From Paris to Birmingham – Milan Topalovic revives Art Deco glamour
One of Birmingham’s most beloved artists, Milan Topalovic celebrates the city’s past and present, often evoking the Art Deco glamour of the 1920s. Birmingham has a fascinating industrial past and some great Art Deco architecture, which is a big influence on Milan’s work. Originating in Paris in the 1920s as a successor to the earlier Art Nouveau movement, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour and technological progress. It influenced everything from buildings and furniture, to fashion, trains and ocean liners.
The Electric Cinema, Birmingham Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: An Epic Journey through Ancient Greece
Assassin’s Creed is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Originally a spin off from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the game has pioneered new gameplay elements such as stealth and parkour in an open-world environment. Games within the franchise have covered a variety of historical themes including pirates, Ancient Egypt and most recently the Viking invasion of Britain.
Since the launch of the first game in 2007, which had some clunky gameplay mechanisms, Ubisoft has perfected the format to create a seamless experience with amazingly detailed worlds to explore. In 2018’s Odyssey, there is an incredible level of detail both visually and in terms of historical research. This game truly brings Ancient Greece to life – from its awe-inspiring buildings to the clothing, art, weapons and religious practices.
Review: Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson
Published earlier this month, Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson has been universally praised. In this debut novel we follow a day in the life of a young woman who works in a mundane office job. We’re in her head from the moment she wakes up, to the moment she drops off to sleep.
She’s extremely self-conscious, suffering ever-present anxiety and impulses to self-harm, troubled by a recent trauma. The memories often break through, but of course she hasn’t the time (or possibly the inclination) to fully process the experience. She is assaulted by constant distractions – email, WhatsApp, Twitter and colleagues making small talk, but those intrusive, traumatic thoughts are always there under the surface.
Review: While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart
A young woman’s future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope.
Author Ruth Druart moved to Paris in 1993. While walking around the city when she first moved there, she was moved by the plaques and monuments to those killed during World War II. Outside a school in Le Marais, she noticed a simple plaque telling of the 260 pupils who were detained by the Nazis during the war. This inspired her to learn more about the German occupation of France.
How I found peace in Red Dead Redemption
You might think Red Dead Redemption 2 is all gun slinging, gang rivalries and bar room brawls, but it’s not just for adrenaline junkies. It might not be as rejuvenating as a spa day or a yoga retreat, but these days you need to take what you can get.
Our main character Arthur Morgan is a simple man, and he knows how to enjoy the simple things in life. After a long day of fear and doom-scrolling, here’s how you can relax while exploring the world of the old Wild West..
Interview: Illustrator & Cartoonist Tom Dearie Keeps it Surreal
Since graduating from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London where his focus was painting, Tom Dearie has made a successful leap over to the world of comics and illustration. Last year he received the coveted ‘Grand Prix’ award at the 31st International Comic Competition (Komiksus) in Poland for his comic F is for Fire. Inspired by the fire department Tom lives near in Warsaw, the comic tells the story of a heroic firefighting father who is injured in service.
With satisfyingly simple forms and eye-catching colour palettes, Tom’s work feels both completely current and strangely familiar. It would be equally at home in a classic comic or on a New Yorker cover. While the commercial potential of his work is obvious, it’s also playfully surreal and often catches you off guard – his Steamy Pete illustration for example looks like some kind of psychedelic Where’s Wally or Tintin in a parallel universe.
Magic, Mice and Medieval Maidens – An Interview with Illustrator Serena Malyon
Rising star Serena Malyon is a Canadian illustrator mainly known for her work in children’s books. Inspired by artists from the Golden Age of Illustration but with a totally unique style of her own, Serena has the gift of conjuring whole worlds from just one image.
A master of watercolour and gouache, Serena has worked on a huge variety of illustration projects including children’s books, graphic novels, textbooks and fantasy maps. She has won a number of awards, with her Salt Harbour map winning the Cartographer’s Guild ‘Most Creative Map’ award in 2019.
Some of her most impressive work to date can be found in the Mouse Guard Alphabet Book, created with established comic book creator David Petersen. His beloved Mouse Guard series is set in a world of sentient mice who live in a medieval era, protecting and serving their fellow mice. Serena has brought this world to life with timeless illustrations that are sure to make this book a classic. Each illustration is a stunning work of art in its own right.
Dash & Lily is a Bookworm’s Dream Show
Imagine you’re in New York, and it’s Christmas. You’re in your favourite book store, and there, is a red notebook. Do you dare…?
That’s the premise of this uber-festive teen rom-com. It might seem like another cheesy Netflix show (ie Emily in Paris) but it’s a bookworm’s dream – featuring New York’s literary landmarks, beautiful book stores, libraries and a cast of adorable characters who love books too.
🎄It’s based on a book – Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares🎄
Antkind: Charlie Kaufman Kills the Inner Critic
Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has described his debut novel Antkind as his ‘big book of jokes’, but of course it’s much more than that.
Primarily it seems to be a device for him to torture a film critic of his own making – named B. Rosenberger Rosenberg. This irredeemable character has all the cliché character flaws you might expect in a film critic – he’s pompous, self-aggrandising, and almost completely lacking any self-awareness.
Interview: Amy Turk Takes Video Game Music to the Next Level
While searching for video game soundtracks on YouTube, I found there were hundreds of covers by some amazing musicians. Amy Turk stands out as one of the most accomplished and unusual, transforming video game music with her harp to a higher art form.
As fans will know, the Nintendo game series Legend of Zelda has some of the most beautiful and intricate video game soundtracks ever made. This is largely due to the work of composer Koji Kondo, who was the first composer hired by Nintendo. His soundtrack for the 1985 game Super Mario Bros is one of the most memorable in video game history.
