An article on Sino-Canadian relations

The Walrus just published my article: China, Prosperity, & Stereotypes that won’t Die. It’s written in first person but is very much a research-based piece. The original title I had pitched was “The Involuntary Switch” (the original draft was more about shifting positions of power in society). But that was not very SEO-friendly so the … Continue reading →

An obituary for Queen Video or, Metaphors for a Beloved Rental Store in a City of Cinephiles (1981-2019)

This obit isn’t comics related but I met so many comics people through Queen Video, I thought it was appropriate to post this here. Queen Video’s swan song was like a slow-burn ambient track incrementally building in noise and dissonance until reaching a frenzied climax. We had all known for years that the legendary movie … Continue reading →

TCAF like a local: Vice edition

2019 is the first year cannabis will be legal in Toronto during TCAF so I thought it would be appropriate to make vice the theme of this year’s localing guide. (I also have an updated food guide and other localing tips (just scroll).) Otherwise, keep reading for the downlo on legal drugs and sex in … Continue reading →

2018 quick recap

2018 was a pretty quiet year for me comics-wise and I have to admit, I did not read a lot of comics that were suitable for this blog as they were not about sex and relationships. I did however, write a couple reviews for the 2018 best-of round-up by Your Chicken Enemy. The round ups … Continue reading →

SPX & Canzine 2018

It’s almost fall which means Gart of Rotten Variety and I will be back at Canzine Toronto, serving up another helping of self-published marvels for your enjoyment! Canzine is the biggest zine festival hosting events across Canada and it’s a great way to discover a vibrant scene of artists. This year in addition to my … Continue reading →

Recommended: L’odyssee du vice

L’odyssee du vice is a delightfully surreal BD* by Delphine Panique. Published in 2016 by Bordeaux publisher, les Requins Marteaux, it’s the 11th volume of the BD-CUL series, a collection of naughty comics that bills itself as “50% BD, 50% cul, 100% plaisir. Le n°1 de la BD indébandante.” My apologies to professional translators, especially if … Continue reading →

because SUPREME deserves to be teased

Selfie // eifles // Cute Juice Comics – Rotten Variety collab SELFIE shirts available next weekend at TCAF Zineland — ~limited quantities ~ reverse text on T 4 yur 🔥 selfie picz 😱👀🎉🔥 #zineland #selfielove #tshirtdesigner #suprememarket A post shared by Gart Darley (@dart.garley) on May 7, 2018 at 6:13pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Happy to announce … Continue reading →

Pre-TCAF Updates

I’m happy to announce that Rotten Variety and Cute Juice will be tabling together this year at the TCAF Zineland! Click below and enjoy some amazing collage art by RV’s Gart Darley 🙂 Gart and I have been working on a secret project together and we are really looking forward to sharing it with you … Continue reading →

Recommended quickies: Mother, Twisted Romance, Valley

A few words on a few comics I’ve been reading lately… Continue reading →

On comics and visual illiteracy

The filmmaker Peter Greenaway has often commented that cinema is a slave to literature. That the development of film, a medium with so much visual promise, became circumscribed by the logic and structure of words rather than images. For the most part, to Greenaway, the cinematic audience is visually illiterate one. TV also encourages visual … Continue reading →