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Batman #0

Batman #0

Batman #0 is an issue of two stories, the first being “Bright New Yesterday” set six years previously, before Bruce Wayne had donned the cape of The Batman. A trained and eager Wayne is working to take down the Red Hood Gang, a group of murderous criminals run by one man, the Red Hood. The opening panel shows a knife slicing through the old Gotham Bank and a slice pulled away – a cake to celebrate the opening of the new and improved bank. Just as they start to eat, they are met by a knock-knock joke. Hmm, this seems familiar. The Red Hood reminds the bankers that the traditional way to deal with a robbery is to stay quiet and still, to avoid death – when the manager steps in, he is dealt with brutality, although not enough. Immediately suspicious that one of his men would miss an opportunity to kill a man, he unmasks the man who is definitely not Red Hood Five and gives him the choice of shooting himself or being tortured by them. The gun is in the man’s mouth as the Red Hood reveals that the cake was poisoned yesterday – all the employees are already dead, and an early Bruce Wayne has failed them. He makes it out alive, of course, cursing himself for not being patient and doing more research on the Red Hood Gang and runs into the police, narrowly escaping them also. He pulls off the latex face he has been wearing for disguise, hops on an early Batpod and makes it back to the Batcave.

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Similar to the underground facility owned by Batman in The Dark Knight, it is huge, clean and serious – no giant coin here. Scattered around are various prototypes of gadgets we have come to know as part of Batman – the night-vision goggles, the Batplane, the grappling hook; even early versions of his costume which at this point seem somewhere between a Knight’s armour and ninja clothing. The facility is based underneath a house on Crime Alley, the street where his parents were murdered – Bruce is sure that this where his war on crime should come from. He is at a thoroughly interesting phase in his development, not having taken the Bat as a symbol yet but knowing that he can not be just Bruce Wayne any more. Alfred tries to warn him that suspicions will be aroused if he is never seen around the city as himself, but Bruce’s solution? The Batarang. Oh yes, a very early version, shaped much more like a boomerang but with a timed return – something completely untraceable. As he throws a “Batarang” timed for four minutes, a very young Lieutenant Gordon comes to the roof for a talk and a cigarette. The timer is counting down as Gordon talks about Wayne Enterprises’ new boss, Philip Kane, cousin to Bruce Wayne on his mother’s side. Nothing much is done, and Bruce seems safe until Gordon brings up his second issue – the vigilante in the area. Gordon isn’t stupid, he knows Bruce is a likely suspect, especially due to his being able to afford the incredibly advanced technology the vigilante has been using. The two dance around each other, both half-accusing, and as they leave Gordon lets out a pearl of wisdom; “I’ve heard crusaders in Gotham, they end up pretty damn lonely.” The Batarang hits the lift doors as they go inside.

Outside the Red Hood Gang sit in a car, discussing blowing up Bruce Wayne’s “nest” in Crime Alley. The Red Hood tosses his carnation out of the window, grinning. There is obviously a lot of talk about the leader – it was established in The Killing Joke that the Joker was the Red Hood for a short amount of time before his swim in chemicals. The knock-knock jokes, the trademark lapel flower and the utter disregard for human life are all indicators that yes, that is this same man, and his origin story is expected to be created again in 2013 with Scott Snyder. Of course there never has been, and never will be, a canon story of how the Joker came to be, and it is much better that way, but different versions add more to the mythology of Batman’s most famous villain.

The eight-page mini story “Tomorrow” at the back is set a year after the events of “Bright New Yesterday” and it would seem that Bruce has adopted the Bat as his sigil. Gordon stands with his daughter Barbara on the roof of what I would assume to be Gotham City Police Department as she begs him not to turn the entire justice system upside down by reaching out to a vigilante but Gordon is sending a signal, “to let the heroes of tomorrow know that they aren’t alone.” We cut to Tim Drake in Graystone Academy – not only is he the highest achieving student in the school but he has found evidence that his head teacher has been embezzling money from the school. He clearly already has a clear-cut sense of right and wrong, and of justice. Jason Todd is robbing a store with a friend, but when he tries to comfort a scared bystander she is shot – he runs after the shooter, his supposed friend, and beats him until he is dragged off by a policeman. Dick Grayson is practising outside the circus when he sees a woman’s bag being stolen and apprehends the criminal with a cheesy joke, telling the girl that this weekend he will be performing for the famous Bruce Wayne before looking up to the sky to see the Bat signal. All three boys look up, inspired by the signal in the sky, and finally Barbara stands on the rooftop, her father gone downstairs, hesitant to leave the sign of the Bat.

This collection, while interesting and a great nod to the Batman fans who will get what others don’t (for example, the implication that the Red Hood in question is The Joker) causes some major issues for continuity – namely that Batman had to have had four Robins in a five year period. The “Bright New Yesterday” storyline seems like an excellent ramp up to a new re-telling of the Joker origin but unfortunately we will have to wait until next year for the continuation. Meanwhile this issue serves as a great insight into some parts of the Batman mythology that have often been skipped over – we all know the story of how Bruce adopted the Bat, but rarely seen is just before that, when he was still experimenting with exactly how to conduct his war on crime. Written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Greg Capullo, it is not necessarily to be taken as an addition to the canon but works wonderfully as a mood-setter and a hint to why we Batman fans feel so strongly for its hero.

Posted by jenny in Comics, 0 comments
Punk Rock Jesus #3

Punk Rock Jesus #3

Sean Murphy of Batman/Scarecrow: Year One has been given his own six-issue run with a fascinating idea – that DNA extracted from the Shroud of Turin has been used to create a clone of Jesus Christ. An American Idol-style show searched for the Virgin who would give birth to him and found Gwen, an 18-year-old girl who gives birth to the new messiah on national TV on Christmas Day; the introduction panel is touching, to see a young woman full of joy at the sight of her newborn baby despite the cameras and press surrounding her. The child, Chris, is now the main character of a reality TV show called J2, endorsed by a silent Catholic Church and run by the terribly sleazy Rich Slate. Gwen and Chris are protected by an ex-IRA ex-punk bodyguard named Thomas who is on a personal mission of religious redemption by protecting the new Jesus, and a giant friendly polar bear named Cola – I’m not sure how or why but it was almost certainly created by the same biologist who successfully engineered the clone, Dr Sarah Epstein, who has a young girl of her own. The reality show has divided people – some Christians support the show, eager to accept the second coming of Jesus but the New American Christians find it blasphemous and have waged a war on the island where the mother and child are kept. Politicians are worried that Chris may run for President – who could compete with Jesus himself? At the beginning of issue three, Chris is just about to turn five and Thomas is rescuing Gwen from the hoards of fans she encounters anywhere in the outside world.

The first notable thing is the artwork – it’s black and white, which is especially rare in comic books these days, with a dark, heavy edge incredibly reminiscent of old gritty underground comics and the harsh lines of punk – maybe most comparable to Jamie Hewlett’s Tank Girl. The pair escape from manic fans and the NAC on Thomas’ motorbike, all the time being watched by a surveillance helicopter feeding an image straight back to the hideous Jack Slate whose face is always grim and full of lines. A double page header of Gwen and Thomas soaring past on the bike has real manga influences – the background is inky and textured, but in more complex sequences, as when Gwen and Thomas fly off the bike together, the sky is completely clear, only a crescent moon hovering in the plain white. We go straight from the action to Slate lecturing Thomas and Tim, the tech guy, for busting Gwen out of captivity, and it’s easy to hate him already. He’s the kind of guy who pretends to be reasonable and understanding, but is really a snake – he claims that this most recent stunt has made him realise that Gwen cannot leave the Island and that she is now a prisoner. He takes over control of the security and technology sectors and he kisses a terrified-looking Gwen on the head as he reminds her, “Welcome home, Gwen.”

The almost-full page image of the idyllic Island looks amazing – a waterfall crashing over the rocks, a cross as large and iconic as the Rio de Janeiro Jesus figure hovering over the setting sun and extensive wildlife. Gwen and Chris live in a monolithic building looking over it all and they sit high in a window as Gwen reads Chris stories from the Bible and wishes for an angel to save them. Running alongside the stories which Chris already knows are about him, is a TV interview with Nick Slate which gets the reader up to date on the current situation. There is an incredible visual montage of Gwen’s escape attempts as the interviewer lists them and reveals that she has been tagged with a homing device and pumped full of antidepressants. The next thing we’re shown are holographic classrooms designed to teach Chris about the Bible – at first a cutesy images of Jesus standing on water while the villagers cheer him, but then a terrifying apocalyptic image of God’s wrath bent upon the world in the Genesis flood. Dr Epstein removes her daughter Rebekah from the class, but cannot take Chris – separating the children seems incredibly painful for both of them. The interviewer then makes the touchy point that Gwen is slowly fading away from her son. She sits in her room and cries, watched even then by a camera, as Epstein tells the children about her plans to stop global warming – poor Chris is terrified, thinking that the oceans are rising because God has sent another flood. The image of his huge, scared eyes on the inky black background gives such an impression of this scared young boy who is only just learning what it means to be a saviour.

Unfortunately, the conflict of religion and science in Chris’ world leads him to believe he’s capable of walking on water. He isn’t. When Gwen finds out about her son’s brush with death, she storms into Slate’s office screaming. In the background we can see feeds of many news shows already discussing the failed miracle attempt and as Slate threatens Gwen she opens the door to the cameras and stabs herself through the hand with a letter opener. This act of violence is so sudden, and he catches her as she loses consciousness, holding her swoon in an almost romantic way as he promises to let Chris go to public school, in return for her good behaviour.

Exactly half way through the issue, we flash again to a news room. Nine years have passed and Chris has struggled to make friends in public school with his bodyguard always by his side. One fantastic panel shows Chris using a urinal behind Thomas, the other boys too scared to go near. The NAC have been training their members for a “Jesus army” and have an armed patrol outside Chris’ school. A racial controversy has been sparked by rumours that Chris had asked an African-American girl to their prom, and Slate had paid her father to keep her from going, buying the caucasian head cheerleader instead for a date. Chris is pressured to lie and protect Slate, which drives Gwen wild – when they return from the studio she makes another escape attempt with her son, shooting Slate in the process, but instead she is thrown out and separated from her son. Chris is full of rage and it’s here we see the first glimpses of the punk king he’s going to become; smashing windows, spray painting “I’m a hostage” on the side of the building, screaming at the cameras. The last section of the issue shows Gwen stepping out onto the balcony of the Behavioural Health Centre she’s living in, shutting her eyes and letting herself fall from the building to her death. As she falls she is caught by a huge, cybernetic angle who pins her down, screaming at her for her poor parenting. She wakes up, looks in the mirror and sees strange markings on her body. The whole final sequence is full of manga influences from Gwen’s huge, scared eyes to the incredibly striking cyberpunk angel.

The religious elements of the series are incredibly interesting, perhaps most notably in the naming of the characters – all of them have specific meanings and religious connotations. For example, Gwen means to be white, fair or pure – perfect for a virgin mother; Richard (as in Rick Slate) means a powerful leader. Chris is not only similar in sound to Christ, but also means “the one who bears Christ in his soul” and Sarah and Rebekah both have Biblical names; Sarah was the barren wife of Abraham who was given the miracle of a child (appropriate as previous to her having Rebekah, Sarah Epstein was considered infertile) and Rebekah was her daughter-in-law. But the series inverts religion – one of the themes which seems to be evolving is the idea of the second Jesus becoming an atheist. Sean Murphy himself was raised Christian, and when he began the series five years ago he would have described himself as a “militant atheist” – he has calmed over the years and has begun to take a more balanced view of religion, but the elements of questioning God are prevalent throughout. The choice of the punk medium is an excellent way for Murphy to show Chris’ anger at the society which gave him life just to control him – his progression into a mohawked adult is something I can’t wait to see.

The story is incredibly interesting, especially if you have a penchant for Christian and/or punk iconography. The way the characters interact is understandable and so so human; none are perfect but are all struggling to remain sane in the middle of what is not just a religious matter but also one of scientific progression and the moral minefield of cloning human beings. The artwork is beautiful, heavy, adorable and startlingly violent throughout, with whimsical comic book sound effects – my favourite is “Catch!” as Gwen falls into Thomas’ arms. Some readers may be put off by the lack of colour, but Murphy simply doesn’t need it; the expressions on their faces are so emotive and his use of shading and texture creates striking effects on the characters and scenery.

Issue #4 will deal with Chris researching the world he has been kept from, and beginning to effectively rebel with inspiration from Thomas’ old punk collection – not long now till we see the Punk Rock Jesus in full form. Out in December, this is a must-read for fans of underground comics, punk culture and religious imagery.

Written by Jenny Mugridge, lover of all the above.

Posted by jenny in Comics, 0 comments
Hawkeye #2

Hawkeye #2

Clint Barton aka Hawkeye of Avengers fame recently took up the mantle of leader of the Secret Avengers. His stories have always been interwoven with those of the crime-fighting team – but here he gets his own story, the story of Clint Barton. Joined by Kate Bishop, the replacement Hawkeye while Clint was temporarily dead, this run could more accurately be called “Hawkeyes” – the pair of expert archers take on the underbelly of crime that the Avengers don’t have time to tackle. Written by Eisner Award-winning Matt Fraction (The Invincible Iron Man) with art by David Aja of Daredevil fame.

 

I started on the second issue of the series, which has a beautifully crisp and clean cover, depicting Clint holding his bow in the style of an instruction manual. The purple accents on the cover repeat themselves throughout the pages, giving a toned-down feel to the artwork. Aja was going for a look which was more ironic and cartoony than usual, giving more of an impression of facial expression than technical detail in faces. We start in the middle of the story as our protagonists dive into a pool, chased by bullets; “Okay – this looks bad” is all Clint can think, and this snippet of thought brings us immediately into the feel of a postmodern and humorous story. After the first page we flash back – a newspaper lying on a cluttered table reads “EVERYTHING AWFUL. Oh God Somebody Do Something” as Kate quotes memes and lets loose a tirade of jokes at Clint’s expense. The cinematic style of freezing Kate into a stencilled image as Clint describes her works wonderfully, and on the next page we see the same theme used as Kate remarks “Well that’s cool”, drawn out letter by letter as Clint raises his bow, breathes and finally lets loose the arrows – three of them, striking the neck, chest and groin of his man-shaped target.

The first six issues of this series are designed to be read-alone and accessible with their own, contained storylines. #2 deals with an elaborate circus scam, designed by criminals to steal money from other criminals. This is not the kind of problem that the Avengers would deal with, but Clint and Kate are prepared – Kate especially turns out to be a woman familiar with the upper classes of crime families and fits perfectly into her disguise as high-society woman, often having to correct the clearly out of place Clint, who mutters the word “casual” over and over to himself. Despite Kate’s obviously wealthy up-bringing, she is not out of touch with the world – she says of the criminals “There’s kind of a global recession on right now. Only people that make money in a recession are scumbags.” The dialogue that goes on between Kate and Clint is wonderfully written – the reader gets a definite sense of the way they are talking and exchanging jibes.

The circus theme of the story does serve to make the reader get an immediate feel for Clint as a person – as someone with incredibly limited knowledge, the purple-drenched pages of the circus and Clint’s sensory memories of his youth really helped me to understand Clint as well as briefly explaining his back story. So far in the issue, Kate has seemed the most adept, but here Clint’s knowledge comes into use as he explains his professional ability to spot another professional at work – he knows immediately that the knife-thrower is another student of his late mentor, the Swordsman, and that the Ringmaster’s French is completely inauthentic, just part of the show. Kate does an incredible job disguising herself as a performer with an outfit taken straight from Pris in Blade Runner and, using the arrows imbedded in her stolen wig, she takes out a few of Clint’s captors (he was not as stealthy as Kate) before breaking his handcuffs with a shot. Clint’s thoughts are quite accurate – she is perfect. They dive through a window and we are brought crashing back to the beginning and, once again, it looks bad. Until, that is, Kate pulls off the hardest shot of the issue and nails the villains in the eyes with five arrows shot simultaneously, echoing the same breathe and release ritual Clint uses earlier. They leave their foes blind and paralysed, but alive.

The strip ends with the criminals planning their retaliation, and Clint asking a mysterious favour of Kate. There is an element of sexual tension between the two, but given the number of relationships he has embarked on with team-mates, he knows that it would be a bad idea, telling Kate that he doesn’t want to “screw up” by sleeping with her – I am inclined to agree, as are many other readers who would hate to see their fantastic repartee tainted. This is a clever and funny piece of work with an oddly disjointed art style which on occasion has strikingly framed panels, as the one in which Kate and Clint move through a ballroom which shows the progression of their movements through a stationary panel.

One last wonderful thing about this series of comics is David Aja’s recommended listening which features under the fan mail – this month’s being Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden (part 1)”, and if this isn’t enough for you Aja has set Spotify playlists of music to accompany each comic. These can be found under the Spotify username “greyrabbit” or on http://blog.davidaja.com. I seriously recommend checking it out – a truly interesting listening experience to go with your beautiful comic.

 

As an extra, here are some of my favourite lines of the book.

Clint: Kate. Kate? The bad guys are robbing the bad guys. I figured it all out.

Clint: I’m great at boats!

Kate: Hey. Jerk du Soleil.

Posted by jenny in Comics, 0 comments
Black Light Burns – The Moment You Realize You’re Going to Fall

Black Light Burns – The Moment You Realize You’re Going to Fall

Wes Borland, eccentric guitarist of Limp Bizkit, returns to his crossover rock project Black Light Burns with its second album, ‘The Moment You Realize You’re Going To Fall’.

Although ‘The Moment…’ has only just been released it has been four years in the making, during which time Borland has worked (briefly) with Marilyn Manson and rejoined Limp Bizkit, relegating Black Light Burns to a side-project – even though, in 2012, it’s doubtless that BLB is his main passion.

The style of this album varies and comes with many influences; heavy elements from his time in metal, industrial elements drawn from his great passion for the darker side of electronic music, and a sleazy distortion reminiscent of The Eels and old goth rock. Borland himself cites inspiration from bands as diverse as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Cave and The Prodigy in this new album, which he has balanced across genres to attain a heavy feel without falling into strict metal. It’s our humble opinion that ‘Cruel Melody’ was too produced and clean for Borland – perhaps due to its being produced by Danny Lohner – and his aim with this newest album was to create an album which felt live, with plenty of overdrive.

The opening lyrics of the album in ‘How To Look Naked’ echo the closing lyrics of ‘Cruel Melody’, linking the albums together before differentiating them in style. ‘Cruel Melody’ was Borland’s first attempt at lead vocals, which have been worked on between the albums – despite finding his identity as a vocalist it is still obvious that Borland is not an all-out, although he makes up for his lack of technical skill with a creepy, whining style which suits his music perfectly. He also does not feel the need to constantly sing, with a few of the songs being mostly instrumental. The heaviness of this album comes from the bass and distortion, as opposed to the heavy guitars which so often define metal music and especially his music with Limp Bizkit, and a truly experimental feel flows through the music. One of the most interesting and memorable songs on the album, ‘Your Head Will Be Rotting On A Spike’, has an odd, hollow sound which is hard to pin down – this is the sound of Borland’s antique piano being plucked at the strings by a guitar pick.

Although Borland’s vocals can become a little repetitive, they are by no means the most important part of the album, and the live feel of the album is perhaps enhanced by his imperfect voice and heavily personal involvement. This album is truly bizarre, and it should make for a thoroughly interactive and one-of-a-kind show.

The album ‘The Moment You Realize You’re Going to Fall’ is out now through Rocket Science Ventures.

First published on Soundsphere magazine’s website, thanks to Dom for allowing me to post it here. Original article – http://www.soundspheremag.com/reviews/cd/cd-review-black-light-burns-the-moment-you-realize-youre-going-to-fall/

Posted by jenny in Music, 0 comments
Fashion Beast #1

Fashion Beast #1

In the 1980s, Malcom McLaren and Alan Moore combined forces to write a movie script about a gay cross-dresser, which was deemed “unfilmable”. The concept was one of marrying “the strange and isolated life” of Christian Dior with the Beauty and the Beast fable, set in a dystopian future. Almost thirty years after the screenplay was written, the story has been brought back to life by Antony Johnston, of Wasteland fame, who has gained a name for himself by adapting Alan Moore’s prose work into comic book form and Facundo Percio whose most notable work was on Anna Mercury with Warren Ellis.

The story takes place in a dystopian future in which fashion houses and garment businesses seem to rule the city. We begin in just such a garment factory, a “beautiful lace garden” which is looked over by a hideous fashion designer and run by Madame D and Madame S, a pair of heavily painted geisha-esque women who enjoy torturing their employees. Little is known so far about the patron of this establishment, one Jean Claude Celestine, other than his grizzled appearance; but the tarot cards he lays out suggest that he plays a pivotal role in a society which bases itself on fashion. The comic is laid out like a film, fading out from the lit-up Celestine building which rises from the centre of the sprawling city-scape before moving into the dilapidated rooming house which holds our protagonists, showing us through each fragmented window the lives of the people within.

A young man, dressing to a news story warning of nuclear winter; a pair of men shaving and grooming themselves into army best; a young woman – or possibly man – listening to the radio; and our protagonist Doll Seguin, a coat-check assistant, transforming from man to woman with the aid of a white dress and blonde wig. An undercurrent of rhythm runs along these panels, creating a cacophony of written sound beneath these everyday rituals where the dressing of men and women is interspersed with the laying of the cards and the howling of a dog chained outside. One young man watches the news which seems full of bleak predictions of a nuclear winter, job losses from the closure of a garment factory, and warnings of promiscuity and sexual perversions. Each character looks at the reflections of themselves and we flash back to the staring eye of Jean Claude Celestine as the television screen announces his auditions for “mannequins” happening this very night; it’s clear that appearance and beauty are central to the characters and their stories. They each leave the house and the noise of their preparations dies down as they head toward The Catwalk.

The last to leave is Doll, who predictably receives snide comments from prostitutes and the military couple from her own rooming house regarding her imitation of femininity. She walks past them with her head held high, and the moment she opens her mouth we get a distinct impression of her catty nature and her ability to let insults wash over her like water. As customers file in and hand their coats over to Doll, she lets loose a running commentary on their clothing which is largely critical – the tomboy from her rooming house takes exception to this and tries to put down Doll, who is thoroughly unfazed. When the club is full, Doll ascends the stairs before her and begins dancing for the crowds below, appropriately to McLaren’s own “Deep in Vogue” and the club go wild cheering for her. But her smug descent is shattered by the sight of the young tomboy tearing tags from the coats Doll has been charged with protecting.

Percio’s drawing style is detailed and grim – every line on the haggard faces of this city’s people can be seen, every stain on their perfectly designed future-punk clothing. The rough, rat-infested streets are lined with anarchy symbols and mohawks are prolific – it’s wonderful to see that Malcom McLaren’s punk influence has permeated this world of fashion, horror and gender-bending. Doll is an incredibly endearing character, bitchy and feminine but also vulnerable as we see at the end as she looks up with saddened eyes and pleads “You can’t possibly hold me responsible for this” – in just one issue Johnston has created a beautifully complex and flawed character and I for one can’t wait to see more of her. Gender identity will be a clear theme through this collection which seems appropriate coming from Moore, a man who has never shied away from erotic and homosexual themes, from the pornographic Lost Girls to the compendium of same-sex history that is The Mirror of Love. Of course, Moore has thoroughly supported the adaptation and taken an active role in its development, seen most obviously in the cinematic feel of the work. Before his death McLaren approved of the project’s resurrection and although he did not live to see the books published they are dedicated to his memory.

Fashion Beast will have a ten-issue run from Avatar, with each issue released in four variant covers.

This article was written on behalf of Travelling Man and the original can be found at travellingman.wordpress.com where I will regularly post comic book reviews.

Posted by jenny in Latest, 0 comments
Urban Cheesecraft

Urban Cheesecraft

First published on Cut Out + Keep, re-posted here with thanks to Cat and Tom. Original article can be found here: http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/snippets/issue27/urban-cheesecraft

If you’d like to see how I got on making halloumi with one of these kits, check out my tutorial for a Mediterranean breakfast.

Urban Cheesecraft is an Etsy company run by Claudia Lucero straight from Portland, Oregon – a city famous for its DIY ethic. Urban Cheesecraft is based on one simple philosophy: that fresh cheese should be easy and affordable to make at home. For thousands of years people have made cheese at home using simple recipes, so Claudia created her DIY Cheese Kits – we discuss how she started up her company and the peaceful experience of creating your own cheese in the comfort of your own home.

What first got you started making your own cheese? Did it take you a long time to refine the process?
I was first and foremost a cook and crafter in general. I value DIY ethics and traditional skills. My grandmother was a great cook and since I can remember, she let me be a big part of cooking big meals. To me, homemade, from scratch food just equals love and health. Most recently, the inspiration came from needing to preserve veggies that I received from a farm share. I looked for pickling and sauerkraut recipes so that I could preserve cabbage, beets, squash and green beans and that led me to preservation of all sorts including cheese. I looked at recipes for aged cheeses and although I find it fascinating and a great hobby still, the cheeses that I could see myself making a regular part of my life were fresh cheeses like mozzarella and paneer.

How have you tried to spread the word about home-made cheese?
It was easy because all I did was live it and share it. It took off from there into the kit business, my blog, and classes. Other people were as hungry for forgotten skills as I was/am.

Who benefits from making cheese at home as opposed to the supermarkets?
Anyone who enjoys all-natural, fresh cheese but especially anyone who wants to know and control what they eat. Whether raw, organic, grass-fed, whole fat, no additives, vegetarian etc. is the concern, you can choose that when you make your own cheese. You get to see what goes in because you put it in. The bonus is you can customize flavors you cannot find in stores…rosemary fig chevre, jalapeno mozzarella, dark chocolate lemon ricotta…the possibilities are endless and very fun to play with.

What would be the best kit for starters, or for anyone with children?
I think ricotta is wonderful because you can have it sweet or salty and you can cook many favorites like pizza or cheesecake with it. Uses are as simple as ricotta with honey over pancakes and fruit- beloved by anyone who tries it. Alternately, a ricotta dip made with fresh chopped herbs and sea salt is wonderful for raw veggies or crackers. It’s an easy way to start making cheese but also getting a taste for what mild, fresh, old fashioned cheese tastes like. Younger people have not grown up with these mild cheeses unless they are still a cultural part of their lives. As a Mexican-American with a grandma who liked home-cooking, I was raised with wonderful fresh cheeses like Panela, and Queso Oaxaca but my nieces have not, until recently of course! 🙂 Now they make their own cheese too!

Are all of your kits suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, the rennet is vegetarian so everyone can enjoy the kits.

In a featured Etsy video on Urban CheeseCraft, you said that cheese-making rekindled your love of science. Do you think it’s more of a science or art form?
Absolutely and inseparably a combination of both. That’s why I get such an eclectic combination of students in my classes. I love it.

What other types of craft have you experimented with in the past?
Everything you can imagine since my earliest memories, from crochet to candle-making to book-binding and that’s not even in the kitchen. I have also worked with children for many years so that always inspired new low-budget ideas that I tried…string and stick dolls, paper scrolls, flower “ink” painting…currently, I have a burning desire to sew little vests for my chihuahua as well as skirts for myself. In the kitchen, I want to work on preserving more without the use of electricity as well as aging cheeses for years, making fruit cordials, flower wines etc. It’s endless. I have been gardening with the goal of growing and preserving my food but completely living off this food is a craft I am humbled by so far. It does get better every year though!

Eating cheese creates serotonin and can ward off depression, but can the process of making cheese also be relaxing?
Absolutely, it is no accident that making cheese is something that monks have done over the centuries, much like traditional fermented breads that have to be risen several times and require a lot of kneading, it gives a lot of time for reflection and challenges one’s patience…it pays off though. It’s quite zen. I think there must also be a spike in serotonin when you see milk coagulate successfully and see your finished cheese, it’s very exciting!

Your products are already sold on Etsy and in several places in Portland, Oregon and beyond. Would you like to see other companies being set up to promote local produce in their own cities?

Indeed. The more people can strengthen their community and local economy, the happier they are. I see this in Portland all the time.

You’ve been featured in Home Dairy, and the Food Lover’s Guide to Portland as well as many websites. Where would you like to be seen next, and where would you like to take your company in the future?
Hmm, good question, this is where that business plan comes in handy right? I haven’t gotten around to that yet. The kits have a life of their own, I’m happy to let them go in the same fashion for a while but what I would love is to have a fully sponsored tour of several countries so that I can learn to make lesser-known humble cheeses the traditional ways. I would be happy to be a keeper of traditional skills and pass them on to the younger generations in any way I can. We have lost too many skills already and there are lots of people trying to re-learn but we need to hurry and talk to the people who learned these things 50, 75, 100 years ago if possible!

Posted by jenny in Crafting, 0 comments
Minus the Bear – Infinity Overhead

Minus the Bear – Infinity Overhead

First published on Soundsphere Magazine, original article can be found here – http://www.soundspheremag.com/reviews/cd/cd-review-minus-the-bear-infinity-overhead/

It’s difficult to define a band who so easily slip between genres on just one album, let alone five. In their eleven years, Minus The Bear have been described as indie rock, progressive indie, math-rock and more.

‘Infinity Overhead’ is no easier to pin down than any of their others. It is certainly closer to their older styles than their most recent release, ‘Omni’, which was too different for some fans – they lost some, but they gained more, and most importantly learnt from their experiences.

With ‘Infinity Overhead’, they were reunited with founding member Matt Bales who produced ‘Planet Of Ice’ and ‘Menos El Oso’ and combined with British record label Big Scary Monsters have had the freedom to produce something that is more grown up, adult, and significantly darker while still staying true to what brought fans to them in the first place. As bassist Cory Murchy describes it – “We didn’t go anywhere, but we’re back.”

The opening track ‘Steel And Blood is a surprisingly upbeat-sounding song about an horrific car crash. Minus The Bear have always been fantastic at developing rich, textured music – so much so that often the lyrics are the last thing you are likely to hear, which makes their sound so interesting. With each listen you hear a little more of the sweet-yet-tragic lyrics, but it’s the heavy guitars, pop-like synths and poignant violins that make you really feel the tragedy of the young lovers and perhaps could be seen as an ode to their old music which so frequently betrayed adolescent ideals of going for drives in the summer and making love.

‘Diamond Lightning’, a single from the album, is sad but beautiful. This is a song to listen to as you like in a park alone on a summer day – shut your eyes and listen to the way the whining guitars seem to talk to each other, becoming more complex in the chorus before getting darker and more experimental throughout the rest of the album. Just when you think you’ve become comfortable with their style, Minus The Bear throw something new at you – glitchy synths, Oriental-sounding tapping and genuine raw emotion all add together to create an album which constantly reinvents itself in tone.

Towards the end of the album, the songs become darker, more aggressive and more confident. ‘Lonely Gun’, is one of their most disco-like songs and perhaps the best to sum up the album – it’s dark, confident, dancey and dirty-sounding but still incredibly complex and beautifully arranged. It’s also one of the darkest, lyrically speaking, seeming much more hopeless than usual, ending in a brief saxophone solo which leads perfectly into the final track, another dark-pop track with incredibly detailed guitar solos between the gritty, chugging sound of the verses and chorus.

They are not a band to trail off toward the end of their album – the lyrics are without hope and as it gets darker and more intense the listener isn’t left with a feeling of release but one of panicked energy. This is an album to be listened to on more than one occasion – several if possible – and as a whole. Every song is a block in the construction of this album which seems to symbolise a period of growing up for the band, of coming back home as someone different after a powerful journey.

‘Infinity Overhead’ will be released on August 28 through Big Scary Monsters and is available now for pre-order on iTunes.

Posted by jenny in Music, 0 comments
The Dark Knight Rises – with some serious spoilers.

The Dark Knight Rises – with some serious spoilers.

Important: There are spoilers-aplenty. I originally tried to write this without any but found it far too difficult for an in-depth review and analysis, so here are we are.

First off: I am a huge fan of Batman and have been for years and while it may bother other Batman fans, Nolan’s Batman has always been my Batman. He’s dark, gritty and realistic; he goes through unspeakable physical and mental torture in his mission to make the world a better place for good people while not persecuting the often mentally ill villains he faces. I re-read Knightfall shortly before seeing The Dark Knight Rises and through the pages saw his own dark desperation drive him to breaking.

The film, as the graphic novel, begins with Bruce Wayne in a pretty sorry state. After eight years of hermitude (and it does seem to me that perhaps someone might have noticed Bruce Wayne and Batman have disappeared at the same time) Wayne looks significantly older and is only mobile thanks to a cane. Of course, he could have paid his way out of his injuries but he has given up all hope – his city hates him and hundreds have died because of him, including the love of his life, and it’s all his fault. He was content to stay away – it was for the best, and the city saw Dent as a hero. The Bat-signal was rusted and broken. It is Bane that makes the beacon necessary again.

Like Batman, Bane’s face and mask are interchangable. At only one brief point is Bane’s full face seen, and although hints are made that the mask is important to his survival, it isn’t made entirely clear – he claims that he would not die without it, but it is also mentioned that it keeps his pain at bay. He suffers without it, but it is not even implied that this mask feeds venom into him, the chemical which the comic book Bane uses to become unnaturally strong. The voice that I had found so strange in the adverts was no less strange at first, a creepy British groan. It is perhaps the slow, calculated way that he talks which makes him seem so terrifying, and as his eyes are the only part of his face visible he gains an almost Darth Vader-esque threatening quality. Personally I love Tom Hardy and since the announcement that he had been cast I believed he would be an incredible Bane and he didn’t let me down. He was just as clever, calm and brutal as the comic Bane, and equally a hulking mass – watching Batman punch him was like watching a boxer hit a punching bag in comparison to the bone-crunching assault it would be for anyone else.

When Selina first appeared, she reminded me of Michelle Pfeiffer’s rendition. A put-upon woman, treated like nothing by rich men and employed in the newly-built Wayne Manor which is hosting Harvey Dent Day. Bruce, who hasn’t been seen by anyone in years, catches her in the act of stealing his mother’s pearl necklace – presumably the one she was wearing the night of her murder – but that wasn’t what she was after. She uses some of the same humour that Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman did but with more independence and a cute blonde sidekick(/lover?) – although it is important to point out that, while the mask pushed back on her head looks adorably like cat ears, she is not once referred to as Catwoman. Nothing supernatural happened to this woman, just a life of hardship and anger toward the social elite of a city which has abandoned its poor.

Additional political tension is introduced early by the Dent Act which was put into place after Dent’s death, which sought to deny parole to any Blackgate inmate whose crime was deemed part of a “larger criminal enterprise” (this is from a viral press release of the Act before the film was released). But another interesting theme is that of orphans, of boys without families. It is revealed early that Blake is an orphan, and he has a special place in his heart for the boy’s home that raised him but has since been neglected by its main doner, the Wayne Foundation. Bane can take advantage of the overflow of orphaned boys abandoned at the age of sixteen and builds an army of desperate young men. Blake knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman because he can understand what having your parents killed does to a child. They share the orphan connection that Batman often shares with his Robins and it touched my heart that Bruce would keep Wayne Manor as a stronghold for children who weren’t from as fortunate families.

Here’s where the real spoilers are. Talia. Oh, Talia. When Marion Cotillard was announced for The Dark Knight Rises, I prayed that she would play Talia, a character I’ve long been fond of but whose appearance in the game Arkham City really pleased me. Learning that Cotillard was just to play a love interest was disappointing, although I ended up thoroughly enjoying her Miranda – until the reveal, at which a huge grin spread across my face.. I loved that she was the child and on my second viewing I paid special attention to whether the child who rose from the pit was assigned a gender, and of course she wasn’t. The relationship between Talia and Bane was incredibly beautiful, but I have to admit that I feel it took motivation away from Bane. In Knightfall, Bane’s one mission is to destroy Batman and he uses intelligence, manipulation and physical strength to succeed – this was done perfectly in the film, but the motivation of doing it for a girl took some of Bane’s power away, for me at least. Jonathan Crane’s cameo was a great joy for me, although I would like to have known how – as far as I could tell, only the Blackgate prisoners were released and I would have thought that Crane would be in Arkham. Not that it bothers me especially – a haggard Cillian Murphy with straw erupting from his suit made an excellent judge.

The film was full of incredible moments for the Batman geek. Finally having the tables turned on him as Selina disappears and his remark “So that’s what that feels like” made me chuckle, and made obvious just how disarmed he is by her after eight years of absence. Some of his explanations of the nature of Batman appealed hugely to the obsessive fan because they fit in so easily with what I already felt to be the true Batman – that Bruce Wayne the person is not important, that Batman could be anybody because the symbol is what matters. It also feeds toward the underlying suggestion that Blake could be the new Batman. The “Break You!” scene came much earlier than I had expected, as I had assumed the film would end with this, but the chance to see Batman build himself up again and gain faith in himself once more was beautiful – the symmetry of the prison’s depths and the well he fell into in his child helped to reaffirm his need to get himself up again, to rise. The burning Bat on the side of a building and the reconstruction of the Bat-signal filled the fan in me with such joy and pride. The army of police running into gunfire and the squad of orphans were also incredibly touching.

I don’t particularly want to talk about the ending. I don’t think it’s important whether Bruce lived or died and I think it was left purposely ambiguous. I’m okay with that. It’s a nice idea that he could have made it out, and seeing Bruce and Selina together in Florence filled me with hope and left me satisfied with the ending, even if I am only joining Alfred in his fantasy of a better life, but it’s unimportant to the legacy of Batman whether Bruce Wayne survives. Although you would think someone would have noticed that they went missing, reappeared and died at the same time.

There is so much more I could have written but I would rather engage in a talk about anything else a reader may want to discuss – so please leave a comment!

Posted by jenny in Film & TV, 1 comment
Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer

First published in Cut Out + Keep’s Snippets – thanks to Cat and Tom for letting me post it here too! Original article – http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/snippets/issue17/amanda_palmer

Amanda Palmer is a Boston-based singer, lyricist and pianist, best known as the lead singer of the Brechtian punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls. With four CDs under her belt, including last year’s Who Killed Amanda Palmer solo album (produced by Ben Folds), and many collaborations, Amanda is definitely worth looking out for.

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It’s mid-September in London and the leaves are already beginning to fall from the trees, Amanda leads me out to the courtyard of the Union Chapel to begin the interview. She pulls a chair up next to me and sits down, munching carrot and houmous, obviously exhausted from a busy weekend which included a performance at the Union Chapel the previous night and an appearance on the Jonathan Ross radio show that morning. “I did a brand new song called The Bed Song”, she tells me. “I butchered the bridge fairly well, but I think it was okay. I didn’t kill it, only maimed it. Of course, the recording of the show would later prove otherwise – The Bed Song is a beautifully tragic song and she pulls it off wonderfully. It sounds even better live that night.

The Union Chapel is a fantastic venue; huge and filled with candles and stained glass windows. It doesn’t take Amanda long to make it her own. She starts off with Astronaut; a loud, passionate song about a woman dealing with the death of her astronaut husband. The set consisted of a mix of songs from her solo album Who Killed Amanda Palmer (an homage to Twin Peaks), favourites from the Dresden Dolls’ albums, and covers. She even pulls Neil Gaiman on stage at one point to sing Derek and Clive’s “Jump”. For those who don’t know, Neil Gaiman is the award-winning author of Coraline, Stardust, the Sandman series and many others novels, children’s books and graphic novels; and Amanda’s partner.

Incredibly curious, I had to ask about the Dresden Dolls and whether she had any plans to reunite with drummer Brian Viglione. “We don’t have any plans, per say,” she tells me carefully. “Part of the problem is the label. Because with things in flux with the contract with the label, it’s impossible for us to say whether and what we can do because we’re still stuck. So that’s very frustrating. I love playing with Brian. When we got together to do the show this last winter, when Obama got inaugurated, it was such a reminder to us both that we’re just permanently locked in. We hadn’t played in for ever, for months and months and months, and we had a half hour sound check and then killed an entire set. I would be really surprised if we didn’t play together again, I just don’t know when and where, and how it is going to happen.”

Roadrunner Records seems a sore spot by now with Amanda, and she seems hesitant to talk about the situation with her record. Amanda battled with the label last year over the music video for her song Leeds United, which Roadrunner requested was cut to hide her stomach. Fans turned out to support Amanda, setting up The Rebellyon; a collection of photos of bellies – big, small, fat and thin. Amanda’s constant struggle with the label has come to a standstill with their refusal to release her from her contract, meaning Amanda’s future with the Dresden Dolls and her own project are on hold, for now at least. However, I couldn’t resist asking whether she had any plans with Regina Spektor; “She’s very much her thing and I’m very much my thing. It’s like asking two people to make a bowl of cereal. You don’t necessarily need two,” she laughs. “I think what would be more fun is for us to play together, probably, rather than sit down and try and write together, because that to me just feels unnecessary. I’d love to get together with her in a studio and have a task. Like, cover this song by Van Halen and you’ve got ten hours, go, and see what happens.”

Amanda’s origins in performance go back to when she was a young girl, bashing on the keys of her mother’s out-of-tune piano. Over the years she changed her style, writing hundreds of songs which she keeps at home. In her twenties, Amanda worked as a living statue on the streets of Boston. “When I look back on it, I think that doing that kind of street performance gave me performance balls of steel. It gives you a real solid ground to stand on as a performer. Basically, when you stand on a box in a street for five years, and you deal with everything which goes along with that, which is a lot, you just have to be so comfortable in your own skin. Because you’re so vulnerable, you’re just literally painted white and standing there on a box and you feel completely weird. And slowly but surely you start to control it, your senses and your perception get very finely tuned. When I was working at the peak of my game, I could see someone taking their wallet out of their pants from fifty feet away, out of the corner of my eye and know it was coming, it really sharpened you. And it also makes you immune to ridicule, I was just completely zen. I think that going from that to stage, stage is a safe place to be, everyone there wants to see you, they’re not random passers by.”

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Reliving those days, she mentions that she’s just seen the rough cuts for the silent movie she’s starring in, directed by Neil Gaiman and including Bill Nighy. “I play a bad living statue, which was liberating,” she explains, “a bad living statue that no one gives any money to, ever.” If you want to catch it, it’ll be on Sky Arts in the twelve days before Christmas as part of a silent movie theme.

The kind of creativity which has driven Amanda to write, act and paint herself white has spread to her fans, leading to her creation of the Post War Trade. “It’s basically a website and a nexus that would be fan-oriented, and art oriented. There really isn’t much profit involved, once you split up money with the artist and you pay for the manufacturing of something that’s unique and handcrafted. There’s really not much money in it, but it wasn’t really about the money to begin with; it was more about being able to say to someone, you can share your talent. And it would be awesome for other people.”

So how did it all get going? “It started a couple of years ago, because people were coming to shows all the time with handmade things, and some of them were really, really incredible, and I could tell that people were making multiples, or possibly could make multiples. So I thought, what a cool thing it would be to do an equivalent of etsy. And it still exists in its own little crazy way, and we’re constantly trying to build and move it. Things changed when I got Beth involved, because someone’s gotta be running it. It’s a big project, so she spends a lot of her time dealing with it – on top of being my assistant full time!”

Amanda’s philosophy of spreading creativity comes across on her website, which she regularly updates with new pieces of fan art. “I don’t necessarily weed for the top quality or the most technically gifted people, although when stuff comes through where the person is obviously a genius craftsman. I sometimes put up watercolours by six year olds, and really really earnest drawings by someone who may obviously be a self-taught artist who may not be ‘very good’, but their ideas are so fantastic that I like sharing it.”

So surely someone so creative must be doing something interesting for Halloween? I am going to be in Singapore with Neil who is at some kind of literary festival, and they’ve offered me a gig, so I took it. And I think they’re barely paying me anything, but they’re paying for my flight, or something. It’s basically a free trip to Singapore and I’m gonna be there anyway so I might as well play a gig. And I don’t know exactly what happens in Singapore on Halloween, but we’ll find out.”

With something so exciting, I ask if she’s in to horror films. “No, I can’t stand them”, she laughs. “I accidentally watched Seven with a friend of mine. He was like, ‘Oh, let’s just watch this, you’ll love it!’ I’d never heard of it, and I was like, ‘Is it good? What is it?’ ‘No, I’m not telling you anything, you’ll have to watch it, you’ll love it!’ And I was really unsettled and just pissed at him because I didn’t want to spend the next 24 hours with those images in my head. The only two horror movies that I can really say I’m a fan of are The Shining and The Exorcist. I just don’t like being deliberately unsettled when I’m already unsettled undeliberately so often.”

Posted by jenny in Crafting, Music, 0 comments
Jason Webley

Jason Webley

You started out busking after quitting your day job. Is this true? Do you remember what you were thinking when you decided to make such a change? What kind of job did you have before?
I’ve had a lot of jobs, but for the two years before I started busking I worked for an audio production company as an engineer. I honestly thought I was going crazy when I made that change. I didn’t really know what I was doing.

You seem to be really into your theatrics – I’ve read about your theme of dying every year at Halloween. Why did you start up that tradition, and what made you stop in the end?
That is a bit of a tricky one to talk about. It all sort of evolved naturally out of the music I was doing and the images that were in my mind at that time. I planned to keep doing it for a long time, but in the end it was a cycle that just lasted five years. I miss that whole dimension of my performances, but I still think it was the right time to stop when I did.

Are there any other big theatrical stunts you’ve been a part of, or created?
Sure… but I don’t really think of it that way – as theatrical stunts. I just get fun ideas and try to manifest them. Years ago I invited my fans to board a commuter ferry dressed as pirates. There were a couple hundred of us. It was really fun. Later a group of friends and I staged these tiny “musicals” in about 50 supermarkets in the Seattle area. That was really fun… another idea I want to do more with is puppet shows with giant puppets performed on freeway overpasses for the cars going by. We did something like that one year at Camp Tomato.

Personally, my favourite number is seven, but you have a real thing about the number eleven. I’d love to know why this is if you wouldn’t mind sharing?
Seven is ok. It rhymes with eleven at least. Eleven is just a nice number to say. Say it over and over a few times, it is like a little three syllable poem.

Can you tell me a bit about Camp Tomato? What goes on there? Why did it start? What are the plans for this year?
I started Camp Tomato right after I stopped dying. It is just a gathering of people to play weird games that I think of. We play “Tomato Raid” which is like “Capture the Flag” but instead of two teams and two flags, there are four teams and hundreds of tomatoes. Last year we had a new game called “Rhinoceros” where people get in refrigerator boxes and ram each other. That is my new favorite thing.

You have short stories on your website (which are wonderful by the way.) Do you do much in the way of writing (other than songs, of course)?
I wish I wrote more. I have a handful of other stories that aren’t up on the site, and I really hope to make a little book someday to collect them all.

Do you dabble in any other arts?
My music sometimes requires me to do other “art” things. For my shows, albums and videos, I’ve done drawings, photography, lino-cuts, puppet making, web design, stained glass window making and a bit robotic engineering. Well the robot was just a few modified remote control children’s toys .

Can you tell me a bit about the Evelyn Evelyn project for the readers?
It is my project with Amanda Palmer. She has a thing for the number 11 too. When I first toured with the Dresden Dolls, she told me she once thought to call the band “Eleven Eleven” but the name was taken. Then she said she also wanted to call it “Marsha Marsha Marsha” but that was taken too. I said, “what about ‘Evelyn Evelyn Evelyn’?” and she didn’t like that name, but after a moment she said “Evelyn Evelyn” would be a great name for a band.

I’m sure you’re sick of talking about it, and to be honest so am I, but can you please say a little about the controversy that’s surrounded the project? As far as I’m concerned you and Amanda have been nothing but graceful about the whole thing, it’d just be lovely if you could mention it.
I actually think the whole issue has been very interesting and I think that a lot of the problems people have expressed are actually very valid. I hadn’t thought of this as a project so much about disability, but it is a valid point that they bring up that often when disabled people are portrayed in popular culture, their role almost always fits into one of a very few stereotypes, and they are right that to a certain extent we have done the same thing with this project. I do think it is a pity that so many people got so upset about this before the album actually came out. Maybe I am wrong, but I think that the actual album stands up to this criticism a bit better than the “idea” of the album does. I also don’t feel badly about apologizing. I think we made some mistakes in how we were talking about the project. I know that I’ve learned a lot and hopefully will continue to from this criticism, and I hope that perhaps others will as well.

Looking to the future – do you have any plans for a new album after Evelyn Evelyn?
Yes. I just recorded a live album before I left Seattle that will hopefully come out in the fall. I also have a couple more collaboration projects in the works including an EP with my “party” band “Big Little Dipper Dipper”.

Posted by jenny in Music, 0 comments
Rhythm Magazine Bits and Bobs

Rhythm Magazine Bits and Bobs

A few reviews and bits that I wrote while on a college internship with Rhythm Magazine

Posted by jenny in Music, 0 comments
Calling All Comic Fans

Calling All Comic Fans

First published on One&Other, available here – http://www.oneandother.com/articles/calling-all-comic-fans/

For all you die hard comic fans out there this is well worth getting the train to Leeds for.

This year’s Thought Bubble Sequential Arts Festival brings (once again) the Leeds Comic Convention; hosting huge names in the industry such as Paul Cornell (Action Comics, Batman and Robin), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory). Taking place over two days for the first time, the 19th and 20th of November will see a flock of geeks, cosplayers and comic book fans to the Savilles Hall and Royal Armouries Hall in Leeds.

The main event in Savilles Hall consists of an entire room full of stalls, workshops and famous comic book artists and writers. Hours can be spent here simply rifling through box upon box of individual comics – a great way to discover a new character, artist or storyline, for next to nothing. Queues for the artists and writers are normally long – last year, John Romita Junior (Kick-Ass, The Amazing Spiderman) had a queue through the length of the hall all day, and with Batman geeks such as myself, Tim Sale is sure to be kept busy at this year’s convention.

Hundreds of independent comics will be represented at the stall, a great time to wander around and see what takes your fancy. This year we see the return of the Fetishman comic stall (it’s not porn, it’s a comic!), and  I’m personally excited to see that the folks from Romantically Apocalyptic, an intricately digitally edited post-apocalyptic comedy, will have their own stall. Wander around, chat to the creators – many are more than happy to sign a piece of artwork for you.

The Royal Armouries Hall hosts throughout the day a series of panel discussions about the world of comic books, including a talk about Alan Moore’s work, a discussion on women’s place in comic books, and the future of comic books in an ever-increasingly digital world. Also featured are storytelling workshops, and guides on how to make your lettering stand out, as well as so much more to help budding comic book creators. Bring down a portfolio of your work and get some critical feedback. If you want a shot at getting into comic book artistry, consider entering the 2000 AD portfolio competition – go to the Thought Bubble website to find the sample panel, create your version of the piece and bring it along to be entered.

If you manage to get your mitts on the first five hundred of the tickets, and you’ll get free entry into the after-party, taking place in the Alea Casino. DJs are all from the business, including Kieron Gillen (Phonogram, Uncanny X-Men), Becky Cloonan (Demo, Bram Stoker’s Dracula), and Antony Johnston (Dead Space, Wasteland). Unfortunately I missed the party last year, but at the Travelling Man 20th Anniversary party this year I witnessed the DJing skills of Antony Johnston, and I’m very much looking forward to his return – it is shaping up to be one hell of an evening.

Tickets are £10 for a day or £18 for the weekend and in my opinion that’s fantastic value to meet some of the real heroes of the comic industry, discover new comics, forge friendships and see some incredible costumes! If cosplaying is your thing, you get £7 entry, and can enter the annual cosplay competition, which is worth checking out even if you’re not in costume. I’ll be there keeping an eye out for original and inventive costumes. Tickets can be purchased from Travelling Man stores, or at the festival on the day. Pick up the Thought Bubble 2011 Anthology, out in October, to bring along to the festival and have it signed by many of the contributors. The most important thing is to make the most out of your weekend, and have a lot of fun – see you there!

Posted by jenny in Comics, 0 comments
Why I Love York

Why I Love York

First published on One&Other, available here – http://www.oneandother.com/articles/why-i-love-york-jenny-mugridge/

When I’m asked why I moved to York for university, I always say the same thing – that as soon as I stepped out of the incredible train station to see flowers and grass surrounding the ancient walls I knew. York isn’t a big party city, but coming from Bristol I appreciated how peaceful it was, and immediately felt at home. I knew this was where I was going to spend the next three years of my life.

People visit from all over the world to see York, whether it’s for the fantastic architecture – the Minster especially, the rich history from Vikings to Constantine, or simply for the huge selection of independent shops and markets – including some of the best-stocked charity shops I’ve ever seen. The city of York is like a community, we look out for each other. My family always rave about how friendly Yorkshire folk are when they come to visit, which is a fair amount – not for me, but for the city.

Other cities may have better clubs, but we have a good mix. Alternative nights at Mansion, cheap nights at chain bars like Vodka Revolution, all the way down to Willow – which, as a new student, you will become all too familiar with! And if you get bored of the many pubs (the old joke being that there’s 365, one for every day of the year), Leeds is a short train ride away and has some great pubs and clubs.

So many students in York fail to take advantage of the tourist entertainment, which is a shame. The ghost walks are top quality, as are the museum and galleries, and walking the walls is a must. Signing up for the York central library is a great idea too, as the card gives you discounted or free entry to many of the tourist attractions – the Castle Museum for example is a great way to spend a few hours.

But my favourite thing about York? Simply how beautiful it is. Whether you’re sat in Museum Gardens or watching the sun set  from the top of Clifford’s Tower, it’s a city that never fails to take my breath away, and I couldn’t imagine being as happy anywhere else. I may be a southerner, but I’m not afraid to declare that I love York – and hopefully you will too.

Posted by jenny in Miscellaneous, 0 comments
Pretty in Punk

Pretty in Punk

First published in Cut Out + Keep’s Snippets – thanks to Cat and Tom for letting me post it here too! Original article – http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/snippets/issue20/pretty-in-punk

It’s just after Christmas and I’m thinking about how to spend the vouchers that I always get from relatives I never see, when I stumble across Pretty in Punk: 25 Punk, Rock and Goth Knitting Projects. Despite the emergence of craft books for a younger generation, there are still so few that cater to subcultural audiences – and it’s even rarer to find one that doesn’t look too difficult, so you don’t have to be an expert knitter to have fun with it.

It’s a laid-back book and when I spoke to Alyce Benevides, co-writer of Pretty in Punk and co-owner of Knit-Head, she was so friendly I could barely believe it. She works with Jacqueline Milles, who she met in the ’80s when they were at high school together, and they formed a long-lasting friendship which has taken them through living together, studying together, working together at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and now at NYU Film School, where – from what I’ve gathered – they’re kept busy.

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Alyce was brought up by a strict Catholic family, but they couldn’t stop her punk nature, or her artistic talents. Getting involved in punk at a young age, she started crafting in that accidental way that most punks do – by ripping jeans and painting jackets. Jacqui was brought up in army camps in Iran and Germany as a child until she moved to the US as a teenager, where she began to find herself and appreciate a love for dyed hair, make-up and good music. She still knits everywhere; supposedly comfortable with the self-defence weapons that knitting needles can be used for. They claim that they were often called “freaks” when they were teenagers for being into punk rock, but like many they found that as soon as they left school no one cared any more – now they’re admired for doing what they love and being proud to wear who they are on their sleeves – or, heads.

Knit-Head itself started out when Jacqueline, who was taught how to knit in the first grade, passed on her talents to Alyce. They began designing items for their friends and family, as most crafty folk do, and eventually realised that the stuff they were making was actually pretty good. Alyce says that “Jaqui was making some ponchos, I was making these arm warmers. We showed each other our stuff, and thought, “Hey these are really cool.”” But it was their trademark mohawk hat that really started things off for them. Jacqui says, “We just started maniacally knitting for a couple of months, making imaginative things that we thought would be fun to wear — quick things that we could sell online. The Mohawk hat grew out of that. Alyce found inspiration in a couture Mohawk hat worn by Gwen Stefani in No Doubt’s “Underneath It All” video. We discovered this particularly fabulous yarn and loved how it looked felted. Light bulbs went off. We designed the hat, felted the yarn for the “hair” and it came out like a Mohawk!

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So Jacqui had the years of training; Alyce, who had started up a production business with her husband Rob, had the business know-how; and both of them had the creativity and ingenuity to come up with knitting designs that appealed to their ’80s sensibilities, and that would sell well. The mohawk hats, which you can buy in “Punk’s Not Dead” one-tone, two-tone, three-tone or “God Save The Queen”, with a Union Jack on the side, sell for between $110 – $175 and can be done in huge range of colours. Jacqui says that the hats are for anyone who wants to unleash their “inner rock star” – and Alyce talks about how the hats sell best to people who don’t mind getting a bit of attention. Then again, the woollen hats with side tassels and felted wool mohawks are kind of designed to be eye-catching. What’s great is that they even have a range for babies, where you can buy both adult designs for tiny heads, as well as some milder patterns with bears and flowers on the side (if your baby isn’t into the punk thing.)

In 2007 came the book, which contains 25 original designs, including the mohawk hat. They both made each item, wrote the instructions and drew illustrations, with Alyce’s husband Rob taking the photos. Alyce explains, “We broke it up by body parts: for the head there are hats; for the neck there are scarves and chokers, etc. We also designed sweaters, tops and “bum” patches.” The patterns range in complexity, with some tougher ones like the jumper, but they are designed to be worked up to – and there are patterns for the basic knitter, and anyone wanting to improve.

This came about to a huge turning point for Alyce and Jacqui came in 2005 when Alyce waited eight hours to meet Depeche Mode at a signing – her favourite band since she was fourteen – and give them the Punk’s Not Dead mohawk hats. On top of getting to meet her all-time favourite band, an extra surprise came when she saw Gore wearing his hat on stage – which he did for every night of the remaining tour. This was amazing free publicity for the hats, as it meant the pictures were in magazines and newspapers – Wikipedia’s main picture of Depeche Mode even shows Gore wearing his black mohawk hat. Jacqui says, “When we went to see the band at Madison Square Garden, an editor from Entertainment Weekly saw us in the lobby wearing our Mohawk hats. When she went into the concert and saw Martin wearing his on stage, she talked to his publicist and got our card. We were braced for all of these orders to hit our inbox once the issue hit the news stands. But we got no response. Zero. A few weeks later, the one email we got was from Chronicle Books in San Francisco, asking if we wanted to author a knitting book. For the next four months we walked around like, “Somebody, pinch us.” Other celebrities that have been spotted wearing the hats include Madonna and Guy Ritchie.

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The girls claim that their designs were inspired by the likes of Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and the originality of punk bands throughout history. And the pictures from the book definitely look like something that should be part of a high-scale fashion show; they have that impressive mix of looking fashionable, but also completely wearable, with bags, wrist cuffs and even skirts for the more daring knitter. Oh, and they also manage to be punk without having to emblazon anarchy symbols on everything, which is great news. The community feel of the book and the people is amazing; Jacqui says that “We ask everyone who buys a hat to send us a picture because it is just so fun to see. It feels like a club.” You can check out the Gallery online, which even shows some of the adorable baby hats.

And the thing that makes this story so great? It’s about two people doing what they love. Alyce says that she has always heard people say, “You’ll be happy when you are doing something you love. And it is absolutely true.” Jacqui describes it as a hobby that took on a life on its own; “We were just so happy when we were selling enough hats to make the yarn pay for itself. Also, we are not making anything that we don’t like – it’s all been fun. It’s totally a win-win situation.” It’s thanks to the re-emergence of craft culture that the book was a possibility for these guys – although it’s great that for anyone who can’t knit, their awesome hats can still be bought online.

Posted by jenny in Crafting, 0 comments

Ghost Hunt

First published in Cut Out + Keep’s Snippets – thanks to Cat and Tom for letting me post it here too! Original article – http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/snippets/issue21/ghost-hunt

 

Awarded the prestigious title of “most haunted city in England” by the GRFI (Ghost Research Foundation International), York is the perfect place to visit if you have an interest in the supernatural. It is a beautiful city, but with an unmistakable ghostly feel, perhaps due to the high number of old buildings and graves scattered everywhere about the city. Some websites place the number of ghosts at 140, with over 500 separately recorded hauntings, and with so many it’s no wonder that the several ghost walks and hunts of York – which range from traditional storytelling to shocking visuals and are able to update their talks regularly and always keep the audience enthralled.

One of the most famous stories is the tale of the Roman legion in the Treasurer’s House. In 1953, an apprentice plumber named Harry Martindale was working beneath the house on his own, when he heard the sound of a horn being blown, and before him he saw a man step out of the stone, dressed entirely in Roman attire. Behind the man came a slowly moving troupe of Roman soldiers, some on horses, that walked straight past Harry, not looking at him for a second, and through the other wall. Harry was able to describe every detail of their clothing, but what especially struck him was that he could see nothing of the soldiers from the knees down. He stood and watched in terror as they walked by him and disappeared through the opposite walk. It was only when they were all gone that he immediately ran to the doctor where he was signed off from work for “shock”, but never returned to work in the Treasurer’s House. He only talked about his experience in public twenty years later, at which time he discovered that the Roman road that had run directly through the Treasurer’s House had been lower than the current one – just about the length of a man’s lower leg.

Many of the places these ghostly happenings have taken place are off-limits to the public, meaning that unfortunately the tours must simply stand outside of certain places – but this does nothing to lessen the atmosphere. Even better are the tours in winter, when you can explore the city in the dark, and perhaps believe that the chill running up your spine is the presence of another being. Although some locations may require more imagination than others, many of the buildings have remained the same, and some of the magic of York comes from the fact that you can stand just two streets away from a main road, but somehow seem miles away from the 21st century.

Although of course, there are many other ghost experiences in York without attending a ghost walk. With over 350 pubs in York, you would expect that a few of them claim to be the “most haunted”, but they are all worth a visit. My personal favourite is the Golden Fleece, a beautiful old pub and inn, which is said to be home to at least 5 supernatural beings which haunt its’ upstairs rooms and crooked hallways. One evening out, I asked one of the bar staff if she had ever seen or heard anything, to which she replied that no, she had never seen anything for sure, but on several occasions she had misplaced things in the cellar, sure she had left items on the table only to find them gone, and never appear again – the same cellar where the bodies of hanged criminals would be kept until relatives collected them. She then laughed, and confessed that on occasion she would flick on and off the lights to frighten tourists.

As a connoisseur of ghost walks, I’ve tried out a few of them, but to anyone visiting the city of York I would recommend the Original Ghost Walk, especially on the evenings which are lead by the charming Yorkshireman Mark Graham, who uses his cane to great effect when dramatically telling stories (although any of the other gentlemen who lead the walk are fantastic!) Mark often claims that his interest in ghosts stems from his having astral dreams, and from seeing and hearing what others may call ghosts, although one of his most appealing features as a storyteller is that he never claims any stories as fact, but reminds the audience that this is only the story that has been told. The Original Ghost Walk began as a way for history teacher Jon Mitchell to engage his students in their lessons, and was turned into a professional ghost walk by Peter Broadhead in 1973, taking then ten years to transform into the established tourist attraction it is today. It remains a fantastic walk for anyone wanting to hear about the history of York and its’ buildings, as well as some interesting tales and it is left up to you whether you choose to believe or not. It is also a good one if you aren’t keen on having actors jump out at you; even though there is audience participation, Mark believes that the stories are powerful enough without having to physically frighten the audience.

Of course, if you are in it for the horror, you can try one of York’s many other ghost walks, including the The Ghost Hunt of York which provides practical jokes on the crowd as well as the audience favourite of watching the tour guide make a display of cutting through his own wrist with a knife. Many of the more theatrical ghost walks can be identified by the sight of a man in cape and top hat, also making them easy to spot on their way home if you fancy asking them a few questions, or directions to a particular ghost site. There are also many fantastic books that will provide you with places to go if you want to take an unguided ghost tour – and sometimes, the best stories are hidden in the smallest, darkest corners of the city where tours may not go.

I’ll leave you with one of the most famous stories known around York, but scarcely known elsewhere – the story of the children in Bedern. Bedern is situated just down an alleyway from a busy street in York, but once you reach the square you are shrouded in silence – a silence far too absolute to exist in a busy student city, in the middle of blocks of houses. Years ago, an orphanage was built behind the streets, which was run by a cruel man who sold the children out as labour. He soon discovered that when the children eventually died (a common event at the time, especially for the children forced to work in chimneys, but also from abuse in the home) that he would cease to receive funding from the council for their well-being. Being a greedy man, he began to hide the bodies of the children underneath the floorboards, and about the house. But the guilt devoured him, and he believed he could hear the screams of terrified children where he had kept the bodies. He eventually went truly mad and massacred the remaining children, before spending the rest of his life in an asylum where he still heard the children. To this day, visitors will hear the sounds of children playing and laughing – although it is said that if you stop to listen too long, the laughter will turn to screams of terror.

Posted by jenny in Miscellaneous, 0 comments
Lime Crime Makeup

Lime Crime Makeup

First published in Cut Out + Keep’s Snippets – thanks to Cat and Tom for letting me post it here too! Original article – http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/snippets/issue24/lime-crime

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What inspired you to create your own makeup brand?
I’m a self-styled makeup artist and often couldn’t find the makeup I liked. Everything was too sheer; I wanted pure color that looked the same in the packaging and on your lips/eyes. You could say the brand was born out of frustration and a burning desire to make the impossible possible!

Another source of inspiration is solving a problem — such as eyeshadow creasing and fading during daily wear. I have rather oily eyelids and no primer worked for me, so I went into the lab to develop a waterproof eyelid primer. We call it Eyeshadow Helper — it keeps my eyeshadow crease-free for 20+ hours! In fact, you can even swim in it. If I can continue making products that make people’s lives even a tiny bit easier, I’d be a happy woman!

You get fans to write stories about your lipsticks. How do you pick them?
It is true — we have fan-written vignettes for almost all of our products. We love them! I believe that each color has a story to tell, and our customers seem to agree! We’ve held a Vignette-Writing Contests in the past and published our favorites on our website.

You started out as a fashion designer. What are your fashion influences?
It’s hard for me to distill it down to specific sources, but here is a list of random things I like: the fancy & delicacy of the Victorian era, the firece glamour of the 1930s, silhouettes from the 50s, pastels of the 60s, bold patterns of the 1970s, the swinging London… For designers, I’m a fan of Anna Sui, Erin Fetherston, Betsey Johnson, Vivienne Westwood, Luella Bartley..

Do you have any tips for the crafty folks on our website wanting to go into fashion?
I recommend taking a few courses — just something to get you started! The idea is to get you exposed to new ideas and people. That’s how I discovered my passion for color and design, through my stint at Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. Also — communicate and learn from others online! Obviously, if you’re here you’re in the right place for that. (smiles)

You have some fantastic makeup names – Airbourne Unicorn, No She Didn’t, My Beautiful Rocket to just name a few. How do you come up with them?
We love us some word play here at Lime Crime! Myself and my partner/husband Mark come up with with cheeky puns and rhymes all day long, it’s just how we are. My favorites are No She Didn’t (a blue lipstick) and New Yolk City (yellow lipstick).

You’ve been in a few bands as a singer. Would you consider getting back into it the music business?
I’ve been surrounded by music since I was born. My mother is a pianist; I began playing piano at 5 and graduated from music academy in Russia at 15. After I moved to the US, I formed a rock band, put on a festival, and even made a silly disco-pop solo recorder under the moniker Doe Deere! (That’s how I got the name.) I’m grateful to have had those experiences and though I no longer do music professionally, it will always be in my blood!

Who would you say your musical inspirations are?
I love pop, rock and electro. Some of my favorites are Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Dragonette, Type O Negative, The Green Children and Ultraviolet Sound. I can’t get enough of my 80s hair metal — Guns N Roses, Skid Row, and Bon Jovi are my guilty pleasures. My favorite movie of all times is The Metal Years, it’s a documentary about LA heavy metal scene in 1987.

You tour around the country giving makeovers; when do you think you’ll do your next rounds? Would you consider going overseas?
We did a UK tour last April which was amazing. It was incredible to meet our customers face-to-face — and make over some of those faces! We also just did our first appearance at IMATS, the makeup show, this June. We are always doing something, so keep an eye on our Facebook page!

You seem to pretty much have it made – husband, cats, successful company – not to mention your stunning looks! Do you have any advice for young women trying to get what they want and be happy?
Thank you so much. I try to be very appreciative of everything I have, every day. At the same time, I’m not sure there is such a thing as ‘100% content’ for me — I see happiness as the process of achieving it, not a destination, and am happiest when there is an exciting goal to work towards!

If I were to give a few words of encouragement to the readers, I’d say go after what you believe in, fearlessly — you’ll be glad that you did!

You have a quote on your website that says, “Those who break the rules of Today make the rules of Tomorrow.” What rules have you broken in your time?
I’ve broken quite a few, but it almost never happens on purpose. It’s usually when I’m trying to express something, and it’s the only way I know how to get there. The first few labs I approached about developing a lipstick range pretty much told me I was crazy, but in my heart of hearts I know it was possible! I think blue lipstick looks beautiful, and I wasn’t going to let anyone tell me otherwise!

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Posted by jenny in Crafting, 0 comments