Understand Propaganda

In the current world of “opinion piece”, “fake news”, “sound bites”, you might want to think about the hidden meaning behind what policymakers and news corporations say to you. Understand how propaganda works.

See my shop if interested in getting the art on as a poster or t-shirt.

A Monkey's Guide To Self-Discovery

Light of the Eye

Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep (Mockup)

Vote With Your Heart (Poster)

Nnedi Okorafor's LaGuardia (Review)

There aren't many western publishers pumping out African-based sci-fi or fantasy comic books so I was glad to see Nnedi Okorafor's LaGuardia on my Edelweiss list.

The story itself is about aliens who came to earth as refugees and immigrants, contributed to earth's technology, then afterwards ostracised and discriminated against by humans. Thick in the middle of these events are disruptions in relationships, riots, and hidden kindness in unexpected places.

LaGuardia strengths lie in its characters and setting, which is unapologetically African as well as American. Unique dialogue and its bright colours lend the work life and believability. The characters' unusual names (Future, Letme, Citizen, Payment, etc. ) takes away a bit of immersion from the reading - I found myself pausing often, not sure if the names were verbs or nouns in many cases.

LaGuardia is a satire that reflects the stupidity of racism and discrimination based on colour geographical location. It is an African-American fantasy with a lot of heart. The names and lingo might come across as confusing at first, but it pays off in the end if you stick with it.

Philosophical and Cultural Ideas On Death

Even as a book reviewer, it is not often that you come across books that deal with the subject of death. You may come across themes of loss, loneliness, and other emotions that death brings, but to look at non-existence in the face and examine it critically is something I am not used to. So, ladies and gentlemen, I present Death: A Reader, by Mary Ann G. Cutter.

Death: A Reader takes a broad look at the way humanity views death. The author examines various cultures from different timelines to illustrate how our perspectives on death differ. Ultimately, the book concludes that how we view death affects the way we view suicide, old age, how we handle the news of our demise, and the manner with which we conduct funerals.

Though the author points to a personal event (the loss of her husband) as one of the triggers for writing this book, you will find that this work lacks a personal touch.  Death: A Reader reads like an academic paper and it has lots of references that might put an average reader off.

Having said that, this is a well-researched and thorough work. Granted, it is a dry read; however, those looking for materials on this grim subject (whether for academic, legislative, or personal purposes) will find a few useful information and philosophical ideas to help them on their way.

Many thanks to the University of Notre Dame Press for the review copy.

The Devaluation Of Artistic & Creative Skills

Some of us are worried about the devaluation of artistic and creative skills going in today's technological age. Creative works are constantly offered for exposure or less money than they are worth. Many companies and individuals, even those with lots of money, continue to see artistic people's insecurities as something to exploit for cheap labour.

The natural or artisanal wine industry is one that has caught Jonathan Nossiter's eye. In his book, Cultural Insurrection, he evaluates the rise of this tiny sector and how it has risen against all odds to thrive and prosper.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
Nossiter points out many lessons from how natural winemakers worked together, defied government interference, and resisted the allure of over-the-top profit to create something they are genuinely proud of.

WHAT I DISLIKE
While this book has lots of examples of winemakers and the negative events they had to overcome to make a success of their craft, it fails to do a good job in drawing enough parallels between natural winemakers and the creative arts. We are left to figure out how, for example, writers or illustrators, can use these examples to fight for fairer wages in their industry.

Cultural Insurrection by Jonathan Nossiter stirs up the blood with its premise but falls a little bit flat in its execution.

Many thanks to Other Press for review copy.

Decay

I designed this after observing the beauty, usefulness, as well as deadliness of mushrooms.