This year should be forever known as one of the most reasonable years video gaming has ever had. Series were completed, sequels were released, and there was generally something new and great to play. The video game industry has had its ups and downs, but 2012 was an indicator that…
Andrew Pielage grew up exploring the Southwest with his parents and for the last 15 years, he’s been capturing it through a variety of lenses. You’ve probably spotted Pielage and his camera at arts and community events in downtown Phoenix for the past few years, and starting in January, you’ll…
To wrap up 2012 and kick off the new year, we’ve asked a group of local activists, artists, architects, and business owners to put together a Phoenix wish list for 2013. Up today: Beatrice Moore. Beatrice Moore has lived in Phoenix since 1986 and is a neighborhood activist, artist, small…
Sixth Street’s fashion offerings are about to get a little bit smaller. Nostra Style House is in the midst of moving to a new location at Artisan Village on Roosevelt Street, next to Tammie Coe Cakes and The Lab, leaving behind clothing shops GROWop and Butter Toast Boutique. Angelica Gonzalez…
Bless George Takei and his continued participation in pop culture. The actor — known for playing Sulu on Star Trek — has shared his own commentary on the continuing Star Wars v. Star Trek Debate, Twilight, meme culture in the last couple years. And this month, he shared a video…
Daniel Funkhouser’s latest pair of exhibitions at Eye Lounge is the best sensory overload we’ve had since the neon comeback of 2012. The local artist’s Family Photos is a series of metallic digital prints that question the absurdity of social norms and play with tropes of childhood and adolescence, and…
Welcome back to Explicitly Graphic, a monthly column by Cynthia Clark Harvey (who’s working on a graphic novel of her own). From time to time, Harvey will review graphic novels, talk to artists, and dive into the scene of all things explicitly graphic. Today, she reviews El Iluminado by Ilan…
When we last put the spotlight on 100 creative forces in Phoenix, it was no secret there were more than 100 individuals who were making waves in the local arts community. So in celebration of our Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome (back) to 100 Creatives. Justin Katz is a…
Too bad E. L. James couldn’t come up with cuter names for her sleezy, poorly written literary characters — or at least names we could say with a straight face (sorry, Anastasia Steele). In 2012, “Sophia,” “Isabella,” “Jacob,” and “Ethan,” (“Bella” and “Jacob” being the names of the two main…
Continuing Manifestos, a collection of 10(ish) life lessons and rules written by local creatives and illustrated by local designers. Up today, lessons learned by local pastor Vermon Pierre, illustrated below by Nicole Stumphauzer: See also: – Jackalope Ranch’s 100 Creatives – The 10 Best Art Exhibitions and Installations I Saw…
Watching Django Unchained, it’s easy to imagine that Quentin Tarantino had such a blast making his last picture, the ebullient Holocaust fantasia Inglourious Basterds, that he decided to take his whole blood-spattered historical tent show on the road, this time putting down stakes in antebellum Dixieland. Although not technically a…
You can hear the people sing — really hear them — in the long-gestating screen version of that Broadway juggernaut Les Misérables. Countering the standard practice of having the actors in a film musical lip-synch their songs to prerecorded tracks (a.k.a. “playback”), director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) insisted that…
Special Events Celebrity Theatre 440 N. 32nd St. Classic rock icon Jerry Riopelle renews his New Year’s Eve tradition of performing for friends and fans alike at the Celebrity. 9 p.m., $55-$95. Call 602-267-1600. Epic Red Cup New Year’s Eve www.warsawpactaz.com After taking a year off from hosting a massive…
Millions of Phoenicians cover this 400-plus square mile slab of real estate we call the Valley of the Sun. Competition looms heavily as business, fashion, and even traffic, the most dangerous place it should be seen, bursts with a “me first” attitude. After a while, these elements form a disconnect…
Great artists draw from a pool of inspiration in the natural, cultural, and religious realms, and this January at Arizona Latin Arts Cultural Center’s Galleria 147, it’s all about Our Lady of Guadalupe. La Virgen de Guadalupe is an icon in Latino culture who’s regarded for her role in religious…
For the 42nd year, Arizona’s local celebrities will take to the streets of the city with floats, balloons, and equestrian units to celebrate the Spirit of the Southwest. The annual Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade will showcase the winners of this year’s Fiesta Bowl events including the Queen and Court,…
Plenty of people take off for exotic destinations during the holidays rather than heading to their hometown. Hawaii over creepy Uncle Greg? Yes, please. Tahiti instead of sitting around, eating, and getting fat in your grandmother’s freezing Cleveland apartment? Uh, yeah. Choosing to avoid the annual awkward family reunion filled…
It’s a familiar song for Michigan State fans who are used to their team underachieving. The Spartans were returning a very strong unit on defense, had Heisman candidate Le’Veon Bell at running back, and were blessed with a weak schedule that made them look very much like the favorites to…
Try not to dance when there’s a Daft Punk song playing. We dare ya. It’s not humanly possible. There’s an involuntarily reflex rooted deep within our DNA that makes us move, no matter how resolutely we resist. The futuristic French duo has a knack for getting bodies moving, but they’re…
It seems like every bar in town hosts a New Year’s Eve party. With all the options, it’s so tough to pick, and nabbing some sparklers, booze, and that non-depressing Snuggie begins to sound like the easiest way out. Tempting, yes. But there’s an easy solution. One of the valley’s…
Ralphie May is funny, in part, because he’s big. As a society, we tend to find fat people hilarious at base value, and the rotund comedian has capitalized on this by poking fun at his own rotundity. But Ralphie May is also big because he’s funny. Since his second-that-totally-should’ve-been-first-place finish…
The tree’s dying, and the menorah stands ignored on the mantel. The holidays are all but over, and it’s likely those reserves of jolly you’ve stored up are tapped by now. Instead of mustering up the courage to brave New Year’s Eve, hit up to the decidedly mellow Holidays at…
