Whether you’re a traveler or know someone who loves to travel, here are some simple, thoughtful, and affordable gifts that won’t leave you overdrawn.
1. Noise Canceling Headphones
Hands down, one of the most handy travel gifts is noise-canceling headphones. Crying baby on the airplane? That’s no problem; these headphones will drown out the whining and amp up the music. Too much chatter on a busy train in London? Background noise doesn’t exist with the right set of headphones.
When shopping for your ideal device, look for foldable, lightweight, and high-quality sound features.
I suggest the Soundcore Anker life Q20 hybrid active noise canceling headphones.
2. Solar-powered power bank
Have you ever reached a destination with only 10% of your cellphone battery and discovered that your phone charger doesn’t fit any outlets? Every traveler has had that moment of panic when they need to charge their phone but don’t have the means to do so.
On one trip, I ended up sharing an outlet with an ATM, to charge my phone. Don’t end up in a similar situation; consider purchasing a solar-powered charger.
Great for charging phones, tablets, and other devices, such as wireless headphones, this device requires only some daylight to get up and running. It makes an excellent gift for yourself or your eco-conscious travel friend.
Look for lightweight chargers with high charging capacity and the ability to charge various devices, such as USB C or Apple devices. I suggest the LATIMERIA Solar Charger Power Bank.
3. Bug bite zapper
Now, this isn’t the most glamorous gift, but if someone put this in my stocking, I’d be eternally grateful. When I’ve traveled to tropical places, I’ve slathered myself in every cream, spray, and oil possible to repel bugs, but I constantly get bitten.
While I may not be able to prevent bugs from biting me, I can control how long their annoying and itchy bites stay with me. A portable bug bite zapper uses sound or vibrations to reduce swelling and neutralize the itch.
No more messy creams; this handy device will fix your bug bite problems.
While many people have positively reviewed these products, everyone’s reactions differ. Whether gifting this to a friend who’s a mosquito magnet or keeping it for yourself, remember to use it cautiously and stop using the product if any irritation occurs.
I recommend trying out the Original electronic bug bite treatment for mosquito bites.
4. Neck Pillow
If you’re shopping for a friend who’s a traveler, chances are they already have a neck pillow. However, theirs is probably a run-of-the-mill and not super comfortable. If this is the case, you can be that good friend who buys them a quality yet affordable neck pillow that is comfortable and durable.
When shopping for the neck pillow that will wow and ahh, make sure you find one that can easily be attached to luggage or packed in a suitcase or carry-on. Pay attention to the material that is made of. Aim for soft yet firm material such as memory foam. Lastly, notice the shape and whether it supports the neck from the back and sides.
If you’d like to narrow down your options, check out this list of suggestions from Conde Nast.
5. AirTags
What’s something that every traveler crosses their fingers and hopes doesn’t happen. The dreaded losing of the luggage. It’s such a gut-wrenching feeling knowing that your poor suitcase is lost somewhere on a random airport runway, taken by mistakes, and locked up in some storage closet.
To help you solve the mystery of what happened to your missing luggage, you can use Airtags. These nifty devices can be attached to your luggage and use Bluetooth technology to locate your bag through an application on your phone.
Airtags are a handy device that every traveler will appreciate. If you’re an Apple user, the tech company has its signature Apple Airtags, but you can also find other brands on Amazon.
6. Travel Journal
Not every memory can be captured on camera. When I think back to my travel experiences, some of the most memorable moments were the conversations I had with new people, the surprising flavors I tasted, and those nights I spent dancing in the streets and fully living in the moment.
Even though a picture or video can capture the colors and lights of a space, words can capture the emotions of a given moment in time. That’s why a travel journal is a perfect gift for the adventurer who believes that not every moment needs to be posted online.
There are a wide variety of travel journals to choose from. Some have blank pages to sketch the scenery, while others have prompts to help you record your favorite moments or plan your itinerary. This travel journal by Duncan & Stone Paper Co. can make a great gift.
7. Experiences
While tangible gifts are lovely, many travelers explore the world for the experiences they can have, not the things they can collect. Therefore, a great gift can be an experience such as tickets to a local wine tasting, food tours, museum entry passes, and local tours.
Gifting an experience is a unique and memorable gift. Make sure you choose an experience that matches the personality of your giftee. Check out Gifting Owl to find experiences in your area and price range.
Hopefully, this list will help you complete your Christmas shopping. You can also revisit this list throughout the year when you’re looking for a quality and affordable gift for other occasions
The post Travel Gifts Under $50 That Will Enhance Your Adventures appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Superman’s Fortress of Solitude has been a staple of the Man of Steel’s mythology for decades. We’ve seen it in the pages of DC Comics, TV shows, and in feature films. And now, it’s playing a big part in James Gunn’s Superman. But what is the history of Kal-El’s majestic home away from home? And how did its media representations change from the source material, and then change the comics in return? Let’s take a deep dive into the history of Kal-El’s iconic tribute to his long-lost world.
Superman’s Golden Age “Secret Sanctuary”
Today, we think of Superman’s Fortress as an ice palace, far away from humanity in the Arctic. But originally, it was just a mountain cave where Clark stashed his belongings he didn’t have anywhere else to house. This “Secret Citadel” was located in a mountain range outside of Metropolis. It first appeared in Superman #17 in 1942, and it didn’t make many appearances. In those days, Superman’s Kryptonian heritage was more of an afterthought, a mere explanation for how he got his powers. The term “Fortress of Solitude” first appeared in Superman #58 1949, as Superman’s sanctuary located in “the polar wastes.” Interestingly, the name “Fortress of Solitude” actually predates Superman. The pulp adventurer Doc Savage had a Fortress of Solitude located in the frozen north, and DC Comics very liberally took the name and concept.
Kal-El’s Home Away From Home
The Fortress as we know it today really first appeared in Action Comics #241, in “The Super-Key to Fort Superman,” back in 1958. This Fortress was built into an Arctic cliff, and was safeguarded by a giant iron door. The only way to turn the lock on that door was with an equally giant metal key, located just outside. Not entirely subtle there, Kal-El. Of course, no one on Earth but someone with Kryptonian strength could lift said key, making the Fortress only accessible by Superman and his cousin, Supergirl. And, of course, Kryptonian criminals like General Zod.
During the Silver Age of Comics, and into the Bronze Age, Superman’s Fortress was both a museum dedicated to his Kryptonian heritage, and a tribute to his many adventures. There was a giant statue of his birth parents Jor-El and Lara, holding up the planet Krypton. In addition, there was an alien zoo, a legion of Superman robots, and the projector into the Phantom Zone, which housed Krypton’s worst criminals. Most importantly, the Fortress became home to the Bottle City of Kandor, a city from Krypton shrunken down by the villain Brainiac. There were statues of his childhood best friends, the Legion of Super-Heroes. And of course, the Fortress housed Superman’s super-powered dog, Krypto.
Superman: The Movie Showcases the First Live-Action Fortress of Solitude
The first time we saw the Fortress in other media outside comics was in 1978’s Superman: The Movie. Director Richard Donner radically reinvented the looks of the Fortress for his film. Instead of being carved into the side of an Arctic cliff, a Kryptonian crystal formed it from scratch in the frozen wastelands. This Fortress wasn’t “made,” so much as “grown,” and it didn’t have all the artifacts found in the comics version. In fact, all it had were slots for various Kryptonian memory crystals, that allowed Superman to access thousands of years of Kryptonian knowledge. Chief among them was an interactive hologram of Superman’s father, Jor-El.
We saw this version of the Fortress in Superman II, and again in Superman IV. The Fortress debuted on TV a year after the film, on the animated Super Friends cartoon. In the few appearances in that Saturday morning cartoon, the Fortress of Solitude was a bit of an amalgam of the comics Fortress, and the movie one. Thanks to the continuity-altering events of Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, the classic version of Superman’s home would get wiped from reality. It would be several years before a new one appeared.
A New Fortress for a New Era
The Post-Crisis Superman got a radical reinvention, and didn’t even have a Fortress of Solitude for years. Finally, he received an ancient Kryptonian artifact called the Eradicator. Much like the big screen fortress, it “grew” from this device, also in the Arctic just like the movie one did. There were several nods to the Silver Age Fortress with this one, only now reflecting a modern take on Krypton. There was Kryptonian tech everywhere, from the planet’s golden age. The robot Kelex, who served Superman’s father Jor-El on Krypton, maintained the Fortress. He was to the Fortress what Alfred was to the Batcave.
The ‘90s Superman: The Animated Series took a “best of both worlds” approach to their version of the Fortress. Superman constructed it from parts of the Kryptonian android Brainiac’s ship, but also contained alien species liberated from cruel alien zoos. It was the perfect mix of Silver Age and Modern Age comic book sensibilities. 2011’s New 52 reboot kept a lot of these elements, although now the Fortress was spherical.
The Fortress of Solitude on Television
In the 21st century, we’ve seen the Fortress a lot in live-action. Smallville had a version, inspired heavily by the ’80s Richard Donner films. Both the TV series Krypton and Supergirl showcased the Fortress, again, taking their visual cues from the design and look of the 1978 big-screen Fortress. 2013’s Man of Steel perhaps changed the Fortress concept the most, as their version was an exploratory Kryptonian ship, thousands of years old, and trapped beneath the Arctic ice. The one on Superman and Lois had a similar aesthetic to Donner’s cinematic one, only with more holograms for training Lois and Clark’s twin sons.
The Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn’s Superman
All of this brings us to today, to the Fortress of Solitude in Superman. The teaser trailer shows crystal spires coming up out of the ground, a similar aesthetic to the Richard Donner version, and the ones that followed. When Superman asks Krypto to “take him home,” we know he means the Fortress, not Smallville. We also see Superman cradling a robot inside the Fortress, which may very well be Kelex, the Kryptonian robot and Fortress guard. Judging from the brief glimpse we saw in the trailer, the interiors of this Fortress have a very ’70s flair, once again looking just like the one in Richard Donner’s 1978 film. Will the new Fortress be filled with all kinds of Superman Easter eggs from the comics? We can’t wait to find out.
Originally published on March 14, 2024.
The post The History of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude appeared first on Nerdist.
One of the key superhero supporting characters in James Gunn’s Superman is a relatively obscure DC Comics hero named Mister Terrific. In the film, and presumably future DCU projects, X-Men: First Class actor Edi Gathegi plays him. And unlike other heroic characters in the film like Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, or Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific has only been around for a relatively short time. But who is this hero with a giant “T” mask on his face? And what makes him so darn cool? Before we get into his DCU future, let’s unpack his comic book history.
Mister Terrific Is a Legacy Hero
The current Mister Terrific, Michael Holt, is actually a legacy hero in the comics. The original Mister Terrific was a “Mystery Man” hero from the Golden Age of Comics named Terry Sloane. There was nothing very original about him at all, and his stories were few. Terry Sloan first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 in 1942, as a backup feature for what was Wonder Woman’s premiere series. He had no powers to speak of, but was someone who was just great at everything. You didn’t need much more than that back in the ’40s.
Sloane graduated college at 13, was adept in every form of fighting, and one day just decided to take up crime fighting. Sure, why not? At the time, everyone else was putting on a costume and fighting crooks. His costume was famously corny, as it had the words “Fair Play” written on the front. (Not quite as intimidating as a bat.) He joined fellow Mystery Men in the Justice Society of America for a couple of issues, then went away for decades. DC brought him back simply to kill him off in an annual Justice League/Justice Society crossover in 1979.
The ’90s Introduce Us to Michael Holt, the Second Mister Terrific
In 1997, DC decided to resurrect the name Mister Terrific with an all-new character. In an issue of The Spectre, creators John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake introduce readers to millionaire genius Michael Holt. Like Terry Sloane, he was born with a genius-level intellect that made him literally great at everything. He had 14 PhDs, he was a gold-medal-winning athlete, and was a self-made millionaire with a thriving tech company. (A tech company that he eventually sold to Bruce Wayne.) He literally had it all…until one day, he didn’t.
After he made his pregnant wife Paula late for church one day after arguing with her about the value of religion (Holt was an atheist), she died in a car crash. Holt blamed himself for her death, and contemplated taking his own life as a result. It was then that the Spectre, a ghostly being who is an actual agent of God, appeared. He told him about the original Mister Terrific, Terry Sloane, and this inspired Holt to take up the superhero life. As an homage to the original Mister Terrific, Holt’s black leather jacket has the words “Fair Play” written in bold letters.
Mister Terrific Leads the Justice Society and the Terrifics
The new Mister Terrific soon joined the Justice Society of America, quickly becoming its chairman. He also received the designation “Third Smartest Man in the World,” with the top two being Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor. (Who is one and who is two is up for debate, but we’re Team Batman here.) Mister Terrific became a fixture of the DC universe, partaking in many crossover events during the 2000s. DC prominently featured him in series like Infinite Crisis and Blackest Night. During the New 52 reboot of 2011, they gave him his own short-lived solo series.
In more recent years, Mr. Terrific became the leader of a team of heroic cosmic adventurers called The Terrifics, including Metamorpho, Plastic Man, and Phantom Girl. Explorers of the Dark Multiverse, the team was DC’s homage to Marvel’s Fantastic Four (and to a certain extent, Pixar’s The Incredibles). Their series was short-lived, lasting 30 issues from 2018-2020. However the series was critically acclaimed, and the team is still active in the DC Comics multiverse.
Mister Terrific’s Powers and Abilities
Mister Terrific doesn’t have any superpowers to speak of, but like Batman, he’s a human character who is pretty much good at everything. Every fighting style, he’s a master of. And his intellect is almost unmatched. In fact, many see him as the JSA’s counterpart to the JLA’s Dark Knight. His main weapons are his T-spheres, floating automated spheres that can project energy blasts, hack into any computer system, create holograms, and much more.
Mister Terrific in TV and Film
For a relatively recent DC hero, Mister Terrific has had quite a few outside-comics media appearances. He was a member of the Justice League Unlimited cast, popping up several times on that series. He then made appearances on Beware the Batman, Justice League Action, and several DTV animated movies. In live-action, a variation of Mister Terrific appeared on Arrow, named Curtis Holt. An LGBTQ hero, his backstory was different. Nevertheless, he had several of his comic book counterpart’s attributes and a similar costume. But Superman will see the live-action debut of the Michael Holt version.
Mister Terrific’s DCU Future
According to James Gunn, Mister Terrific won’t be just a cameo in Superman. He’s a key supporting player. Of the other heroes we’ll see in Superman, Gunn says that Mister Terrific is “the main character of those characters,” adding “he actually has a big part of the plot.” The trailer shows us one scene where Mister Terrific is fending off an attack with what looks like a force field. And while Gunn insists that Superman isn’t designed to set up bigger things, the fact that Mister Terrific is in a movie with Metamorpho, his Terrifics teammate, suggests to us a Terrifics project might be in the planning stages. Regardless, it’s clear Mister Terrific has a bright future in the new DCU.
The post The DC Comics History of SUPERMAN’S Mister Terrific, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.
“Who is Superman’s greatest foe?” Ask anyone, and nine out of ten will say Lex Luthor. And that’s accurate; the billionaire genius has long been the Man of Steel’s most notable nemesis. But just as consistently, the alien android Brainiac has been his second most popular villain for decades. And yet, he’s never appeared in a live-action film, even after seven Superman films. Imagine if, by the time of The Dark Knight Rises, all we’d seen on screen fighting Batman was Joker and Riddler. See why it’s so absurd? But why is Brainiac so important to the Superman mythos, and thus long overdue for cinematic treatment? For that, we’ve got to get into the character’s history, which goes back to DC Comics’ Silver Age.
The Silver Age Brainiac, Superman’s Alien Enemy
Superman had been around for 20 years when Brainiac first appeared on the scene, showing up in Action Comics #242 in 1958. Writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino created him. This was at the dawn of DC Comics’ Silver Age, an era that was a renaissance for the publisher. DC started leaning more into high-concept sci-fi, and no character leaned harder into it than Superman. Under editor Julius Schwartz, this era saw an expansion of his supporting cast, introducing Supergirl, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and Krypto the Superdog. New iconic villains with more kid-friendly appeal appeared, like Bizarro and the Phantom Zone criminals. Each of them was a true physical threat to Superman.
Originally, Brainiac was a green-skinned alien from the planet Colu (sometimes called Byrak), who wanted to accumulate all knowledge in the universe. He miniaturized the Kryptonian city of Kandor before its destruction and attempted to do the same to Metropolis. Superman stopped him, but the alien villain nevertheless caught on with young readers. After a few more appearances over the next few years, DC revealed that Brainiac was actually an android. He was a creation of the Computer Tyrants of the planet Colu, sent out as an agent to conquer other worlds. He was given a genius-level Coluan child to raise named Vril Dox, who was given the title “Brainiac 2.” Vril’s descendant, Querl Dox, would become the Legion of Super-Heroes’ Brainiac 5 a millennia later.
Saturday Morning Cartoons Make Brainiac a TV Star
Brainiac would plague Superman several times over the next few years. But his popularity would be cemented thanks to Saturday morning cartoons. He appeared in the 1960s Adventures of Superman series, later reappearing in several iterations of Super Friends. In 1983, Brainiac would get a modern, more menacing makeover. Instead of a green dude in short shorts and white go-go boots, he downloaded his computer consciousness into a new body. This new metal form looked like an almost insectoid skeleton. Upgraded Brainiac flew around the galaxy in a giant skull ship, and fans immediately took to the menacing new design, especially as it featured prominently in the Super Powers action figure line of the ‘80s. This Brainiac was actually scary, and posed a physical threat to Superman. But he was not to last, as DC’s reality-altering Crisis on Infinite Earths event erased the old Brainiac from continuity.
The Evolution of Modern Brainiac in the Pages of Superman
The post-Crisis Brainiac was, at first, not very exciting. He was a short, middle-aged human man named Milton Fine, a carnival mentalist going by “The Amazing Brainiac.” However, his mental powers were actually real. When the alien Vril Dox was executed on the planet Colu for inciting rebellion, his consciousness connected with Fine’s, merging with his. Over the next decade, Fine would clone himself a superior body (a green one, an homage to the original), and eventually, a powerful robotic form.
In the ‘90s, this new Brainiac became one of Superman’s most lethal enemies, one Kal-El often needed the Justice League’s help to defeat. In 2008, writer Geoff Johns revealed that all the previous Brainiacs were merely drones, or splinter aspects of the real Brainiac’s programming. The true Brainiac was an ancient being, who took design inspiration (thanks to artist Gary Frank) from the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact, and the art of Alien concept designer, H.R. Giger.
Superman: The Animated Series‘ Brainiac Is the Best Version
As previously mentioned, Brainiac would gain household name status thanks to the Super Friends cartoons of the ‘70s. However, his superior animated incarnation was in the 1996-2000 Superman: The Animated Series. That version broke with almost 40 years of lore, making Brainiac an A.I. from Krypton, not Colu. In fact, he was created by Superman’s father Jor-El as the computer system designed to run all of Krypton’s day-to-day functions. Gaining sentience, he allows Krypton to die, uploading himself off the planet. He builds himself a new body, when he eventually encounters Jor-El’s adult son, now Superman. This version, voiced by the great Corey Burton, had vast intellect and power, collecting knowledge from world after world, and then destroying the planet. And as he was a creation of Jor-El, he was (in a sense) Superman’s evil brother. It all worked like gangbusters. So why haven’t we seen Brainiac yet in a film?
A Small Screen Brainiac Appears on Smallville and Krypton, But Never in a Movie
Superman III producers considered using him for the film, before they dropped the idea for being too expensive. A live-action version did eventually appear on Smallville, in a much more human form, played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s James Marsters. The CW series just didn’t have the budget to do a Brainiac akin to his comic book counterpart properly. The Smallville Brainiac was an amalgamation of previous comic book and animated versions. Like in Superman: The Animated Series, he was a Kryptonian A.I. gone rogue, invented by Jor-El. His name stood for “Brain InterActive Construct,” and on Earth, he took on the human form of Milton Fine. A recurring secondary villain in Smallville, the show’s budget prevented them from ever going big with the character.
The 2017 series Krypton would utilize the most comic book-accurate version of Brainiac in live-action thus far. In this Superman prequel series, Brainiac (Blake Ritson) is once again a Coluan “collector of worlds” who has set his sights on Krypton and the House of El. The series presented him in his alien form, a first for live-action. He even had his badass skull ship. The show only lasted two seasons, but it proved comic book-accurate Brainiac was possible on screen. But even so, fans still have never seen him fight Superman. Most recently, Superman & Lois had an appearance from Milton Fine, the human version of Brainiac from Earth. But that was more of an Easter egg than a real role.
Will James Gunn’s Superman Finally Give Us a Cinematic Brainiac?
But aside from animated films, Brainiac has never been in a Superman feature film. The movies keep going back to Lex Luthor and General Zod, seemingly on a loop. While he might have been hard to realize on screen in the ‘80s, there was nothing holding the studio back from visualizing him in the 21st century. He would have been an ideal villain for Superman Returns, or Man of Steel. But for reasons unknown, no one at Warner Bros. had wanted to pull the trigger. It’s a shame, as Brainiac has stood the test of time. He represents both a mental and physical challenge for Superman, as well as a connection to his Kryptonian past. Hopefully, James Gunn realizes that it’s high time Brainiac got his shot at being a movie villain. Rao knows, it is long overdue.
The post Brainiac, Superman’s Second Most Important Villain, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.
Kanya Iwana/@kanyaiwana 
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Mike Dunn for DNA Films
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Words and Art: Keigo Shinzo
Publisher: Viz
Translation: Jan Mitsuko Cash
Touch-Up Art & Lettering: Elena Diaz
Design: Jimmy Presler
Editor: Holly Fisher
As I mentioned in my review of the second volume of Hirayasumi, I love every volume of this series that I can get my hands on, and this second volume reinforced why the slice of life genre is king. There is a need for stories that flourish in this genre, and Keigo Shinzo’s pen does incredible work bringing up the mundane and extraordinary of everyday life. Reading along to see these, 29-year-old, carefree Hiroto Ikuta, his cousin Natsumi, Hiroto’s best friend, Hideki and Yomogi, the bustling real estate agent, in their quest for purpose and finding or maintaining that place of home, that place of comfort and belonging is happily one I vow to continue reading.
In the opening chapter, Natsumi stars as the main character who hurriedly runs off to meet the editor for the publishing company who wants to meet her and talk about her manga. Hilariously, she gets lost almost instantly and thankfully finds the building and the person she’s meant to find. Personally, I loved seeing Natsumi first when opening up this volume as her character development as a young adult putting effort into growing up, taking accountability, and doing her best to enjoy the college experience has been marvelous to read. We learn in the last volume, the manga that she had been secretly working on, won an award and the eyeballs of an revered editor in the manga space. Things are finally looking up for her and her artistic expression is finally growing wings and showing her that everything was not for naught.
With Hirayasumi, Keigo Shinzo creates these really well thought out parallels between Hiroto and Natsumi that blend in so well with the story. After Nat recounts the grand story of meeting the manga editor to her older cousin, she exclaims that she’s going all in and will try her best. With her words, Hiroto has a flashback to when he first came to the city and had started his acting career–he found that same youthful energy. He thinks back on feeling on top of the world even though he was struggling and first setting out as a young adult–the world and all its opportunities looked endless. The cousins, their paralleling experiences separated by time, bring the first chapter of this latest volume to a close with Hiroto with loneliness creeping for him while the nostalgic faze fades for him.
When Yomogi, the overworked real estate agent returns to the pages of the manga–I knew that I was in for a treat. Ever since she first arrived on the page in Hirayasumi, I have loved seeing her butt heads with other characters because of her headstrong personality, especially Hiroto. She is someone who could really benefit from a slower pace of life and enjoying the little things that lovable Hiroto and crew have going on. A new client at the real estate agency who appears super standoffish gives her a run for her money as she works hard on trying to please. This ends up as some of my favorite set of pages in the volume as a surprise romance starts blossoming, and there are a lot of laughs to be had following along the interactions of these two total opposites.
I really like that new and blossoming connections were the main theme of this second volume of Hirayasumi. The chapters detailing the upcoming festival at Natsumi and her dear (and only) friend Akari’s college campus also play into this volume. Look, the festivals covered in the manga are always the best parts of the glue that binds the rest of the story together. Natsumi just barely makes it to a required project critique (her manga making efforts taking up too much of her time and time management skills, unfortunately) thanks to an eccentric but popular upperclassman. This revelation of showing progress in college and making connections brings even more much needed growth to this struggling yet so precious Natsumi which ripples throughout the next chapter. Seeing the supporting cast grow bigger with each volume adds to that overarching message that Hirayasumi continues to bring back every time: enjoy life as it comes and take pride in who you are and what you bring.
My all-time favorite pages in the third volume of Hirayasumi would have to be the chapter with a surprise cameo by a well missed character, bringing us back to the past via a flashback from Hiroto. The reintroduction to Granny was a surprise and an emotional lift back to Hiroto’s narrative in all the best ways. The pages from her point of view upon waking feature split panels helping readers see just how all alone and lonely she was, living and shopping by herself. The page where Hiroto finds her at the store and instantly brightens her day, despite her sour attitude and grumbling, made me fall back in love with their initial story of found family meeting each other at the right time. The artwork in these pages really pull the readers back to the premise of the series and the one responsible for the catalyst of Hiroto having this house in the first place.
Seeing Granny’s expressions and her body language transform her into a happier (but still grumpy) person with her not-grandson are worth their weight in gold. Seeing the older of the two commit to trying something new and the younger of the two work to meet people where they are at, visually make Keigo Shinzo’s efforts another must read. So when that flashback ends on Hiroto’s end and we find him texting his younger cousin Natsumi on making sure to enjoy herself and try new things, it feels full circle and right back in that Hirayasumi energy that the mangaka has created and nearly perfected.
I know that in my review of the first volume, I came to the conclusion that Hirayasumi is a story about family and being able to come home to a home when life’s got you down. I love every volume that has cemented this and newer smaller lessons. For example, in my review of the second volume, I found that the manga was choosing to remind us why happier memories of the past can fuel us for the days to come and remind us why such relationships are important.
I’m sure that the core message in this third volume of Hirayasumi, includes why being courageous and putting ourselves out there is ideal for personal growth. From characters choosing to trust themselves to trying something different to being more honest and not running away from wanting to change themselves, their routines or how others perceive them, this volume was another wholesome banger to read and have in my library. I’ll reread to sate myself until the next volume comes out as rereading the volumes in this series is never a chore and always a treat from the realms of manga.
Hirayasumi Volume 3 is published through Viz and can be found where comics and manga are sold.
Thanks to Netgalley and Viz for allowing me to have a review copy!
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I turned on the PS5 to give people the business get my shit rocked Marvel Rivals and a logo I haven’t seen in thirty years appears on the screen: the original PlayStation logo. The PS5 tells me that it’s been 30 years of PlayStation. At the moment of writing this, I will be turning 40 years old in a month. Thinking back to 30 years ago feels real “Let’s do the time warp again” but thinking about all the different iterations of the PlayStation over the years. I realize it’s always been there at these different points in my life. From middle school through college, it has legit been 30 years of PlayStation always being in the entertainment system waiting to be turned on.
30 Years of PlayStation Gaming
The PlayStation first dropped back in ’95. When I think back to when I first saw the system, I’m ten years old again. My older sister and brother Travis have come to visit mom. My sister, Kece, is 20 and is playing cards with mom (in an hour they goin to be going at it over somebody cheating). Travis, my brother, is 16 years old and the coolest guy in the world to me. He plops down this cardboard case in front of the tv and pulls out this gray boxed console from it. I remember figuring out we had to run the AV cables through my father’s VCR. I think the first game we played was Jet Moto. Why did they make a video game about folks racing on jet skis? Because it was the fucking 90s baby. Keep up. I can’t tell you the number of hours I’ve clocked watching my brother play single play games like Tomb Raider (chasing an urban legend code).
Oddly enough, one of my fondest memories is sitting and watching my brother play Metal Gear Solid. Travis was trying to beat this tank, and I told-advised him to toss a grenade into the opened entry point on top of the tank. I got a “shut up Omar,” but when he checked in with HQ in the game for tips, they said the exact same thing I did. When Travis was trying to figure out how to get by infrared lasers, I said, “use your cigarette smoke to see the lasers.” I remembered it being a thing in movies and figured it might work here. This time he didn’t tell me shut up. Instead, he checked in with HQ and when they told him the same thing, he acted as if he was HQ and said, “Just listen to your younger brother.” I think I look back on this fondly because, it showed me that I could help out even if I didn’t have a controller in hand.
Now when i did have a controller in hand? Life couldn’t be any better. I’m younger than my brother by 6 years. Being able to play a two player is fun, but you ain’t trying to be the weak link. This shit is a performance review. You don’t wanna be the one letting the team down, and when it’s a fighting game you wanna at least be able to compete. Right? Travis was good at fighting games. I’m talking in the lab getting combinations down for difficult moves JUST in case someone wanna step up. That boy loved him some Tekken but the games that stuck out the most to me tho? Battle Arena Toshinden. Listen, that game was so cold. I loved playing Eiji and seeing that blocky ass fireball move across the screen. Travis’ favorite character was a gunslinger named Vermillion. I spent countless hours trying to close the gap from across the stage as he kept jumping in the air to get his shots off.
There was one game though, where the fighting was on a level playing field. That game was Bushido Blade. I’ve always been a fan of swordsmanship. Bushido Blade was bout that action. It was a 3D fighter, but the big difference was if you were hit in a limb, you lost use of that limb during the fight. This game was ahead of it’s time. You could even run into different stages. So often, my brother and I would be one hit away from death and then just book it. Characters had a projectile they could toss like a kunai or a fan. We’d chase each other and try to nail one another with the projectile for the win. It got to a point where that became the highlight of the fight.
Travis and I also loved the game Road Rash on Sega Genesis, and when it came out on PlayStation, it was a must have. What I remember most is the music from the game and hearing these songs from garage bands that would then later have mainstream success. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t great at playing, but I didn’t care cause I got to play with my brother. If I had to say what game we put the most hours in tho? It must have been Twisted Metal. Travis has always been big into cars and motorcycles. If it has wheels and a motor, he loves it. He even had a dirt bike and raced competitively. Knowing all that, Twisted Metal being his favorite game makes sense. Folks in trucks, cars, and bikes battling it out? We clocked hours in that game.
30 Years of PlayStation Memories
When Travis came to live with us, he didn’t want me playing the PlayStation without his permission. Mind you, I’d come home and see him and his friends having a grand old time playing my Sega Saturn. I’m talking knee slapping and joy in abundance on all their faces. Maaaaan, the first time he was gone back to his dad’s for the weekend and Mom took me with her to Blockbuster Video, I grabbed so many PlayStation games them shits were falling outta my hands. (To my defense, Blockbuster never had Sega Saturn games to rent.) We get home, and I turned that PlayStation on so damn fast. I was playing this horrible 2-D fighting game where you played as different monsters. It was so ass, but it was fun because I got to pick it.
While I was playing, I got this feeling I couldn’t shake – that something I was doing was wrong but I couldn’t quite name it. I said this aloud to my mom. She knew I wasn’t supposed to be playing Travis’ PlayStation. She came out the kitchen, drying a dish, to tell me what I was feeling was guilt. “Oh,” I said to myself… then when right the fuck back to playing that game. Whatever, yo. I’m a younger brother. If you don’t want someone touching your shit, don’t have a younger brother. I’ve never been a good liar cause I don’t like it, and I’m honest to a fault. When Travis got back, I told him what I did. I don’t remember him being mad. I think he just smiled, because 1: he would have done the same thing and 2: because this is what comes with having a younger brother.
My absolute favorite memory is the video game I got my brother for Christmas. Now, I had been wanting roller blades all year (I think cause of Skates from Streets of Rage). My mom took me to Toys R Us, and I remember barely being able to carry the rollerblades. As I walked down the aisle towards my mom, I looked to my right and saw Twisted Metal 2 was out. I told my mom that Travis wanted that game. Mom told me that if I wanted to get that game for him, the skates would have to be for my birthday. To my mother’s surprise, I immediately turned around to go put the skates back. When I gave Travis the gift (it was so badly he wrapped he removed one piece of tape and the case slid out and hit the floor), Mom came from out the kitchen to make sure he knew what I gave up for him to have that.
When Travis left for the Air Force, I was gaming by myself until I met my childhood friend Phil. Phil and I played wore out our consoles. We had WWF No Mercy on Nintendo 64 working over time. When we went to the video game club after school, everyone was playing the PlayStation’s wrestling games. The WWF Smackdown series. Phil and I were great at tag team matches; it didn’t matter the console. We got that game and learned the mechanics. My favorite moment was that we found games that we liked that were niche. Phil but me onto Dynasty Warriors. The game was based of these legendary Chinese figures in history that were at war. The game was based off the book called, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is a fictionalized retelling of historical events in China (based on some actual sources). In the game, you got to play as these legendary fighters from three separate kingdoms: Shu, Wu, and Wei. You got to play as each warrior and see their stories and participate in the same battles they did. You out here striking down hundreds of enemies at once, stepping to other generals, and completing missions that these characters actually did.
I’ll never forget how Phil sold me on this game. “There’s a dude named Xiahou Dun, right? He was taking folks out and caught an arrow to an eye. He pulls the arrow out, and says, “Essence of my father, blood of my mother. I cannot throw this away.” He eats his eye….and keeps fighting.” I said, hold on… he swallowed his own eye? Why? Phil shrugged his shoulders. I had to know more. I got that game, and he was the first character I picked. It was dope seeing that scene play out and then the evolution of his design in in the sequel games. Dude had a whole bandana over his eye instead of an eye patch on some gangsta shit. I was sold. There so many times after track practice or during the weekends Phil would come over, I’d put the playlist on from the computer, and we’d just get to rocking in Dynasty Warriors. This game was so niche man. We felt like the only ones playing this in the school. We ran into a friend on the way home, and he said, “there’s this dope game I heard of with a bunch of fighters in it. It’s about battles in Chinese history. I think it’s called Dynasty Warriors.” Phil and I yelled with excitement. We were so excited, and Alex was surprised at our reaction but was so glad to see we knew what he was talking about.
It should be mentioned that Alex is Asian, Phil and I are Black, high school kids in New Jersey going crazy over Chinese history. Phil and I were telling Alex that he had to get the game. To this day, we believe the game developers at Koei knew about our excitement of this series somehow and said, “Oh yall fuck with that? Okay. Were going to do the Japanese version of the game and call that shit Samurai Warriors.” Some of the most fun I ever had was just hanging with Phil, taking on waves of enemies just hacking and slashing with square and triangle till we got our musou attack (special attack) meter full and went crazy on the battlefield. What’s crazy is that it’s 2024, and Dynasty Warriors is still being redone and retold. To be alive to see that all these years later and still be able to look forward to it with the same enthusiasm as I had back when I was a teen is… something special.
30 Years Later
Hindsight can be a very sentimental and emotional thing. PlayStation is all about gaming, but there’s moments that don’t involve gaming that I think back on. I’m 15 years old, Mom lifts the PlayStation 2 controller, and I tell her, “Whoa. Mam, do you know what you doing right now?” She’s confused. “Yo, I need you to put that controller down, mam. You picking up that controller means you challenging me. I can’t have that. That controller in your hands means you trying to throw hands…I know you don’t want that. I know you don’t want this.” My mother looked me dead in my face, dropped the broom, and said, “turn it on.” Another time, clear as day, I remember my mom sitting on the couch learning how to use the PlayStation 2 to play DVDs. It was the cutest thing.
I’m 21 years old. The PlayStation 3 is the first console I saved up enough to buy. I’m 35. William Evans and I hand in the final draft for the Black Nerd Problems book of essays. I buy a PlayStation 4 for the house to celebrate. Tasha’s inner gamer resurfaces. We do a Samurai Shodown Tournament every Friday on Twitch with Jordan and his nephews. I cry while playing Ghost of Tsushima. I nervously raid with Will, Kaveh, and Jose in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. I’m 37. Tasha, Jordan, Tiffie, and I, beat the 7 modifiers in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. I’m 38. My family is playing Overcooked on PlayStation 5. I’m 38. Kece swears she and I can get the orders out faster than Tasha and her son are. When it’s our turn, I show her how to navigate the controls. For a moment, I look at her and see our mother again…PlayStation controller in hand. I’m 39. I watch my nephew play a fighting game and input the quarter circle forward motion for the first time ever. When his character throws a projectile showing him he did it correctly, I yell “FUCK YES!” in sheer pride.
In one month’s time, I will be 40 years old. Hindsight will have me look back on how everything has changed. I’ll turn my PlayStation on, then in the reflection of the tv I’ll see myself over these past 30 years looking back me, and see that through all these years, that excitement to play hasn’t changed.
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Courtesy of Katherine Mateo
The Stylist’s Notebook is a new series centering the career >multi-hyphenates. While some focus on specific disciplines like design, styling, photography, or art, many are driven by a desire to master it all. When speaking to one of my parents’ peers recently he spoke about how much he admired our generation’s comfortability in changing careers and not staying somewhere they do not have a desire to be. We understand not only that it is okay to move on but also to have mastered multiple areas.
Here enters 32-year-old stylist and casting director Katherine Mateo who appears to effortlessly juggle two different career >Who Decides War, Hanifa, and others as a casting manager. Her styling projects have included Wonderland magazine and countless other noteworthy projects.
“Getting a roller set, hearing your mom gossip with the other women—that’s something I grew up with and still carry into my adult life.” Recently, she worked on a styling project with New York City-based brand Awake, where one of the models had her hair pinned up in a doobie, further highlighting her cultural influences. This speaks to the longstanding influence of New York’s transcendent and generational target="_blank"> View this post on Instagram
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Was there a moment in your career when you’re like I’m here, and I’ve made it?
I’ve been grateful for a lot of different steps in my career, but the biggest thing that puts me right back into my childhood state, or there’s no way that you would have thought this would have happened at that moment. It would definitely be working with the Jordan Brand team in any capacity, let alone them sending me sneakers. These sneakers I used to beg my mom to buy, and drag her from Payless to Footlocker. This is something that I can’t believe is happening. that you know, like, I get to work with the Jordan team and have my hands in so many different things.
From my clients, Who Decides War to the Jordan team reaching out to me, to speak on a panel, things like that I would have never known would be in my cards. It’s surreal. So, whenever I get a box from Nike, I am like, This is crazy. So that is for sure. And then, my moment of, wow, I’m doing the things that would be two years ago, [when] I target="_blank"> View this post on Instagram
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What advice would you give to young creatives looking to break into fashion?
One of the biggest things that worked for me, and that I still do, is not being too good to get your hands dirty. You’d be surprised how many people in front of you sometimes also need help. Honestly, although I went through hell working at all these different places and gaining all these experiences, I’m very grateful for it. Being able to go from a brand to a public relations company, to Marie Claire, to freelancing, social media work, and then doing casting and styling, I now understand the fashion industry as a whole because of this background.
To me, you can never think, “Oh, I’m the best. I’m done learning.” You’re never done learning. There’s always someone you can help out, and always someone you can learn from. It doesn’t matter how many years someone has under their belt sometimes it’s okay to listen to the interns or the assistants.
TOPICS: Black stylistsThe post Katherine Mateo Is Redefining New York City Style On Her Own Terms appeared first on Essence.
Saul Loeb/AFP/ Getty Images
President Joe Biden’s judicial appointments are making waves in his final weeks in office. With the confirmation of Judge Tiffany Johnson to the Northern District of Georgia this week, Biden has now appointed 40 Black women to lifetime federal judgeships—more than any president in U.S. history, according to The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
This milestone is particularly significant in a judiciary long criticized for lacking diversity. However, with a divided Congress and the prospect of a second Trump presidency, Biden’s picks could serve as a critical counterweight to policies that might target civil rights and marginalized communities.
But as Biden prepares to leave office, pressing questions remain about the lasting impact of these appointments and the challenges of maintaining progress in the face of political opposition.
In total, Biden has appointed 62 Black judges, the most by any president in a single term, according to The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Among these appointments are historic firsts, such as Tiffany Cunningham, the first Black judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Dana Douglas, the first Black woman on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Approximately 40 percent of Biden’s confirmed Black judges come from diverse professional backgrounds, including civil rights lawyers, public defenders, and others who have dedicated their careers to protecting civil and human rights. “Even before taking office, President Biden signaled to the Senate that he wanted to make sure that people who had been historically excluded from our judiciary were included,” said Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program at the Leadership Conference, in an interview with NBC News. “This isn’t just about fairness—it’s about better decision-making and restoring public trust.”
Zwarensteyn explained, “The research shows that when you have more judges with different perspectives—because they’ve worked on different types of issues or come from different communities—it improves decision-making and certainly boosts trust in these institutions. So, ensuring that we have fair-minded judges at all levels is really important.”
Biden’s most visible judicial appointment, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, made history in 2022 as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Her confirmation was a defining moment of Biden’s presidency and underscored a campaign promise to create a more inclusive judiciary.
While Biden’s record-breaking numbers are notable, they also highlight a stark contrast with his predecessor.
Donald Trump appointed only two Black women to the federal judiciary during his first term. In comparison, President Barack Obama appointed 26 Black judges over his eight years in office and former President Jimmy Carter, a previous benchmark for diversifying the bench, appointed 37 Black judges during his presidency.
As Trump prepares for his second presidential term, with vows to dismantle key agencies like the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Biden’s Black judicial appointees could become pivotal in defending civil rights, voting protections and other democratic norms that may be under threat.
TOPICS: black women in politics Joe BidenThe post 40 Black Women Appointed Federal Judges Under Biden, Setting Historic Record appeared first on Essence.
Next month film critics and cinephiles everywhere will make plans to travel to the wintery mountain-filled terrain of Park City, Utah to witness the debut of works that often shape the cinematic landscape for years to come. From thought-provoking documentaries to genre-defying narratives, Sundance is the birthplace of films that challenge norms, champion diversity, and connect audiences to stories they never knew they needed.
Each year, we work to highlight films featuring Black talent and movies directed by Black filmmakers. Whether it’s exploring the legacies of history, celebrating Black joy, or grappling with systemic challenges, these films do more than entertain, they provoke, inspire, and spark essential conversations. This list includes films with a Black lead, Black ensemble cast and/or Black filmmakers as well as films centered on Black-focused stories.
So if you need to know what Black films are playing at Sundance 2025? We’ve got you covered!
- BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions – Preeminent West African curator and scholar Funmilayo Akechukwu’s magnum opus, The Resonance Field, leads her to the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, drawing a journalist into a journey that shatters her understanding of consciousness and time. Cast: Shaunette Renée Wilson, Kaneza Schaal, Hope Giselle, Peter Hernandez, Penny Johnson Jerald, Zora Casebere
- How to Build a Library — Two intrepid Nairobi women decide to transform what used to be a whites-only library until 1958 into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, they must navigate local politics, raise millions for the rebuild, and confront the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past.
- Khartoum – Forced to leave Sudan for East Africa following the outbreak of war, five citizens of Khartoum — a civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance committee volunteer, and two young bottle collectors — reenact their stories of survival and freedom through dreams, revolution, and civil war.
- Love, Brooklyn – Three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss, and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city. Cast: André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, Roy Wood Jr., Cassandra Freeman, Cadence Reese
- Move Ya Body: The Birth of House –– Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement.
- Ricky — Newly released after being locked up in his teens, 30-year-old Ricky navigates the challenging realities of life post-incarceration, and the complexity of gaining independence for the first time as an adult. Cast: Stephan James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Titus Welliver, Maliq Johnson, Imani Lewis, Andrene Ward-Hammond
- Seeds — An exploration of Black generational farmers in the American South reveals the fragility of legacy and the significance of owning land.
- SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) –– An examination of the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone — the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone — captures the band’s rise, reign, and subsequent fadeout while shedding light on the unseen burden that comes with success for Black artists in America.
Whether through groundbreaking premieres or quiet, resonant moments, Sundance reaffirms its legacy as a place where stories begin and where they leave an indelible mark on the world. The 2025 Sundance film festival runs from January 23rd – February 2nd.
The post Need to Know What Black Films Are Playing at Sundance 2025? We Got You Covered! appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Despite a slew of controversy over the past two years, the Scream franchise is moving forward with its seventh installment. The previous film left the Core Four and Gale Weathers (we assume, considering she didn’t die) in a relatively good place, with Sam finally moving towards healing and peace after killing Richie’s remaining family. (It’s wild but true.) The Scream VII storyline and cast is still mostly a mystery, but things will start rolling very soon. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Neve Campbell confirmed a bit about the film’s storyline, saying that it would follow Sidney Prescott as the main character once again.
Now, casting is starting to take shape. Deadline reports that Asa Germann, who is currently known for his role as Gen V‘s Sam Riordan, will join the cast of Scream 7 in some unknown role. Maybe he will be one of the next killers. We certainly know he’s not about taking someone out onscreen. Deadline also reported genre staple McKenna Grace has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. Possibly another Sidney kid, or just fodder for Ghostface.
The next film will be interesting, to say the least. Who will don that infamous mask next? Here’s what we know about Scream 7.
Title
For now, we will call this film Scream 7. It’s likely this will be the title, which could be stylized as Scream VII. As seen on this script from Campbell’s Instagram post, the film does not have an official title yet.
Scream 7’s Plot
As stated above, Sam and Tara’s story came to a neat conclusion in Scream VI. And Sidney is living a happy life with her husband Mark and her daughters. It seems like there was no one else hiding in the shadows who would want to kill Sidney. Her story was complete and she found peace. So, the plot of Scream 7 is really up in the air. Depending on this film’s release, someone from 30 years ago could decide to celebrate the events of Scream (1996) in a sinister way. We shall see.
Neve Campbell says she expects to get the final script sometime in August, so hopefully nothing will leak before they are ready to tell.
Behind-the-Scenes
Kevin Williamson, the writer of Scream (1996), will direct Scream 7. He is replacing Christopher Landon, who left the film after Melissa Barerra’s controversial (and very upsetting) firing and Jenna Ortega’s exit. Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, who wrote the last two installments, will pen this sequel. The Radio Silence team will step back from directing duties to executive produce Scream 7.
In a recent IndieWire interview, Campbell confirmed that filming will start in December 2024.
“We were supposed to start in September, but we’re going to start in December now because of some scheduling stuff with Kevin and myself and having that all aligned,” she shared. “And actually, I think it’s a good thing, because we’re going to be able to have the time to get it really right. So I’m very excited about it.”
Scream 7’s Cast
Right now, the only returning person we absolutely know will be in Scream 7 is Neve Campbell. Scream VI was the first film to not include Sidney Prescott due to actress Neve Campbell rightfully bowing out due to a salary dispute. Fans thought Sidney would finally get a happy ending but Ghostface just won’t leave our good sis alone. Variety reports that Courteney Cox is in talks to reprise her role in the next film. It remains to be seen if the Meeks-Martin twins, played by Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, will be in this film. We’d love to see more of them.
However, their return isn’t likely considering their characters’ stories being so closely intertwined with the Carpenter sisters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Savoy Brown hasn’t received a call from the studio Spyglass Media Group as of January 2024. Gooding also affirmed he knew no solid details about the seventh Scream film. Sadness.
We assume Courteney Cox and Roger L. Jackson will return as Gale Weathers and the voice of Ghostface, respectively. When asked if he might return as Mark Kincaid, Sidney Prescott’s Scream husband, Patrick Dempsey said it was possible. Dempsey noted of reprising his role in Scream 7, “I’m waiting on the script, “There has been a conversation about it. I haven’t seen anything yet, so we’ll see what happens. … It’s always good to have a job.”
We do know that at least one of Sidney’s kids is making an appearance. Deadline reports that Isabel May (1883) will portray Sidney’s currently unnamed daughter in Scream 7. It is not clear if she will be a main target like her mom was back in 1996. Considering the film releases in February 2026, it is possible that someone wants to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original killings by targeting Sid’s kid. She would be at least 14 years old by that time, according to the universe’s timeline. In December, Deadline also reported genre staple McKenna Grace has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. Possibly another Sidney kid, or just fodder for Ghostface.
Scream 7 Release Date
Scream 7 will arrive in theaters on February 27, 2026. The cast and crew shared the release date on social media.
Originally published on March 13, 2024.
The post SCREAM 7 Adds McKenna Grace to the Cast appeared first on Nerdist.
When Marcus J. Moore set out to write High and Rising—a cultural biography of De La Soul—he wasn’t only documenting the journey of one of hip-hop’s most influential groups. He was also celebrating the humanity of three Black men who dared to be different in an industry that often demands conformity.
This ethos of self-acceptance and creative exploration lies at the heart of the iconic collective’s legacy. Formed in Long Island in 1988 by Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer, Dave “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, and Vincent “Maseo” Mason, the trio redefined what hip-hop could be. Their 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, was a masterpiece that embraced positivity, humor, and experimentation—a stark contrast to the gritty realism dominating the genre at the time.
Moore’s connection to De La Soul goes far beyond admiration. As he worked on the book, he found himself revisiting his own journey as a “left-of-center” Black kid who felt seen in their music. “When De La came along, they felt more attainable to me,” he explains. “They just looked like my older cousins. They let me know that I could like hip-hop music but also get into jazz, R&B, and gospel. They made it cool to be a multifaceted Black person.”
High and Rising isn’t just a biography; it’s a love letter to the group’s enduring impact on music and culture. Moore meticulously traces their rise, from the groundbreaking success of their first album, to the creative shifts in De La Soul Is Dead and Stakes Is High. Along the way, he reveals the challenges the group faced, including industry pressures, legal battles, and their own tendency to underrate themselves.
“They were scarred early,” Moore says, reflecting on the group’s struggles with record labels. “After a while, that builds calluses. They started to underrate themselves and think, ‘Let me just stay low and out the way,’ not realizing that they were hampering their own legacy.” Despite these tribulations, De La Soul’s commitment to creative evolution ensured their longevity. “With every album, they would add these very new and subtle creative wrinkles,” Moore notes. “That’s the way you stick around in any industry—you stick to your sound, but you do something a little bit different each time to not lose your fan base while gaining new fans.”
The release of the book paralleled the renewed interest in De La Soul, spurred in part by the group’s catalog finally arriving on streaming platforms in March of 2023. Moore acknowledges the serendipity of these events but emphasizes that his work began long before their return to DSPs was confirmed. “The timing was more so about the grief surrounding Dave’s passing and my mom’s passing,” he explains. “It encouraged me to lean into celebrating this group as much as I could.”
Jolicoeur’s passing earlier this year added a poignant layer to High and Rising, with Moore approaching the project with sensitivity, weaving personal memoir into the narrative to create a work that honors both the group’s legacy and the human connections that shaped it. As the first book dedicated to De La Soul, it stands as both a tribute and a testament—a reminder that their story isn’t just music history; it’s a vital part of Black history, world history, and our history. Through their creativity and courage, these three artists changed the game, and this book ensures their impact will continue to inspire for years to come.
“I want people to read about Black people being regular,” Moore says. “De La made it cool for Black people to be weird and to show love and smile and hug. They taught us that you can be creative, operate with integrity, and still evolve over time.”
TOPICS: black authors black books De La SoulThe post Celebrating De La Soul’s Legacy Through ‘High And Rising’ appeared first on Essence.
During this time of the year, there are traditions a lot of us return to. Drinking way too much nog is a big one. Spending time with family, of course, but if you’re like us, there’s a good chance you mainline all three extended editions of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings in one day and fall into a Hobbit-fueled fugue state. You know the feeling. You’re watching Saruman get stabbed by Wormtongue and it’s somehow three in the morning. And just in time for the long winter nights, a new Tolkien animated Lord of the Rings film is on the horizon. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim hits theaters this weekend, from producer Peter Jackson and director Kenji Kamiyama.
The animated feature tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, the ninth king of Rohan, and his daughter Hera, as they defend their people and homeland against the violent forces of the Wildmen of Dunland. They’re those big beardy guys Saruman recruits. We here at Nerdist really liked it, read our review here! But that is by no means the first film to adapt the world and works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Between 1977 and 1980, three different animated productions adapted—roughly—the entirety of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. But a proper trilogy it isn’t.
The Hobbit (1977)
Produced for NBC, the 78 minute film of The Hobbit was directed by Arthur Rankin Jr and Jules Bass, who were the studio that made all of those Christmas specials—your Rudolphs, your Frosties, your Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkeys. As far as adaptations go, this one is pretty by the book. Pun obviously intended. We meet Bilbo as he’s about to smoke out of his steampunk bong, when suddenly Gandalf shows up faster than the Flash to join the smoke session. He goes about his standard introduction schtick and before Bilbo knows it, he’s been recruited as burglar number one, and strikes out with the dwarves, who all got a big glow up in the Jackson films.
And did we mention the music? It is a Rankin/Bass film, it’s gotta have music, after all. The soundtrack contains ten songs written by Tolkien himself, and several of them performed by Thurl Ravenscroft. Who, despite his name, isn’t a warlock but he was the original voice of Tony the Tiger.
Even if you’re not a musical fan, “Down Down to Goblin Town” is a jam.
The whole film has such a fantastic aesthetic and design that it feels like watching storybook pages in motion, partially helped by the influence of English illustrator Arthur Rackam, according to Rankin.
Let’s talk about the crazy good voice cast, too. It’s a who’s who of ‘70s people. Orson Bean, who you may remember from Being John Malkovich, plays Bilbo. Hans Conreid, who’d previously voiced Captain Hook in Disney’s Peter Pan, voices Thorin Oakenshield. Acclaimed director Otto Preminger, most famous to me for playing the second Mr. Freeze plays the Elvenking.
Late Night with David Letterman regular and co-star of The Burbs, Brother Theodore, a very weird little German performer known for stand-up tragedies, played the most terrifying Gollum in the whole wide world. And Gandalf was another acclaimed film director, John Huston.
Another big factor is the actual animation was done by the Japanese studio, Topcraft, who would later morph into Studio Ghibli under Hayao Miyazaki. It’s just so much fun. The creature designs are all great. The goblins, the spiders, the trolls, Smaug, the wood elves look like creepy little ghouls. Fantastic stuff all around.
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Where the Rankin-Bass Hobbit feels like a warm cup of tea, the next film is more of a warm cup of tea with low grade LSD in it.
The 1978 animated film The Lord of the Rings, by Ralph Bakshi is what we like to call a beautiful mess. There’s a lot of gorgeous animation and painting and illustration throughout the film, but the film’s biggest flaw might be that it’s too faithful an adaptation to the source material. There’s a lot of running in The Lord of the Rings, and they really, really stick to that in the film.
The script for a Lord of the Rings film was commissioned in 1969 by United Artists, who hired John Boorman to write a draft. A year later, Boorman’s script was deemed “too expensive”. If you know John Boorman’s work, you can imagine what he’d do with Lord of the Rings. Just look at Zardoz.
Bakshi learned that Boorman’s script was abandoned by the studio. Most likely scrapped because Boorman wanted to produce all three stories into a single film. A plan that Bakshi called “madness”.
In 1975, Bakshi convinced United Artists to produce The Lord of the Rings as two or three animated films. They also accepted Bakshi’s pitch to quote: “do the books as close as we can, using Tolkien’s exact dialogue and scenes.”
Ralph Bakshi – Rotoscope Pioneer
To better understand the 1978 film and its animation style, we need to talk about Ralph Bakshi.
Ralph Bakshi is a Palestinian-American animator and director who got his start directing short cartoons like James Hound, Deputy Dog, and Rocket Robinhood. But Bakshi is more commonly known as a vanguard of adult animation, with his films like Fritz the Cat, Cool World, Heavy Traffic, Coonskin, Fire & Ice, Wizards, and American Pop.
A lot of Bakshi’s films, Lord of the Rings included, used a style of animation called rotoscoping. Animated films have used actors as reference for years. There’s vaults worth of Disney footage of people acting out scenes for Snow White or Alice in Wonderland.
Not to simplify the art form too much, rotoscoping takes said reference footage, and animates on top of it. Even if you didn’t know what it was called, you’ve definitely seen it before. Old He-Man cartoons; A Scanner Darkly; Heavy Metal; Waltz with Bashir. Disney even rotoscoped over their own previous films sometimes, .
The Lord of the Rings has all the trademark scenes you’d expect in an adaptation. And all of our favorite Fellowship characters are here. Legolas, Gimli, Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Elrond, Théoden, Boromir with a fun Viking look happening. And I know what you’re asking. Is his death scene just as bad as in the Jackson movies? It’s worse.
And of course there’s Aragorn, sporting some high cut skirt or tiny shorts or something. Not the worst of the character designs. Gollum looks like Batboy, and Sam is done real dirty in this. He looks like a WWII propaganda cartoon against chimney sweeps. It’s REAL derog. And he gets bullied by Gandalf too. Insult to injury.
Very Ambitious, Very Weird
Rude Gandalfs aside, the one thing we can say is that Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings is ambitious, but with a budget of only four million dollars, there’s only so much ambition can do. While a lot of the rotoscoping of the orcs looks cool and creepy, towards the end the seams start to show. Just so many chimp masks on guys out in a field on horseback.
The cast of Bakshi’s film also doesn’t have quite the name recognition as the earlier Hobbit film, however we do get a pre-Alien John Hurt as Aragorn and a barely-just-after Star Wars Anthony Daniels as Legolas.
One of the movie’s biggest problems is that the ring never gets destroyed. Due to time constraints and a lengthy post-production, the film had to be cut short, ending abruptly after the Riders of Rohan and Gandalf show up to save Helm’s Deep.
Originally the film was planned to be distributed as The Lord of the Rings Part I by United Artists, with a trilogy in the works, but that got changed into only two films because, again, four million dollar budgets.
According to Bakshi, when he finally finished the movie, the executives told him they were planning to release the film without directly saying that there’d be a sequel. The executives did this because they felt that audiences would not pay to see half of a film. Unrelated, Wicked part one has currently made over $460 million worldwide.
The film did pretty well, raking in just under 33 million dollars, which was enough to warrant a part two, but after scathing audience reactions, rough critic reviews, and a falling out with producers, Bakshi walked away from directing a sequel.
But don’t fret, all of your people not at all fretting! We did get an ending to the trilogy just two years later. Technically speaking.
The Return of the King (1980)
The Rankin-Bass produced Hobbit won a Peabody, and while it received good to tepid response, a sequel was already in discussion before Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings even premiered. And the most logical sequel to a Hobbit film is of course the third act of The Return of the King.
The 1980 animated film titled The Return of the King, is…basically just a long music video. The film picks up after Sam and Frodo have already returned home to the Shire and are celebrating Bilbo’s 129th birthday.
Bilbo learns that his precious ring has gone missing, along with Frodo’s finger, and Sam and Frodo retell their experience of tossing the ring into Mount Doom, mostly from Sam’s perspective, who is voiced by Roddy McDowell. And when Roddy isn’t talking, the movie gets some help from the the Minstrel of Gondor.
When I say it’s a long music video, it’s because the majority of the film’s information is relayed through voice over, over the animation on screen, which feels like a way to cut production costs. And when there’s no exposition being dumped through internal monologue, the Minstrel of Gondor fills the silence with music. A lot of music.
In addition to McDowell, the film does share some continuity with the previous Hobbit movie with Huston back as Gandalf, Brother Theodore back as Gollum, and Orson Bean back, this time voicing both Bilbo and Frodo. Casey Kasem, Shaggy himself and purveyor of goddamn dog dedications, voices Merry which is just kinda weird.
Basically, what if Return of the King was one big final battle. I guess the Jackson one is too, but with way less singing, and hundred percent more Legolas and Gimli. The best friends are totally absent from this movie, but there’s a tomatoless Denethor, and we get to see The Mouth of Sauron, as well as a deviously jolly version of the Witch King.
Compared to its 1977 predecessor, which got flack for adapting Tolkien into a kid’s cartoon, the 1980 Return of the King does let some violence slip through. Gollum’s lava death, Frodo’s finger getting chomped, Eowyn killing the Witch King. A way different vibe from The Hobbit.
It of course ends with Frodo, Gandalf, Elrond, and Bilbo sailing away to the Grey Havens on a Bros Only Cruise while Sam, Merry, and Pippin watch from the shore. And yes, music plays over this whole thing too.
The Return of the King got overall lukewarm reactions. One of the biggest complaints is that it tried too hard to be both a children’s animated film and properly tell the story of the third book of a trilogy, despite not making the first two. Oh, and the music. Nobody really liked the music.
At the end of the day, even with all their faults, the animated features of the Lord of the Rings universe are important and endearing pieces of art. Are some of them overly long and poorly made in some parts? Sure! But how many movies do you know with a song as good as “Goblin Town?”
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
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We’re still shouting happy birthday to Hip-Hop! Having turned 50 on Aug. 11, 2023, Hip-Hop culture has changed the lives of many people since its birth. The evolution of Hip-Hop has embodied art, DJ’ing, dance, fashion, hair, jewelry, language, lyricism, music and guess what else—literature ..books.
BLACK ENTERPRISE salutes Hip-Hop books for penetrating the literary space. Here are 10 books from Hip-Hop artists that tell their story and share their perspective not heard through music.
1.) From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens
Read From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens by 50 Cent (2006-08-15) #books ~ https://t.co/HvL2OVJvUY pic.twitter.com/5I90ZMtT95
— StudentsArena.com (@studentsarenake) October 8, 2018
This memoir, written by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson with Kris Ex, is a tale of how 50 Cent navigated his difficult childhood as a youth: dealing with the murder of his mother; hustling in the streets to survive; being shot nine times and achieving the American dream.
2.) The Wu-Tang Manual
Got some new reading material for the upcoming vacation. RAW is captivating right off the bat I can’t put it down and can’t wait to jump into the Wu-Tang Manual @Ugodofwutang @RZA #WuTang #wutangforever pic.twitter.com/nULpRfRrwl
— BakedToaster (@Poolius420) July 19, 2019
The Wu-Tang Manual by Robert Diggs, otherwise known as RZA, and Chris Norris. The Wu-Tang Manual is made up of 4 books that break down all things Wu-Tang Clan—from information about the nine original members, Wu-Slang, and the philosophies and personalities that make the Wu-Tang Clan what it is. If you’re heavy into Wu culture, this book is for you.
3.) Sweat The Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius
RAKIM “Sweat The Technique: Revelations On Creativity From The Lyrical Genius” is available everywhere now…! #rakim #sweatthetechnique #revelations #creativity #lyrical #genius #18thletter #forever #godmc #microphonefiend #lyricsoffury #nocompetition #ther #flowforever pic.twitter.com/i1lZ6rd88k
— HipHopGods (@hiphopgods) October 1, 2019
Rakim Allah’s book is half a memoir and the other half is a writing guide. In this book he details who and what influenced him in his youth (jazz and John Coltrane) while highlighting the reason he is hailed as the god MC.
4.) Hurricanes
Rick Ross – Hurricanes: A Memoir (Book Review)
Now available on YouTube: https://t.co/85nSMbzdlV#HipHop #HHT #Rap #RickRoss #Hurricanes #BookReview pic.twitter.com/WNIOGFmCXg
— Pure Rap Podcast (@PureRapPodcast) January 23, 2022
Rick Ross and Neil Martinez-Belkin wrote this memoir about Ross’ upbringing in South Beach Miami during the War On Drugs era, which covers his time as a high school football player, dope boy hustler, and correctional officer. Ross chronicles the making of his debut hit song “Hustlin’” to having a large deal with Def Jam records. This read will give you insight to Rick Ross’ experiences and inspirations
5.) Decoded
On this day in 2010, Jay Z released his autobiography and memoir, Decoded pic.twitter.com/L7sNcDwtHm
— •UP•NORTH•TRIPS• (@evboogie) November 16, 2019
Decoded, written by rap icon and business mogul Shawn Corey Carter (widely known as Jay-Z,) is a one of a kind memoir that shows the worlds Jay-Z has maneuvered. Beyoncé’s other half tells his story while highlighting the hip-hop art form and culture by deconstructing his lyrics and giving readers a deeper dive into his journey as a artist.
6.) E. A. R. L. The Autobiography of DMX
[Read] EBOOK E.A.R.L. The Autobiography of DMX >>% pic.twitter.com/btsH2Orvwb
— Linda T. Artman (@Lindatartman) March 11, 2022
The Autobiography of DMX, by the late Earl Simmons and Smoky D. Fontaine, shares X’s upbringing in the streets of Yonkers, New York. Readers learn how DMX overcame struggles involving neglect, physical abuse, drug abuse and jail time. The book reveals DMX’s ability to never give up on his dreams, finding his passion for hip-hop and releasing a no. 1 album four times in a row. X’s story literally shows that if you slip and fall you can still get up.
7.) Cross The Tracks
Boosie first Memoir ‘Cross the Tracks’ will be released on September 20 pic.twitter.com/DkoeA8yf0l
— SAY CHEESE!
(@SaycheeseDGTL) September 2, 2022
Torrence Hatch Jr., the controversial rapper known as Boosie Badazz, gives readers the details of growing up in Baton Rouge and being a local star at the age of 14, and becoming one of the most prominent rappers in the South. Boosie talks about survival, having a second chance at life, and beating the odds after facing death row and ultimately gaining freedom.
8.) Vibrate Higher
@MrChuckD reading “Vibrate Higher” by Talib Kweli #BookRecosFromCelebs #readmore #read #bookrecos #book #books #reading #author #BlackTwitter #booktwitter #chuckd #publicenemy #blackexcellence #hiphop #talibkweli #raphistory #prophetsofrage #eastcoastrap #blackstar pic.twitter.com/khlwarlcrG
— BookRecosFromCelebs (@CelebBookRecos) April 29, 2022
Vibrate Higher is a rap tale written by Talib Kweli that shares his upbringing in Brooklyn, New York. Kweli writes about what hip-hop has done for his life and how the culture impacts life socially, politically, and creatively.
9.) The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
Blunts & Books
The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
Jet Fuel pic.twitter.com/7pPdZLYznZ
— c h a n d l e r (@MrBrickFactory) February 13, 2022
The Autobiography of Gucci Man was written with the help of Neil Martinez-Belkin. Gucci Mane began writing this story while locked in federal prison. Gucci highlights the ups and downs of his life and career, and leans into growing up in poverty, his father’s abandonment, jail time, and how all these shaped him. He shares a bit about the infamous ice cream tattoo and how his career has evolved over time.
10.) Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman
LADIES FIRST, Revelation of a Strong Woman by Queen Latifah#BlackAuthors#OurBlackStoriesToldByUs#Readingisfundamental#SelfImprovement#Authentic#Classic#QueenLatifah#BlackHistoryMonth2021
pic.twitter.com/JbF5GJWHc8
— C.A.S.W. (@CherylAnnWill15) February 16, 2021
Dana Owens, our beloved Queen Latifah, wrote an autobiography that is an inspiration to women. Queen Latifah details growing up in Newark, New Jersey, and the difficult decisions she had to make dealing with sex, drugs, depression. The award-winning hip-hop artist shares what it means to be confident and independent, and what life was like being the first female solo rap artist to get a major record deal at 19-years-old.
RELATED CONTENT: KRS-One Talks 50 Years Of Hip-Hop
The release of 1986’s IT by Stephen King didn’t just give birth to one of the scariest clowns in pop culture, but it also gave birth to the idea of the Macroverse, described as the home of ancient, otherworldly beings like Maturin and IT. Over time, King expanded the concept of the Macroverse in his Dark Tower series, and his world thrived on mysteries that blurred the lines between cosmic horror and childhood nightmares. One of those mysteries is the Ritual of Chüd, a cryptic and ancient battle of wills that served as the Losers Club’s ultimate weapon against IT.
Now, with HBO’s Welcome to Derry promising to explore the origins of IT and the hidden depths of the mythology King has created, the fanbase is brimming with expectations, one of which regards the mysterious ritual. Will the upcoming series finally unravel the secrets behind the Ritual of Chüd and bring clarity to King’s mind-bending lore? Well, this remains to be seen sometime in 2025, when the series is scheduled for release. In the meantime, we can discuss the Ritual of Chüd as it appeared in the movies and novels.
Since the series builds upon the adaptations directed by Andy Muschietti, we’ll reference those movies instead of Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1990 miniseries that, for many, was the first introduction to IT. It’s also worth pointing out that the Ritual of Chüd depicted in the recent IT adaptations is somewhat different compared to that described in the novels, and because of that, we’ll start from the source material.
In the novels, Bill Denbrough was the first to learn of this ritual when he stumbled upon the information about it in a book called Night’s Truth at the Derry Public Library. He also learned that IT was part of an ancient and malevolent race of shapeshifters called Glamours, who were known by many cultures under many different names, and that the Ritual of Chüd was the only way to defeat the old monster Himalayans recognized as Taelus.
The ritual itself comes from the old Himalayan belief and involves a holy man staring into the monster’s eye, with both of them biting into each other’s overlapped tongues. The two take turns telling riddles until one of them laughs despite the pain. If the Taelus laughs first, it gets sent away for a hundred years, but if the holy man laughs first, the Taelus (known to readers of this story as IT) gets to eat the man’s soul. It’s also important to note that the Ritual of Chüd actually involves a metaphysical confrontation with IT rather than a purely physical encounter.
During their childhood battle with IT, the Losers experience the shapeshifter in various terrifying forms that prey on their personal fears. However, Bill Denbrough’s connection to IT during the Ritual of Chüd stands out in the novels because he’s the only one who engages IT on a deeper, more metaphysical level after enacting the ritual. Being thrust towards the Macroverse and the dreaded Deadlights, which represent the essence of IT’s power and its otherworldly nature, Bill also comes across Maturin the Turtle.
Maturin is somewhat of a benevolent Lovecraftian god-creature who accidentally created our universe by throwing up. While he doesn’t actually teach Bill the ritual itself, Maturin offers guidance and insight into a broader struggle against IT, showing him how the Losers’ actions tie into a much larger universal struggle between good and evil. Bill then starts battling IT telepathically, and the Losers end up defeating the monster but ignore Maturin’s advice to finish IT off, and IT supposedly escapes.
Twenty-seven years later, when IT returned to terrorize the people of Derry, the now-adult Losers came back to stop IT. Bill was once again the first to face IT, but without his childlike imagination, he is weaker in the battle. Still, the losers are eventually able to use the Ritual of Chüd to overpower IT, and Bill ends up crushing IT’s still-beating heart between his hands, finally putting an end to Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
However, in Andy Muschetti’s It Chapter Two, the Ritual of Chüd also appears, but in a very different form and not by name. In the movie, Mike visits the local Native American tribes as an adult and discovers the ritual in a vision induced by the tribe’s sacred root herb called Maturin. The ritual involves exposing IT’s true form as the Deadlights and trapping them inside the Native American tribe’s ceremonial Sealing Jar, which is strong enough to trap evil IT. The ritual proves to be ineffective in the movie.
But, the Losers still succeed in killing Pennywise by making him believe that he’s small and weak, allowing them to expose his heart and crush it together with their hands, finally killing the ancient evil once and for all. The movie significantly simplifies many elements of King’s original ritual, but for those who haven’t read the book, the message remains the same: without belief, there’s no such thing as fear, and without fear as a weapon against its victims, IT is powerless.
It’s worth noting that the introduction of the fictional Shokopiwah tribe and their ceremonial Sealing Jar has been met with some criticism. King’s work, and by extension their adaptations, have often been scrutinized for blending cultural references in ways that feel reductive and appropriative at best. While the Ritual of Chüd plays an important role in IT, its portrayal in It Chapter Two risks oversimplifying Indigenous cultures and traditions for narrative convenience—which is most definitely the case in this movie.
Welcome to Derry now has the chance to further explore the Ritual of Chüd, its significance, and its ties to Maturin the turtle-god, as well as how it’s used to defeat Pennywise. Done right, this expansion of King’s mythos could further elevate the horror of Welcome to Derry to new, mind-bending levels. But whether or not the series actually explores the Ritual remains to be seen once Welcome to Derry finally drops next year.
The post The Ritual of Chüd: Will ‘Welcome to Derry’ Dive Deeper into this Mysterious Mythology? appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Photo Credit: Raymond Alva
Leon Thomas is redefining his narrative, and his journey has never been more electrifying. With the release of his sophomore album, MUTT, on September 27, he showcases a fearless dive into the complexities of love and human connection. The album, featuring collaborations with Masego, Baby Rose, and Ty Dolla $ign, among others, is a testament to his artistry—a blend of raw emotion, intricate production, and lyrical depth. Fresh off a Grammy win for his work on SZA’s “Snooze,” Leon’s momentum is unstoppable.
In an interview with ESSENCE, Leon reflected on his growth as an artist since his debut album, Electric Dusk. “This album is me stepping into my confidence,” he said. “It was a tough journey getting into music out of Nickelodeon during my twenties, but now, in my thirties, I’m showing people that I know what I’m doing—and I’m having a good time doing it.”
Photo Credit: Raymond Alva Collaboration played a pivotal role in MUTT. “The majority of the features were done with the artist in the room,” Leon shared. Tracks like “Lucid Dreams” with Masego and “Feelings on Silent” with Wale emerged organically, born from creative chemistry rather than corporate matchmaking. “Every collaboration is a new class,” he added, emphasizing his commitment to learning from his peers.
Thomas recently wrapped up a successful run on Blxst’s North American tour, and he’s already setting his sights on the future. “Every album unlocks a new part of myself,” he said. With aspirations to channel live, jam-session energy reminiscent of Motown into his next project, he is poised to keep pushing boundaries—and audiences can’t wait to see where he goes next.
ESSENCE: You’ve traversed theater, television, film, and music. What is it that inspires Leon Thomas’s creativity? What does that creative spark and motivation come from?
Leon Thomas: I think a big part of it is family—family is a big thing. I come from a creative circle. I come from a tribe of artists. For me, music and art and entertainment is a way of life and a constant exploration. I feel like the keyword to all of this is next. So I’m always focused on my next mission and my next challenge.
You released your sophomore album a few months ago—it’s amazing. I wanted to ask you, how did your personal experience affect the creation of this project, and what message do you hope listeners take from it?
Well, I hope listeners really just take this as more of a cautionary tale. I feel like when it comes to dating in this generation, there’s just so many options. We have social media playing a big factor and role and everything. My grandfather was married to my grandmother at 20 years old, and they stayed married well into their eighties. She recently just passed away, but he dealt with a different time period, and I’m just documenting the challenges that we go through right now in this dating scene. I think a lot of it isn’t just my own experiences, it’s also me documenting the experiences I’ve seen with all of my friends as a collective, and just giving a voice to the challenges we face as men in this current generation.
How do you think—because you’ve recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of Electric Dusk—how do you think you’ve grown personally as well as creatively since the release of that album, if at all?
I feel like during the creation of Electric Dusk, the industry was validating my creative sound. There were certain artists who were messing with some of my records and putting them out and putting them on their albums. But since I’ve dropped Electric Dusk, I’ve had a chance to work with Ye, Drake, SZA. Huge, amazing artists, icons even, in my generation that have really kind of stamped the fact that my perspective and creativity is really something special. I feel like this album is me stepping into my confidence. It was a tough journey getting into music out of Nickelodeon over the course of the decade of my twenties. So I feel like the thirties is where I’m really just showing people that I know what I’m doing and I’m having a good time doing it.
So you spoke about some of your collaborations, but I want to speak specifically about the collaborations on this particular album. You have Wale, Masego, Ty Dolla $ign—it’s a diverse bunch of artists. How do you choose the people that you want to collaborate with on your projects?
What I really love about a lot of these records is that the majority of the features were done with the artist in the room. The majority of them. Masego was an amazing artist that I met and we became friends very quickly, but it took a while of us just seeing each other at parties before we actually decided, you know what? Let’s buckle down, right? Let’s schedule some time and see if we can knock out a record. I had two sessions that day, so we only had four hours to write “Lucid Dreams.” But seeing just how destiny put a lot of creative ideas in our head at the moment, it just turned into a beautiful record.
It was tailor-made, and it wasn’t our A&Rs trying to put us together or our labels trying to find a really good fit to get more exposure. It was two artists coming together and telling a really cool story, and that’s the journey of literally all of the features, from Wale, who I’ve become really good friends with. I go to his crib and we kick it and watch the game and then maybe try to get creative for something we’re doing or a project we’re doing later on. Spending a lot of time with Wale turned into “Feelings on Silent.” I’m learning so much from everybody around me. I’m a consistent student of the game and every collaboration is just a new class.
I’ve interviewed a lot of other artists just throughout the years, and say that things really change after you get that Grammy Award. In what ways has your perspective as an artist changed since you got a Grammy, and how do you feel about your placement in the industry since then?
It’s been a real pleasure getting to know the Grammy board, getting to know the Grammys as an organization outside of just the award show itself. Outside of just the award show itself, getting to know the whole process that they have has been amazing. I think the biggest thing that’s really changed is just that I don’t have a degree in music. I come from a family of artists and creatives, so I learned by experience. This gives everything that I’m doing creatively a new sense of validation, and I’m really super thankful for the opportunity to be able to have this wonderful award in my living room right now. I’m literally looking at it right now and it’s a blessing and every morning to see my hard work really come into fruition.
Expounding on that, how do you balance your roles as a producer and an artist?
That’s been a process and journey for me. “How do I schedule out my years so I have seasons of production and artist seasons where I’m really focused on myself and give myself the opportunity to really focus on all the aspects that can give me balance?” I feel like when I’m in my production mode, it’s okay to just be in my PJs making beats throughout the day, trying to just really find new sounds, create new ideas. But when I’m on artist mode, I really do my best to keep my days jam-packed with full schedules. So when we hit tour season, I’m not shell-shocked by the crazy, crazy schedules that end up popping up. So I need a three-month period to warm up into both fields. It’s not like a hard switch. I have to schedule it out now.
So when you’re in production mode, you like more solace and seclusion. When you’re in artist mode, you want to be in the mix a little more?
I’m in the mix a little bit more. I’m a little more outside, more networking. I’m bouncing around in different studios. But in my production bag, I’m pretty much at the crib making tracks. When I’m on call to go to a different country or state that an artist is working in, I might fly to Jamaica, or with Ye it was Italy. I spend time with that artist and get to know them and try to help the best way that I can to help tell their story.
Congratulations on wrapping up the tour—how was that experience, and what was the preparation process like?
This is a big switch up for me. I usually have a band, but with this run I’m going to be just with a DJ. We’ve been messing around with my set list to just make it more compatible for that format and just getting back into working the stage more again and having some fun. I’m playing bigger crowds than I usually play for a lot of my headline stuff. So just big movements. I’ve been running every morning, you know what I’m saying? Trying to get my two miles in so I win on that stage. You heard. I’m still a Husky nigga.
So, what’s next for Leon Thomas?
I feel like every album I unlock a new part of myself and then the next album is an opportunity to explore that new level I just unlocked. Seeing the live records I was able to do on this project, I’m really curious to see how people react to me having a room full of musicians on a song like I used to, and it being 100% a jam session that we formatted and turned into a song. That process, adjacent to neo-soul, adjacent to Motown Records, that live energy is what I really want to focus on for my next album, and I want to do a full projectrel="tag">Leon Thomas
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Courtesy of Flawless by Gabrielle Union
Holiday cheer often sparks the urge to get dolled up for our year-end celebrations. Entertainment and beauty icon Gabrielle Union and celebrity hair stylist Larry Sims want to make this desire is as accessible to achieve as possible.
The celebrity-stylist duo, and c o-founders of Flawless by Gabrielle Union hair care line, came together with JCPenney for a nationwide partnership that’s sure to help us usher in the holidays in >JCPenney salons throughout the Los Angeles and San Diego, California areas will offer the “SimStyled” experience, giving patrons the opportunity to experience accessible, red-carpet worthy hair for the holidays. This partnership provides clients the choice of eight curated >Sims using the Flawless line.
Commemorating the launch at the Glendale Galleria location, JCPenney’s team, along with Sims and Union, hosted an opening reception showcasing thesrc="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DP021177-1-scaled.jpg" alt="Flawless By Gabrielle Union Is Offering Us Red Carpet Treatment" width="400" height="266" />Larry Sims and Gabrielle Union celebrate the launch of SimStyled at the Glendale Galleria JC Penny on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Dana Pleasant/AP Content Services for JCPenney)
Transforming the JCPenney salon into a communal atmosphere was easy enough. Located at the rear of the first floor, the salon boasted a gorgeous space decorated in white, black, and gold hues. A spacious layout with a plethora of well-lit styling and washing stations made for a welcoming environment for event attendees to socialize and observe thesrc="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DP021584-scaled.jpg" alt="Flawless By Gabrielle Union Is Offering Us Red Carpet Treatment" width="400" height="266" />Larry Sims and Gabrielle Union celebrate the launch of SimStyled at the Glendale Galleria JCPenney on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Dana Pleasant/AP Content Services for JCPenney)
Notable attendees included Ashley Everett, Robin Thede, Brandee Evans, celebrity hair stylists and barbers Sasha MaRi and Donato Smith, and Miss Gloria, the mother of one of Sims’ models and lifelong friends. Ranging from all walks of life, each individual present shared a love for quality hair care and intentional community.
Sharing a few words to kick off the event, Union and Sims underscored their gratitude for all in attendance as well as for each other, demonstrating what a decades-long friendship and working relationship looks like. Union stated three values that guided her decisions as well as the shaping of this salon experience: family, money, and time. “I do what makes me happy, what allows me to maintain and expand my peace, joy, and what keeps me looking good.”
As for Sims? “When it comes to creating, it comes from the core of my soul. I don’t do it for the money,” he tells ESSENCE. “I do it for the way that it makes me feel and for the way that I know that it makes others feel,” he—who grew up in Chicago, being surrounded by so many expressions and stewards of Black beauty—adds.
Larry Sims and Gabrielle Union celebrate the launch of SimStyled at the Glendale Galleria JC Penny on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Dana Pleasant/AP Content Services for JCPenney) As for what makes Flawless by Gabrielle Union work so well and stand out amongst a crowd of others? Partnership. The full line of products, sold at JCPenney, is a joint creation by both Sims and Union. The actress expresses how integral it was to ensure she and Sims were on equal footing in all areas of the business, respecting Sims’ expertise in the area rather than allowing her name alone to take the lead. In return, Sims discusses how committed Union is to every step of the process from formulation to user experience.
“We are sold in places that are actually in the community, and in locations that are not going to demonize or criminalize our consumer,” Union begins. “They actually work, and they’re not going to break the bank. We’re also humble. We listen, we read the comments. We can’t get defensive, we just get better.”
And no matter what the two do, they deeply understand the impact beauty can have on confidence and presence, and point to the sacred relationship between beauty professionals and their clients. For this reason, Sims affirms that clients will walk away from the SimStyled experience feeling beautiful and “respected for your time and your hair, and beautiful in thedecoding="async" src="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DP021504-scaled.jpg" alt="Flawless By Gabrielle Union Is Offering Us Red Carpet Treatment" width="400" height="266" />Larry Sims and Gabrielle Union celebrate the launch of SimStyled at the Glendale Galleria JC Penny on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Dana Pleasant/AP Content Services for JCPenney)TOPICS: Flawless by Gabrielle Union Gabrielle Union Larry Sims
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