Manga Review: Azumanga Daioh Vol. 1

Manga Review: Azumanga Daioh Vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma It is spring of the year 2000, and the Japanese school year is beginning. There’s always some confusion on the first day back, and teacher Yukari Tanizaki winds up trying to introduce herself to the wrong home room! Once that’s sorted out, it’s time to meet… Continue reading Manga Review: Azumanga Daioh Vol. 1

Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

Kitaro and friends.

Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018) Two decades into the Twenty-First Century, most humans have lost the belief in yokai, folkloric monsters that exist on the fringes of the world. They can’t even see yokai. So when a Logan Paul-like video prankster accidentally unleashes a creature that turns humans into trees, the authorities are helpless… Continue reading Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

Comic Book Review: Angel Catbird Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: Angel Catbird Vol. 1 written by Margaret Atwood, illustrated by Johnnie Christmas Genetic engineer Strig Feleedus probably should have been a little faster on the uptake. There was his boss Dr. Muroid’s insistence in speed over safety in the creation of a new super splicer serum. There was the fact that his… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Angel Catbird Vol. 1

Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales

Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz This hefty volume collects a variety of public domain stories concerning the supernatural. While the majority fall roughly into the category of horror, some are more what we’d call “dark fantasy” and a handful are just “well, that’s a weird thing that happened.”… Continue reading Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales

Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1

Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1 by Konami Kanata Life is tough on the streets, even if you’re a cat. So young kitten Chi’s existence could have been cut short when she got separated from her mother due to distraction. Fortunately, Chi is soon found by the Yamada family. Papa, Mama and toddler Yohei… Continue reading Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1

Movie Review: Tales of Terror (1962)

Movie Review: Tales of Terror (1962) directed by Roger Corman This trilogy of scary stories was loosely adapted from the work of Edgar Allen Poe by Richard Matheson. By now, Roger Corman and Vincent Price were a practiced team at these adaptations. In “Morella”, Price plays “Locke”, a widower who has spent the last 26 years… Continue reading Movie Review: Tales of Terror (1962)

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 27 & 28

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 27 & 28 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a part-human shinigami (death spirit) who works as a psychopomp, escorting lost spirits to the afterlife. Due to his deadbeat father sticking him with the responsibilities for that father’s debts, Rinne’s weak powers requiring him to use expensive tools to… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 27 & 28

Manga Review: Smashed

Manga Review: Smashed by Junji Ito Who’s ready for another big collection of horrific tales from one of Japan’s best scary manga creators? I know I am! The volume opens with “Bloodsucking Darkness” about a girl with an eating disorder and the well-meaning boy who tries to help her with his swarm of vampire bats.… Continue reading Manga Review: Smashed

Manga Review: Rin-ne Volumes 7,8 & 9

Manga Review: Rin-ne Volumes 7, 8 & 9 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps ghosts and wandering spirits move on to the next life. Because he’s part human, Rinne’s powers are relatively weak and he must use gadgets, often expensive, to bolster his attempts. Moreover, due to… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-ne Volumes 7,8 & 9

Open Thread: Minicon 54

Designed by Melissa Howela

Open Thread: Minicon 54 My involvement with Minicon started early this annum, as I was approached by one of the co-chairs about becoming head of Programming. Citing my entire lack of managerial experience and continued inability to organize, I declined. But I did agree to help the Programming department out. I pitched a bunch of… Continue reading Open Thread: Minicon 54