Habibi by Craig Thompson

Blankets by Craig Thompson was a magical and painful thing. I also remember there being a lot of snow. His new book is Habibi, and it looks more magical, and possibly more painful. In her description, Laura Miller throws around words like semi-fantastical, skyscrapers, Dumas, calligraphy, and camels. Other graphic novels are also talked about. They look amazing. But I don't know as much about them. Except for The Arctic Marauder which I reviewed for Strange Horizons.

An image from Habibi by Craig Thompson

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Obsession.

Obsession x Voice (Failed Writer #6) from Yuvi Zalkow on Vimeo.

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Evolution.

Hello, readers. I am experimenting with things. I don't know what will happen. Possibly light is the second fastest thing in the universe. Science happens. Watch out.

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Super Color Super (Super Sketch) Photos

Hello, readers.

Super Color Super organizes shows of music and art and monsters in Seoul. These are some bits of kidnapped light from their Super Sketch show at Theater Zero in Hongdae. It was their two year anniversary, and it was fun. Enjoy.

Happy art-making, readers.

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Michael Bay Care Bears Movie

Hello, readers.

Upon the news of another bit of beloved and merchandised 80's nostalgia, the Care Bears, returning as a CGI-animated television show in 2012, it seemed only reasonable to begin discussing, in earnest, what the inevitable 3D #MichaelBayCareBearMovie will look like. Some friends and I on the Twitter (with the aforementioned hashtag) have begun doing just such a thing.

For starters, it would mix 3D CGI with live-action. And therefore it would not only be possible, but essential, to have a a Pearl Harbor style love-triangle between Tender Heart (voiced by Nicholas Cage?) and a token hot model (whomever Michael Bay is currently getting along with at the time of production) and a token hot CGI bear with giant lips and tail (Uncast at the moment).

The Care Bear stares will, necessarily, be super slo-mo blasts of super-saturated  awesome. Truly, has any childhood teddy bear super power ever been more appropriate for the 3D treatment? Audiences will feel the feelings of noble heartedness, tender heartedness, and sweet baby hugs surrounding them. (Michael Bay will most likely have to expand his emotional palette for this film)

Also, the Care Bear mobile will shoot rainbow lasers at storm clouds and evildoers. (Michael Bay will also be expanding his color palette.)

Also, also, there may possibly be an enchanted, apocalyptic comet voiced, possibly, by Will Smith or Steve Buscemi, depending on how we want to play it (unless we can get Orson Welles to come back to life and thereby finally unite the universe of Transformers and Care Bears).

Also, also, also and speaking of which: a Jesus Christ Care Bear whose stare resurrects people. And thus we have zombies.

Tears are guaranteed as one (or more) of the Care Bears will die in a self-sacrificial act of tender heartedness in order to save the world from No Heart and his enchanted comet of doom. Alas.

The final shot: a pan out showing a new monument in Washington, D.C.: a line of giant Care Bears flanking the reflecting pool.

And someone mentioned there should be a Christopher Walken Care Bear musical number. Possibly just before something horrible happens. Possibly we got a bit silly at this point.

In anycase, this is where we've gotten. Perhaps we could go further. Many parts are unclaimed. No Heart, Beastly, the token hot Care Bear. 

Possibly we need go no further.

Possibly we need to think of other 80s shows that deserve the Michael Bay treatment. Captain Power, anyone? Silverhawks?

If you'd care to join the discussion, hope into the comments below or Twitter up the hashtag #michaelbaycarebearmovie and twitter tweet away. 

Happy weekend, readers.

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p.s. Here's a link to my last review at Strange Horizons. It concerns The Arctic Marauder.

p.p.s. This t-shirt design from Threadless has me imagining a serious Bad Boys-esque vibe to this thing. 

p.p.p.s. Owen Wilson could make a decent Nobel Heart horse. 

p.p.p.p.s. Ben Affleck could probably do Beastly. He's good at funny voices. I saw him do one in Jay and Silent Bob.

Swamplandia! and Other Exclamations

Hello, readers.

Swamplandia! is a book by Karen Russell in which young adult types deal with alligators, ghosts, and other horrible, beautiful (sometimes dead) things. You can read my review at Strange Horizons. You can also read about Ms. Russell's appreciation for Kanye West (Is Kanye sitting around wringing his hands, wondering if he's just written a clunker of a metaphor? No, Kanye responds to his critics with a gleeful "Na-uh, you can't tell me nothing!"), among other things, at Esquire. Or listen to her talk about fantasticalness at NPR.

Also, a Seoul friend has a short story up in text and audio form at Giganosaurus and PodCastle, respectively. It's called "After October" and concerns Russians and zombies.

Also, also, there's this from the Physicians Committee for Responspible Medicine, on the good (it's nice to see a plate of fruit and vegetables) and the bad (it might be nice if the government supported the growing of fruit and vegetables):

Also, also, also, this is a trailer I stumbled across on Jesmyn Ward's blog--she being a future writer-in-residence at the Ole Miss M.F.A. program what where I matriculated once upon a time.

This trailer contains three of my favorite things: French, animation, and magic.

Enjoy.





Happy les lapins, readers.


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June

Hello, readers.

It seems to be June. Amazing how that happens. Just the other day it was some other month entirely.

In the news of me, I finished a draft of a story which garnered two basic comments: it is intoxicating to the point of physical discomfort, and, at some point, Dorothy has to just walk down the road.

Also, my students have had their field day and now, as they were last year, they are tasked with making video projects for their English teacher.

Here is what field day looks like.

The students line-up. They do stretches. They are happy it is not raining like people said it would.

Among other activities, there is the classic sport of synchronized photography.

And there is this, too.

And a lot of races involve various forms of bondage.

See note above.

At the end of the day, the students play a game called X's and O's, which is neither tic-tac-toe-ian nor Lombardian. It is a game where students are asked a question, and then move to either one side or another (the X or O side). The students who are wrong leave the field. The picture below is of the many students who are right.

Also, also, in the news of me, there is the slight swelling/not-exactly-numb thing going on in my TMJ joint (especially on the right side) which has slowed my actualizing the desire to bake chewy wonderful things. Possibly this is allergies of some kind--to some stray bit of gluten or cross-contaminated thing. Or the changing weather and rapture survival. Happily this slightness is possible getting slighter. Or possible I am losing more feeling. Oh, physicality.

Here are some pictures, though, of gluten-free pizzas made for an Italian night writers crit.

This would be after pre-baking. 

And the next two would be after baking baking. One is a spinach-pesto pizza, and the other a 호박 pizza. (Ho-bak is Korean for pumpkin. I've just re-remembered I can type 한글 (hangul) and it's fun.

They turned out quite well and involved yeast and a slow-rise done over-night in the refrigerator, then a bit of a freeze, and then a thawing out and waiting during the afternoon before we writers were ready to eat. At which point, the pre- and bake-baking happened and yumminess ensued.

Happy June, readers. She's a good month.


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