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Last week, you might have seen our advance review of BOOM! Studios’ graphic novel, The Lost City of Heracleon. Well, this week, we are happy to say that we got a chance to interview with both the writer, Bruce Livingstone, and artist, Mike Willcox. Be sure to read both ahead of the release on August 29th.
BNP: To introduce our readers to the story, how would describe The Lost City of Heracleon.
Bruce: Called to adventure, young boys Lou and Shiro find themselves on a time-slipping craft made by the ancient gods and captained by an off-the-hinges old man. They soon discover Lou’s missing father might still be alive as they are transferred into fully grown warriors headed straight for the battlegrounds of Ancient Egypt. After re-uniting with Lou’s father and battling the God’s army of monsters, they travel to the Lost City of Heracleon. As the gods tinkering with fate become reckless and apathetic, the boys become part of a legion hell-bent on restoring balance to humanity, ending in 1914 Sarajevo attempting to prevent WW1.
BNP: The Lost City of Heracleon is heavily rooted in a familiar trope of young heroes-to-be getting “called onto a grand adventure”. So to speak, what “called” you to the story? How did this book start and transform? What were some major influences?
Bruce: This all started when I set out to write a story for my son, Sozé. It was meant to be a short book and ended up over 240 pages. Most of my ideas in the first part of the book stemmed from a fascination with the ocean, boating, and scuba diving. The story just spewed out of me as I got it all down on paper over the next two years. Most of the characters are based on friends and family, some who[m] have left this life. This was my way of honoring them and keeping them alive in the hope that my own kids will someday feel connected to them. I feel like our modern culture doesn’t have a way of passing down our knowledge and spirit after we die. So this was, partially, my way of doing that.
BNP: What type of research did you complete while scripting the story and did any of your discoveries make you or Mike adjust course?
Bruce: Quite a lot of research went into writing about the old gods and monsters. This was probably the most fun we had creating the story. We looked at a lot of old mythology books to get the creatures just right. We also took some liberties making some new creatures as described by the ancient god’s war council. The most difficult part of the narrative was setting up the events leading to what is believed to be the start of WWI. We wanted it to be accurate, but also wanted to mesh the story with how to ancient god’s restored their benevolence and started to come back to participating in world events. Probably the area with the most research was the clothing, fashion, architecture, munitions and machines in 1914 Sarajevo. Most of the visuals were pieced together by looking at old photographs and drawings.
BNP: The one unique framing device of the graphic novel is that the narration is told within a sort of “radio play dramatization”. How did you approach blending the longer prose segments within the comic?
Bruce: It’s interesting you recognized that. When I gave the chapters to Mike, he removed much of the narrative and descriptive elements because they weren’t needed after he created the illustrations. I had to not be precious about that, which was kind of difficult for a writer to see words disappearing. It required a huge amount of trust. We trusted each other instantly when he started showing me storyboard sketches. The voice of the narrator, I think, is still present. It’s the voice that we all have that sits behind our eyes that is omnipresent from the moment we open our eyes in the morning.
BNP: What do your hope readers will get out of the experience of reading your work?
Bruce: I wrote the book for my son at a pivotal time in his life, and mine. As a young person having to navigate difficult situations like watching his parents getting divorced and death. He struggled with some indecision about himself and even larger questions about the purpose of life and religion. I hope that he, and other young people, will find some life lessons ingrained in the characters about free will and the importance of what we do for others and how we navigate those relationships.
BNP: Between the two principal characters, Lou and Shiro, which one do you relate more with?
Bruce: Definitely Lou, his character was created after my son.
BNP: What piece of media do you wish more people knew about? Not necessarily your favorite, but a book/comic/TV show/etc. That you think deserves more shine.
Bruce: “The Forged Coupon”, a novella about mischief from Tolstoy, Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” and anything by Jean Giraud (Moebius), but especially “Edena”.
BNP: Anything you want to share with your audience at Black Nerd Problems?
Bruce: I just want to thank you for your insightful questions and [for] giving new authors/artists a chance to be seen and heard. Much love, BNP!
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The post Talking with Bruce Livingstone, Writer of the Lost City of Heracleon appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Last week, you might have seen our advance review of BOOM! Studios’ graphic novel, The Lost City of Heracleon. Well, this week, we are happy to say that we got a chance to interview with both the writer, Bruce Livingstone, and artist, Mike Willcox. Be sure to read both ahead of the release on August 29th.
BNP: To introduce our readers to the story, how would describe The Lost City of Heracleon.
Bruce: Called to adventure, young boys Lou and Shiro find themselves on a time-slipping craft made by the ancient gods and captained by an off-the-hinges old man. They soon discover Lou’s missing father might still be alive as they are transferred into fully grown warriors headed straight for the battlegrounds of Ancient Egypt. After re-uniting with Lou’s father and battling the God’s army of monsters, they travel to the Lost City of Heracleon. As the gods tinkering with fate become reckless and apathetic, the boys become part of a legion hell-bent on restoring balance to humanity, ending in 1914 Sarajevo attempting to prevent WW1.
BNP: The Lost City of Heracleon is heavily rooted in a familiar trope of young heroes-to-be getting “called onto a grand adventure”. So to speak, what “called” you to the story? How did this book start and transform? What were some major influences?
Bruce: This all started when I set out to write a story for my son, Sozé. It was meant to be a short book and ended up over 240 pages. Most of my ideas in the first part of the book stemmed from a fascination with the ocean, boating, and scuba diving. The story just spewed out of me as I got it all down on paper over the next two years. Most of the characters are based on friends and family, some who[m] have left this life. This was my way of honoring them and keeping them alive in the hope that my own kids will someday feel connected to them. I feel like our modern culture doesn’t have a way of passing down our knowledge and spirit after we die. So this was, partially, my way of doing that.
BNP: What type of research did you complete while scripting the story and did any of your discoveries make you or Mike adjust course?
Bruce: Quite a lot of research went into writing about the old gods and monsters. This was probably the most fun we had creating the story. We looked at a lot of old mythology books to get the creatures just right. We also took some liberties making some new creatures as described by the ancient god’s war council. The most difficult part of the narrative was setting up the events leading to what is believed to be the start of WWI. We wanted it to be accurate, but also wanted to mesh the story with how to ancient god’s restored their benevolence and started to come back to participating in world events. Probably the area with the most research was the clothing, fashion, architecture, munitions and machines in 1914 Sarajevo. Most of the visuals were pieced together by looking at old photographs and drawings.
BNP: The one unique framing device of the graphic novel is that the narration is told within a sort of “radio play dramatization”. How did you approach blending the longer prose segments within the comic?
Bruce: It’s interesting you recognized that. When I gave the chapters to Mike, he removed much of the narrative and descriptive elements because they weren’t needed after he created the illustrations. I had to not be precious about that, which was kind of difficult for a writer to see words disappearing. It required a huge amount of trust. We trusted each other instantly when he started showing me storyboard sketches. The voice of the narrator, I think, is still present. It’s the voice that we all have that sits behind our eyes that is omnipresent from the moment we open our eyes in the morning.
BNP: What do your hope readers will get out of the experience of reading your work?
Bruce: I wrote the book for my son at a pivotal time in his life, and mine. As a young person having to navigate difficult situations like watching his parents getting divorced and death. He struggled with some indecision about himself and even larger questions about the purpose of life and religion. I hope that he, and other young people, will find some life lessons ingrained in the characters about free will and the importance of what we do for others and how we navigate those relationships.
BNP: Between the two principal characters, Lou and Shiro, which one do you relate more with?
Bruce: Definitely Lou, his character was created after my son.
BNP: What piece of media do you wish more people knew about? Not necessarily your favorite, but a book/comic/TV show/etc. That you think deserves more shine.
Bruce: “The Forged Coupon”, a novella about mischief from Tolstoy, Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” and anything by Jean Giraud (Moebius), but especially “Edena”.
BNP: Anything you want to share with your audience at Black Nerd Problems?
Bruce: I just want to thank you for your insightful questions and [for] giving new authors/artists a chance to be seen and heard. Much love, BNP!
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The post Talking with Bruce Livingstone, Writer of the Lost City of Heracleon appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
To tackle misconceptions over the cleanliness and safety of public restrooms in Japan, a non-profit has built a handful of futuristic commode installations. One of the installation types is a particularly intriguing restroom that utilizes privacy glass: A feature that probably makes for some inspiring, and nerve-wracking, “excuse me” excursions.
Switchable glass public bathrooms in Tokyo by the Nippon Foundation, via @kydeanderic. pic.twitter.com/gNAx96zbtt
— MachinePix (@MachinePix) August 11, 2020
The non-profit responsible for commissioning the brilliant public restrooms is The Nippon Foundation. In a press release, which comes via CEO Magazine, the Foundation discusses why it decided to build these toilet-containing works of art, an effort it refers to as The Tokyo Toilet project.
“[T]he use of public toilets in Japan is limited because of stereotypes that they are dark, dirty, smelly, and scary,” the Foundation’s release notes. In response, the Foundation has decided to renovate 17 public toilets located in Shibuya, Tokyo. The Foundation says the restrooms are being designed by 16 “leading creators,” and “will use advanced design to make them accessible for everyone regardless of gender, age, or disability, to demonstrate the possibilities of an inclusive society.”
Satoshi Nagare/The Nippon Foundation
In regards to the privacy glass-equipped restrooms shown here, they are the work of Shigeru Ban. Ban is a Japanese architect, known for his work with paper, especially cardboard tubes. (Somewhat incidentally, his firm’s work is beyond stunning.)
The privacy glass presumably works like any other privacy glass. Meaning the glass contains liquid crystal molecules that line up in such a way that when an electric current flows through them, they allow light through. But when the current is turned off, the liquid crystals return to their scattered positions rendering the glass opaque. For Ban’s installation, the current turns off when the bathroom door is locked.
Tokyo Toilet Project by Nippon Foundation with some awestrucking designs by Saili - https://t.co/hofK6VmGpE pic.twitter.com/2P85GD7dwg
— blarrow_tech (@blarrow_tech) August 17, 2020
Ultimately, Ban’s bathrooms aim to be consistently clean inside, and thief-free. Apparently there is concern amongst citizens they may be attacked if they use public restrooms, and the transparent glass allows them to see inside and make sure the space is empty.
Some of the restrooms, built in cooperation with the Shibuya City government, are now open for use. And they even have caretakers for sanitation. Which raises the question: How long until we establish some futuristic public restroom options here in the U.S.?
Satoshi Nagare/The Nippon Foundation
What do you think about The Tokyo Toilet project? Would you use one of these privacy glass public-equipped restrooms? Be transparent with your thoughts in the comments!
Feature image: Satoshi Nagare/The Nippon Foundation
The post Tokyo’s Futuristic Public Restrooms Feature Privacy Glass appeared first on Nerdist.
Source: Steve Granitz/MANDEL NGAN / Getty
She’s done it before and now she’s doing it again.
Last year Cardi hosted multiple discussions with Sen. Bernie Sanders, who she supported in the beginning of the 2020 presidential race, but now the rapper is interviewing the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the latest issue of Elle magazine.
While the “WAP“ rapper is the cover star, she’s using her platform to discuss critical topics of importance with the long time politician, including the fight for racial justice, COVID-19 and medicare to name a few.
The two sat down for a 16-minute conversation ahead of the Democratic National Convention which kicks off on Monday evening, where Biden is expected to accept the Democratic nomination.
“First and first, let me keep it a buck. I just want Trump out, you know what I’m saying? I just feel like his mouth gets us in trouble so much,” Cardi began after Biden asked what she foresees in the next president. “I don’t want to be lied to. I don’t want – like you know we’re dealing with a pandemic right now right? And I just want answers. I want to know when this is over, I want to go back to my job. I want to be able to go outside. I want to be able to feel like I’m not trapped in my home. But I don’t want somebody to lie to me and tell me that it’s OK to go outside, it’s OK to not wear a mask, that everything is going to be OK. No, I want a timeline,” she continued.
Cardi also said she wants medicare and free college education. “And I want Black people to stop getting and no justice for it, I’m tired of it,” she said.
The two had a lot in common and discussed how important it is for families to have support in raising their children. Biden talked about how his sister supported him when his wife and daughter were killed in a tragic car crash in 1976.
As a new mom, Cardi talked about her motivation and drive which is fueled by trying to provide the best life for her two-year-old daughter Kulture.
“Once you become a mom you change completely, your mindset changes completely. but its like how are you supposed to do that when you don’t have a babysitter for your kid? And fortunately for me I’m able to have my mom take care of my child, but a lot of people it’s like their mom cannot retire and take care of their kid, their mom has to work too,” said Cardi.
“One of things that I admire about you is that you keep talking about what I call equity. Just decency, fairness, treating people with respect,” Biden said. John Lewis used to say, ‘The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool you have.’ Use the power to change for the change you want by voting.”
“Black people, we’re not asking for sympathy. We’re not asking for charity – we are just asking for equality. We are asking for fairness, and we are asking for justice,” Cardi said. “That is all. I feel like everything people are asking for is getting interpreted in a very different way. No, it’s simple: We just want justice. We want to feel like Americans.”
“You’re the smartest, the best educated, the least prejudiced, and the most engaged generation in history. And you’re going to change things,” he said.
Watch the whole conversation in the video below.
It’s no secret that the main characters in Lovecraft Country are book-loving geeks. Atticus dreams about slaying aliens. Leti is a former member of South Side Futurist Science Fiction Club. Uncle George loves Dracula and all things horror. Hippolyta peers into a telescope to see if she can spot Cassiopeia. And George’s daughter Dee is a bonafide comic creator with her own adventures.
Their invaluable knowledge comes in handy when Atticus and Uncle George deduce a way to defeat some seriously scary monsters in the woods. If we had to choose fictional characters for great book recommendations, they are at the top of the list.
Here’s an ongoing list of all the real-life sci-fi, horror, and fantasy title references in Lovecraft Country:
From episode one, “Sundown”
A Princess of Mars (1912)
Frank E. Schoonover/A.C. McClurg
Atticus is reading science fantasy novel A Princess of Mars on his ride home to Chicago. He explains the plot to a fellow traveler who isn’t a fan of the main character. The Edgar Rice Burroughs story follows John Carter, a Confederate veteran who strikes gold, runs from Apaches, and ends up in a cave that transports him to Mars.
The Outsider and Others (1939)
Arkham House
It’s no surprise that this book shows up considering the Lovecraft Country novel and show are inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s work. The Outsider and Others is a collection of strange fictional fantasy stories. The publisher, Arkham House, inspires the name of Ardham, where Atticus goes to find his father. Uncle George says horror is usually his thing but Atticus is ready to get back into those stories.
The Count of Monte Cristo (1955)
Collins Press
Atticus grabs yet another book while perusing his father’s apartment. Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo was originally published in English in the 1840s, but his father’s edition appears to be one from 1955. The iconic French tale details a man’s journey after he is falsely imprisoned on a grim French island.
Dracula (1897)
Barnes & Noble
Children of the night… what music they make! It didn’t take long for Uncle George to realize that the monsters surrounding the cabin are similar to vampires. Light is bad for them and a bite or attack by one is bad for you. There are many versions of this iconic vampire story but there’s nothing quite like the original horror novel by Bram Stoker.
More to come…
Featured Image: Elizabeth Morris/HBO
The post LOVECRAFT COUNTRY’S Sci-fi, Horror, and Fantasy Book References appeared first on Nerdist.