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Articles by M. J. Kaufmann
'Sparrowhawk' Is 'Labyrinth' x 'Alice in Wonderland' All Grown Up
Ever wanted to be a Fae? Crispin knows the way, but the knowledge… the truth at least doesn’t come free. Everything in Faerie comes at a price. Especially passage home, as our heroine Artemisia is about to find out. Sparrowhawk, the new five-issue limited series from acclaimed writer Delilah S. Dawson and rising star artist Matias Basla is the perfect marriage between fierce and enchanting.
Clues, Crazy, and Carnage: Anime Baba's Countdown to Halloween
Today Anime Baba is running a Countdown to Halloween special—a 3 for 1. Sounds great, right? Except the truth is that I missed Thursday, so, really, I’m just catching up. But hey, I like the “three for one special” spin better. Let me live in my reality, kind of the way our ghost did for a time in The Dusk Maiden of Amnesia. So what does that mean for you?
Chillers, Thrillers, & Spooky Fun! Countdown to Halloween: Day 1
It’s that time of year again, the weather cools off (yes, it’s still hot in Florida but it is cool-er), the leaves change color (not here but I’ve heard tell they do), and there’s pumpkin spice everywhere (seriously EVERYwhere—what’s next, pumpkin spice tampons?). But the best part about this time of year is that glorious holiday that brings out the cosplay in all of us—Halloween. It’s a time for tricks, treats, and fun. For you Anime-niacs out there.
How Well Do You Know Your Circle? Play 'Yeah/Nope' and Find Out!
Remember the fun of games that let you get to know your friends better like Truth or Dare or Two Truths and a Lie? These games were a blast and never required any skill other than the ability to hold a conversation. The hard part was figuring out when the game was over and who won. Remember how you’d struggle to know what to ask? Yeah/Nope solves all of this while keeping the best part of these games—the laughter, the fun, and uncovering each other’s secrets.
MegaCon Tampa Bay 2018: Fandoms For Everyone
September in Florida means average temperatures between 88 F and 91 F. This makes September a marvelous month for swimming and partaking in water sports and yet, Tampa Bay will still be the coolest place to be September 21st through 23rd. That’s because MegaCon Tampa Bay 2018 starts September 21st. “Every year we’re delighted to deliver the ultimate fan experience and star power people wait year round for,” said FAN EXPO HQ Vice President Andrew Moyes.
Con Artists: Featured Artist Jonathan Rosenbaum Shares His Fables
There are few things in life as enduring as stories, especially Fairy Tales and Fables. Fables are particularly enduring because they are stories with a purpose intended not just for children but for grown-ups as well. Fables are passed down from generation to generation, evolving as they go. Each offers the reader a moral lesson taught in an engaging and gentle way, using characters that are generally non-human.
Tabletop Kickstarter: Module And Dungeon Generator In A Box
Have you ever wanted your own pocket dungeon? As a GM, wouldn’t it be nice to generate a unique dungeon on the fly? Are you tired of modules that all your players have already read and played? Then Creature Curation and Norse Foundry have got you covered. They collaborated to bring you a 52 card deck that is a full module and dungeon generator that fits in your pocket. Each Cardography deck is the same size as a standard poker deck, and contains 52 different cards.
Art, Education, and Fun All Rolled Into One
Summer’s over, school has started, and in some parts of the country, it’s already getting cold. That doesn’t mean the fun has to end though. Ready for a laugh-out-loud afternoon of unplugged entertainment? Grab Scupltapalooza and get set for squishy, squashy, giggly fun. Scultapalooza is a hot new a Playfoam powered sculpting game from Educational Insights that offers hilarious challenges and fast-paced, family-friendly fun for anyone age ten and up.
Con Artists: Brian Colin, Featured Artist
Many fathers dream of giving their children the world, Brian Colin took it one step further. He created an entire world for and with his son. When I passed Brian’s work at MegaCon Orlando, I was struck by the lifelike fantasy creatures and had to stop to meet the man behind them. I didn’t expect to find a fully developed open world for RPG gamers, but that is exactly what Revilo turned out to be. Brian was great about giving us a little insight into his journey to sculpture.
Anime Baba: Die, You Germ! ~ 'Cells at Work!'
That declaration is pretty much the premise of one of the most educational anime I’ve seen in years, Hataraku Saibō, also known as Cells at Work! Based on a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akane Shimizu, this anime television series adaptation by David Production tells the story of the human body from the viewpoint of two main characters—the cutest, directionally-challenged Red Blood Cell ever seen and a stoic, heroic White Blood Cell.
MetroCon 2018: Truly for Fans, By Fans
July 19 – 22 of 2018 something wonderful happened in Tampa, FL. Tens of thousands of excited people descended on the Tampa Bay Convention Center for METROCON, Florida’s best anime convention. METROCON has been ongoing for sixteen years and yet it hasn’t lost the intimate feel of a fan-run convention. It doesn’t have the corporate and somewhat commercial feel that has beset many of the massive conventions that have been around for decades.
Con Artists: Heather Hitchman, Featured Artist
“Terratoff is a world where magic is the essence of all life and fantasy creatures reign. Born of a magical tree, the fauns rule over this mythical realm filled with creatures of magic such as unicorns, dragons, and many more. But when the supernatural plague known as ‘The Rott’ returns it sends the fauns into a holy war.
MetroCon 2018: The Masquerade Is Everything
Part Play. Part Dance Party. ALL Fan Service. (No, not that kind of fan service.) The Masquerade is on of the main events at MetroCon Tampa. It’s arguably THE main event at THE largest annual anime convention in Florida. It’s a once in a lifetime experience partially because it is so immersive and interactive and partially because it is a different theme and a different story every year. There are a lot of ways to describe the event.
Con Artists: Featured Artist Stanley Morrison
It’s a well-known fact that I love dragons. The fiercely beautiful creature known as the dragon has fascinated me since I was little. If I had the talent to draw like many of the artists I met at MegaCon then you can bet I would draw dragons in absolutely every thing. It turns out I am not the only one. When I passed Stanley Morrison’s booth I stopped dead in my tracks.
Anime Baba Visits Cafe Kira Hoshi at MetroCon 2018
White stockings and lace. Immaculate petticoat and frilly pinafore. Perfectly pressed black trousers. Spotless tailcoat and fitted vests. Sweet smiles and innocent eyes everywhere. You have just entered Cafe Kira Hoshi, a maid cafe at Metrocon in Tampa, FL. Each guest has their name is announced and is greeted with a line of bowing ladies and gentleman ready to serve.
MetroCon 2018: The Gayest Panel At The Convention
“We are officially the gayest people at this con.” Stated our panel host to the five of us gathered in the room. It was two minutes before ‘The Gayest Panel at the Convention’ was due to start. Yes, you heard me right. The title of the panel was ‘The Gayest Panel at the Convention’ which is its own kind of awesome. Our hosts “The Gay Machine” and “Moon Lesbian” looked almost as concerned as I felt. Now, to be fair, I have no issues being identified as one of the gayest people at the con.
James Gunn's Firing Exposes Double Standards and Danger In Punishing The Past
The situation with James Gunn is a messy one. Not just for Gunn, Disney, and the MCU but for all of us. Let me briefly explain, for those who aren’t Marvel Fans, don’t bother with social media, or just have no clue what has happened with James Gunn. Director James Gunn, the man behind the blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy movies, has been fired by Disney and therefore will not be working on the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
Con Artists Featured Artist: Silver Root Studios
Con Artist is pleased to introduce our featured artist for this week, Jesica Perez Bianciotto of Silver Root Studios. I came across Jesica’s work at MegaCon 2018 Orlando and it was striking. Rows of mugs with outlandish sneers and flasks leering mouths lined up beside shrunken heads with freakish faces. I wanted one of each! Apparently, so did everyone else because when I went back to see her on Sunday, intending to shop, everything was gone. She sold out every bit of her stock.
Sneak Peek: ComiXology Originals Announced at San Diego Comic-Con
If you happen to be one of the hundred thousand plus attendees at Comic-Con International San Diego this year then you were a brave soul or a truly dedicated fan. If you happened to have been lucky enough to attend the press event for ComiXology, Amazon’s premiere digital comics service then you heard the announcement about the creative teams and titles for the next wave of ComiXology Originals. It also means you know that there is a lot to be excited about.
Con Artists: Justin Peterson, Featured Artist
Artist Alley at any convention is easily my favorite place. I love art, as I’ve said repeatedly. I’m also a huge fan of comic book style art. It’s probably my favorite style of art, edging out anime style art by virtue of being exposed to it years before I knew anime existed. When I passed the Justin Peterson comics and art booth, I slowed to a crawl. You can see why in the image below: There was something inherently engaging and fun in his art.
Anime Baba: 'Angels Of Death' ~ "Kill me... Please."
Greetings and salutations! I caught the simulcast for Angels of Death and loved it. For those of you new here, Angels of Death is an anime based on a Japanese horror adventure game of the same name. Episodes of this anime are simulcast on Crunchyroll Fridays at 9 am Eastern. Below, I offer a recap, screenshots, as well as my personal commentary, observations, and speculation regarding Angels of Death episode one. Please Note: the following may contain spoilers depending on how you define them.
Con Artists Featured Artist: Doug Hoppes of ShadowMyths
Walking through Artist Alley in a Con can be one of the more fun experiences. It’s a soothing break from the rush of panels, events, and autographs. The work found there can range from fluffy fun, to whimsy, to super hero comics, all the way to bizarre and macabre. ShadowMyths is one of those cases went the art falls in different categories depending on who is looking at it.
Anime Baba: Where & When Legal Anime List for Summer 2018
If you live in the U.S., it can be hard to know where to find legal anime of new series as they come out. The upside is that it is much easier to find legal anime now than it has ever been. I remember a time when to find anime you had to lurk in just the right corners of the nascent internet. Now with major players like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Funimation, Viz, Hulu, and even Amazon getting into the anime game, life is good.
Anime Baba: A Peek at Anime for Summer 2018
Greetings and Salutations! It’s Summer 2018! That means a new season of Anime! This week Anime Baba takes a look at some of the anime coming out this summer. Spring 2018 was huge. There were several majorly anticipated sequels to popular series, continuing seasons of popular running shows, a few new spin-offs, and some highly anticipated adaptations of fan-favorite properties. So it stands to reason that the Summer anime offerings look pale by comparison.
Con Artists: World of Geekcraft at MegaCon Orlando
Welcome to another week of Con Artists, where we celebrate the art and artists that we meet as we travel to conventions. If you’ve been following our column then you know that these Con Artists aren’t trying to bilk you out of a single thing. However, as I discovered personally, you may still have to keep a close eye on your wallet, but for entirely different reasons. There is simply so much fun and unique art at a Con.
Wi-Fi Security Gets An Upgrade - Finally!
It’s been a long time since WPA2 improved Wi-Fi security and the world has changed much in that time. With the proliferation of IOT (Internet of Things), plus our enabled products and our reliance on technology for even our most mundane day to day tasks (Alexa, Siri, etc.), it’s well past time for another look at the security of our wireless connection to the world. A majority of homes and businesses rely on a wireless connection.
Con Artists: Painting The Town At MegaCon Orlando
I recently attended MegaCon Orlando. There’s nothing in the world quite like a Con: the camaraderie of getting together with others who share your fandom, the excitement of multiple fandoms coming together to celebrate, the colorful pageantry of the Cos-Players, the panels, the exhibitors, and the Con Artists. Yes, the Con Artists. No, I’m not talking about the Nigerian Prince or those people who call to say you won the lottery that you don’t play.
Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Guardians By William Joyce
If you are one of the many fans of The Guardians series by William Joyce, or if you loved the movie Rise of the Guardians. I have the most exciting news for you! The final novel in this spectacular imaginative series is coming out this fall! It goes on sale on November 20th and you can pre-order it on Amazon. It’s already on my Christmas gift list for more than one child. Yes! We are finally getting the tale of Jack Frost, but that isn’t all.
Secrets From Inside the Galaxy's Edge at Disney
If you got the chance to attend Galactic Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then you likely had an incredible time, scored limited edition merchandise, and tasted nummy Star Wars themed treats. You also got to attend a special Inside the Galaxy’s Edge Panel which gave you a sneak peek behind the scenes of Galaxy’s Edge. They also treated fans to some exciting information about the new Galaxy’s Edge portion of the park.
Phantasmorgoria: The Wickedest Tales From MegaCon 2018
Victorian horror, leather and lace, dangerously delightful: any—and indeed all—of these describe the wickedly beautiful Steampunk Horror Circus Troupe know as Phantasmagoria. Hailing from Orlando, Florida, this talented collection of dancers, actors, storytellers, and performers has only been in existence since 2010.
Security: The Building Block(chain)s of Cryptocurrency Pt 2
If you’ve already read our first article in this series, welcome back! If you are new to this series, please consider taking a look at our first article in which we explain blockchain technology: what it is and how it works. This week we are going to discuss the security aspect of blockchain. We are still looking at blockchain technology but we will be going over the specific details of how the data is checked off and verified.
The Building Block(chain)s of Cryptocurrency
Blockchain, Bitcoin, and Cryptocurrency. Chances are you’ve heard one or all of these word in the last seven days. These three words—as well as the discussion, debate, and speculation that surrounds them—have become hard to escape for even the non-technical. If you work in the technology industry, it becomes nearly impossible to not run across a discussion or debate involving blockchain.
'Full Metal Panic!' Returns After 13 Years
On Friday the 13th, 2018, after a thirteen-year wait, Full Metal Panic! returned. Fans of the franchise erupted in glee as the first episode of Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory hit the net. The fourth offering of this popular series dove right back into the action picking up where Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid left us hanging.
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