Thinking about Video Games
Off Book goes in depth on video games with interesting discussions of interactivity, story telling, creativity, world-building and how video games help people understand and manipulate complex systems.
What’s Makes a Hit
Slightly off-topic for the Gutter, but interesting for its analysis of pop-culture machinery: David Lowery (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker) says Hits are Black Swans. “Success in the music business is completely unpredictable. No one can really predict which artists will end up being successful… It’s just that the […]
My Little Pony: About 20% Cooler
I was uncertain about My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. I don’t fondly remember the toy-hawking cartoons of the 1980s and I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with the girly. Dying my hair pink in my 20s was my solution to the impossibility of girlhood. But then I […]
Jim Lee on NPR
Worlds collide as DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee is interviewed about the new DC line on NPR’s All Things Considered. Includes a quartet version of “I Am (Superman).” Meanwhile, NPR’s Glen Weldon goes into a little more depth.
“Chaos Cinema: The Decline of Action Filmmaking”
In his video essay (also available in text form), Matthias Stork details the elements of what he calls, “Chaos Cinema” and their effects on film and viewer experience: “The film doesn’t seduce you into suspending your disbelief. It bludgeons you until you give up.”
“Batgirl! The Secret Origin”
In a guest post at DCWomenKickingAss, former DC Comics’ editor and writer Scott Peterson discusses the secret origin of Batgirl!
The Cultural Gutter 