Magazine Review: Oriental Stories Winter 1932

Magazine Review: Oriental Stories Winter 1932 edited by Farnsworth Wright Oriental Stories was a mostly-quarterly pulp magazine published from 1930-1933, with a name change to The Treasure Chest Magazine for an additional year. Its remit, as you might have guessed from the title, was tales of the exotic, mysterious East, from Islamic North Africa through… Continue reading Magazine Review: Oriental Stories Winter 1932

Manga Review: Be Very Afraid of Kanako Inuki!

Manga Review: Be Very Afraid of Kanako Inuki! by Kanako Inuki Kanako Inuki is a popular creator in the field of shoujo horror manga, who’s been working since 1987. Despite being well-liked, she’s never had a real breakout hit, so is little known outside Japan. This volume is a collection of six representative tales of… Continue reading Manga Review: Be Very Afraid of Kanako Inuki!

Comic Book Review: Adventure Comics #497

Comic Book Review: Adventure Comics #497 by Various Creators For a while in the early 1980s, Adventure Comics was turned into a digest format by DC Comics, with more pages but smaller ones, and multiple series represented, a mix of new and reprint stories. Let’s take a look at this typical installment. “All Together Now!”… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Adventure Comics #497

Book Review: All Systems Red

Book Review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells Murderbot does not want to kill all humans. Or even very many humans. It just doesn’t feel comfortable interacting with humans outside its security unit (SecUnit) duties, and would rather spend its spare time watching the endless hours of human entertainment available in the various archives. (Right… Continue reading Book Review: All Systems Red

Magazine Review: American Short Fiction Summer 2022

Magazine Review: American Short Fiction Summer 2022 edited by Rebecca Markovits & Adeena Reitberger The literary magazine is still alive in America, though I will not say “well” as I have no idea how many people read them. American Short Fiction, an Austin, Texas-based magazine, has been running since 1991. It is, as the title… Continue reading Magazine Review: American Short Fiction Summer 2022

Manga Review: Blue Lock 1

Manga Review: Blue Lock 1 story by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, art by Yusuke Nomura One of the stock characters found in sports stories, and especially shounen manga sports stories, is the “solo ace.” He (it’s almost always a “he) is extraordinarily skilled at the technical aspects of the sport. He runs the fastest, throws or kicks… Continue reading Manga Review: Blue Lock 1

Comic Strip Review: Peanuts 2000

Comic Strip Review: Peanuts 2000 by Charles M. Schulz Peanuts was a long-running newspaper comic strip (1950-2000) created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000). This volume is a collection of the strips during its final year. At the time it was introduced, Peanuts was an innovative strip, starring children but meant for a “family” audience.… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: Peanuts 2000

Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Roy's new project.

Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) directed by Steven Spielberg We are not alone in the universe. There are beings from beyond the stars, who have visited Earth from time to time. Sometimes there have even been “close encounters”, sightings and nebulous evidence. Now, perhaps, it is time for a true meeting in… Continue reading Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Manga Review: Gyo

Manga Review: Gyo by Junji Ito Tadashi and Kaori, a handsome young couple, thought a vacation by the sea would be an excellent idea. That’s why they’re in Okinawa, living in his uncle’s seaside home and diving off his boat. One day while SCUBA diving, Tadashi comes across a wrecked battleship on the ocean floor.… Continue reading Manga Review: Gyo

Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1 by Various Creators Much like DC, Marvel Comics also had dedicated superhero team-up series. Marvel Two-in-One featured perennial favorite character Benjamin Grimm, the Thing of the Fantastic Four–and I’ve never done a review of anything with him before, so first, a bit of character history! Fantastic Four… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1