ロングver. pic.twitter.com/kK9lae0c32
— いしだゆうき (@rinrin_118421) February 9, 2018
§ The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang are juts getting under way and the greatest moment for some already took place. During the short program in the pairs team competition, the Japanese pairs team skated to Yuri’s music from Yuri on Ice!! the popular anime about a young skater trying to get his mojo back.
In the US, announcer Johnny Weir revealed the music choice, and if you’re wondering if Weir knows all about the anime, yes he does.
The anime is about Yuri Katsuki, who suffers from anxiety after a bad performance but gets his passion for sport back when he trains with Russian skater Victor Nikiforov. But he might be getting passion for his coach, too. Yes, YOI, as fans call it, is boys love. The theme, by Taro Umebayashi aka Milk, has been part of the routine of skaters Miu Suzaki and Ryuichi Kihara for a while now. It’s a nice piece of music that’s perfect for skating. Well done! I haven’t checked Tumblr, but I’m sure it exploded.
§ When Katie Skelly chats with Alex de Campi about Twisted Romance it’s all pull quotes.
Skelly: The other day we were going to see The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, but you were ill. (How are you doing?) There’s a little monologue the protagonist gives on working out of compulsion versus out of necessity or pleasure, and it got me thinking. You’re one of the most prolific comics writers I know. Does it ever feel like compulsion for you? What are your driving forces to write?Alex de Campi: When I’m talking to baby writers, I always joke that writing is a habit, like drinking, or smoking. So much of becoming a writer is just getting over your own bullshit about finishing things and getting them out there. I have… so many strategies for this. But when you do hit this groove, it becomes hard NOT to write. If I am at rest, I will think up a new story to pass the time. I really like doing this. Writing is my favorite activity. And the day I realized I could just go write the book and it would eventually find a home, rather than pitching and waiting… that was a great day. I mean, I get to wake up in the morning, write whatever weird shit I want, and we usually sell it. That’s a pretty special place to live. I have no idea how I got here, but I’m here. And I’m not even that fast a writer. I’m just always working on something.
§ Black Panther made the cover of Time magazine.
§ A Warner Bros. theme park with colorful rides is opening in Abu Dhabi, and some colorful concept art has been released.
§ Am 8th grader who is also a cartoonist caught on to Scholastic taking all the rights for their Scholastic Art & Writing Awards submissions. This spectacular photo from Boing Boing looks more like moe theme park concept art, but it’s actually R. Sikoryak and the young cartoonist.
I’m an 8th grade middle school student at a public school in NYC. In my humanities class we are studying muckraking journalism, and we have an assignment to write a muckraking article about a modern issue. (For those who didn’t pay attention during class, muckraking journalism is journalism that became prominent in the late 19th century. A muckraking article digs up and exposes problems in society.) Coincidentally, I recently had a personal experience with a muckrake-able issue. I chose to make lemonade out of lemons, and got a very interesting topic for my assignment–and one that I could write about both professionally and privately. So, I’m posting my homework here.
§ Michel Fiffe tried to read 200 issues of prime Teen Titans. Part One and Part Two
Marv Wolfman wrote 99.9% of those stories. George Pérez was the first and most associated artist of these comics. Both men took the 60s Teen Titans concept and updated it, creating the roster we all know and love. The fan-favorite title became DC’s best selling book, locking its place on the company’s top shelf. I thought TT was a safe bet to take a deep dive in because I 1) had more than a passing familiarity with the characters and 2) The creative team was small and focused. The chances of a strong vision were high. I was interested to see how it performed throughout an entire decade. Two hundred comics, though — GULP. What if this stunk? I mean, I read about less of a third of this lot over 20 years ago. But still, why couldn’t I just act casually, taking in the stories in smaller chunks? I’ll tell you why. Because that’s not me.
Did this Bronze Age “classic” hold up? You’ll have to read to find out. But it did make me realize that Watchmen, Dark Knight and Killing Joke are still read and debated and Crisis on Infinite Earths isn’t. Big old inter universe crossovers don’t always hold up.
§ Tickets for PaleyFest LA 2018 just went on sale. Barbra Streisand, Will and Grace, Handmaid’s Tale, Orville, etc etc etc. If you ever wondered why they don’t do a classy version of Hall H without a Comic-Con attached, they do and it’s a tradition in its own right.
