The rain is bound to come. So, in the spirit of rainy day music, Pencils.com offers this short list of songwriters you may want to check out. What better way to spend your days indoors than to explore new music. What does your playlist look like these days? Mine has been a mix of old […]
Frankenstein, the Horror and the Legacy Mary Shelley’s novel of the macabre undertakings of Victor Frankenstein and his confrontation with scientific disaster, a green monster of peculiar origins, has undergone many incarnations over the years. Since the original release of the novel in 1818 during the Romantic Period, Shelley’s dark tale has become the standard tale […]
Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1st 1902. Most prominently known for his exemplary writing and contributions to the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes has left a lasting impression on American Literature. Hughes was a multi-talented writer. As a poet, playwright, and novelist, he published widely, becoming one of the most successful and well respected […]
Writing is not a formulaic activity, and that is precisely what makes it such a valuable activity. It’s an act that requires more imagination than rigid doctrine, and this flexibility is what makes possible the potential for poets to innovate and emulate within this wonderful genre. It is also, however, a genre of writing that […]
So much goes into the creation of a great comic book. From developing a great storyline, to creating memorable characters, to the meticulous work of penciling and inking each frame, comic book publishers have their hands full producing artwork that they hope will gain a wide readership. As the narrative unfolds frame by frame, publishers become […]
Can comic books be considered “serious” art? Or perhaps the more appropriate question might be, “Why can’t comic books be considered serious art?” Comic books have been a pervasive element of pop culture for many years. With their beginnings as newspaper comics, drawing similarities with pulp magazines, and on further into the superhero age, comics have evolved […]
One of my aspirations in life is to be able to finish The New York Times Crossword Puzzle without succumbing to a Google search, or phoning a friend. So far, I have yet to achieve that goal. Let’s face it, some of the clues are downright sneaky. When I make a more earnest effort to achieve this […]
Poetry and songs have always shared a close relationship. For example, poetry was originally believed to have been sung, memorized, and passed on by oral tradition. Similarly, music has retained its notoriety by being passed on from musician to musician. This is particularly true of genres like Folk music and the Blues. Songs are even […]
Animation has always intrigued me. I was often glued to the television set, admittedly when I was supposed to be doing more constructive things, but the allure of well drawn artwork, as well as a good story, always had the power to keep my attention when nothing else would. In fact, I still find myself […]
Dreams are fleeting, like birds escaping from a tree’s branches in the morning. They come to us each evening, leaving an impression on us that may only last until after we’ve sat down for breakfast. As much as we’d like, our memory can only retain so much of what we’ve dreamt the night before. But what […]
