PinnedGray StanbackinILLUMINATIONWhat Happened to Kids’ Books About the Future?It wasn’t long ago that we had a future. I mean, we have one now — it’s not like the Earth is going to crash into the sun or anything. But…May 18, 20223May 18, 20223
Gray StanbackThe Rise of the “PrimalVania”In my very first article here, I opined that “serious” adult animation in the US is held back, compared to Japanese anime, by its lack of a…Aug 18Aug 18
Gray Stanback“Civil War” as a Horror Movie for the Trump EraEven now, four years after Donald Trump left office, America is still arguably living in the “Trump Era” — an era of political…Apr 24Apr 24
Gray StanbackinILLUMINATIONThe Cambrian Explosion of Pop CultureImagine a world where Pokémon didn’t exist — not even the original Game Boy games. If you’re a member of Gen Z or Gen Alpha, that probably…Nov 11, 20231Nov 11, 20231
Gray StanbackinILLUMINATIONFour Things No One Tells You About Being An Animation FanI’m not entirely sure when I first developed an interest in animated movies and TV shows. Not just in the sense that I enjoyed watching…Oct 1, 2023Oct 1, 2023
Gray StanbackThe Political World of Junji ItoIn an earlier article, I called George Friedman’s book The Next 100 Years “the scariest book I’ve ever read”, because it’s the only book…Aug 7, 2023Aug 7, 2023
Gray StanbackMass Media and Mass Extinctions65 million years ago, give or take a few hundred thousand years according to the latest estimates , an asteroid the size of Mount Everest…Jul 31, 2023Jul 31, 2023
Gray StanbackinFeediumThe Scariest Book I’ve Ever ReadWhen you ask someone to name the scariest book they’ve ever read, you’re asking a pretty loaded question. Scary in what way? In the sense…Mar 21, 2023Mar 21, 2023
Gray StanbackMarshal Law and the Myth of the HeroThe Boys, streaming on Amazon Prime and based on the graphic novel by Garth Ennis, gets a lot of praise for its biting satire of superhero…Mar 7, 2023Mar 7, 2023
Gray StanbackThe Idea Of Evil In Modern AmericaOne of my favorite manga series is Berserk, by Kentaro Miura. It’s a fantasy story, focusing on a man named Guts who travels the world…Jan 29, 2023Jan 29, 2023