Surviving The City Can Be Rough. In Volume 3: We Are the Medicine What’s Examined is Based on Real Life.

In this graphic novel series, Surviving the City, isn’t just about how one culture is dealing with colonialism, but rather with how many other lives can get affected at the same time.

Tasha Spillett, author of Surviving the CityHighWater Press
Spoiler Alert

Some knowledge of what the graphic novel series, Surviving the City, wants to educate is required to acknowledge what the latest instalment Volume 3: We Are Medicine, hopes to heal. Ever since the news about finding a mass grave of children near a former residential school in Kamloops broke out in 2021, there were a lot of protests and finger pointing. The world blamed people in prominent positions of power of the atrocity. Even now, the after-effects are still ongoing. Some reconciliation has happened since, but what’s presented here as fiction is coming true in the real world after reading “Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things ‘full circle’” from the Kelowna Capital News.

This story by Tasha Spillett (pictured above left) makes up the backdrop where Miikwan and Dez are thinking about their futures. This author/educator/public speaker strives for a world where multiculturalism is embraced and everyone is treated with compassion. It’s basically what Gene Roddenberry envisioned for Star Trek, and everything Sisko would fight for when he travelled back in time and became part of the protests for equal rights in “Past Tense, Parts One and Two (Deep Space 9).”

In this story, these youths want to make the world a better place. They will soon graduate, and instead of figuring out what to wear for their last prom, these two indigenous teens change their plans and want to help after this news broke out. These are wonderful kids. Even Dez, the protagonist from the first two books, gets involved! After her own dealings with “The System,” how she deals with authoritarianism is important too. Continue reading “Surviving The City Can Be Rough. In Volume 3: We Are the Medicine What’s Examined is Based on Real Life.”

On TVOKIDS, Various Secrets of the Forest are Teased At, and They Don’t Have to Be Super, Natural.

There’s a lot of terrific stories that reveal nearly everything that can go on in Secrets of the Forest. It’s not just an ecological docu-series.

Secrets of the Forest PosterAvailable on TVOKIDS (Canada), Roku and Apple TV (other regions)

Broadcasting online and on smart TV devices is Secrets of the Forest, a twenty-six episode series that has been releasing an episode a week since Earth Day. It’s an educational program to teach viewers of all ages the best way to cultivate humanity’s relationship with the boreal world. The reason I’m interested in this series is that it has a vibe that is familiar.

The format is similar to Popular Mechanics for Kids. Much like Elisha Cuthbert and Jay Baruchel. I’m sure this series’ face, Taviss Edwards, will follow the same path in her transition to become an entertainer as she grows older. She just sparkles in front of the camera.

Continue reading “On TVOKIDS, Various Secrets of the Forest are Teased At, and They Don’t Have to Be Super, Natural.”

Celebrating 100 Years Of Warner Bros. and Defying the Odds. Broadcast Guide and Filling in the Gaps

There’s a lot of information packed into 100 Years of Warner Bros. documentary, and ultimately, one might want the book to read afterwards.

100 Years Of Warner Bros.Warner Bros. is celebrating a huge milestone, and in the documentary 100 Years of Warner Bros., everything we want to know about their early days is covered! The first episode is the best of the four-part series and the host of this trip through memory lane is Morgan Freeman. After it’s run on HBO Max, it’s now more widely available. In Canada, we can view the series on HOLLYWOOD SUITE as each episode is released each weekend this month!

Not only do we learn about this studio’s humble beginnings through the eyes of many performers and filmmakers, but also discover what brothers Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack’s goals were. Not all of them had a true love for cinema versus wanting to be the king in a place formerly known as Hollywood Hills. To set up shop there meant knowing what America likes to see at the Nickelodeons and having access to talents who will no doubt put them in the public eye, like Errol Flynn.

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Where is the Journey in Katak: The Brave Beluga?

10th Ave Productions is a relatively small animation studio aspiring to create big things with Katak: The Brave Beluga.

Katak The Brave BelugaPlaying at select cinemas.

Movies like Katak: The Brave Beluga can have a difficult time standing out. This French-Canadian produced film made a few waves in the last week of February playing nationwide. As for crossing the sea to be known in other territories like the main character (voiced by Alexandre Bacon) did, means there’s going to be an uphill struggle. Not only are there bullies in this journey to find his place in an aquatic society but also, not everyone is willing to aide him along the way.

Here, this young whale is out to fulfil his ailing grandmother’s last wish, and that’s to reunite the family. He never met grandpa, and he migrated away to somewhere in the Arctic. To find him will be tough when considering the vastness but in what this film lacks in spirit, there’s lots of heart put into this coming of age and road trip journey. 

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Convention Updates in British Columbia

Capital City Comic Con, is postponed. They announced yesterday that instead of its usual Spring Break date, it’ll be taking place in Sept 23-25 instead.

Convention

Fan Expo Vancouver looks like it will take place on February 19-21, and they most likely have to double up on enforcing health safety protocols given that another event is not going to take place (please check their faq for the latest updates).

For the big city event, there’s been only one cancellation so far. Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom of Harry Potter fame) can no longer make it; perhaps something at Hogwarts school has come to this attention that he has to take care of. There was supposed to be a certain Jack Skellington to appear, but another holiday is calling to him to wreck up. In his place Jordan Elsass and Alexander Garfin (better known as Jonathan and Jordan Kent from Superman and Lois) are coming to this event instead! This series is now into season two and paving a way for TheCW to revamp their Arrowverse.

Instead, we have a wide range of returning favourites–William Shatner, Robert Englund and Kevin Smith–are invited back. The latter is joined by Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, and Brian O’Halloran for a Clerks reunion. Their slice of life Americana is what made this movie a cult classic.

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Introducing Luna, Chip & Inkie: Adventure Rangers Go!TV

The music-filled series is based on the well-known animated characters, Luna the owl, Chip the beaver, and Inkie the octopus, who have appeared in Knowledge Kids branding, books and video games since 2008. 

Convention

Coming in April 2022
on Knowledge Network (Canada)
Also available in French,
beginning Sept 22 on TFO (Ontario)

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is making a comeback on where Disney Plus will broadcast, but in Canada, there’s another team of fun loving problem solvers–featuring Luna, Chip & Inkie (the mascots of Knowledge Kids)–making their own debut. It’s also going to be available on Knowledge Network and with the app (iOS and Android). Both cartoons are coming in the spring of this year, and the timing is hard not to notice. As for which program is worth watching, just enjoy both! The former is designed for the tween crowd and the latter, for children aged 3-6.

Luna, Chip & Inkie: Adventure Rangers Go features this trio tackle problems in their town, but not before they experience some hilarious flops that require them to look for different ways of unlocking a solution. This made-in-Canada production has the financial support of the Canada Media Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund and Epic Story Media, who is also the global distributor of the series.

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