Two weeks ago, my country lost three soldiers in a single attack in Afghanistan. This may not sound unusual to those from other countries who’ve seen regular losses among their military, but New Zealand’s role in the Bamyan province since 2003 has primarily been the Provincial Reconstruction Team, rebuilding infrastructure and educating the locals towards self-sufficiency — we have lost 10 soldiers during our time in Afghanistan. The impact of these three deaths on our nation was made more heartfelt by the loss of two more soldiers in another attack only two weeks earlier, and the fact that one of…
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Earlier in the week, I saw that the reoccurring debate about “real geeks” cropped up again with a notable geek girl publishing a post on Forbes called “Dear Fake Geek Girls: Please Go Away”. For those not in the know, there are three groups within the geek culture who are involved in this debate: people with supposedly questionable geek credentials (usually “fake geek girls”); people who hate the questionable geeks for their presumptive intrusion into the culture; and the people who hate on the haters for being elitist and exclusive. This debate provides an ugly undercurrent that circulates throughout all…
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As a fan of Shearwater, I was understandably full of anticipation when I heard that they were to release a new album. But how would they follow up their masterpiece triptych of Palo Santo, Rook, and The Golden Archipelago (collectively known as The Island Arc Trilogy)? Would the new album have the same magnetism and power; would the band maintain their ineffable musical presence? Thankfully, Animal Joy did not disappoint. This album embarks down a new path for Shearwater, leaving me not just impressed, but actually excited by what I was listening to. Animal Joy is Shearwater’s eighth studio album…
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The growth of the Occupy Together movement has been an interesting one to watch. Beginning as a single protest on Wall Street, it has quickly grown from a small grassroots movement to a populist phenomenon that has spread to over 900 cities across the world and has accumulated support across a myriad of political orientations. It has been likened to a left-wing Tea Party or a Western Arab Spring, and shows no signs of weakening as it approaches its sixth week, but how did Occupy Together get to this point? How did it develop such power that even candidates in…
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Anyone who follows Ben McCool and Nate Cosby on Twitter know them to be a pair of irrepressible larrikins. When it was announced that they would be collaboratively writing a new comic series, people were intrigued as to what this pair would bring. Would they write a black comedy with a hint of the bizarre? Would it be a satire that commented on both societal and political issues? When I first heard the comic’s name, I envisaged a mini-series about anthropomorphised porcine soldiers. Whatever the case may be, I don’t think many expected what the end-result would be. PIGS, a new ongoing series…
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The war comic is an interesting genre. Often based on actual arenas of conflict and rooted in fairly authentic military doctrine, the war comic tells the story of a handful of combatants who have a mission and will strive to complete it in the face of sometimes overwhelming adversity. Men of War #1, released as part of “The New 52″, is one of DC Comics’ efforts in bringing the war comic into the modern era. This title follows Joe Rock, grandson of the famous Sgt. Rock, as he assumes command of Easy Company, a team of ex-military men turned contractors. These…
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For the ~18 years that the WildStorm Universe was around, Stormwatch and its later offshoot, The Authority, were two of the linchpin teams of Earth-50. Stormwatch, created by Jim Lee, was a United Nations-sponsored team that acted as a powered international police force, while The Authority, created by Warren Ellis, was a rogue team that enforced the higher law as they perceived it, by whatever means they felt appropriate. Both of the eponymous titles were dark and gritty, full of mature content, and often commented in some way on societal issues and politics. When DC announced that the WildStorm Universe…
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Fusion music is a style that’s often fraught with risk. The blending of two or more musical styles can either produce something quite extraordinary or crash and burn spectacularly. When one of the base genres is itself a fusion derivative of other genres, then it is clear that a masterful hand is required to make the resulting music a success. One band who has managed to achieve this and carve out for themselves a somewhat unique sound are the instrumental project, Collapse Under The Empire. Their folding of electronica into post-rock is subtle and delicate, intelligent and skilful, and this…
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The label of “geek” is one that has evolved over time. Where it was once a derogatory term for someone outside the norm, possibly stemming from the word’s Low German origin where it meant “fool” or “crazy”, it has now become the descriptor for a rich subculture that focuses on esoteric subjects marginal to the social mainstream. But is this where the evolution has stopped? I think not. I believe a newer breed of geek has more recently started emerging from the ranks. I believe the next generation in the development of the geek is already here: the post-geek. The…
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The art of making a successful comic book movie is one of fine balance. The movie must be able to appeal to the mainstream audience while adhering to enough canon to keep the comic fans happy; it must have the right amount of effects to make the movie look convincing, yet retain enough budget to cast decent actors and develop a quality script. Add the premise of an origin story and the filmmakers have to moderate the slow start of back-story with a plausible amount of action. Green Lantern is the latest comic book adaptation to take on this challenge,…
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