tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700924446877695032024-03-05T11:47:55.252-08:00a hidden jamBook reviews, musing and chronicling adventures of being an au pair in Canada.sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-24703454872973982572020-04-28T13:58:00.000-07:002020-04-28T13:58:08.874-07:00Writing: How does it work?Hello blog. As an attempt to keep the writing muscles intact, I'm writing a bit now and then. I'm trying not to focus on whether these words have much by the way of inherent value, nor edit or refine them too much. The aim is just to put thoughts down.<br />
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I've been reading <i>The Journey to the West</i>. Anthony C. Yu has done a marvellous translation of all one hundred chapters with all of the poetry translated, including dozens of explanatory footnotes per chapter. What I'm enjoying about my reading of <i>JtW</i> is that I can lend however much weight I like to it - if I want to go off on a tangent into the footnotes, I can; if I want a lighter reading of a particular chapter, I can simply read the text and only dip into the footnotes if I really don't understand a particular word or concept.<br />
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Another thing I really enjoy is how much I've felt amused by, fond towards and in awe of a piece of 16th century Chinese literature. This book has transcended time, space, society and culture to come to me, a white twenty-something in the UK, and make me grin like a loon whilst sitting on my garden wall in the sunshine.sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-28758918878513863542020-04-13T10:19:00.000-07:002020-04-13T10:28:13.717-07:00Canon or Not? Episode 1 NotesAs mentioned in my <a href="https://ahiddenjam.blogspot.com/2020/04/writing-again-and-new-podcast.html">previous</a> post, I started a podcast!<br />
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CANON OR NOT?</h2>
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'The podcast where we quiz people on things they know nothing about!'<br />
[<a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-450136333-591221338">listen here</a>]</div>
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Here's the full SoundCloud description:</div>
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CANON OR NOT? is a podcast which takes a light-hearted look at bizarre fictional lore, as Sash (@<a href="https://soundcloud.com/Sp1ritJam">Sp1ritJam</a>) and guests puzzle their way through various true/false questions. </blockquote>
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The catch? </blockquote>
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They know nothing about the media in question, armed only with their base assumptions and whatever they've absorbed through pop cultural osmosis. </blockquote>
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Play along and test your knowledge, or sit back and enjoy as guest and host alike experience your favourite pieces of fiction for the first time. Either way, you'll come out the side finally knowing whether that weird tidbit you've heard about really is canon or not. </blockquote>
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(Get in touch on Twitter by tagging @<a href="https://soundcloud.com/Sp1ritjam">Sp1ritjam</a> or with the hashtag <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tags/CanonOrNot">#CanonOrNot</a>)</blockquote>
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<a name='more'></a>I've had this idea for a while so I'm excited to actually be doing it. Unlike writing I find it much easier to get podcasts going, largely I think because it's a collaborative effort with myself and an interviewee, so I can't get too bogged down in my own thoughts. Whereas with writing there's so many internal processes going on, a podcast is about 80% sitting down and just <i>doing</i>. Or rather, talking.<br />
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It also helps that a bunch of friends love the idea and have lined up suggestions of topics to do next. I'll be quizzed on everything from WWE Wrestling to Red Dwarf and turning the fact that I never watch much TV into an asset for once! During lockdown it's a fun way to spend time with people and learn more about the fictional universes they're invested in. I don't know how one measures the 'success' of a podcast but spending time with friends, indulging my need to be performative, practising my public speaking and fine-tuning my editing skills all seem like pretty valuable outcomes to me. :)</div>
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There's also not much pressure at all. If I run out of guests then we'll have had a fun five-episode run and I can move onto the next thing, although I'd like to keep it going because it's proving to be a lot of fun. I also feel fairly confident that not too many people will listen to it so I'm able to work out all of my teething problems around sound quality etc.</div>
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Maybe it will give that one work colleague who's apparently stalking my Twitter account some more material to pass the time with. I wonder if they'll find this blog... not many people know it exists after all.</div>
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Moving on, Episode 1 was good fun. I took my good friend George through the Dragon Ball series and in hindsight I barely even scratched the surface of fun and ridiculous things in that show, so there's potential for a follow-up episode right there. We laughed a lot and I received good feedback from test listeners about the format, etc. I liked doing it. I was always going to begin this podcast with Dragon Ball because it is the fictional universe closest to my heart and the one that takes up most of my brainspace on a regular basis. It was a delightful novelty to introduce it to someone who's never heard much about it before.</div>
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I've been talking with a friend recently about creativity. We've been invested in the #HomeTasking challenges coming from the Taskmaster YouTube channel, and my recently foray into stop motion animation reminded him of some old stop motion videos he'd made and uploaded as a kid. He said he'd never thought of himself as creative and I couldn't believe it - as a kid he was coming up with some amazing ideas! Performing improv with him also shows his definitive creative streak.</div>
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I mentioned that creativity comes in so many forms and we often veer towards thinking of it in a certain way, or certain outlets. However it's important to remember that creativity doesn't just manifest itself in Writing, Art, Music, etc. but that other less obvious outlets are completely valid too. Whether that's making random YouTube videos, re-enacting movie scenes in your bedroom, doing improv or appearing on a podcast... it's all valid.</div>
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It was only a few days later that I realised the irony of not taking my own advice.</div>
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So here I am!</div>
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Writing is hard at the moment, but I'm making a podcast! It's so creative! I am creative! I'm having fun!</div>
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You can listen to <i>Canon or Not? Episode 1: Dragon Ball</i> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-450136333-591221338/episode-1-dragon-ball">here</a>.</div>
sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-40562338486190642492020-04-12T09:41:00.000-07:002020-04-13T10:30:55.588-07:00Writing again, and a new podcast.It is so embarrassing to click back into this blog and be reminded that it's been over a year since I last updated it. Even more embarrassing, and frustrating too, is realising that I've fallen once again into the cycle of becoming enamoured with a new pursuit before losing patience with myself when I don't manage to make the time for it, and subsequently trail off. Then I look back and think how I could have had a decent writing portfolio by now if I'd just kept it up.<br />
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Sigh.<br />
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I'm planning to retroactively insert some of the book reviews I've been writing the last few months, cross-posting from The Lesbrary but for the most part, besides the occasional bit of fanfiction I just haven't done all that much.<br />
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However, with us being now in the midst of a global pandemic, the entire world has slowed down and I've taken to thinking about creative work again. I've been reluctant to admit that my anxiety around writing - which is a thing that I really, truly love! (I think) - is down to low self-esteem. That is essentially what it comes down to, however. The feeling of "Well, since <i>I</i> made this, it can't be that valuable." I also spent some time in a relationship with someone who, whilst supportive in a general sense, couldn't muster any emotional investment in my work. That combined with my tendency to 'disappear' into relationships and prioritise partners' needs over my own made for a very-not-great combination. No blame to cast here: that's just how it is.<br />
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Due to life bestowing this sudden stillness on me and having been single again for a few months, I've had another crack at podcasting. I'll try and update this blog with behind the scenes notes for each episode, just to keep some activity going here. I also made a stop motion animation recently and I want to learn to animate properly! I have a few ideas. Further to these aims, I've added Twitter to my Internet blocklist. The news is so, so bleak right now and I want to switch off for a while.<br />
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I'm also going to try and write the space web serial that I've been plotting in my downtime. I've got a notebook sat next to me and a three page outline of the main arcs and more free time than I'll probably ever have in my life and I just... don't feel like I can? It's odd how draining writing is. It's been something so deeply tied to my sense of personal validation for so long, that the process of even getting a first draft down is like shoving an enormous boulder uphill. Before every word comes this litany of thoughts, like--<br />
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Hasn't this already been done? Ugh I wish I could write like Le Guin/Tolkien/Wynne-Jones/Shakespeare. Why did I not start earlier? I wonder who's younger than me and more successful because they actually sat down and did things. What if I'm not meant to be writer? What if I spend all day/month/year writing this and it's a waste of time because it's total trash. Why am I so unoriginal? Where did I subconsciously lift this character/plot point/trope from? Will people immediately start telling me what my plot is similar to? What if I accidentally write something so heinously offensive that I get cancelled forever? Ughhhh, why am I procrastinating by re-reading the same 70-chapter fanfiction I've already read ten times. I should be absorbing more original content. I should be MAKING more original content. Why is it so hard to just write things? My character is so boring. Would someone really act this way? Why aren't I writing? Let me just check the Internet... Wait, it's been an hour and I haven't done anything. Okay, I'll just write a few paragraphs... Huh should this scene be set during winter or summer? Why am I writing set in a sleepy English village when that's going to cause so much logistical trouble when everyone comes out of their houses and tries to interact with the alien visitors? Should I set it in America? I'll start writing after I've done some more research... Ah, another hour gone, I will write this time. Hmmm... What will the layout for my website look like? Where should I host this? What if no one reads it? What if people DO read it? What if it's bad? What if it's good and I peak here? I just need to get something down on paper but I'm so drained.<br />
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-- and so on and so forth.<br />
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Sometimes I talk to my therapist about all the thoughts that run in my head in a regular basis and she'll look at me for a long time and say (of herself), "I need to lie down, hearing that, I am absolutely exhausted!" She's being tongue-in-cheek but goddamn she is so right.<br />
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Part of me likes the idea of having written something, having published something, far more than the process of actually writing it, because that's where the pain and hard work is. Not necessarily within the crafting of the story itself, but in the exhaustion of facing my own existential fears about my creative value, my talent and my innate sense of self-worth.<br />
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Another part of me truly, passionately loves the written word, has written pieces I'm proud of, has fallen down rabbit-holes of research to create genuinely fun pieces, has had good feedback and a network of support, and loves the feeling of being absorbed in creating a brand new world.<br />
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Perhaps in admitting the weight of the former, in sloughing some of it off, I can ease the way for the latter.sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-41423676962899968262019-03-14T02:48:00.004-07:002019-03-14T02:48:43.755-07:00Fiction: Conversations With the Witch Next Door<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline;">
She had made tea for him, she said.</div>
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Scavenged the berries and leaves, poured in great helpings of things like tenderness and excitement and hope. He had tasted them, politely, but ultimately found them too much for him. He bought his own tea in boxes from the store; black with sugar, mild and polite and unassuming.</div>
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It wasn’t about the tea, the witch reassured me. It was just that her way of doing things was not quite right. She hadn’t realised, had kept making the tea and finding it left on the counter, cold, always assuming the best of him, assuming he had just forgotten.</div>
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If she had listened more, she realised, she would have understood that she was not right for him, nor him for her.</div>
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If the strangeness was all a little more than he could handle, that didn’t mean she should dim her light just for him, I told her. Burn as brightly as you like.</div>
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- Excerpt, <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Conversations With the Witch Next Door”</i></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Just an excerpt from an ongoing canon in my head. I'd like to write a bigger story within this particular universe, but it's currently revealing itself to me in snapshots like these.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm also working on a web serial about a completely different witch.</span></div>
sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-84074610059504214822019-02-01T09:55:00.000-08:002019-02-01T09:57:01.948-08:00What I'm Up To: Zine WorkshopsI've spent my last few Friday afternoons attending a Poetry and Zine Workshop at a local women's centre. I'm so pleased that I discovered this place existed, they are a community hub which welcomes all women and afab genderfluid folk and offers a variety of useful and fun things, from CV workshops to book clubs.<br />
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We had all built up a nice rapport from spending so much time together over the last few weeks, and it was so validating to be part of such a supportive group. We had been working on erasure poems, streams of consciousness writing based on found objects, and responses to other poems from a huge zine library.<br />
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Looking at the masses of small press spread out on the tables in front of us, I felt overwhelmed by this huge sense of kinship with all of these writers and artists over time. Every pamphlet showed so much history and passion, all lovingly put together to share, celebrate and educate.<br />
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I'm not sure if I'm any better of a poet for it, but I did rediscover the simple joy of just writing. I also gathered some ideas for how to get inspiration flowing again the next time I'm stuck.<br />
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Below are some photos of my contribution (poetry and illustrations) to the collaborative zine <i>(W)hole</i> that the group produced. I will attach a downloadable PDF when one is available!<br />
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<br />sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-13720344870384606162019-01-17T08:18:00.000-08:002019-01-17T08:18:09.301-08:00Review: 'The Sleeping Dragon' by Jonny Nexus[Note: This review is largely spoiler-free! No major plot elements are revealed, though I do discuss character arcs and such.]<br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px;">I love Dungeons and Dragons (RPGs in general) and I love supporting indie publishers, so I was pretty pleased when the opportunity to review The Sleeping Dragon came about via my attendance at Dragonmeet. Published by indie company </span><a href="http://wildjesterpress.com/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px;">Wild Jester Press,</a><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px;"> this book promises a Tolkien-inspired, Pratchett-esque, science-fantasy tale featuring all of your favourite fantasy character archetypes in a delightfully subversive way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px;">What's it all about? To give a brief summary:</span><br />
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<i>The five greatest adventurers of the age discover that in five hundred years, the Sleeping Dragon will awake and destroy civilisation.</i><br />
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<i>Many many years later, in a world so transformed by mass-produced magic that it seems heroism itself is rendered obsolete, five misfits find themselves tasked with preventing the plague, war, famine and destruction that the Sleeping Dragon will bring forth.</i><br />
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What we have here is a world where magic, or 'mana', has essentially created modern technology. Flying carpets are state-of-the-art vehicles, everyone catches the underground 'worm' to work while staring at their crystal screens and talking on their 'whispers'. Simulated quests are televised as a popular form of entertainment, and the adventurers of old have all but been forgotten.<br />
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Nexus builds us a fun and immersive world in which we can get to know our five cynical protagonists: Blade, an AdventureSport warrior past his prime; the Storm, a rock star lutist with a significant drug problem; Dani, an enigmatic con-woman; Darick, a nervous priest and the group's voice of reason; and Presto, a disgraced and disgruntled wizard. This is the group we follow as they attempt to figure out the mystery of the Sleeping Dragon, a sinister... <i>something</i>, which threatens to destroy the world.<br />
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The plot is as much about the journey as the destination. It can be frustrating to see the characters hit multiple dead ends, with some scenes, such as one taking place in an AdventureSport arena, being perhaps a little superfluous, but Nexus makes up for this in his worldbuilding and character interactions which drive the first half of the book. Five distinct personalities provides much room to play with and different archetypes to bounce off from. Presto, Blade and the Storm are perhaps the most stand-out, with the most attention given to their emotional arcs. Blade as the sporting celebrity with surprising emotional depth is a good foil to the crackpot, spell-slinging Presto, and their interactions might be some of my favourites from the entire book.<br />
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One of the pitfalls of having an ensemble cast, which in this case features the main party <i>and</i> a few later add-ons, means that some characters suffer from less development than others. Everyone's backstory is hinted at to some degree but it really is a shame that we don't get to know the main cast as well as we'd like. Darick in particular suffers from this, and Dani to an extent. However, everyone ultimately gets their own moment to shine, and the ending leaves ample room for further explorations of these characters should Nexus ever decide to write a sequel or spin-off.<br />
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<i>The Sleeping Dragon</i> is ultimately a fantasy novel, with elements of science fiction but with a large helping of humour, and this is one of the main selling points of the book. The delivery of humour ranges from verbal sparring to slapstick shenanigans, with the group's adventure taking them to ever more ridiculous heights (often literally) in a whistle-stop tour of the fantasy world Nexus has created. The Pratchett inspiration is apparent throughout, with some great one-liners that genuinely made me laugh. It's both amusing and exasperating watching the core cast struggle to step up to the burden they are shouldered with, but ultimately satisfying to watch them overcome their problems and develop as people.<br />
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There's also a strong Dungeons and Dragons influence, with the main five characters being typical components of an adventuring party. With the rapid twists and turns of the plot, it's easy to imagine the events happening on the whim of a Dungeon Master or a dice roll. Reading <i>The Sleeping Dragon</i> is like reading a roleplaying game brought to life. This structure works to the genre's benefit; it's appropriate, a little bit meta, and it keeps the novel interesting. It also really makes you want to pick up the old Dungeon Master's Guide and play some RPGs.<br />
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Despite the aforementioned series of dead ends and clue-salvaging which comprise the first half of the book, the pacing soon speeds up with some impressive fight scenes (who doesn't love a good magic duel?) and action which keeps going until more or less the very last page. An outpouring of enemies, alignment changes, reveals and twists are densely packed into the novel's final chapters as the mystery finally comes together.<br />
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If you like fantasy, science-fiction, humour, modern takes on classic tropes, roleplaying games or any of the above - check out this book.<br />
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</style>sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-85852720280884287532019-01-02T02:00:00.000-08:002019-01-05T05:17:03.039-08:00Review: 'Arrow Borne: Fate Loves the Fearless' by Jess TaylorHere's the third in my recent comic reviews out of the batch I picked up at Nottingham Comic Con in 2018. After this we're veering into unknown territory - new year, new comics!<br />
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Today's comic is called 'Arrow Borne, Fate Loves the Fearless' by <a href="http://jesstaylor.portfoliobox.io/">Jess Taylor</a> and it is a beautiful work of art. Here's what it's about:<br />
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<i>Fate loves the fearless...</i><br />
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<i>In 2016, as the world falls apart around her ears, one woman is expected to piece it back together. Arrow Borne is a superhero tale about love, loss and the lure of Greek Gods.</i><br />
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<i>'Fate Loves The Fearless' is the prologue for the upcoming Arrow Borne series and this special edition release includes sketches, concepts and rejected pages as issue #2 goes to the press.</i><br />
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<a name='more'></a>What I like about this volume most is what an absolute work of art it is. Taylor's use of colour is brilliant. She uses her chosen colour palette well and every page bursts with energy and points of interest. There are also some really nice, subtle textures which emphasise Taylor's crisp illustration style. (Unfortunately my terrible camera phone can't do these things justice and these pages look much nicer in real life.)<br />
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There's no dialogue and minimal words in the whole book - one sound effect and two text messages across the whole volume. Everything is conveyed with interestingly shaped panels, dynamic characters and well chosen focal points. The whole thing is just so lovely to read and the story is easy to follow; it's a superhero tale at its heart, but stylistically so different to the conventional art style of your typical Marvel etc. comics that it's got strong appeal even if superheroes aren't your jam.<br />
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The concept sketches in the back of the book are very insightful too. As an aspiring illustrator and comic maker I'm already analysing every page of the comics I read, so I really appreciate it when creators share their own notes about their process.<br />
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As this is the beginning of a series, it's good to know there is more to look forward to with Issue 2 and beyond - definitely on my 'to read' list for 2019.sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-76635764324432470322018-12-26T02:00:00.000-08:002018-12-29T10:12:20.486-08:00Review: 'Space Trash' by Lydia ButzLast week I said to watch this space... little did you all know that I was stealthily punning. [Insert mischievous chuckle here]. Today I'm blogging about 'Space Trash' by <a href="http://lydiabutz.tumblr.com/">Lydia Butz</a>, another purchase from Nottingham Comic Con 2018.<br />
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So what's this comic about? The blurb simply says:<br />
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<i>A comic that is totally not inspired by true life events because it's set in space.</i><br />
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To add a little more context, the story could be summed up as this: our protagonist gets a super cool space job, except it's not quite what she thought... mishaps and hilarity ensue. To be honest, at just 16 pages per volume (and £5 each) with very little dialogue, you'd be best off just picking it up and reading it for yourself. It's worth it!<br />
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The plot is simple enough and much like <a href="http://ahiddenjam.blogspot.com/2018/12/review-spunk-by-rhiannon-kagoe.html">Spunk</a> which I reviewed previously, requires you to just shrug your shoulders and go along with it. (You may see a future theme of whimsical and light-hearted fiction emerging through this blog...) The real charm is in Butz's art style, which makes every panel just, somehow, inherently funny. A simple straight-line mouth or wide-eyed stare on a character conveys emotion perfectly, in a way that looks painfully simple but is extremely clever. I find myself flicking to random pages just to crack a grin at yet another character's expression or pose.<br />
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The colours are simple too. The comic is coloured largely in pink and blue and it doesn't really need anything else. The character designs, particularly the aliens, are interesting and fun enough without anything too elaborate needing to be added.<br />
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For something very short and snappy, and just overall great fun, I would recommend both volumes 1 and 2! As the second volume was published in May 2017 I'm unsure if the artist has plans for any future comics, which may irk you if you're someone who doesn't enjoy reading unfinished works. For the price and the enjoyment factor though, I'd say it's worth a go.sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570092444687769503.post-34675162090833298712018-12-21T04:48:00.003-08:002018-12-21T04:56:56.032-08:00Review: 'Spunk' by Rhiannon KagoeLet's kick things off by diving into the pile of goodies I picked up at Nottingham Comic Con a while back.<br />
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The first stall I visited was that of the delightful <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rhiannonkagoe/">Rhiannon Kagoe</a>, where we bantered about nihilistic humour, chatted about representation in comics and traded artist origin stories. Kagoe shared some great advice about starting out in comics, but that's another blog post for another time.<br />
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On to the comic:<br />
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<i>Spunk</i> is a horror-comedy comic which features a small but engaging cast, a dash of playful whimsy and an LGBTQ romance.<br />
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The cover immediately caught my eye and captures the horror-comedy vibe of the story well, combining the looming and sinister zombie girl with Katherine and Finn's goofy expressions. There's something really appealing about Kagoe's art style - a blend of manga-inspired figures and textured paintings. The colours are great, but the story itself loses nothing by being in black and white.<br />
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As for the plot.. here's what the blurb says:<br />
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<i>How far would you go for a date?</i><br />
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<i>Amelia and her friends barely escaped a haunted mansion filled with stitched nightmares. However, with love festival right around the corner she is reminded bitterly of her single status. Armed with only a katana and a dare, she returns to the mansion to find something, or someone...</i><br />
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Yep, it's pretty wacky.<br />
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I personally love stories where you can't help but be swept up in the ridiculousness. The writing in <i>Spunk</i> is such that you don't need to question why a haunted mansion exists in a seemingly normal world, or where on earth the main character got a katana - it just is what it is, and you're swept along for the creepy, hilarious ride. It's definitely not something you want to think too hard about if you're trying to maintain your suspension of disbelief.<br />
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And so the story goes - Amelia wants a date for the love festival, and what better place to go find one than a haunted mansion? There was that cute (if a little murderous) zombie girl living there, after all.<br />
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Without spoiling too much of the plot, what follows is a brave endeavour punctuated with carefully balanced humour and gore. It's all just immensely <i>fun<u>,</u> </i>watching the action-hero protagonist run away with her grand schemes, the reactions of her despairing best friends and the gleeful snark of the story's antagonist. All wrapped up with an ending that's actually really sweet.<br />
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Kagoe has a great sense of comic timing and narrative pacing, resulting in pages of <i>Spunk</i> where perfectly placed panels combine with facial expressions and snappy dialogue to create moments of genuinely laugh-out-loud humour. Revisiting this comic to write this review, it was just as enjoyable this time around (and I've already re-read it a few times), so I'd say it's got excellent re-read quality too. For a great story and 40 pages - not including the two full colour illustrations inside - at £8, it's solid value for money.<br />
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Bonus: Here are the stickers I bought at Kagoe's stall. Nothing like cheerfully expressing millenial angst through the medium of colourful kitties.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRrtbfu3HcVvNr1LKhs1f2S1lRLQZzzlj0TGBa9lkiD0_0StmUGrl7YzMxZyr7DtX3Mdhtb5r4C4DHZ05wzgttCYMD-ArtnCjyiL-GsBMk3znCNtT2evSoDt7ZClGSabQeBpEX30pnDul/s1600/49056749_600981280340037_3950689039744499712_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRrtbfu3HcVvNr1LKhs1f2S1lRLQZzzlj0TGBa9lkiD0_0StmUGrl7YzMxZyr7DtX3Mdhtb5r4C4DHZ05wzgttCYMD-ArtnCjyiL-GsBMk3znCNtT2evSoDt7ZClGSabQeBpEX30pnDul/s1600/49056749_600981280340037_3950689039744499712_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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Next week: I'll review more Comic Con buys! Watch this space.sp1ritjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10265753849083122904noreply@blogger.com0