chinua Achebe, John Pepper Clark and Wole Soyinka, but also in the enabling cultural and institutional contexts of the literature. This context includes the formation of new forms of knowledge that were similar in composition to the syncretism of African Christianity. Izevbaye pointed out that Okigbo’s form of poetry was distinct: “The form of his poetry was distinct from those of his contemporaries with whom he shares many features of this mixing of the modernity and traditional, only because the process of translating his sources into the final product was more explicit than usual. The generation and incubation of his creative forms, an early stage of the creative process, was stamped on the final product for the reader to see”. Izevbaye added that Okigbo maximally utilised ‘The Horn,’ the student creative writing magazine of the English Department of the University of Ibadan, which was edited by Clark where the early poems were first published and ‘Black Orpheus,’ an organ of black cultural awareness and creative edited by Ulli Beier, Soyinka and Ezekiel Mphahlele, as well as the Mbari Club to bring out his poems out of their privacy to the knowledge of an audience that was being weaned from the literary culture of the West. He added that Heinemann was the other important publishing resource for Okigbo’s poetry, which fulfilled his wish for an international audience. He pointed out that Okigbo’s entry into the field of conflict was an act of heroism, but noted that some did not see it as such. “But a modern battlefield is more often a field of slaughter and sacrifice than field of heroes. Sadly, modern warfare and weapons of war cannot differentiate between a poet and the ordinary soldier. The response by the literary community to Okigbo’s death ranged from unbelief and grief culminating in the tributes collected by Achebe in ‘Don’t Let Him Die,’ to the now infamous fictional trial of the victim set up by Ali Mazrui. Mazrui, was not, of course, the only dissenter to Okigbo’s choice. Heinemann’s James Currey, who understandably had a corporate interest in the matter, described Okigbo as a Biafran major who “went off and got himself killed in Byronic style, at a road junction”, the scholar added. According to Izevbaye, “Okigbo’s poetic development was a progression from the personal exploration of the self in the early poems, to a re-connection with his community in form of the religious sacrifice to his domestic gods, followed by a concern with the fate of suffering heroes like Awolowo and Lumumba, ending with his political engagement in the last poems preparing him for his heroic sacrifice. The poetry finally incorporates the heroic element that had not been prominent in the earlier poetry because it was the product of an age where the heroic ethos was lacking, bringing out the satirical elements in the last poems Speaking on Okigbo, Prof. Wole Soyinka said that he was happy when he was told about the programme which would feature huge feast, lot of talks, reminiscences, and serious literal analysis, stating that he was equally happy at the aspect of Izevbaye’s paper which touched on the music aspect of Okigbo. “Chris used to accompany me on the piano right here. Chris used to compose musical pieces, short pieces. Chris was a multivalent person. Chris was a musical person. The soul of Chris was music and I am glad that aspect of him has been expressed this afternoon”. He said, “One of the things that was not known about Chris was that he was a teacher. He was an assistant principal of Fiditi Grammar School at one time. Chris was one of the genuine renaissance people of our generation. He was a Poet, musician, gregarious, an activist and at the same time, a great introvert. I remembered a lot of times we would be downstairs at Cambridge House, maybe his steward has prepared lunch or snack. “I would go upstairs and say Chris, we were all ready now. And I just found Chris in one of those very contemplative moods, out of that mood, marked down one line of a poetry, which he would then later on read to me or to us and say I had been busy working on that particular line at that time. He was not just an armchair activist. He arrived at a certain point of conviction. I meant putting his life on the line and not many of us do that. It was the most important legacy”. Soyinka confided that Christopher was a chicken thief, stating, “He was a chicken thief. I ate out of it. When he was teaching in Fiditi, and I used to drive out of campus to go and stay with him, Chris never had food in his house. He had a little backyard. Chris would spread grains of corn on a side of the fence. He made a little hole in the fence. Those chickens would come through the hole and Chris would catch the chicken, dinner. I confessed, I participated in the eating of the stolen chicken but I swear I never killed one chicken”. Speaking, Prof. J. P. Clark, said that Nigerians were seeking restructuring because there was a need for a genuine system that would make everyone to have a true sense of belonging. He said that by joining Biafra army, Okigbo was just asking for the restructuring of the nation, stressing that ever since the death of Chris, nothing had changed. In his paper, titled, “Okigbo, the Martyr”, Hon. Chudi Offodile lauded the University of Ibadan for nurturing the most creative and most talented of Nigeria’s post-colonial generation, including Christopher Okigbo and Prof. Wole Soyinka In his paper, titled, “Okigbo, the Martyr”, Hon. Chudi Offodile lauded the University of Ibadan for nurturing the most creative and most talented of Nigeria’s post-colonial generation, including Christopher Okigbo and Prof. Wole Soyinka. Describing Okigbo as a martyr, as he died fighting for the freedom of his people of Biafra, Offodile pointed out that he was relying on the comments of Chinua Achebe in his book, “There was a Country” and Soyinka’s “The Man Died.” According to him, Achebe described Okigbo as the finest Nigerian Poet of his generation, noting that he conjured up for the world, an amazing, haunting, poetic firmament of a wild and violent beauty. Achebe, according to Offodile, wrote that when Okigbo decided to join the Biafran army, he went to a great length to conceal his plan, making up a story about a secret mission to Europe and that by the time he saw him two weeks later, he had become a major by special commission in the Biafran Army. “On his own part, Soyinka, who was detained by the Gowon regime on his return to Nigeria wrote from prison: “Of the many ghosts that haunt me here, the most frequent and welcome are the ghosts of dead relations, grandfather and the two ghosts of Christopher Okigbo, Adekunle Fajuyi… Banjo and Alale also visit, but hardly as ghosts”. Soyinka also recounted an encounter with Okigbo in a police cell in November 1965 which lasted several hours discussing poetry.” Offodile noted that because of what Okigbo considered to be grave injustice suffered by Easterners, with the declaration of Biafra in May 1967 and the war that followed in July 1967, he joined the army and headed to the battlefield. Two months into the war, in September 1967, he was killed in active combat in Nsukka sector and thus, he was a hero and was honoured posthumously with Biafra’s Medal of Honour. He contrasted Okigbo’s act with that of another alumnus of the University of Ibadan, Ukpabi Asika, who was opposed to Biafra. In his reminiscence, he said that Asika joined the federal side and accepted the role of Administrator of the defunct East Central state and he lived and died a Nigerian. Offodile, however, posed some rhetorical questions: “What if Asika had died in active service during the war, would he have qualified for martyrdom in the eyes of Nigerians? Is Asika a Nigerian hero? By the way, who are Nigeria’s heroes?” Offodile stated further, “Nigeria’s complicated history frustrates the march to nationhood as different sections of the country see things differently and oftentimes interpret the same set of facts differently. There cannot be two sides of truth. An account of events is either true or false. Our different accounts of historical facts cannot all be true and that makes the teaching of history rather problematic. “The solution is not to remove history as a subject in our school curriculum or to engage in the dangerous dance of pythons with needless fatalities, but to commit to the universal ideals of justice and fairness so that even with all our differences, applying the universal standards of justice, we can begin to pull closer, begin to see some things the same way and begin to forge a common worldview with the same heroes. Not different heroes for different ethnicities.” On his part, Chief Alex Olu Ajayi reminisced on how, as principal of Fiditi Grammar School in 1958, he brought on board Okigbo as his vice. This move, according to him, provided the turning point in Okigbo’s life and was the launching pad from which his poetic soul leapt, liberated and unbound into the freedom of the muse’s and prolific productivity of the avant garde he became. In his address titled “Memories of Chris Okigbo”, His Majesty Eze Chukwuemeka Ike, who chaired the occasion, recounted that he knew Christopher in January 1945, some 72 years ago. Recounting some memories he had with Christopher, he said, “One Sunday, after morning worship in the admin block, Christopher pleaded with me to accompany him to our principal’s office. There I was stunned to hear him offer to drive the principal home in his car, mentioning that I had consented to come along. Bewildered, Mr. Simpson went red momentarily. To my surprise, he handed the key to Chris, who started the engine professionally, and drove us smoothly to the principal’s official residence. While thanking me as we walked back to our dormitory, Chris mentioned that he had taken me along because I was one of the principal’s boys”. “Umuahia taught us to play the game of cricket with a straight bat. I earned a place in the 1st X1 cricket team by excelling in the straight bat. When, however, I scored a “pair of spectacles” in one of our annual cricket matches with Government College, Ibadan, I lost my place in the 1st X1. Chris, who played the “cross bat”, swimming his bat as the spirit moved him, became the top scorer. He not only remained in the 1st X1 but proceeded to win his colours in cricket! Because of his hatred of the subject Geography, Chris had difficulty finding enough subjects to fit into the available International Bachelor of Arts (London) programmes then available at University College, Ibadan. Inspired by the spectacular performances of Mr. Charles Low, our Australian teacher who was a Classical scholar as well as a poet and playwright, Chris registered for Latin, Greek, and ancient History. His brawn and brain saw him through”, he added. Eze Ike also pointed out that Chris as an undergraduate published a cyclostyled newspaper which he called ‘Varsity Weekly,’ which turned out to be a weekly only in name, adding that Chris was the proprietor, editor, correspondent, marketer and accountant for the newspaper. He added, “He took copies to the halls of residence. His eyes quickly scanned each room he entered, and he unobtrusively pulled out the cost of one copy from any wallet in the room, dropped a copy of the weekly, and left for the next room”. The monarch said they were both pioneer staff of University of Nigeria, Nsukka stating, “The African Writers Association soon emerged, involving both of us and others including Obi Wali, Mike Echeruo, et cetera. UNN saw the emergence of Chris as a talented poet with a unique, unconventional style. He would knock on my outer door at the crack of dawn, hand my wife an empty beer bottle and spoon, and instruct her to keep the rhythm, and thereafter invited both of us to listen to what came last night, namely his latest poem”. The monarch noted that the outbreak of the Nigeria/Biafran War in 1967 so touched Chris that he could not resist the urge to enroll in the Biafran Army, without military training. “I was at Stanford University, California, USA, from January to December 1966 when, as a result of the tragedy that befell Eastern Nigerians, Chinua Achebe, Chris, and many others fled home primarily from Northern and Western Nigeria. Chinua, Chris, Arthur, named Citadel Press, at Enugu, with Chris as manager. I was to join them on my return from Stanford. When I learnt that the first enemy air raid on Enugu had dropped a bomb in the premises of Citadel Press, I drove to Enugu to size up the situation. Providentially, Chris, taking a short break from the war front, was in his office. After giving me a hug, he described his unconventional troop formations which usually confounded the enemy. The watch on his wrist belonged to a white mercenary fighting for Nigeria, killed with a hand grenade lobbed by one of Chris’ courageous boys into the Nigerian armoured vehicle the mercenary was driving. I noticed your uniform has no rank, I observed. Yes, Chris replied with a smile. I’m a Major. If I wear my rank I will be obliged to salute a Lieutenant Colonel for whom I have no respect”. Also in a short address, Professor Kole Omotoso who spoke on “Okigbo, the family Man”, described Okigbo as a family man in the sense of the family of letters, and the family of writers. “I was nobody and yet he took this interest in me. He used to talk to me. Sometimes, he would read a couple of lines in his poetry and go to something else. He lived in this incredible house in Jericho where the carpet was totally white and fluffy. Then your fist hesitation is: do you go with your miserable tyre soled shoe/slippers on this beautiful thing or do you take them off? He was something close and something distance. He was that kind of person.” According to Omotoso, the last discussion he had with Chris was when he asked him when he would be coming back to Ibadan from the East, “He said he would come back. Of course, he never came back”. Former Dean, UI Faculty of Arts, Professor Remi Raji who spoke on “Okigbo, the Poet”, pointed out that Okigbo’s name would live for many generations that people would continue to read, stressing that he remained one of the few poets who have been honoured by his peers. “He was a highly influential poet whose imprint is seen everywhere”, Raji added. The conference was rounded off on Thursday September 22 with paper presentations on the conference sub-themes with three panels chaired by Prof. Ayo Banjo, Prof. Dan Izevbaye and Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah. Source : UC News.