#All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 11/9

MARIAH CAREY HAS DEFROSTED. WE REPEAT, MARIAH CAREY HAS DEFROSTED. MAY GOD HELP US ALL. 

Two Graves #1 -  Genevieve Valentine, Ming Doyle, & Annie Wu 

Emilia and the man with the veil of smoke have set out for the ocean in a stolen truck. There's a bloody handprint on his neck. She's beginning to worry it's hers. Death and the Maiden go on a road trip. Nobody gets out alive.

Killchella #1 -  Mario Candelaria & Serg Acuna

A group of friends drive up from Los Angeles to attend an ultra-trendy music festival in the Coachella Valley desert. They soon face a bloody night of terror when a reclusive pop star making her big return after five years recruits her most fanatical devotees to assist in a massive human sacrifice ritual.

Mr. Easta #1 -  Kit Wallis

The gloriously demented mind of Kit Wallis brings the galactic adventures of the third best assassin in the universe to Scout Comics! Incredible, kinetically charged artwork blasts the blood, mayhem and quirky humor directly through your brain like a high-caliber bullet. In this issue, it's Elvis night at an interstellar backwater bar, but with all due respect to the King, that doesn't stop Mr. Easta. With the help of Frank, his teleportation parasite, who can also transform into any handheld weapon imaginable, it's business as usual.

It’s Lonely At The Centre Of The Earth GN -  Zoe Thorogood

Cartoonist ZOE THOROGOOD records six months of her own life as it falls apart in a desperate attempt to put it back together again in the only way she knows how. IT'S LONELY AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH is an intimate metanarrative that looks into the life of a selfish artist who must create for her own survival.

A poignant, slice-of-life-style story perfect for fans of Adrian Tomine's The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist.

Gospel #1 (of 5) - Will Morris & Ver

When opportunity refuses to knock for restless hero Matilde, the devil comes knocking instead. Thrust into action by the hellish arrival, Matilde and storyteller Pitt will quest for answers - answers that threaten to tear them apart and trigger the toughest question of all: "Who am I?" Inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki and set in the chaos of King Henry VIII's reign, GOSPEL is a thrilling fantasy adventure that questions the truth behind the stories we tell.

Heavenly Demon Reborn! GN Vol 1 -  O'Emperor & Gom-Guk

In an ancient world where martial artists reign supreme, Unseong can only watch as his master is brutally beaten to death after a false accusation of practicing forbidden demonic arts. Even after a valiant fight, he fails to kill those responsible and faces his own end. But fate has other plans... Instead of taking his last breath, he awakens as a child, training to be an elite soldier of a demonic sect. Now Unseong must embrace the demonic arts and harness power in his ultimate quest for revenge.

Go! Go! Loser Ranger! GN Vol 1 -  Negi Haruba

Attention kaiju and sentai fans! From the creator of The Quintessential Quintuplets comes a new "anti-ranger" action-comedy that'll make you root for the alien invaders! Thirteen years ago, an evil army of mysterious alien monsters invaded the Earth, but the great protectors of mankind-the Divine Dragon Rangers-show up to stop them! To this day, the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance as the fierce struggle continues to unfold! ...Or does it? In truth, the evil aliens were subjugated within the first year, and they've now become nothing more than clowns forced to act out their continuous defeat every week for the entertainment of the masses. They're not real villains, being forced to crank out a monster a week for the Rangers to crush. But one of the aliens has had enough. Something has to change! He'll rebel against the strongest might of the Dragon Rangers and destroy them all from the inside!

Traveling To Mars #1 -  Mark Russell & Roberto Meli

Traveling to Mars tells the story of former pet store manager Roy Livingston, the first human to ever set foot on Mars. Roy was chosen for this unlikely mission for one simple reason: he is terminally ill and therefore has no expectation of returning. Roy is joined on his mission to Mars by Leopold and Albert, two Mars rovers equipped with artificial intelligence, who look upon the dying pet store manager as a sort of god. Against the backdrop of not only his waning days but those of human civilization as well, Roy has ample time to think about where things went wrong for both of them and what it means to be a dying god.

Specs #1 (of 4) -  David M. Booher, Chris Shehan & Skylar Patridge

In this mysterious new series from writer David M. Booher (Canto, All-New Firefly) and artist Chris Shehan (House of Slaughter), what happens when a couple of misfit teens mail-order a pair of X-ray glasses, and realize they've received much more than they bargained for? But all Kenny and Ted want is to not feel like outcasts in their small Ohio town. Their world is turned upside down when the Magic Specs they receive unlock a world of possibilities. Their wishes start out innocent enough, but when they wish that their bully would disappear... things take a cursed turn, with far darker consequences than they thought possible...

Avante Guard Yumeko GN -  Shuzo Oshimi

From Shuzo Oshimi, the creator of Blood on the Tracks, The Flowers of Evil, and Happiness. I just want to see it! High schooler Yumeko is your ordinary high school girl except she's obsessed with seeing the male body part in real life. Determined, Yumeko decides to join the art club at school.

All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End HC -  Dr. Charles Johnson

Before Charles Johnson found fame as a novelist and won the National Book Award for Middle Passage in 1991, he was a cartoonist, and a very good one. Taught via mail correspondence course by the comics editor Lawrence Lariar, mentored by the New Yorker cartoonist Charles Barsotti, and inspired by the call of poet Amiri Baraka to celebrate and depict Black life in America, Johnson crafted some of the fiercest and funniest cartoons of the twentieth century. This collection brings together work from across his career: college newspaper gags, selections from his books Black Humor and Half-Past Nation Time, his unpublished manuscript Lumps in the Melting Pot, and uncollected pieces.

Billionaire Island: Cult Of Dogs #1 (of 6) -  Mark Russell & Steve Pugh

The long-awaited return of the "series that's simultaneously infuriating and hysterically funny in its indictment of not just the 1%, but of the people-and the economic system-that enable them" (Comics Beat). The year is 2046, two years after Billionaire Island fell-taking the world's economy with it. Only one man-er, dog-can save us now. But where is Business Dog?

The Knight & The Lady Of Play One-Shot -  Jonathan Luna

JONATHAN LUNA (THE PHALANX, 20XX: TRANSPORT) returns with another one-shot, illustrated in graphite! After a war with demons, knight Signore Vincenzo is traveling home to his wife in Italy. In a swamp, he comes across a mysteriously hypnotic woman, Motta, who tempts him to stay with her.  

Tokyo Aliens GN Vol 1 -  Naoe

This thrilling sci-fi fantasy series welcomes you to Japan, a top ten destination for extraterrestrials looking for refuge, relaxation, a good time, or just to raise a little hell! Shiny new high school first-year Akira is as ordinary as they come. He's awkward, has terrible grades, and loves manga. In fact, the only thing that really sets him apart from his peers is his staunch determination to follow in his late father's footsteps as a police officer. But fate has its own plans for Akira. After witnessing a ferocious battle unfold between two strangers with unusual powers on the train-one of whom looks a lot like the tall, dark, and handsome kid in his grade-he finds himself kidnapped...by none other than an alien!

Lord Of The Jungle #1 -  Dan Jurgens, Benito Gallego & Gary Frank

At long last, the Lord of the Jungle returns to comics! One of the most famous and recognizable characters in the history of fiction is back, starting with an adventure that returns us to the days before his birth, as well as a time later in life, when a past wrong must be made right, no matter what manner of beast or obstacle stands in Tarzan's way. From acclaimed writer Dan Jurgens (Superman, Spider-Man, Thor, Booster Gold, Justice League and so many more) comes a tale that wraps the familiar with something brand new. With epic art by Tarzan newspaper artist Benito Gallego, this is sure to be a book that delivers for Tarzan fans both old and new!

Lastman Book 1 -  Balak, Michael Sanlaville, & Bastien Vives

Adrian Velba has trained all year to fight in the Valley of the Kings' legendary tournament. However, despite his ambition, he has no chance of winning. Not only is his partner unable to compete, but at 12 years old, Adrian is the longest of longshots. That is, until a mysterious, powerful stranger enters town, offering to join forces with Adrian. But who is Richard Aldana? And why in a world of magic does he rely solely on his fists?

[psychotrenny]

Every time that you root for "decolonization" (read: genocide and Blut und Boden race-warring), remember the fate of South Africa. A nation that went from performing the first successful human heart transplant in history, to a shambling wreck of illiteracy, endemic rape, corruption, and a regime that literally cannot stop stoking racial tensions against its white citizenry. If this is your standard for 'decolonization', I think that what you're telling the actually civilized races of the world is "Fight back, and fight til nobody stands against you, because your mercy and forbearance will be rewarded with the spiteful treachery of idiots and the brute violence of simpletons who pull down your accomplishments because they're too stupid and backwards to do otherwise." For more reading, feel free to check on the GDP per capita of Israel vis-a-vis that of its Arab neighbors, for a glimpse into what a post-Israel (read: post-genocide) Palestine will look like.

lmao I love it when the bootlicking dipshits of the world just get to the point and start rooting for fucking Apartheid south Africa of all places and throwing around words like "civilised". South Arica pre 1994 was on of the most viciously cruel and exploitative nations in the world, every on of it's (incredibly exaggerated) accomplishments built directly on an entire system of gut churning atrocity. That regime was a fucking blight on humanity to such an obvious extent that even the Imperial nations of the world couldn't bear to support it directly. And the problems South Africa has today are due to the structural of remnants of the old apartheid regime iteslf and the various indigenous reactions and adaptions to it combined with the general effects of existing in the periphery of a global system of neo-colonialism capitalism (which is also why the "Arab" countries of the world have such a low GDP compared to the European and North American Imperial core) rather than any innate moral or intellectual deficiency among the indigenous people. The fact that you're defending Israel along the same lines as South Africa is so hilariously damning. You aren't wrong in one way though; the two nations are very similar end are gonna end up going the same way. Soon they'll be nothing more than history, mourned only by the most cruel and stupid of reactionaries

[hyunjinners]

✧:･ﾟOur Promise → Lee Eunhy-uk x reader ˚₊· ꒰🎀꒱

꒰ 命 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 ꒱┊Sometimes bringing up happy memories can lift moods.

꒰ 命 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ꒱┊Lee Eun-hyuk x Fem¡reader

꒰ 命 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 ꒱┊Angst (a little), cute ending.

꒰ 命 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ꒱┊slight trigger, racial differences, Eun-hyuk being a complete cutie ^°^

꒰ 命 𝐖.𝐂 ꒱┊1,2k

꒰ 命 𝐀/𝐍 ꒱┊One more chapter for you! Remembering that English is not my first language, so I apologize if it is in old-fashioned writing or any spelling errors.

⊹₊˚ʚ❛Masterlist❜ɞ

Bored, Eun-hyuk walks through the corridors of the green building, looking at how the residents are getting along with each other. He carries an imperceptible smile on his face from the little memory of his sister proposing between the lines to Hyun-su.

Crossing the hall, his eyes fall directly on her figure sitting absently. Beautiful. He couldn't help thinking. He watches as he crosses his arms, attentive to her details. The pencil in her hand, tracing perfect lines on the notebook in her lap, your foot tapping frantically to the music playing in your headphones and even the way you would unnoticedly tuck the lock of hair that fell across your face behind your ear.

For anyone this would be a cute or ordinary scene. But Eun-hyuk knew you. He loved you. Which of course guaranteed the fact that he knew you very well, and he knew something was wrong. You were nervous, anxious - worried to say the least. You always do that when you're worried, nervous or even scared. Art always called his attention and, from Eun-hyuk's point of view, he found an interesting way of escape. But still his worries did not diminish.

He really noticed how restless and distant you were for a while during the days. He is really distant because of his role as leader of the group, so it's common for 𝗵𝗶𝗺 not to see you. But strangely 𝘆𝗼𝘂 didn't go see him, which sincerely worried him, but he just thought you were thinking that you didn't want to bother him - which wasn't very unusual for you to think, as you always gave him space when needed.

He walks slowly and silently towards you. He watches intently as his fingers scratch the edge of the notebook nervously. Her head hangs down as she hums softly, wanting to concentrate on the music - anything but her problems.

Sitting down next to him, Eun-hyuk gently removes the headphones from his ears, which results in a slight fright on his part by the sudden act. You sigh as soon as you realize who it was and put on your face the widest smile you could manage - which wasn't particularly much.

"Oppa! How are you?" Through her eyes he could confirm with all certainty that something was not right. In response he just smiled, holding your hand, making you let go of the pencil, thus resting it on the notebook.

"how are you? I haven't heard from you lately, so I was worried."

"I'm fine, don't worry." lie. This was clearly a lie. You could even lie very well, but not when it comes to Eun-hyuk. His heart ached when he realized you weren't going to tell him anything, maybe to keep him from worrying.

"something happened, didn't it? You are restless. Besides listening to music, it's something you do when you're really nervous or sad. You can count, y/n. It's okay." You watch him with lost eyes, wondering if you should speak or not. Leaning back against the wall, you sigh as you stare at the ceiling above.

"it's something silly, Eun-hyuk."

"but it's still something. Tell me."

"It's just… today would be my test. The most important of the semester. The proof that I spent weeks studying because I wanted something for my future but, with all this monster business, I wonder if it even really has a future." you let out a sad laugh. You didn't want to tell because it seemed silly, but only you know what happened. a foreigner, who left her family behind to be able to make her proud and become the most studied in the family, being able to bring the life she wanted so much. Only you knew how hard you and your parents worked for you to be here today.

"I know it sounds silly but…I've been waiting for this since I was 14. I struggled, studied and even worked for it. Which in the end became nothing." a silent tear rolls down her cheek. "sorry…it's stupid, I know."

"No…it's not stupid." he guides you to sit between his legs, thus leaning on his chest. He cuddles in her arms while resting his chin on her head, not before leaving a seal in place. "I know it's important to you and I understand more than anyone what it's like to be forced to drop out of school for a bigger reason."

"but the worst of it is that I won't be able to keep our promise."

The promisse. He remembers clearly.

You were in your small apartment for an afternoon of study together. Eun-hyuk was sitting in her swivel chair while you were sitting on her bed, leaning against the wall. You let out a sigh, dropping the book onto the bed with a low grunt.

"Oppa! Why is studying so tiring?" he turns his chair towards her, looking into her eyes with a small smile. He adjusts his glasses as he gets up to sit beside her. You intertwine your hands, looking into his face in awe.

"want to know something? When all this studying, tests and simulations are over, I'm going to marry you." You said suddenly, making Eun-hyuk surprised.

"Marry?" he asks, a little desperate due to the impact of the fright.

"Of course you do, you silly! Or would you rather I marry some college freshman?"

"What? No no! Of course not… I agree to marry you."

"then…" you intertwine your pinkies, joining your thumbs together like a seal. "…it's a promise."

He loves that memory, but it grew sadder and sadder when he stopped to think about their predicament, how their futures were compromised. You bite your lower lip remembering every effort you made to finish college. It was all down the drain.

"Do not think like that. The world could go up in flames, but that's no reason to part with you. I love you. Of course it's hard but, at least for me, if we're together it's just something we'll get through. Together. No matter what happens."

You are silent, absorbing his words. You couldn't disagree, he was definitely your everything, and you couldn't let the situation stop you from thinking about a better future. He also knew that maybe things would never really get better, but he loves you. Very. And I wanted to get through it all with him.

"…Thank you, Eun-hyuk. I don't know how I would be without you. I love you so much and I want more than ever to be with you until the end."

"I love you too, so I'm going to make it happen. I will keep the promise, my love. Don't worry."

꒷꒦ ⊹ ๑ ❛original by: @hyunjinners ¡ Like × reblog❜ =͟͟͞♡ ‧ ˚ ₊

[bohemian-nights]

as a black gorl i find it really frustrating that a lot of black people rally behind rhaenyra so valiantly as if her actions (future, past, and present) haven’t been coded in such anti-black/misogynoir behavior towards the velaryons?

i wonder if the HotD writers are aware that the choice of making velaryons black no matter the intention changes the optics of EVERYTHING that happens now or later and adds a racial element to what was previously only reserved for nettles. the velaryons have been treated like shit from the very beginning in this show by the targaryens. rhaenyra doesn’t have a relationship with laena anymore and they deleted scenes of the two interacting so their show canon starts with laena attempting to befriend rhaenyra, and ends with rhaenyra sleeping with laena’s widowed husband at her FUNERAL (and calling LAENOR -her husband, the brother of the DEAD LAENA- “useless” because he’s inconsolable over losing his sister), uses laena’s daughters as bargaining chips so that she can put her white sons on the throne of their land instead of endorsing the twins (something even alicent endorsed when she was bargaining with rhaenys), vaemond is killed by daemon and calls rhaenyra a whore even though he never did that in the book so that a black man is given justification to be killed on screen??? like it’s just crazy to me how this family keeps getting fucked over by the tb targaryens and rhaenyra but niggas still stand ten toes down behind rhaenyra??? DID WE WATCH THE SAME SHOW?

and it’s even funnier because the treatment of velaryons only gets worse by all technicalities. the fact they even temporarily switched teams speaks on that so much. then you have corlys tortured by rhaenyra’s orders (and the optics of that is ANOTHER black man doomed at the expense of a white woman) and her council denouncing his bastards (and now with those bastards being black confirmed by leaks) when she spent years convincing everyone her WHITE ones were legit. and then topple that with the infamous nettles quote??? it’s not looking good for her i fear.

honestly i hope my fellow black people jump ship SOON because the egg will be on y’all faces if the show decides to keep all this in.

I wish they’d learn, grow a spine, and realize Missy Anne is not Dany(which is why they support her in the first place), but clowns will be clowns 🤷🏽‍♀️

And calling y’all clowns is me being nice cause I could call y’all the other c-word which is how a lot of you sound when you look the other way at your faves racism and your fellow white/non-Black mentally disturbed cult members I mean stans harassing Black fans and calling characters racial slurs🙃

My problem with them is less that they support Miss Maegor. I mean it is all technically fictional, so it’s not like they are stanning an actual Karen.

However, when they get mad at the fact that some Black people are uncomfortable stanning a racist psycho(especially seeing how her fanbase is comprised of actual racists) that doesn’t make a lick of sense.

They need to reassess cause at this point I’ve seen several of them try to throw other Black people under the bus for this fictitious racist who does all that you mentioned.

Like please save your energy for the stans calling Black characters the n-word, saying Afro hair looks dirty, and saying that it’s fine to cut the only in-canon Black character because there are already enough Black people on the show.

The fact that they seemingly have more smoke for other Black fans than the stans that are just using them to say see look this Black person agrees with me because they are butt-hurt that we all aren’t falling in line to defend a racist white woman and a crusty white ship is downright embarrassing.

[librarycomic]

All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End: The Cartoons of Charles Johnson by Charles Johnson. New York Review Comics, 2022. 9781681376738. 280pp. https://www.powells.com/book/-9781681376738?partnerid=34778&p_bt

I had no idea Dr. Johnson (Middle Passage) was also a cartoonist. I regret that I didn't take one of his writing courses when I studied English at the University of Washington -- something I told Dr. Johnson when I met him years later -- but now that I know he's a talented cartoonist as well I'm smacking myself in the forehead again.

This is a retrospective of Dr. Johnson's cartoons with introductory text to each section, starting with the beginnings of his career, when he published illustrations in a magic company's catalog while still in high school, and ending with comics he's done more recently, many of them Zen-themed. The bulk of the book contains work from the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Dr. Johnson was, as he explains, "…philosophically, a Marxist and a socialist." They're excellent single-panel gags, mostly political, and very much of their time. Many of the best concern the black power movement and responses to it. Reading the bulk of this book reminded me of reading Willie & Joe Come Home by Bill Mauldin, a collection of comics about the struggles of soldiers returning home after WWII, in that both that book and this reflect struggles I should know more about the context of. (In other words, great comics are once again sending me off to read about history I should already know.)

[semper-legens]

131. Marked, by PC and Kristin Cast

Owned?: No, library Page count: 348 My summary: Zoey is just a regular teenage girl - until she is Marked, starting to change into a vampyre. She must move to the House of Night, an elite school for fledgeling vampyres, or die. But Zoey has been marked by the goddess Nyx, and pretty soon finds herself embroiled in a fight for vampyre-kind’s future. She’s changing so fast...but will she survive to become a full-fledged vampyre? My rating: Enjoyment-wise, 5/5. But for quality, it’s a 1 My commentary:

This book series is bad. No two ways about it. There are very few redeeming features about it. And yet, the whole thing fills me with a slightly-shameful and certainly unparalleled glee. I read these books when they were shiny and new, and I liked them because it was the Twilight era and I didn’t know better. Now I do! Honestly, this opening book isn’t so bad as the later ones, it gets way more batshit later on...but that doesn’t mean it’s good, either.

Zoey is such an annoying protagonist. Her POV is what I call #quirky - trying far too hard to be an awkward, kinda dorky, everywoman. The trouble is that she’s so judgemental of literally everyone she meets. She’s disdainful to her human best friend, keeps calling other girls sluts and hos without knowing anything about them, and her judgement is always right. This is to the point where the problem with mean girl Aphrodite’s midnight ritual is because she’s dancing ‘slutty’. Like, this is the actual quote: ‘It didn’t work because it seemed like a crude imitation of Neferet’s dance to ‘She Walks in Beauty’. If this music was a poem, it would be more like ‘Some Ho Grinds Her Bootie.’ There’s also a racial aspect to her POV - her friend who is black is constantly described as looking like an African princess, but Aphrodite’s mean girl friend who is black has long hair which ‘must be a good weave’. Zoey herself has Cherokee descent, which seems to exist just to make her more Special and connected to the vampyre goddess Nyx, who is also a Cherokee spirit when it suits her apparently. I do not know much about Cherokee religion and culture, but I doubt that this is it.

And yeah, this suffers from the problem that Zoey is just super special for no real reason and gets everything handed to her on a plate. Good people like her, bad people hate her. The token hot boy thinks she’s so interesting. She’s the only fledgeling to have her mark completely filled in ever (more on that later). The head of the school takes her on as a mentee. She’s connected to the goddess more than any fledgeling ever. And she doesn’t work at any of this, she just gets it handed to her. The only thing she actively does is a ritual at the end, and even that just comes to her naturally. There’s no real struggle, no real tension. All her friends are ride-or-die for her after like a week at best.

The politics of this book are also weird. I’ve mentioned the racial stuff before, but I wanna talk about Damien. He’s Zoey’s gay friend, and we’re told that Zoey hates homophobes and is totally okay with him being gay. Okay. Sure. Here’s how Zoey’s introduced to Damien. ‘And this is the token guy in our group, Damien Maslin. But he’s gay, so I don’t really think he counts as a guy.’ Damien is apparently okay with this. He acts as the stereotypical Gay Best Friend, he’s sassy, but he ‘wasn’t a swishy girly-guy; he was just a cute kid with a likeable style’. It’s so stereotypical and homophobic. There’s also this weird throughline with the vampyre kids - you’ve got four years to mature into a regular vampyre, or your body could reject the Change and you die. But the sign that you’re rejecting the Change is that you’re fat and lazy and greasy and a loser. It’s horribly fatphobic! Zoey hates ‘weird fat kids’ too, in her overly-judgemental way.

Finally, the worldbuilding here is...weird. I don’t want to be all ‘ugh vampires have to have these exact traits, no creativity allowed’, because they’re not real, people should have some freedom to put their own spin on it. That said, these vampyres don’t need to fear the light, don’t by necessity need to drink blood, don’t have fangs, have a goddess and participate in neo-Pagan rituals to honour her, have inherent magical powers, get a magical face tattoo to show they’re vampyres, are opposed by fundamentalist Christian groups...why is this about vampires, and not witches? A lot of this worldbuilding would make more sense if it was about witches. I get that this was during the Twilight vampire craze, but if this was about witches, like half of the worldbuilding weirdness would be totally eradicated.

Ugh. Fuck this book, but also, it was very fun to revisit. I did look to see if the library had the rest of the series, but it didn’t, and I’m not buying them. So, unless I find my old copies in the attic or something, farewell, House of Night! You were terrible.

Next up, a wholly better piece of YA, and a dystopian future.

[paraffin-penguin]

city of dreams

— after all, this is paradise.

[Tequila/La Pluma, a snapshot taken towards the end of a dream.]

Ernesto yawns, wide enough to pop his jaw and expose his canines – as large and sharp as any other Perro’s, but whose ferocity he normally hides with a friendly smile. Late afternoon. The sun is setting, poured in from the high warehouse windows and stains the floor grenadine. Humid heat and a certain provocative smell, not uncommon in Dossoles, clings to the stagnant air.

Half-asleep, he sits up – or tries to. A mysterious weight pins him to the bed. Ernesto opens his eyes and locks gazes with his lovely stepsister, lying on his chest completely bare.

“...How can I help you, senorita?”

Rafaela blinks at him slowly. “You looked like you were having a nice dream.”

“Mm… maybe.” Reflex, brush away her bangs to better see that adorable face. “Almost time for your shift?”

“Are you dropping me off?”

“As soon as you let me up,” he replies with a chuckle.

“Just a little longer...” she mumbles lazily, pressing herself against him. A hand drifts from his chest to rub his stomach and he unravels, sighing as the tension evaporates from his body and his mind goes blank. He can't help it, it's a racial weakness, one he often wishes she never discovered. Breathe. The disheveled Perro bites back the whimper in his throat.

Rafaela’s hand slides lower still, tangling in his abundant fluff. His cock twitches.

“…If you keep that up, we’re going to have a problem.”

“You're naughty, Hermano…” she coos, altogether too cheerful. Ernesto is intimately familiar with his sister's particular way of demanding his attention; these sudden bouts of languid mischief (the sea breeze tugging his sleeve, or the tide pulling at his ankles, threatening to knock him off-balance). Rafaela leans closer, the word “stay” on her lips millimeters from his own, and plants a kiss on the tip of his nose before fluttering off of him, giggling. He groans, shaking his head.

Ernesto rolls over and props himself up on his elbows as his habitual bedmate perches on the foot of the bed, scanning the room for her clothes. Her figure is gentle sloping lines, everything downcast and melancholic, from her eyelashes to her softly swaying head feathers, the dip of her spine and dainty breasts in profile. Rafaela’s nipples are the color of rich coffee, dark enough to show in light shirts and one of the few things the airheaded Liberi was self-conscious about. She plucks her white ribbon from the floor and raises her arms to fix her hair. From this angle, Ernesto can see the mole on her left breast, a black dot towards the side of the plump mound, invisible when her arms are down. It's these little details that visit him again in dreams, as if to coax him back into waking. Nothing beats the real thing after all. He scooches forward and wraps an arm around her delicate waist, dusting her back with kisses. Here too — a mole on the curve of her shoulder and several above her tuft of a tail (pebbles on a white sand beach, hot to the touch). Rafaela hums sweetly.

“Hermano… that tickles...”

“Ernesto,” he chides. “Come on, you have to start practicing. You wouldn't want to get found out over something this small, do you?”

She wiggles in his grasp, a songbird caught, and whines shyly. “Do I have to?”

“Yup.”

“Er...Ernest...sto — Hey! Don't laugh!” Rafaela huffs, peach-tinted.

“You're so nervous! Do you dislike it that much?” he asks.

“It's not that, it's… it's embarrassing,” she says.

“More embarrassing than what we just did?”

“Th-that's different! I’m used to it, so…”

Ernesto whistles. “The senorita is experienced, I see. I hope I’ve met your expectations?”

“Hermano..!!”

“I kid, I kid.” Consider it payback for earlier, or the continuation of a game he's played since they were children. She can be deceptively expressive despite her quiet reputation, and he’s always been proud of how many faces he can tease out of her. He holds her flush against him, plopping his chin on her shoulder and caressing her midriff with both hands. “I like it when you call me ‘Hermano’, but the less people know about our relation the better. The plan...”

A pause. The sun-soaked mirage wavers at the edges. Adjust the lens, and bring the image back into focus (there was still time, a week or so left of summer).

“Hermano?”

“Hey, Rafaela. Are you free this weekend? I’ll take you to the beach,” he says. “The other day, the guests I was showing around went into a boutique to try on swimsuits… I kept thinking this season’s styles would look great on you – why don't we go together next time?”

“But Papa said he wanted us to stay nearby the next few days...”

“I’ve already arranged the smuggling routes. The soldiers assigned to pick up the supplies were fully briefed five days ago, ditto for the teams at the safehouses. We’re on standby until the tournament actually begins.” Ernesto checks each point off on his fingers.

“And...” he adds, speaking warmly into Rafaela's skin. “...The old man will be on the boat until Monday, he won't notice.” The Golden Boy of Dossoles hugs her like a needy puppy, his mop of blond hair rustling pleasantly in her ear. His voice is still scratchy with sleep, laced with a low growl that leaves her tingling. It makes her think of his teeth, and the impression of them on her inner thighs.

“It’d do us good to blow off some steam. The beach on the south side will be empty this time of year… We can drive down, go for a swim…You might not even need a swimsuit.” Ernesto smirks.

She looks strange, naked except for the ribbon in her hair, but undressing in front of him has never really bothered her. His pretty sister converses with him as innocently as ever, and he drinks in the sight of her pale body in the twilight.

Rafaela toys with his hands, stroking the calluses on his knuckles. Finally, she turns and pecks him on the cheek.

“Alright, Hermano. I’ll go with you.”

The smile she gives him is radiant.

Ernesto glances at the watch on the bedside table. “When do you need to be at the bar again?”

Rafaela tilts her head. “In half an hour, why?”

He grins. “...One more round.”

She gasps when he pulls her back into bed and under the covers, giggles when he begins kissing her everywhere. His wagging tail causes the sheets to billow around them. Lately, Rafaela smells more and more like sunshine. He buries his face in her neck and inhales deeply while she squirms beneath him, kicking her legs and breathless with laughter. She touches his lips, sighing, rose and gold from the sunset filtered through the thin blanket.

Ernesto is so happy it scares him. This horrible secret, this terrible sin, sneaking around behind his father's back — but it can't be any worse than all the other crimes that are allowed to fester in this city.

If it's here, he’ll be forgiven. (After all, this is paradise.)

“Rafaela, do you like living in Dossoles?”

Rafaela’s eyes are a wineglass, crystal clear and far too deep. She volleys the question back at him with all the force of an inflatable ball.

“...Do you, Hermano?”

He pictures it sailing past the summer sky, over the glittering seaside where a little crow girl once told him she loved him, heart and soul.

In this revolving door of tourists, it's easy enough for a brother and sister who don't resemble each other to blend into a crowd and act like an ordinary couple.

Ernesto bends down to kiss her, tenderly, chaste (she trembles like the sun in the water).

He doesn't answer.

[jimmyflemion]

The Blue-Eyed Devil & The Brown-Eyed Angel - The Frogs

Song 28. The Blue-Eyed Devil & The Brown-Eyed Angel (Demo)

 Song 23 off of our LP "Racially Yours", is "The Blue-Eyed Devil & The Brown-Eyed Angel. It was written at work on August 27, 1992 and completed on August 29, 1992. It has the same pentameter as Bernie Taupin's lyric to, "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy".

 Keep your eyes on the piercing lyrics as they grip you like a vice:

 All the time while on the cross

You had a white heart

 Favoring one race, keepin' us apart

Reduced to loving you

 Racially dissected, white and unproud

Racial spirituals, divinity denied

 The streets of hell are unequaled

In heaven the blue-eyed devil

And the brown-eyed angel

 The chord progression for the entire song is : G Major / D Major / C Major / E minor. The chords revolve in a circle creating a trance like state and timelessness quality. The keyboard melodies were created by Dennis.

 All the time. The first song I wrote was written in 1977 and was called, "Out Of Fear". The first lyric in that first song I wrote was "Time", ("Time goes by and I'm only sitting here"). The song "9 To 5" by The Kinks off of their "Soap Opera" LP contains the line, ("And time goes by, the hours tick away". The LP "Soap Opera", was and remains one of my all time favorite albums. In 1976, I used to put on the LP, and while my friends were over, I would mime all the lyrics complete with wardrobe changes. I saw The Kinks on their "Sleepwalker", "Misfits", "Low Budget", "One For The Road", "GiveThe People What They Want",  tours along with seeing Ray Davies on his solo "Other People's Lives" tour. They are one of my all time favorite bands. I love Ray's writing and his charismatic stage presence. While on the cross. We all have our problems, some BIG, some are small, soon all of our problems will be taken by the cross. The cross is comprised of two beams, one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical beam represents our relationship to god. The horizontal beam represents our relationship to others in the human family. The horizontal beam is wholly dependent upon the vertical beam to maintain it's place. Without the vertical beam, it is impossible for the horizontal beam to function. You had a white heart. Pure and glowing. Favoring one race. Biased. Keeping us apart. It's easy to hate and draw a line, for error is human, forgiveness divine. Reduced to loving you. Non-dual beyond compare and none can measure you, without color, expression or form, nor attributes to lend. Racially dissected. Break it down. We're all the same. White and unproud. Say it loud. If one is black and proud, it goes without saying that the alternative is white and unproud. Racial spirituals. Let me bring you songs from the cross. Let me bring you songs from the wood. Divinity denied. Come home brother, all is forgiven, we all cried when you were driven away. All access divinity pass. By denying the beast, he became the son of god. I'll never end, transcend, transcend. The streets of hell are unequaled. On the streets of Philahellphia. You have got to agree that nothing comes close to the streets of hell. In heaven the blue-eyed devil and the brown-eyed angel. Behind blue eyes. I've got blue eyes. Baby's got blue eyes. Old blue eyes. I saw Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich in 1983 in Milwaukee. As old blue eyes walked into the arena to take the stage, I touched his shoulder. He would be forever changed. The songs last lyrics are the song's title, like George Michael's song "One More Try", that also ends on the title where he was "Looking out for angels". The Rascals are one of my all time favorite bands, simply amazing. Their LP "Once Upon A Dream", is one of my all time favorites. Vocals, talent and musical perfection. You're out looking 'til you look inside, and I see you've found it, there's a place called heaven, you might think it's kinda square, oh, oh yeah, don't believe in heaven, you ain't never been there. Just as new life will come from death, love will come at leisure, love of love, love of life, and giving without measure gives in return a wondrous yearn of a promise almost seen, live hand in hand and together we'll stand on the threshold of a dream.

 The track "The Blue-Eyed Devil & The Brown-Eyed Angel", contains vocal and acoustic guitar by myself and keyboards by Dennis.

The Blue-Eyed Devil & The Brown-Eyed Angel (Demo)

Jimmy Flemion : Vocals & Acoustic Guitar 

Written by Jimmy Flemion 08/27/1992

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

[gothra]

In leftist circles, especially with young, hyper-online leftists, I think that white women are regarded as the last acceptable kind of marginalized person to hate. The things that happen to them are okay because things that happen to other people are worse. It’s okay if you’re being a misogynist and you’re queer because you’re queer and you’ve had it worse.

To me, that’s immature, not because I deny the truth of race and racial dynamics, but because others are denying the marginalization of sex and gender and using race as a pacifier, a self-soothing tool that keeps them feeling like they’re doing something good and positive for the world and for other marginalized people. It’s good to patronize and dismiss misogyny if white women are complaining about it, because they’re crazy psycho nutbag Karens who gripe about everything and try and steal the show while the rake in the benefits. Their problems aren’t real, they’re just example problems, practice problems that are only real when they happen to other women who aren’t cishet or white. White women (especially cishet white women) are at an intersection that keeps them in limbo; they get privilege from their racial identity and receive marginalization from their gender/sex. I find white women and their status in this world interesting and I’m glad I moved on from my hatred and jealousy of them, to an appreciation and understanding of them as an entity by enjoying a chosen few, kind of like allowing a wild fox to eat a strawberry out of your hand or keeping bees or something.

The truth is, if you are disrespectful and cruel to white cishet women for unjustified reasons, I don’t trust that you won’t treat me the same way. No, I don’t trust that you’re more of an ally because you’ve strategically targeted our common “enemy”, no I don’t appreciate it or feel safer or more comfortable with your attempt at “allyship”. It raises my hackles in a specific way for a specific reason.

The issues of all women often intersect at some of the same points, and if something is a problem for white cishet women, there’s a 90% chance that it has been a greater problem for WOC for much longer. How are you going to recognize those problems if you find a way to rationalize dismissing them because of the people who experiencing them? As soon as I sense that you’ve gotten into the habit of using an “acceptable” way to commit some act of lateral cruelty, I won’t feel safe. Big things often start the way an addiction starts, with one or two drinks, and end with cirrhosis of the liver, a scarred, poisoned gut, and bad attitudes towards women. I don’t accept that you allowing yourself this little treat of casual misogyny directed at an “acceptable” target won’t turn into something bigger and more dangerous.

Also, the term “kidnapped white woman syndrome” isn’t meant to paint the picture of a dramatic white woman making a big deal about a crime committed against her, it’s a description of media and social attitudes towards white women. That’s just for whoever needs to know.

And this isn’t about POC who express their feelings about the racism they experience at the hands of white women. This is about…everyone else.

[lastchancevillagegreen]

All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End: The Cartoons of Charles Johnson (2022) Charles Johnson (280 pages)

Charles Johnson was/is a cartoonist and author who attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (about four years prior to my service) and he worked at The Daily Egyptian as a cartoonist and at The Southern Illinoisan as well as The Chicago Tribune.

[memphisfaith]

Chapter 20: Legacy of Magic

Pairing: Kim Namjoon x Reader

Genre: Fantasy Au

Warnings: Racial slurs, discrimination, torcher, death, murder, mentions of enslavement, kidnapping, mentions of suicide, attempted suicide.

Word Count: 1.2K

Summary: There have always been tales of creatures in the world, all described in different ways. Some labeled as ruthless, others heroic, or even powerful. The world is filled with magic of all types and monsters of every kind. But there are whispers of family so great they could rival the heavens if tempted. A Legacy grown from love, heartache, and magic.

It all happened so sudden, it came from nowhere. Like Fate had snapped and the world around them stopped. The Warlock had given up and stood on the beach that was once filled with footprints of his family and now remained smooth and untouched. He was ready to meet his end for he was empty and broken, but as soon as he touched into the water to meet his demise it sucked him under. 

The Warlock then found himself in a chair in front of a man he’s only seen in paintings, the man looked at him coldly as he sipped on his tea. “You chose the end instead of fixing things with my pupil?” The Wizard scoffs, The Wizard's words felt like a splash of cold water to the face. 

“She has suffered, and grieved, and endured all your heartache still waiting for you.” The Wizard growls, “AND YOU CHOSE TO END YOUR LIFE RATHER THAN FIND HER! YOUR SONS AS WELL! WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE FELT TO KNOW THEIR FATHER, A WARLOCK OF HIS TIME, WAS A COWARD AND CHOSE TO END HIS LIFE RATHER THAN FIGHT FOR THEM!” The Wizard yelled.

“WHAT FOOLISH GOD GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO HAVE HER, TO HAVE YOUR SONS WHEN THIS IS HOW YOU RESPOND TO SUCH A FOOLISH PROBLEM! SHE CAME TO ME IN TEARS BECAUSE OF YOUR WRONG DOING AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE THIS REALM WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEMS YOU STARTED!” The Wizard continues, his face beat red in anger. It was at this point The Warlock had tears in his eyes. He buries his head into hands and pulls at his blue locks.

The Wizard suddenly goes quiet, unbeknownst to The Warlock the Wizard is suddenly very aware of all his emotions. Every single one of them bare to him, “By the gods, you love her don’t you?” The Wizard scoffs. The Warlock didn’t need to say a word as The Wizard checked again, then again, then a fourth time before he let out a tired sigh and sank back into his seat.

“She loves you too, you know, and she’s here still waiting for whatever reason. Find her, keep her, because if she comes back to me for any reason you are going to wish I ended you now.” The Wizard groans. Namjoon found himself once again with no words to say, but this time he’d rather be damned than let it stay that way.

Namjoon stood so fast he knocked over his chair and he stumbled on it as he rushed to the nearest door. The Wizard rolls his eyes at the mess, with blink the mess is cleaned up again. The Wizard can feel The Warlock scurry around his castle, still feeling particularly vexing The Wizard will change the course of the halls away from his beloved pupil every time The Warlock gets too close.

However, after a while he finally allows The Warlock the right path. The Warlock stumbles into the room and The Witch who sat in a chair reading her book jumps. As soon as she sees his blue hair The Witch is up out of her seat and seconds away from snapping her fingers. The Warlock was unable to stop it however as her fingers connected nothing happened. The Wizard at the other end of the castle smirks on the edge of his tea cup.

Unable to use magic The Witch takes her chances and runs to the door however this time The Warlock is fast enough to stop her. The Witch screams, throwing her hands at him. As she does purple lightning tosses him across the room, once again the Wizard smirks. 

War seems to break out from there as magic is tossed from one end of the room to the other, The Witch screaming profanities and insults of every kind as The Warlock begs for her to stop and listen. It seems to go on like that until they both fall to the floor exhausted of energy and magic. 

“I’m sorry,” The Warlock spoke first, “I’m sorry for not being the man I was supposed to be. I’m sorry for being a spineless coward who would rather take his own life than fight for what was his. I’m sorry for being scared that I would scare you away with my position in the magical world. I’m sorry for being a terrible father to our children.” The Warlock lists in sobs.

“I love you (y/n), if you asked me for the stars I would do my damnedest to give you every last one. Even if it killed me,” He cries, The Witch said nothing as she inches her way over to him. “I love you so much that when I lost you I didn’t know what to do with myself, I lost all control on the world around me and myself that I felt like a waste of space to the world.” He continues.

The Warlock jumps as he feels soft hands cup his cheeks. He allowed them to guide his head up to meet purple tired blood-shot eyes that still looked as gorgeous as he last remembered and took his breath away.

The Warlock melts when her lips press to his, the two however jump when the ground below them becomes non-existent only to land on the bed of The Witch’s room within the castle. The Witch however couldn’t bring herself to care that her mentor is well aware of her intentions as she pulls Namjoon closer.

Soon enough clothes were torn away, gasps and moans filled the air as the sheets grew messy and tangled. When ecstasy came and went they were left to bask in the afterglow as The Witch laid on top of The Warlock. The Warlock has one arm warped around her as his other traced small shapes into her naked back while The Witch lays on one of hers as the other rests against The Warlock’s bare chest.

“Marry me,” The Warlock whispers, “Marry me and allow me to be with you for the rest of our lives, allow me to be a proper father to our sons, allow me to help you forge our Legacy of Magic,” He whispers, pressing his forehead to hers.

And they did, they married in the great hall of her Mentor’s estate for all to see, they lived long lives together with their sons who grew into their own legends along with their parents who had forged new ones.

There are whispers of a Man who is said to have a soul as deep as the ocean and wisdom that makes him just as old. There are whispers of a boy who is said to have the beauty beyond imagination but beware of his vexing streak, lustful cravings, with impish behavior. There are whispers of a warrior who cares not for glory or fame but the thrill of battle and carries the power of a god within a tiny necklace. There are whispers about the swamp of sorrows as it is home to creatures of all kinds, as well as her.

There are whispers of family that could rival the heavens should they choose. One of a Wizard who carries the weight of the universe on his shoulders, One of a Warlock that could command a whole race of magic, One of a Dragon as old as time, One of a Phoenix with a never ending life, One of a demon freed from the chains of hell, One of a Warrior who wields the power of a god, One of a Fae with royalty running thick in his veins, and One of a Witch who is a Goddess in the making. The Family that is a Legacy of Magic.

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[riylcast]

Episode 570: Charles R. Johnson

Earlier this year, The New York Times Review of Books published All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End. The collection features cartoons dating back to the 60s and 70s, offering a glimpse into author Charles R. Johnson many have not seen.

Decades before he won the National Book Award for Middle Passage, his historical novel about the slave trade, Johnson was being published as a cartoonist. 

The works contained in the volume are gag strips tackling some of the day’s biggest hot button topics, primarily race relations at the height of America’s civil rights movement. 

Johnson joins us to discuss a wildly diverse career, as well as his time teaching drawing on public television and a long-time embrace of Buddhism.

[sequential-li]

Publishers Weekly 2022 Graphic Novel Critics Poll

Winner: Ducks by Kate Beaton

2nd (tie): Keeping Two by Jordan Crane 2nd (tie): The Third Person by Emma Grove

3rd: A Career in Books: A Novel About Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun by Kate Gavino (Plume) 3rd: The Peanutbutter Sisters and Other American Stories by Rumi Hara (Drawn & Quarterly) 3rd: Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank by Eric Orner (Metropolitan) 3rd: Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith (Chronicle) 3rd: What Is Home, Mum? by Sabba Khan (Street Noise) 3rd: Who Will Make the Pancakes by Megan Kelso (Fantagraphics)

Two Votes:

Acting Class by Nick Drnaso (Drawn & Quarterly) Artist by Yeong-shin Ma, trans. from the Korean by Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly) Genevieve Castrée: Complete Works 1981 - 2016 by Genevieve Castrée, edited and trans. from the French by Phil Elverum with Aleshia Jensen (Drawn and Quarterly) The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere. by James Spooner (Harper) Invisible Wounds by Jess Ruliffson (Fantagraphics) Joseph Smith and the Mormons by Noah Van Sciver (Abrams ComicArts) The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law That Changed Women’s Lives by Kelcey Ervick (Avery) Men I Trust by Tommi Parrish Notes From a Sickbed by Tessa Brunton (Graphic Universe) Shuna's Journey by Hayao Miyazaki trans. from the Japanese by Alex Dudok de Wit (First Second) Talk to My Back by Yamada Murasaki trans. from the Japanese by Ryan Holmberg (Drawn and Quarterly) Time Zone J by Julie Doucet (Drawn & Quarterly)

Honorable Mentions:

Acid Nun by Corinne Halbert (Silver Sprocket) Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti (Random House Graphic) After Lambana: Myth and Magic in Manila by Eliza Victoria and Mervin Malonzo (Tuttle) Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Suspense by Noël Simsolo and Dominique Hé, trans. from the French by Montana Kane (NBM) Alice Guy: First Lady of Film by Catel and Bocquet, trans. from the French by Edward Gauvin (SelfMadeHero) All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End: The Cartoons of Charles Johnson by Charles Johnson (New York Review Comics) Birds of Maine by Michael DeForge (Drawn & Quarterly) Black and White: Tough Love at the Office (#1) by Sal Jiang (Seven Seas) Catch These Hands! (#1) by Murata (Yen) Clementine by Tillie Walden (Image) The Con Artists by Luke Healy (Drawn & Quarterly) DC Pride 2022 by Various Writers/Artists (DC) Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story by Catherine Pioli (Graphic Mundi) Drip Drip by Paru Itagaki (Viz) Everything Is Ok by Debbie Tung (Andrews McMeel) Fantastic Four: Full Circle by Alex Ross (Abrams ComicArts) Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer (Abrams ComicArts) G.I.L.T. by Alisa Kwitney and Mauricet (Ahoy!) Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor (DC) Halina Filipina by Arnold Arre (Tuttle) How To Make a Monster by Casanova Frankenstein (Fantagraphics) The Human Target (#1) by Tom King and Greg Smallwood (DC) Hummingbird Heart by Travis Dandro (Drawn & Quarterly) I'm Still Alive by Roberto Saviano and Asaf Hanuka (Boom!) The Joy of Quitting by Keiler Roberts (Drawn & Quarterly) The Last Mechanical Monster by Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts) The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito, trans. from the Japanese by Jocelyne Allen (Viz) Look Again by Elizabeth Trembley (Street Noise) Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Viz) Love and Rockets: The First Fifty by Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics) Monotone Blue by Nagabe (Seven Seas) Movements and Moments edited by Sonja Eismann, Ingo Schöningh, and Maya (Drawn & Quarterly) Mr. Colostomy by Matthew Thurber (Drawn & Quarterly) My Perfect Life by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly) My Wandering Warrior Existence by Nagata Kabi, trans. from the Japanese by Jocelyne Allen (Seven Seas) Nowhere Girl by Magali Le Huche, trans. from the French by Jesse Aufiery (Nobrow) Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss (Celadon) One Beautiful Spring Day by Jim Woodring Our Little Secret by Emily Carrington (Drawn & Quarterly) The Paradox of Getting Better by Raven Lyn Clemons (Silver Sprocket) The Philosopher, the Dog and the Wedding: The Story of the Infamous Female Philosopher Hipparchia by Barbara Stok, trans. from the Dutch by Michele Hutchison (SelfMadeHero) Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator by Sofia Warren Rave by Jessica Campbell (Drawn & Quarterly) Real Hero Shit by Kendra Wells (Iron Circus) Salamandre by I.N.J. Culbard (Dark Horse) Schappi by Anna Haifisch (Fantagraphics) The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton by Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer (Image) Slash Them All by Antoine Maillard, trans. from the French by Jenna Allen (Fantagraphics) So Much for Love: How I Survived a Toxic Relationship by Sophie Lambda trans. from the French by Montana Kane (First Second) Something is Killing the Children (#4) by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera (Boom!) Space Story by Fiona Ostby (West Margin) Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh (HarperCollins) Thieves by Lucie Bryon (Nobrow) Ultrasound by Conor Stechschulte (Fantagraphics) Upside Dawn by Jason (Fantagraphics) Why the People: The Case for Democracy by Beka Feathers and Ally Shwed (First Second) Yellow Cab by Benoît Cohen and Christophe Chabouté, trans. from the French by Edward Gauvin (IDW)

[reviews-by-shelby]

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

              White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson is a horror young adult novel that focuses on Marigold “Mari” Anderson, a teenaged girl who is moving with her blended family from their California beach town to middle-of-nowhere Cedarville. She sees this move as a fresh new start after running into trouble with drugs and mental health in the months before. As she, her brother, mom, step-dad Alec, and step-sister Piper settle into their new, free home (paid for by the Sterling Foundation, who hired her mom to write a book), they soon find out that things are not what they seem. Mari learns that something sinister is living in her home, and it leaves her family in constant fear. As she works to understand what is going on, she figures out that things in her new town are not what they seem. She uncovers years’ worth of racial divide, drug problems, and the fact that the Sterling Foundation has their hand in all of it. Mari must work against the clock to bring these issues to light, or else the Foundation will erase the town’s history and rebuild it with their own agenda in mind.

              This book serves the Black community and highlights the importance of standing up for one’s race and community. When Mari moves to Cedarwood and begins attending her new high school, she finds that a majority of the population is Black and makes a few friends who are the same race. She feels a sense of belonging that she didn’t feel in California and felt more of a connection to her neighbors when it came time to do something about the racial divide that had been happening for years thanks to the Sterling Foundation. This book also made me feel more empathy for people involved in drugs. A couple of characters named Yusef and Erika were mentioned as children of drug lords. Their fathers were put in prison because of their involvement with selling weed, which left their son and daughter without parental figures. The effects of their absence are evident as the two characters describe how hard it is to go through an important stage in their life, their teenage years, without their fathers. I’ve always thought of drugs as a bad situation for people to get involved with them, but I’ve honestly never given much thought on the effect they can have on the sellers’ family.

              This book also addresses one thing that I find to be very important, and that is second chances. Mari is looking to turn over a new leaf in Cedarville after getting involved in drugs after an ex-boyfriend led her down the wrong path. Throughout the story she is constantly struggling with herself internally, telling herself that she’s messed up too badly and there’s no turning back. She learns the important lesson that everyone deserves a second chance, no matter how serious their actions were. With the right outlook and support, anyone can become stronger and learn from their mistakes, which is exactly what Mari does with the help of those closest to her. Overall, I thought this book was entertaining and focused on great themes of family, standing up for what you believe in, and learning from your mistakes. For most the story, Mari is very self-centered and harsh towards her family, mainly lashing out because of the negative feelings she harbors due to her past mistakes, but it’s rewarding to witness her change for the better.

              I chose this genre of young adult writing because it was October when I was making my choices for the second round of blogging. I wanted to fit the Halloween atmosphere and read something that would be a little scary. Admittedly, I don’t think I found the most reputable list when I chose this book. There is not really an award that recognizes young adult horror novels, so I ended up doing a Google search to find some popular titles in this genre. Tiffany D. Jackson’s name came up in a lot different lists I found on reading blogs, and I thought the book synopsis sounded interesting. I also liked the fact that it featured characters of color and focused on the struggles of racial division. At first, I was afraid the book would be a little too scary for me (because I’m a baby when it comes to things like that), but I found it to be very enjoyable and suspenseful. I give this book four out of five stars.

Jackson, T. D. (2021). White Smoke. HarperCollins.