Tyra's Sweet Shop by Josh Bright - Book Review

 

'Tyra wants a new bike and with the help of her friends, Levi and Bambo, embark on an entrepreneurial journey for her to be able to afford one. Join Tyra and friends on this adventure and create your own mini business plan at the end.'

Tyra's Sweet Shop is a new, independently published children's book that tells the story of Tyra and her friends as they set out to start up their own mobile sweet shop in order to earn money to buy a new bike. The book is written and illustrated by Josh Bright, whose art really makes the book stand out.

The story is fairly simple, which is good for a children's story, yet it goes into detail on how to go around starting a business. Tyra, and the reader, will learn about having to spend money to start a business, how you need sales to cover your costs, how to reinvest in more stock, and hopefully eventually start to make profit. Whilst a lot of children's books would simply show the kids selling sweets and earning money Bright gives the book a more realistic edge, and shows that it takes time and effort, and perseverance, to keep at your own business and eventually start earning money.

This more detailed and realistic approach definitely made the book feel different, something that would stand out amongst other books that follow a similar kind of story. It even has a section in the back for kids to write in their own plans for how to start a business, with the narrative already having briefed them how to go about doing so.

The book also has a number of illustrations, and I have to be honest, I really like the style of the drawings. I first saw them on the books Twitter account, where there are even some animated versions of the characters (you should definitely go check it out!). The bright and bold images work really well, and the characters stand out on the page, with each of them looking clear and distinct enough so that kids will be able to follow along without much confusion.

Tyra's Sweet Shop is a fun and informative kids book that's trying something different, that isn't just pandering to kids, but explaining complex ideas in easy to understand ways so that they come out the end of it having learnt something; all whilst enjoying a story of a little girl selling sweets so that she can buy herself a new bike.

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Star Wars Adventures: The Weapon of a Jedi #1 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Based upon the junior novel of the same name by Jason Fry, published in the build up to the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Alec Worley brings this overlooked Luke Skywalker adventure to a new audience. Originally made into comic form across four parts in Star Wars – The Official Magazine it’s now being presented in two extra sized issues from IDW.

The story takes place after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, Luke is a hero in the Rebellion for having blown up the Death Star, and whilst our heroes are still riding high from that victory they know that they still have a lot of work ahead of them. As such, Luke has been working with the rest of Red Squadron to harry Imperial forces, and perform covert missions. After a brief encounter with Imperial forces Luke gets assigned to collect important communication logs with the assistance of C-3PO and R2-D2.

However, whilst on his mission he feels something tugging on his mind through The Force, strange visions of him at some kind of temple deep in the forest of a planet. Whilst on his mission he feels that same pull when he nears the planet Devaron. When his Y-Wing is damaged by an Imperial patrol Luke decides it’s the perfect excuse to head down to Devaron and investigate these strange visions.

The Weapon of A Jedi is one of the better books for adaptation into the Star Wars Adventures series. Much like the last junior novel adaptation, Star Wars Adventures: Smuggler’s Run, it was always written with younger readers in mind, and whilst there is going to be work needed to adapt it it’s certainly an easier job for Alec Worley over the more adult oriented books in the canon. And for the most part the story hasn’t really lost anything from the original book, with Worley being able to bring a lot of what made that book a lot of fun into the comic.

That being said, it does feel a little weaker than some of the other issues of Star Wars Adventures, though this has nothing to do with the work Worley has put into it. The main thing that jumped out at me as feeling a bit off was the artwork, created by penciller Ruairi Coleman, and colourist Chris O’Halloran. I’m not even sure how to describe my issues with the art, because it’s mostly great, though it does at times feel more anime inspired than other issues of Star Wars Adventures, and the colours can feel a bit flat at times. But I think this might be because, as previously mentioned, the story was originally produced for a magazine rather than specifically as comic issues, and perhaps this means there wasn’t as strict demands on the quality of the piece.

Despite my issues with the art the book was very enjoyable for the most part, and it was great seeing the team put in new details to the story, such as filling the backgrounds of the spaceport and the settlement on Devaron with aliens from across the Star Wars universe that weren’t mentioned in the original novel.

Overall the first issue of Star Wars Adventures: Weapon of a Jedi was an enjoyable read, though not one that really set my world on fire. Knowing that the second half of the story has much more happening in it I’m hoping that the conclusion will at least be a little more exciting once that issue arrives.

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Shockwave: Hong Kong Destruction – Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Shockwave: Hong Kong Destruction opens big, with the first moments of the film showing Hong Kong International Airport being quickly evacuated as an out of control train crashes through the building. If that wasn’t enough the train is packed with nuclear missiles and a slow motion explosion rocks through the building, destroying everything and everyone in its path.

After opening with a literal bang the film slows down a bit as we go back in time and join a pair of bomb disposal experts, Poon Sing-fung (Andy Lau) and Tung Cheuk-man (Sean Lau), working for the Hong Kong police. After seeing the two of them working together for a bit, Poon ends up injured in an explosion and loses a leg. After recovering in hospital and learning to walk with a prosthetic he makes getting back to work his mission, but the police department don’t think a disabled man should be on the front lines, even if he’s fitter than everyone else on the force.

Three years later when a terrorist attack blows up a function at a Hong Kong hotel Poon is found unconscious at the scene, leading him to be one of the chief suspects in the attack. However, when he wakes up with no memory of who he is or what happened, Poon will have to find a way of finding the truth, of discovering if he was working with terrorists, and if so, how he can stop them from striking again.

A standalone sequel to Shockwave, this film doesn’t require audiences to have seen Andy Lau’s previous entry in the series. Not only does the film stand by itself as a complete story, none of the actors are even playing the same characters they did in the first movie, making this one of those rare films where you can completely discount the original and jump straight in for some great action and thrills.

The central story, of a bomb disposal expert injured in the line of duty and left abandoned by the people he dedicated his life to, becoming so disillusioned that he turns into a bomber himself isn’t a new one. But having what appears to be the villain of the piece losing his memory and working to stop his own plot is a genius idea, and one that is done so well throughout Shockwave: Hong Kong Destruction. There are times where the audience doesn’t know if Poon is a bad guy or if he’s being set up, whether he’s a terrorist or if he was undercover, and just how he’s going to fall now that he’s essentially a new person is one of the more interesting parts of the movie.

However, it’s not all deep discussions on what makes someone who they are and if having a clean slate can make you a new person, as the film is also packed with brilliantly choreographed action sequences. There are tense scenes of bomb disposals as the man trying to disarm the device is being shot at by a sniper; police and terrorists clash in busy public places; there’s a huge hospital shoot out; and even a chase scene across rooftops and over traffic. I’ve seen Andy Lau referred to as the Asian Tom Cruise, and it’s easy to see why, as some of the sequences in this film would be well at home in a Mission Impossible feature.

The film also shines a light on how disabled people can often be treated by society, how even if they’re able to function no differently from able-bodied people they get treated as less. It’s one part of the film that I particularly liked. Whilst Lau plays Poon well and displays a great deal of sensitivity towards his injury, with small things like him having to adjust the way he runs mid-chase because of his ill-fitting prosthetic, there will be some people who say the role should have gone to an amputee actor, and they do have a point. That being said, Lau did a great job in the role, and it never once felt like they were poking fun at the disabled community.

With some terrific action sequences, some great performances, and some truly over the top storytelling, Shockwave: Hong Kong Destruction is one of those action movies that I’d be happy to go back to time and time again.

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Sexuality: A Graphic Guide by Meg-John Barker - Book Review

 

'Sex can seem like a house of horrors – full of monsters and potential pitfalls. We often live with fear, shame and frustration when it comes to our own sexuality, and with judgement when it comes to others’. Sex advice manuals, debates over sex work and stories of sexual ‘dysfunction’ add to our anxiety.

'With compassion, humour, erudition and a touch of the erotic, Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele shine a light through the darkness and unmask the monsters in this illustrated guide. From sexual identities to having sex, to desire, consent and relationships, we’ll explore the invention of sex as we know it and imagine sex as it could be. Along the way, we’ll move past thinking of sex as meaning just one thing, defined by the genders of those doing it, instead making space for lots of different types of attraction, desire, relationship and act.'

I have to admit, I came to this book with some misconceptions in my head about what to expect. I was thinking that this was going to be a graphic novel aimed at teens to help teach about sex and sexuality, but I was somewhat surprised to find that the book was actually more of an illustrated text, with the writing to art ratio being pretty even, and that it was written in a way that didn't try to simplify things, and talked about the subject in a much more in depth way.

The book reads less like a graphic novel and more like an eduicational textbook, which I guess it really is. It takes its time to go into not just the modern ideas about sexuality, but the history of the subject, and will take the reader in a journey that goes back to the ancient world as it explains how sexulity was seen at different points in history, and not just how this changed, but also why.

Readers are introduced to different therapists, scientists, and doctors who have had an impact in this field over the centuries, and it explores how they came to their decisions about what sexuality is, and how this would go on to shape and inform those that came after, not just from an accademic point of view, but also how these conclusions shaped and influenced society as a whole.

Whilst it was great that the book tackled so much, and didn't just gloss over the subject in order to provide a book that gives reader the basics the main down side to this was a few times it felt like it was perhaps trying to take on too much, especially for the size of the book. There were times where I found myself wanting to know more about a particular aspect, or a certain time, but the book had to move on to talk about the next part of the topic. As such, I think of this book as a great stepping stone, as a good introduction the topic that can get people interested, but would perhaps see some people having to turn to other resources if they wanted to learn more.

This isn't a bad thing though, and it means that Sexuality: A Graphic Guide makes for a great first step in learning more about this topic. It will provide you with a good broad knowledge on the subject, one that could answer all of your questions, but it might also spark your interest in a certain area or a specific figure and make you want to delve deeper into it than you first thought you would. 

One of the things that was pleasantly surprising was the way it was written to be accessible to younger readers, whilst also not alienating older readers. Sexuality is something that we should, in theory, have all learnt about in school. But the truth is that quite often the education system lets people down in this regard, and as such there are a lot of adults out there who have very ill informed or basic views on the subject. If this book were just aimed at younger readers, made too simple or too bright, it might turn away older readers who want to explore this subject, but Sexuality: A Graphic Guide sidesteps these pitfalls, making it an accessible and engaging read for people from all ages.

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I Am Samuel – Documentary Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Content Warning: Descriptions of homophobic violence.

The new documentary feature I Am Samuel is the latest piece from director Peter Murimi, who wanted to create a film that examined life as a queer person in the deeply homophobic landscape of Kenya, where homosexuality is punishable by law with up to fourteen years in prison, and where extreme violence against queer people is commoplace.

The film follows Samuel Asilikwa, a young man who grew up in rural Kenya with his parents. Shot over five years, the documentary sees him being asked by his family why he hasn’t found himself a wife yet, before he moves to the busy city of Nairobi where he can find work. It’s here that he not only makes new friends, but finds the love of his life, a man named Alex. Over the course of the film we see the struggles that Samuel and Alex face, what happens when Samuel’s family learn the truth about him, and the acceptance they fight hard to gain by the end.

I Am Samuel begins on a pretty strong note, making it clear that this isn’t going to be like a lot of other queer documentaries you’ll have seen. After being introduced to the two men the shot cuts to some blurry footage filmed on a phone of a gay man, stripped, laying on the ground, and being kicked and beaten by a crowd of people as they scream obscenities at him and threaten to kill him. Even though the footage is shaky, and much has been blurred out, it still hits incredibly hard, and shows the audience that this is a very different situation than some of us are used to. This isn’t just a story about people being their authentic selves, but doing so in a place where it can get you killed.

Over the course of the film we see how dangerous it is for Samuel and Alex to even let the documentary crew into their lives, and how something as simple as them flying a rainbow flag inside their home could get them seriously hurt. But, it’s not all awfulness for the two of them, as you can see how much they both care for each other, and how their small circle of friends not only accepts them, but cares deeply for them.

Samuel’s parents, Redon and Rebecca, are poor farmers living in the countryside, and despite obviously not being as comfortable with the documentary crew as Samuel is they still allow them into their home, they talk about their lives, and about how much they care for Samuel. It’s through his parents that we get a clearer understanding of some of the difficulties that Samuel and other queer people in Kenya face, how hatred of the LGBTQ+ community is so ingrained and normalised. They clearly love him dearly, but when Samuel does finally reveal that he and Alex are in a romantic relationship it’s one thing that they cannot handle.

During the several months that Samuel is told he’s unwelcome with his family we get a beautiful moment when the two of them gather their friends together in their small apartment and pledge their undying love to each other, where they talk about how they see the other as their soulmate, and how despite the hate they face their love means so much to them. They then exchange rings. This is the closest the two of them will get to being able to be married in their home country, but this simple, beautiful act of love and defiance in the face of oppression is so strong and so important.

Thankfully, this isn’t the only moment of love winning through, and after months of not speaking to Samuel his father calls him home, and tells him to bring Alex with him too. Not only does Samuel get to reforge his relationship with his parents, but they come to accept Alex into their home too. This is one of the best moments of the film for me, and one with such an important message. It shows the audience that even when people have deeply ingrained beliefs, when they’ve been taught for decades that something is evil and that it should be fought against, in the end love can still win through. Samuel’s family might not have known how to handle the news that their son was gay to begin with, but over time they came to realise that their love for him mattered more.

It doesn’t mean things are perfect for Samuel and Alex though, as they’ve now moved to Europe in anticipation of a violent reaction to the film, even though it’s not being released in Kenya. This is something they’ve both had to live with, and at one point we see the wounds Samuel’s roommate receives from a gang because they thought he was Samuel. The world is still a frightening and dangerous place for a lot of queer people, but there’s still a lot of hope and love in the world too. I Am Samuel shows how in the end people can learn to be better, to do better, and accept that love is just love, and that queer people deserve to live in peace. Hopefully this is a message that will spread, and could one day make the world a better place.

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Ten Low by Stark Holborn - Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'Firefly meets Dune in a breakneck race to escape across an alien moon thriving with aliens and criminals.

'Ten Low is an ex-army medic, one of many convicts eking out a living at the universe's edge. She's desperate to escape her memories of the interstellar war, and the crimes she committed, but trouble seems to follow wherever she goes. One night, attempting to atone for her sins, she pulls a teenage girl - the sole survivor - from the wreck of a spaceship. But Gabriella Ortiz is no ordinary girl. The result of a military genetics programme, she is a decorated Army General, from the opposing side of the war to Ten. Worse, Ten realises the crash was an assassination attempt, and that someone wants the Ortiz dead...

'The pair bury their hatreds and strike an uneasy deal to smuggle the General off-world. Their road won't be easy: they must cross the moon's lawless wastes, facing military hit squads, bandits and the one-eyed leader of an all-female road gang, in a frantic race to get the General to safety. But something else waits in the darkness at the universe's edge. Something that threatens to reveal Ten's worst nightmare: the truth of who she really is and what she is running from.'

Ten Low takes readers to the desolate planet of Factus, on the edge of known space. Having been set up as a colony world for convicts and the more undesirable aspects of society, the planet is home to thieves, killers, former soldiers, deserters, and vicious criminal gangs. One of the people who stands out as different on Factus, however, is Ten Low, an ex-con medic who's trying her best to do right on the planet, helping to save others lives to try and make up for some of the bad things she did during the war.

When Ten witnesses a small ship crash into the desert wastes of Factus she heads to the wreckage, hoping that she might be able to help any survivors. What she finds is a teenage girl in a military uniform, and with a generals rank tattooed onto her. It turns out that Ten has discovered General Gabriella Ortiz, a celebrated commander in her former enemy's Minority Force, a child soldier program. Despite this, Ten decides to help the child, and agrees to transport her back to her forces so that she can be rescued. However, after she delivers the general safely she discovers information that indicates that the crash was no accident, and that the general was in fact the target of an assassination. Now Ten must chose whether to walk away, or if she's willing to put her life on the line to help a child soldier who hates her.

Despite being a science fiction story, Ten Low has more in common with gritty Western tales and war stories than it does stories that involve spaceships and aliens. Stark Holborn gives readers a very real, a very grim and gritty story about people trying to survive not just extreme conditions, but the horrors of war and the scars that they can leave upon a person.

Ten Low herself is the kind of figure that one would expect to see wandering the wild frontier of the US during the gold rush, moving from town to town helping who they can, all whilst trying to avoid roving criminals and corrupt lawmen; and there is a great deal of that in this book, but Ten is a lot more complex than that. She's a woman who's quite literally haunted by her past, who has shaped her entire identity on Factus around the horrors that she has seen and done. She has a tally, a list of people whose lives she ended, and she's doing whatever she can to bring herself back down to even, to help enough that it won't stain her soul anymore. 

Whilst this initially seems to be an incredibly noble goal, the longer we spend with Ten the more we see that it's not goodness that pushes her to this, but guilt. She's a woman who has done some incredibly bad things, who has a lot of blood on her hands. This is a theme that we see reflected in her companion for the book, General Gabriella Ortiz. A child soldier, Gabriella was an orphan taken in by the military, raised and trained to be a tactical genius, taught how to fight and kill, and enhanced to be more than a child of her years should be capable of. Despite being presented as a competent and cold-hearted solider we learn that there is more to her too, that she's something of a victim herself. She's had her childhood taken from her, she's been experimented on, and she's been forced to do some horrific things.

Over the course of the book and the time we spend with these two we get asked some uncomfortable questions about war, about what's right and what's wrong. Both sides, represented by Ten and Ortiz have arguments for why they were doing the right thing, and why the other side were the villains. And we see through the way both of them have been treated that neither side really cared about the harm that befell it's own people. The book takes a look at the military industrial complex and makes a point of highlighting how little it cares for those that get harmed, even if those harmed are heroes on their side.

The book also takes an interesting look at the criminal inhabitants of Factus, and makes you question your first assumptions on them too. People who are presented as criminals and smugglers end up being counted amongst the heroes, whilst those on the side of law and order are more vicious and villainous than those they're supposed to bring in. There's even frightening gangs who run around the planet stealing organs and killing people who are more complex than you first think, and who may have more honourable goals than you first expect.

Ten Low is the kind of book that has a lot more depth and character focus than you'd first think from the description, one that goes deep into some heavy themes all whilst delivering an engaging and action packed character driven narrative. Whether you're a fan of science fiction or not, this is the kind of book that will appeal to many readers, and shouldn't be discounted just because it's set on another planet.

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The Silence of the Lambs – Throwback 30

Originally published on Set The Tape

 

Depending on who you ask, people will argue over what genre The Silence of the Lambs falls into, whether it’s a psychological horror, or a crime thriller. There are good arguments for both categories, and reasons why it works as either. But one thing that most people will agree on is that thanks to the incredible direction from Jonathan Demme, and stellar performances from Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, it’s a film that will go down as an all time great.

Based upon the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris, the story follows young FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), who’s pulled from her training by the head of the Behavioral Science Unit and is assigned to interview the notorious cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). Clarice is being sent in to get Lecter’s insight that they believe might be able to assist with catching the killer known as Buffalo Bill; a killer who leaves his female victims partially skinned.

When a senator’s daughter is the latest woman kidnapped by Buffalo Bill, Clarice must continue her interviews with Lecter, piecing together the small clues that he gives her in hopes of finding the killer before the senator’s daughter is killed. Clarice eventually figures out that Buffalo Bill knew his first victim and is able to track him down in time to stop him killing again. However, Lecter is able to mount a daring escape from his cell, and ends up free once again.

This was the second time a Hannibal Lecter book was adapted to the big screen, with the first novel in the series, Red Dragon, having been made into Manhunter in 1986. The film performed poorly at the box office, so when the time came to adapt the second book there were a number of changes behind the scenes, resulting in both a new director in Jonathan Demme, and a new Dr. Lecter, as original actor Brian Cox was replaced. These changes proved to be to the film’s benefit, as it quickly reached number one in the box office, staying there for several weeks.

The film quickly gained recognition in the media across dozens of reviews, with critics and the public enjoying the film for its slow burn of tension, the masterful performances from its leads, and its dramatic conclusion. This praise translated into even bigger gross, going on to earn $130 million; as well as five Academy Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Since then the film has won several other awards, and frequently finds itself on numerous greatest film lists.

The Silence of the Lambs has become so popular and beloved over the years that it has become a piece of pop culture royalty, with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of films and television shows parodying it. Even those who have never seen The Silence of the Lambs will know who Hannibal Lecter is, will recognise his iconic mask, and know the noise he makes in the infamous “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti” scene. It’s become one of the most iconic pieces of film, and that’s something you can’t deny.

Despite the numerous accolades, I do feel that I need to address the LGBTQ+ elephant in the room, namely the negative impact the film has had on the transgender community. There has been a lot of discussion and discourse over the thirty years since the film came out, with a lot of criticism coming from the LGBTQ+ community because of the depiction of Buffalo Bill.

Even though there’s a throwaway line in the film about Buffalo Bill not being a real transexual, but thinks he is, there’s no denying that he’s an incredibly queer coded villain, and one that plays on dangerous tropes of trans people being dangerous and mentally unstable. Even though Clarice and Hannibal spend time discussing how Bill isn’t trans, and director Demme has spoken about it and apologised more than once over the years, most people will remember the character as dancing around in women’s clothing and wanting to make a woman suit out of skin. As such, despite how well made this film is, how well received it is, and even how much people like it, it can’t be denied that it has done serious harm to a marginalised group.

I have always liked The Silence of the Lambs, and like parts of it to this day, but can’t ignore that thanks to the huge impact it has had it’s probably done some harm, and watching it now has become somewhat difficult. That being said, I will still enjoy watching Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster playing off each other in some of the best scenes in cinema history.

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Julia Scotti: Funny That Way – Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Comedian Julia Scotti has been in the comedy business for decades, though to many it appeared that she started her career as a contestant on America’s Got Talent in 2016. But before that she’d been travelling around the US and Canada, taking to the stage to perform alongside names such as Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld in venues and on television as Rick Scotti. You see, Julia is transgender, and this film takes a look at her unique story.

Golden Globe nominated screenwriter and filmmaker Susan Sandler makes her directorial debut in this wonderfully sweet documentary that allows viewers to take a look into the life of Julia, leading up to her appearance on America’s Got Talent and beyond, as well as her personal history. We’re led through Julia’s life by Julia herself, and as such we get a somewhat interesting and whimsical version of events, with Julia injecting a great deal of humour into things.

Over the course of the film we hear Julia tell of how all her life she never really felt happy or comfortable, how much of her life she never really felt like she knew how to be a boy, and as such turned to acting and comedy in order to try and fit in. Her comedy eventually turned into a stand-up career after she won a comedy competition; though this too would leave her feeling less than happy. Just like her career, her personal life struggled, especially her relationships. We learn that when she came to the realisation she was trans and needed to transition it resulted in a bad end to her marriage, and a separation with her children that would last fourteen years.

Thankfully, it’s not all heartbreak and gloom for Julia, as we get to see her not only having a wonderful relationship with her son now, but also getting to perform on stage once again across several venues. There’s one particular performance where her son joins her on stage and he refers to her as his mother, and Julia says its the first time she’s heard that; it’s a sweet moment, and you can see the genuine joy it brings her. The film has a lot of moments like that, times where you see these small moments of happiness that being her true self brings her, and it makes the film feel incredibly special.

The relationship with her son is one of the central parts of the film, due in part to him being an up-and-coming comedian himself. We get to see Julia acting as something of a mentor to him, as the two of them watch through her old stand-up routines and talk through the evolution of jokes and how to find the perfect routine to win over the audience. Whilst an interesting insight into how comedians make such routines feel effortless, it also allows Julia a look back at some parts of her life anew, especially an old routine where she, as Rick, makes jokes about trans people. Of course, these jokes being from the 1980s, they’re pretty unkind; but you also get to see Julia realise that it was her trying to work through her own thoughts and feelings, even before she herself knew she was trans.

The film also features some well crafted animated segments when Julia is talking. One that works particularly well is a confrontation she had with one of her doctors following her recovery from a quadruple heart bypass, when he intentionally misgenders her repeatedly. It takes what could have been quite an unpleasant story, and instead plays it through the lens through which Julia experiences her life, one of both levity and huge personal strength.

The film is a really well made and thoughtful look at a woman who’s putting herself front and centre, who’s opening herself up to hate and criticism for who she is, all in the pursuit of bringing people joy and laughter. It shows the level of strength that trans people have, how difficult and painful their lives can be up to their transition when they’re pretending to be someone they’re not, and how much happiness being able to be themselves brings. Julia is a pretty amazing woman, and her story is one that I loved learning about, and hopefully it’s one that can help people realise that trans people are just like everyone else, and just as deserving of their love and respect.

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Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Special – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Since its release in 1977, Star Wars has been a staple of the science fiction genre, beloved by millions, and making creator George Lucas both a rich man and a household name. Whilst Star Wars: A New Hope was a massive success it was not the most popular of the original trilogy, with that accolade (for many at least) going to the sequel, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, a film that reaches its 40th anniversary this year. To celebrate this, Titan Comics have released a beautiful new book to take a look back at what many consider to be the best film in the franchise.

Starting with a brief summary of the original film, the new book delves deep into the development of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, providing readers with insight into how long and laborious the project was to even get off the ground to begin with. Soon after the release of the original film, when it became clear it was a huge success, George Lucas had to negotiate with 20th Century Fox to be able to make the new film, and to also secure creative control and much of the rights; something that would be a huge financial success for Lucas personally, as well as allowing him the freedom to later go on to create things such as the prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars series.

With the rights and creative control secured, Lucas set out to bring a lot of the crew from the previous movie back together, including such names as concept artist Ralph McQuarrie, who would create much of the look and feel of the entire Star Wars universe, and director of visual photography Dennis Muren. The book also goes into detail on how the film came together in regards to the story, giving insight into how brief, scribbled notes by Lucas would be expanded upon by the first writer for the film, Leigh Brackett, who would unfortunately die from cancer after submitting the first draft of the film. With help from Lawrence Kasdan Lucas himself worked on the script, and the story for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was finalised.

After this, the book is split into sections that takes a look into different parts of the production, focusing on key sequences and locations from the story. We get insight into how the production not only went about designing the frozen, snowy planet of Hoth, but the difficulties they faced filming in Norway. We get some amazing behind the scenes photographs of the puppeteers and special effects wizards bringing the iconic battle against the AT-AT walkers to life. And we see the design process and development that went into even the tiniest background detail for the dramatic opening. A good portion of the book is spent covering the start of the film, but it provides excellent insight into how the cast and crew made the planet come to life, how it produced the epic battle scenes, and it even shows the cast having fun behind the scenes.

This treatment gets repeated with other important parts of the film, including the introduction of Jedi Master Yoda and the swamp planet of Degobah, the first appearance of the Emperor himself, and everyone’s favourite bounty hunter Boba Fett. These insights make it clear just how much Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back actually added to the Star Wars universe. It was giving viewers deeper insights into the ways of the Jedi, showing the insides of Imperial ships for the first time, bringing to life the criminal underbelly of the galaxy, and actually showing what the guerrilla war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance was actually like for those involved. The book snaps you out of the magic and wonder of the film and makes you realise that whilst Star Wars: A New Hope might have started it all, it was actually this film that made the universe feel more real, more alive, and more detailed.

This is why this book is so good, it shows you why its considered to be the best by many, many fans. You get to see how much of the heavy lifting this instalment did for the entire franchise, and the level of dedication and skill that went into it from the writers, the set designers, the costumers, and the model makers. You might think that you’d know everything you need to about a film that’s forty years old, that this book couldn’t possibly add anything new, but you’d be surprised how much insight they cram into the pages here. Whether you’re a casual watcher of the films, or a hard-core fan who knows every Clone Trooper’s serial number, there’s going to be something in this book to enjoy.

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The Ghastling no. 13 - Book Review

 

'The Ghastling’s thirteenth issue features tales of strange visitors, unnatural children, canny and uncanny animals and lost souls trapped between our world and the next.

'Includes stories from William Burton McCormick, Kaitlynn McShea, Lena Ng, Damien B. Raphael, Megan Stannard, Emily Ruth Verona, Beanie Aurora White, Nick Ryle Wright and Ann Wuehler.'

I received a copy of book thirteen of The Ghastling as part of my subscription to the horror themed book box The Abominable Book Club, and was instantly drawn to its bold, eye catching cover. I'd never picked up a short story magazine before, but a quick flick through the pages of this book instantly had my interest, as it's variety of contents and punchy interior design made it something I knew I was going to be reading very, very soon.

The Ghastling was created back in the much cheerier and more hopeful days of 2014 by Rebecca Parfitt. A biannual short story magazine with a bent towards the creepy and the classical, it captures the feel and style of the Penny-Dreadful's.

This issue is packed with a host of interesting stories, and begins with 'Grubble' by Damien B. Raphael, which tells the story of a young woman discovering a doll made of straw in the woods. This living doll feeds on fabric and clothing, and begins to grow; but when the young woman tells her mother about her new friend she's faced with a truly horrifying reaction.

'The King of the Rats' by Lena Ng is a story that I definitely wished I'd read in another room of the house, as my own pet rats were watching me at the time and made me feel a little uneasy. It tells the story of William Hughes, a doctor who receives a letter from an uncle he's never met, asking him to travel out to his country home so that they can discuss some important paperwork and secure an inheritance for William. But once he arrives at his uncles home he discovers something sinister lurking within.

Readers are transported to the small town of San Miguel E Grande in Mexico in 'Mojigamgas' by Kaitlynn McShea. Artist Alonso works hard to create his giants for the local festival, creating some of the best around, and is overjoyed to discover that his wife is expecting their first child; but their lives take a dark and tragic turn when the next festival comes around.

'Slack Water' by Megan Stannard follows the spirits of two young women who've lost their lives to tragic circumstances, whose bodies now reside deep in the canal, waiting to be discovered. Despite never knowing each other in life, these two women have become friends in death, and their darkly comedic tale will have you wanting to spend more time with these two young women.

Ann Wuehler's 'Jimmy's Jar Collection' sees bored teen Park spending time with her cousin Jimmy in the local cemetery, where the young lad has a collection of jars filled with strange concoctions. Jimmy claims that these are his ghost lures, and that with just a bit of patience and luck he's able to draw ghosts into the jars and trap them. At first Park doesn't believe a word of what he's saying, but then she begins to notice that they might not be completely alone in the graveyard after-all. 

If you ever wonder what your pets are looking at when you catch them just staring at nothing, or barking at something that isn't there 'The Dog Lives In This One' by Emily Ruth Verona answers these questions. We even get the story from the point of view of a good doggy who protects their owner from the things that inhabit their home with them.

'Unlucky For Some' by Nick Ryle Wright tells the story of Charles, a bingo caller who used to be the fun, much loved host of the local bingo hall, but things have changed. The hall has been taken over by a big firm that doesn't like his way of doing things, the personal touch is gone and he doesn't enjoy the work anymore, and his partner has moved on without him when he doesn't want to do something with his life. Charles sets out to try and do something better with himself, but sometimes that's easier said than done.

'1000 Rabbits' by Beanie Aurora White takes readers to a small town where the Father Yakob sets out to bring good luck to the people by killing and skinning 1000 rabbits before the end of the year. However, once the 1000th rabbit has been skinned his daughter begins to see a strange boy appearing round town, and bad things start to happen. Perhaps Yakob has brought his town the exact opposite of good luck with his bloodthirsty goal.

The final story in the collection, 'The Bell Keeper's Tale' by William Burton McCormick takes readers to the port town of Riga, where a bell keep tells us about the strange hauntings that take place within the walls of his old church, and the strange things that happen to those that try to stay within its walls overnight. When strange figures appear in the church he suspects they may be supernatural beings.

One of the things that's absolutely wonderful about this book is the sheer variety to the types of stories on offer here. Some feel like Gothic stories, things from hundreds of years ago, whilst others feel incredibly modern, and take a new approach to their narrative. Some show us the less frightening side to the supernatural, whilst others are designed to chill.

I was deeply impressed with not just the quality of the words within the book, but the entire design. The editorial team have done a wonderful job of creating something that feels a bit special. The illustrations and artwork throughout not only compliment the stories, but help to evoke the pulpy, newspaper-like Penny Dreadful's, complete with mock advertisements. 

If you've never picked up a short story magazine before, but are considering doing so, I'd definitely say that The Ghastling is well worth a consideration.

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