Spock's Pickled Brain

1. Witchblade (2001-2002) New York City Detective Sara Pezzini has never quite been a play-by-the-rules type, though when balanced by her father, captain, and partner her determination and intuition serve her well. But when she begins losing friends and family, fate takes a sharp left turn into the supernatural. A foot chase after a hitman leads her into an encounter with the Witchblade, an ancient gauntlet with a mind of its own. Protecting her from harm and granting her unpredictable powers, the Witchblade sets her on a path shadowed by corporate giants and layered with her family's past. No doubt inspired by the success of the better-known Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, we see another fierce, multi-dimensional female lead going toe-to-toe with supernatural baddies. But instead of dealing with the sometimes tiresome genre of coming-of-age, Witchblade follows the Angel direction of dropping us into a grittier, matured series. The idea was based on a popular comic b...

So to the surprise of absolutely no one, I confess that I occasionally make playlists for specific characters from fiction, or general themes in media. This playlist is titled The Hanged Man, as a reference to the minor character from the Astro City comics. In the comics the Hanged Man is a mysterious supernatural guardian for the area of the city known as Shadow Hill. The neighborhood is populated mainly by Eastern European immigrants and their descendants, and it continues to be an interesting blend of modern city and supernatural traditions (vampires, ghosts, the whole nine yards). More generally speaking, the playlist is an ode to all those characters who walk the line between modern life and the dark recesses where magic lurks and modern science fails. The Trenchcoat Brigade, the hunters, the exorcists. The sorcerers who breathe in diesel fumes and breathe out fire and magic. This is for all the friends and lovers scattered through the streets and cemeteries. Enjoy my terrib...

The fun thing about urban fantasy is that the lines are easily blurred of creating something that passes as trendy but also brings a bit of magic into your life. And with a trip to the your nearest big box hardware store finding an amazing but low-maintenance houseplant that would fit that aesthetic is not difficult at all, and are often pretty affordable. So if your home or arcane workshop is in need of a little extra flair and mystery, here's one way to add those ingredients. Materials -Glass skull container -Bonsai or succulent plant -Pebbles -Potting soil (specific to container or indoor gardening) -Mythical animal figurines -Moss (optional) 1. Gather the materials Probably the most difficult material to find for this is going to be the glass skull jar. You can purchase these online, but these and any other skull-themed containers are pretty common around Halloween. I found this one in a craft store last Halloween, on sale for about $4. Getting the plant is a...

Switching gears a bit! Let's dive into the varied genre of urban fantasy. There are lots of flavors, but here are four great books living on that edge between everyday life and suddenly magic: 1. Dresden Files (Jim Butcher) If you were to page through Chicago’s phonebook, there’s only one name listed as a professional wizard. And while Harry Dresden might not do parties or love potions, he does take on investigations of supernatural sort. One-part magic-user and one-part detective, Dresden barely scrapes out a living. Between his talents and his wits he routinely gets in way over his head with vampires, werewolves, Fae, and all sorts of dangerous beings. Starting off with a bang in Storm Front , the prolific Dresden Files has its main character evolve and explore ever-widening story arcs, never getting stuck in a rut. Throughout the books Dresden gains and loses friends and enemies alike, and the relationships between recurring characters change considerably. And unlike a lo...

I think Starbat and I have always been interested in putting together costumes for random things. But what cemented my interest in documenting and experimenting with costumes and cosplay was realizing there was already an army of geeks applying this to one of my favorite fictional universes. Although fans have been dressing up as Luke, Leia, Han, and Vader since the first film came out in 1977, costuming in the Star Wars fandom has definitely upped its game over the years. With the rising culture of cosplay and the internet connecting more and more fans, the activity has grown considerably in scale and cooperation. In an effort to learn more and hopefully join this kind of community, I researched Star Wars costuming organizations and began building my own costumes. I'd say that the two current giants in Star Wars costuming organizations are the 501st Legion and Rebel Legion . These were established 1997 (the 501st) and 2001 (Rebel Legion), right around the reemergence of th...

My dye job was, uh, not part of this particular costume. Okay, so "faux-hair headdress" sounds awful, but I've never been entirely sure how to define this particular style of headdress. It's a fancy hair hat for all of us out there who either don't have much hair, or who don't want to spend 4 hours working on a hairstyle that you wear for one day. It's like a styled wig, but extra. Anyway, so this hair hat was the product of my awkward love.hate relationship with the Star Wars prequel films, and my occasional yen for long hair (even though in reality it drives me crazy and usually looks awful). In particular, this hat was inspired by Padme Amidala's senate costume from Episode II (and returned in the Clone Wars TV show as well), which includes a fantastic conical hairpiece. On the Padawan's Guide site (as excellent reference guide to costumes in the Star Wars movies, as well as a fan guides to recreating those costumes), writers hav...

Whether bringing peace and understanding to the citizens of the galaxy or fighting the menace of the Sith, a Jedi needs to be prepared. And while a calm mind and a trust in the Force are the best tools a Jedi has, it never hurts to carry a few more material assets. Thus an indispensable part of a Jedi's gear is his or her utility belt. In times of the Old Republic the belt was a little more standardized, perfectly in keeping with the traditional tunics, tabards, and obi reminiscent of Earth's samurai. To make this work you can use tutorials making them from foam, fake leather, or up the ante and make it from real leather. This tutorial tries for a middle road using thrift store leather belts and buckles with simple crafting using screw posts and superglue. Compare that to my cheap but less-than-authentic Mark I belt I made from fake leather vinyl folded over on itself. Serviceable (it looks somewhat better when worn) but not ideal. Still, the things I learned in that fi...