Tokyopop wasn’t the first manga publisher in North America, but it might be the most important. Founded 25 years ago by Stu Levy when manga was a niche within a niche, the indie house brought manga — licensed Japanese comics in book format in English translation — to the mass market, brought the category to … Read more
Although the first day of March is here, it doesn’t mean that events celebrating black excellence are ending. In fact, the opposite is true for Los Angeles. There are many local and virtual cultural experiences that will continue into March, specifically focusing on issues centered on Black women. They offer an effortless and urban transition … Read more
From Pokémon to Red-Haired Snow White, there’s something for every aspiring manga fan. “Yotsuba&!” by Kiyohiko Azuma. yen prSize 2 and up –Yotsuba is a curious, enthusiastic, green-haired little girl (her name means four-leaf clover) who lives with her single father and hangs out with the family next door. Each chapter is a self-contained story … Read more
Extract from Tolkien Conversation with Smaug1937 Courtesy of Tolkien Estate / © The Tolkien Estate Limited In his high fantasy novels, British author JRR Tolkien combined his academic training in languages and his love of storytelling to create Middle-earth, a fictional continent populated by wizards, elves, orcs, dragons, hobbits, talking trees and other mythical creatures … Read more
click to enlarge Pamela Polston ©️ Seven days installation view Passers-by of the B&G Gallery on Merchants Row in Rutland might think they are looking through the dusty window a tribute to Jackson Pollock. More than … Read more
Last week The New York Times offered Nick Confessore’s (rightly) acclaimed three-part multimedia investigation into Tucker Carlson’s influence within Fox News, the alt-right, the Republican Party and the wider media landscape. It tells us a lot of interesting facts and brings everything together in one place in a meaningful way. I strongly encourage you to … Read more
Museum visitors admire a Pablo Picasso portrait of Dora Maar. William West/AFP via Getty Images Art history’s most iconic muses beg us to ask more questions. who were they What were their lives like? How did you know the artists who painted them? But her almost unfathomable nature, the way her personality is both splashed … Read more
This watercolor of a devotional poem shows the richness of South Asian art – a long history of art overlooked by some in the western world. Public domain via the Philadelphia Museum of Art South Asia has a long, vibrant artistic tradition. But art lovers looking for an easy-to-understand reference work on art in the … Read more
Everything looks smooth and sugar-coated in Chris Van Dusen’s distinctive illustrations, as if his images were made out of frozen, ready-to-eat cookies. Children may remember this style from Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson books, which he illustrated, or from his many solo projects such as If I Built a School (2019) and Hattie & Hudson (2017). … Read more
click to enlarge Instagram / Governorabbot From now on, Texas school children only get to know real heroes like Chuck Norris. We understand that in the current political environment it can be really difficult to tell the difference between real news and satire, which is why we’re letting you know that this … Read more