Interviews Archives | Otaku No Culture

How to Love Going Back to the Drive-in. It’s All About The Family.

That American entrepreneurship to own your own business and give back to your community is the spirit we see in Going Back to the Drive-in.

Director April Wright is Going Back to the Drive-In. Now streaming on Amazon Prime and other platforms

Some people may think of the drive-in theatre as antiquated, but it is not. They still exist far and wide, and as for why they are worth going to is because it helps foster local communities. And for one passionate filmmaker, April Wright, her lifelong examination of this culture is part of a series called Going Attractions. Her latest work, Going Back to the Drive-In, looks at not only this aspect but also what goes on to maintain these operations in today’s global climate.

I had the opportunity to speak to Wright, and we talked about history, its rise back into the public consciousness because of the pandemic, and its future. She said, “My very first documentary came out in 2013, and it was called Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie (available on Tubi). It explored the whole history of drive-ins.”

After making a few other works, she decided on producing Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace. It was about the indoor cinema experience the big old theatres built by the studios. Afterwards was Stuntwomen, The Untold Hollywood Story. Although she could have gone on to produce other movies about the studio system, a little voice said something else.

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Fan Expo Vancouver 2023 Convention Report

There was lots to enjoy at Fan Expo Vancouver 2023, and in this introduction, we go explore the paranormal themed events in greater detail.

When the local fandom communities want to be heard, they’ll certainly roar at Fan Expo Vancouver 2023 (FXV). That’s what Vice-President Andrew Moyes wants to hear, and he was at the show to make sure it goes off without a hitch. He’s been with the company for over 10 years to help deliver this experience all over North America, and their primary goal is to deliver community driven events. “These aren’t travelling circuses,” this organiser said, “We are delighted by the support we received from the fandom community in Vancouver. It shows our fans have faith in what we are delivering.”

Regarding this and Portland’s show happening the same weekend, he said it was done to synergize the two, so no fan will feel left out. Part of it also had to do with the dates the State-side convention centre had open. Moyes put forth the answer to his own question, “Do I think it’s going to happen all the time? Not necessarily. But when those opportunities present themselves, it helps us elevate the experience for all to enjoy.”

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On Stacey Tenenbaum’s Scrap, Tricks for Reuse and Where to Watch It.

Stacey Tenenbaum believes losing a lot of our history and cultural memory when things in our lives are simply scrapped rather than being preserved in her documentary.

Rio Theatre
Vancouver, BC
Saturday Oct. 22 3:15pm

Stacey Tenenbaum has been touring Canada during Waste Reduction Week, and attending special screenings of her documentary, Scrap, to answer those questions about what it means to not only recycle, but also explain humanity’s relationship with the objects made long ago. It’s not about reusing what’s found in a scrapyard for a movie, like Mad Max: Fury Road, or finding new uses of smaller industrial objects, like steampunk cosplay. I’m sure people scour the junkyards for those antiques needed when a film or tv show requires something from a bygone age when it can’t be found in an antique store.

But there’s more to this movie than meets the eye in terms of how old junk is reused. They have longetivity to them, and that’s one key thing to remember. Also, some of these items do more than bring out feelings of nostalgia. Also, there’s an intrinsic beauty not everyone can recognise. Whether it’s to be used in installation art or for residing in, I adored every careful possibility that’s been put into this work.

I feel what this filmmaker offers is very meditative, and I had an opportunity to correspond with her about this work:

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An Interview with Sandy King of Storm King Comics

Sandy King and John Carpenter are a powerhouse couple behind Storm King Comics, and we got a chance to interview King.

Sandy King of Storm King Comics Sandy King is certainly not overshadowed by her husband and filmmaker extraordinaire, John Carpenter. Together, they are a powerhouse couple who’s out to make a unique stamp in not only comicbookdom but also cinema. She’s not only co-producer of her husbands many works, but also the first woman founder of the comic book publishing company, Storm King Comics . Before this shift to publishing, she worked with legends of cinema like Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Mann to name a few.

“I feel like I’ve been lucky enough to work with amazing auteur filmmakers in a wide array of genres,” said King. “In the animation world, I worked for Lewis Hall and Carlos Gutierrez on a film called ‘Anti-Matter,’ which won the first Student Academy Award. With John, I’ve done some pretty classic horror films, including ‘They Live,’ which I think was an important film for our times.”

There are not many filmmakers today who can say they’ve made dramas (Killing of a Chinese Bookie with Cassavetes), comedies (16 Candles with John Hughes), westerns (The Long Riders with Walter Hill), animated films and horror movies.

This company got its start when Thomas Ian Griffith came to her and John with an idea. They spent two years learning the ropes, and talking to those who know the industry before getting anything printed. “The result was our first book, John Carpenter’s Asylum . It won awards; it was fun to do, and we’ve never stopped. Probably our most popular title is the annual anthology we publish every October, John Carpenter’s Tales for a HalloweeNight,” said King.

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When Three Little Wishes Isn’t Enough. An Interview with Paul Cornell and Steve Yeowell.

In Three Little Wishes, it’s about the king of all fairies being unable to stop the wishes from working, because they’re so precise.

Legendary Comics

Three Little Wishes is a hilarious graphic novel which subverts the traditional idea of about fulfilling one’s grandest desires. Sometimes, the person finding magic in the bottle doesn’t want that, and in what he or she wants may well be something nicer. I don’t want to say too much, but as for what caught my attention is that we don’t get a tale out of Arabian Knights, and the creators Paul Cornell and Steve Yeowell crafted a beautiful tale that I often don’t see in this subgenre.

It’s a very British work, and the nuances that come with it was enough for me!

Can you please introduce yourselves? That is, what was that break that got you into working in the comics industry?

Paul Cornell (Pictured left): Both times it was through Doctor Who–I got into writing British comics because I knew the editor of Doctor Who Magazine and I said I wanted to write. John Freeman gave me a strip and taught me the basics, And many years later, after he saw my work, Mark Miller emailed me asking if I would like to write for Marvel Comics. It’s a career route that any young creator can easily follow. I recommend it to anybody.

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Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru and The Man Behind the Legend Quest

Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru is novel – comic book hybrid about two best friends on the quest for adventure!

People who attended SDCC a few weekends ago had plenty to look at. Whether that’d be comic books or the latest news on movies, there’s even something for the jungle explorer! Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru is novel – comic book hybrid about two best friends on the quest for adventure! Together with two archaeologists, they discover an ancient map and a compass that’ll point them to more than adventure, but also self-discovery.

It’s now available across various platforms to read, and we at otakunoculture.com got a chance to talk to the author:

Could you please introduce yourself to readers unfamiliar with your work?

My name is Omar Mora. I am a writer, producer and actor from Puerto Rico who lives in Los Angeles. I have written two independent feature films; 30 Days with my brother and Inside the Circle. Both available on VOD. I have written a series of comics called The Unearthians. You can find my work at MorasProductions.com

What made you decide to create a hybrid written work with graphic novel elements? (and was it difficult to decide what parts of the narrative should be illustrated rather than described?)

When Covid came, so did the economy. Producing a comic is expensive, so the finances weren’t quite right. So we decided to do it as a hybrid. And to be honest it was the best decision. Because the design of the book along with the comic pages looks great and gives a special touch to the story. I am very happy with the final results.

It was not difficult to choose which pages were going to be comics. I usually chose pages that introduced a character, a very important aspect of the story, or fantasy elements that I knew would look amazing as art. I also wanted to choose pages that would help create intrigue in the story and create that suspense necessary for the reader to be engaged.

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