February! I don’t feel like I got to read/see/do as much as I would’ve liked this month and I’m going to blame it on it only being 28 days long.
Film:
The Shape of Water (2017)
MonRom is my new favourite film genre. Michael Shannon’s villain was terrifying in a surprisingly gross way. The whole film had so much that I wasn’t expecting and yet it was still so charming and sweet. Such a great experience.
Black Panther (2018)
This and Spider-Man: Homecoming are two great cases for skipping origin stories. The audience either knows what’s going on or is smart enough to pick up what’s going and doesn’t need to watch the main character discover powers, test and fail with them, then succeed against an enemy with the same powers…I suppose Black Panther has a little of that with the main villain, I’d say everything else about him totally makes up for that.
The Thing (1982)
I’m a scaredy cat and this was my first viewing so I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it half as much as I did. Sure I was stressed and terrified the whole time, but I really appreciated practically everyone acting logically (or at least as expected). Now I understand why so many people love this movie.
Television:
Cowboy Bebop (Episode 1.15 to 1.21)
I’m still taking my time with this series for fear of not letting each episode sink in. I only have a few more (plus the movie) and I’m already preparing for how sad I’ll feel when it’s over.
The Bachelor (Episode 22.04 to 22.08)
I haven’t watched the Women Tell All ep yet but I hear Krystal gets lots of air time. Oof. Arie is still as bland as a saltine and I just hope Lauren doesn’t become the next Bachelorette.
The Bachelor Winter Games (Episode 1.01 to 1.03)
There’s still one episode left in my queue but I’m fairly confident it won’t undo the damage it did (ruining the illusion that Luke was a cool and chill guy). Also I really like the chalet setting and the change from beach bods to scarves and sweaters.
Riverdale (Episode 2.11 to 2.13)
We thought this was the season finale and I was thinking “whaaaaaaaat?” but there are more eps so I can rest easy. Also this show is bonkers.
Reading:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
(Page 59 of 386)
A magic coat? I’m in. I’ve been watching a video series on writing magic and so I already appreciate how clear the rules are. I’m not really sure where the story is going just yet but there’s a little political intrigue so that’s always a good time.
This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong
(Complete)
The zombie/paranoia/occult plot was interesting and the characters are juuuuuust likable enough that their witless tendencies don’t become too frustrating. I rarely notice bad writing but there are a few very rocky dialogue scenes and the overall tone of the book felt fairly “dude bro sci-fi”. It had its merits but I don’t think it sold me on the other installments in the series.
Rick and Morty Volume One by Zac Gorman, CJ Cannon, Marc Ellerby, Ryan Hill, Chris Crank, and Cat Farris
(Complete)
Translating the show into a comic sounds like an insurmountable task but the shift in format was a blast! The structure and general writing were on point and the sendups were a lot of fun. Worth the price of admission.
Audio:
Little Dark Age by MGMT (2018)
I somehow skipped their self-titled 2013 album but this feels right at home with Congratulations and (maybe even a little more) Oracular Spectacular. So if you liked the early stuff, check this out.
Only Child by Brit Manor (2016)
Please help me find more modern disco like the first track, Wheels of Eternity. I love it.
Gaming:
Dungeons and Dragons Tyranny of Dragons Campaign (Wizards of the Coast)
I’m using a bunch of one-shot adventures themed around dragons (available here) and it’s been great! There’s one adventure that has the goal of “investigate” and I always find that’s a difficult objective to accomplish (when are you done investigating? Did you do it right? Is the party missing something?) I’d recommend it for anyone trying to introduce others to D&D.
Dungeons & Dragons Hexcrawl Campaign (Wizards of the Coast)
The party laid the curse of Amber House to rest and have discovered that nearly a year went by while trapped. Luckily a circus has set up shop outside of town to diffuse any residual stress. They have a few new adventures to pursue but it seems like the open mic night at the local tavern is where they want to spend all their time.
And that’s it! As always, I’d love to hear your recommendos for stuff to read, watch, listen to, and just generally consume!
Happy Wednesday.
Andrew Kolb
Kolbisneat
Illustrator Andrew Kolb first garnered attention with his illustrated version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." Since then, he has created illustrations for clients including ChickaDee Magazine, The Toronto Zoo and Pixar. In 2015, he published his first picture book, Edmund Unravels, with Penguin.