Art Department Weekly - July 4, 2014

ADW

art department weekly issue 75 Vol. 6

Favorite favorites Summer so much energy blockbusters PLus: five things Jim Lee Love New musicians

You aRe HeRe

COVER

3

2

SUMMER LOVE

SUMMER LOVE

SUMMER LOVE

7

6

12

DECONSTRUCT WOODY

18

BEST BURGER

13

MINDY ROCKS

19

FAVORITE READER

14

5

4

SUMMER LOVE

LUIS LOVES JIM LEE

15

MINI BOARD

10

FAVORITE NEW MUSICIANS

16

SUMMER LOVE

11

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS

COMICS CORNER

SUMMER LOVE

MINI BOARD

SUMMER LOVE

9

8

SUMMER JOBS

we RaCKeD ouR BRaINs uNTIl we Came uP wITH some Real ReasoNs

ouR aPPRoVal maTRIX GuIDe To fINDING a PlaCe To DRINK ouTDooRs

ED LETTER

INFINITY

so maNY woRDs aBouT wHY THeRe aRe sPRINKleRs oN THe CoVeR

HIs loVe of THe laKeRs Is NoT RooTeD IN HIs RelaTIoNs To saTaN

17

5 THINGS

20

“I’m not overweight.

I fluctuate between chubby and curvy.”

- dr. l

Art Department Weekly is published by Dinosaur girly Productions, 1468 W 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11204. The entire contents of ADW are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without expressed written consent of the publisher. ADW accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. ADW reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions and may feature same in other mediums for any and all purporses.

In this issue 3 Editor’s Letter 4 Mini Board 6 What on Earth is There to Love About Summer?

Finding reasons not to melt this season, including outdoor drinking guide, why sprinklers are great, and blockbuster favorites, Madeline Vega

13 Burger Babez, Erica Izenberg 14 Our Favorite Reader and Summer Jobs

From the cover: Boom chases Kal at the sprinklers. (Kal is about to lap him.)

15 Luis Loves Jim Lee 16 Favorite New Musicians, Sterling Ventura

17 Why Luis Loves Teams that Win 18 Deconstructing Woody, Mike Posillico

19 Empowering Mindy, Marisa Kamerman

20 Five Things, Luis Vega

Art department weekly Luis Vega Chief content officer Madeline Strum Managing Editor Credits Madeline Vega (Cover and pages 3, 9, 10-11, 12, 15, 18), Istock images (Pages 6, 7), @BurgerGBabez (Page 13), Luis Vega (Pages 16, 17, 19)

Summer favorites I’m always excited about the Dubbs, but we took it to a whole new level after reconfiguring past issues to post on Issuu.

We started to sort through all the content we’ve amassed over the past however many years and planned to release another issue right away, featuring all our favorite content. (It sounded a lot easier than posting 60 old issues.) But then I started handing out assignments for new favorites—favorite burger, favorite movie, and so on. And, in the meantime, school was ending and small children needed to be entertained... It was summer. We had a lot of favorites to talk about, but summer was not one of them. There had to be a way to combine these themes.

I’m quite possibly the worst person to talk about summer. (I usually say the best part is when it ends.) My favorite thing about the summer is anywhere I can go to get out of the heat. I love the AC. Which means going to the movie theater is probably my favorite thing about the summer. I love the big summer blockbusters.

The same way Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone forever changed Thanksgiving weekend as a major release date, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws opened June 1, 1975, creating the genre of summer blockbusters. (The ideal sleeper hit is a whole different subject.) Spielberg’s action adventure movies continued to open in late May and early June. Any studio that was looking to match his success wanted a summer release date.

In the fall of ’83, when my teacher asked me to write and draw a piece on my favorite memory of the summer, I, of course, wrote about seeing Return of the

Jedi multiple times. My teacher asked if I was sure if that was my favorite memory.

I assured her it was. Jedi was the culmination (at that point) of the Star Wars saga with the redemption of Darth Vader. I was in Catholic school; she wanted me to write about something outdoorsy. Beating the heat inside a cool, darkened theater while watching my favorite movie series was it for me—even as a kid.

Summer blockbusters of late have been like taking a trip to the comic book store. The movie listings are like flipping through the racks on Wednesdays.

Captain America, Amazing Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men are all either at the theater or on their way. It’s a great trend that much to my delight will continue with 16 more comic movies on tap over the next four years. Sorry, teacher, but my summer highlights will probably continue to be sitting in a cold, dark theater.

There are a lot of other aspects to summer and favorites to love in this issue, including all that outdoorsy stuff on Page 10. We did manage to fit some of the content that’s been waiting in our inboxes (check out the Mini Board), but mostly this issue features new favorites from new writers. While we hope you enjoy it, we hope more that you stay cool.

mini boArD

chriStmAS in july [We received this photo ages ago] This is the kind of mental hospital Santa my father (and uncles—they all used the same costume and took turns) would run around in scaring the hell out of everyone. Notice the insanely small pom pom at the end of the hat. Like he found it in a dumpster.

I still have the costume in my possession and have sworn an oath to uphold the frightening Santa tradition for my own children (should they ever arrive). When this picture was taken it was only my brother, sister and I in the house, so it was pretty damn scary. My mother snapped the photo.

—Mike Posillico

SpotliGhtinG GoD’S Work To honor the live action Ninja Turtles movie, David Schiffrin sent us this pic and the link to teenagemutantninjanoses.tumblr.com. While the TMNT movie opens this August, TMNN stopped posting quite a while ago. The farewell reiterates the original mission— noses are beautiful. “god is the artist. I just find the Ninja Turtle in his work.”

Facebook, December 2013: Apparently college girls are dress like Han Solo these days...

hiGh compliment [Luis found this online when Sendak passed away May 8, 2012] “Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters— sometimes very hastily—but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, ‘Dear Jim: I loved your card.’

Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, ‘Jim loved your card so much he ate it.’ That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

- Maurice Sendak

D

r A e rh

t r yA

ove

b

“Um, that’s not the way they do the skillet at Denny’s” -madeline

Five Dollar Bill Murray from Facebook

“You know what they call good looking people in Indiana... visitors” -dan

“People who aren’t small children and ride their bike on the sidewalk are assholes” -marti

“I used to say ‘Can I see what that looks like from behind?’ as part of my regular work speak” -luis

“My colleague isn’t able to find any good pictures of ‘Debbie Lovato’ on Google. Should I tell her why?”

-meredith

“Bill Simmons is an insufferable, unabashed asshole.”

-James Game of Thrones meme from Tumblr via Buzzfeed.

what on earth is there to love

about summer?

Listing favorites sounded almost as painful to Madeline as 95-degree heat with 87 percent humidity.

But then she wondered if she had any summer favorites... Challenge accepted.

It’s too bad this is not the Hate Issue.

I could go on for pages about bugs, humidity, sunblock, clothing options, other people’s gross feet... But Mother Nature has been really nice to our neighborhood in May and June, and I don’t have to dress for office, so I will suck it up and focus on good things.

Sudden thunderstorms

There’s something kind of thrilling to see so much rain come out of nowhere. To be like, “Ugh, it’s so hot...” Everything is quiet and dusty and moving in slow motion.

And then a storm blows in. Suddenly everything’s changed. Whereas you once thought you would die of boredom, now you might die from a lightning strike. Wee! laundry dried in the sun

There’s a reason fabric softner companies try to bottle that smell. It’s kind of amazing how potent sunshine and the

breeze can be. Maybe all that blazing heat is good for something...

Sundresses

Fashion magazines seem to be pushing harder than ever that we should all buy our fall clothes right now, but I still like the pattern I’ve used forever. Resort wear hits stores in winter, and I wait six months to purchase it. Or not. Either way, the racks of tiny colorful pieces in ridiculous patterns feels so optimistic—like we all could just go for a romp in the sand and be carefree for three months.

Produce from this hemisphere

Through the wonders of exploiting other cultures and fast shipping, I see asparagus and blueberries at the store year-round. How are we supposed to tell what season it is if the same three kinds of apples are always there for the same price? There’s something comforting

about seeing that blueberries are from New Jersey or Michigan. Most of the labels at my local store make no sense and I don’t believe the sellers at my local farmers’ market are either local or farmers, but I know what Michigan blueberries taste like. Summer.

Morning concert series

These are pretty much a year-round deal now, but the big free outdoor performances for Today and the like are a nice weekly summer staple for reminding me of why I think I’m better than tourists and how much I’ve lost touch with pop culture. having nowhere to go

Summer as a caregiver hasn’t changed much for me between when I was 12 and now. Yes, I have the extra responsibilities and guilt as a mom rather than a babysitter, but little kids are little kids— they like to have fun. It’s fun to have fun.

quick list of favorites

to w o h

ice cream

ow kn r mme

So much better to eat ice cream on my couch when it’s 87 degrees in the living room than when it’s 55.

su

e r e h is

outdoor drinking

As much as I love to drink while crammed into an airless karaoke booth, there’s something so much more appealing about drinking outdoors.

Anywhere. But see our list on Page 12 for ideas.

action movies

Fall movies are great and all, but the original thrill was to spend the dog days of summer in air conditioning, listening to explosions, forgetting school.

We love movies more on Page 9.

drive-ins

I was going to write about fond memories of lying on top of my mom’s Volvo with my friends to watch movies, but then I remembered that Sonic is a drive-in and it just doesn’t really work for me in December.

grilling

Gas grills and food networks kind of changed the game, but it’s nice to know that summer not only brings citronella candles and bug bites but also charcoal and flamebroiled everything. It’s time to get that cheap tiny BBQ to work.

Fireworks

No one really needs the Fourth of July to see a big fireworks display anymore, but you still need summer.

It’s not like the local minor league baseball team is going to light up the sky over Coney Island every weekend in February. (This picture is not Coney Island.

According to iStock, it is “Beautiful fireworks show takes place in Avram Iancu Square in Cluj Napoca with the ocassion of The Romanian National Day on 1 December 2013 in Cluj Napoca, Romania.”) —MV

Air Conditioners

I am the worst environmentalist ever. While my guilt about destroying the Earth will always prefer to just deal with the heat, the rest of me can’t stand to be smothered by humidity. I compromise by mostly using fans as sparingly as possible (and unplugging the energy-draining DVR because it’s overheated anyway), but I love sleeping in air conditioning. This is also the best thing about new cars and hotel rooms. And nice offices. And a good subway car. Sorry, Earth. —MV

Annual Release of Madden Football

While football is generally viewed as a fall game, the start of the season is in the summer. Madden comes out every year at the end of August. It’s usually such an event for me, that I take off the week after its release to get in the game! —LV

Without a gradual temperature change to aid in the gradual shedding of clothes, it can be hard to tell that summer doesn’t start until June 21.

Luckily, we have other cues you can look for...

Game of thrones has ended, True Blood has begun the morning commute is emptier You don’t need to check the weather Anymore because you already know— today’s forecast is “gross” There’s one catchy song you can’t seem to escape

MLB All-Star Game

no one can stop talking about iced coffee

Empty trains in the morning

every game the yankees play now is like a thousand times more important

The second Tuesday (this year third) is usually reserved for the mid-summers classic. I remember as a kid my whole family sitting down and watching as much of this game as possible. Even though some of the luster is gone, I get excited for it every year. —LV One of the hidden gems of the summer is the lack of people on my morning commute. Commuters going to work generally have to share the train with students in the morning. By the end of June, school’s out for everyone and seats are more prevalent. —LV

My favorite things about summer by age As a 10-year-old

As a 12-year-old

As a 17-year-old

As a 21-year-old

Sleepovers

Babysitting money

A ridiculous amount of vacations...

Drinking

Drive-ins Sparklers Recording made up radio shows on cassette Watching game shows all morning and really old reruns all day Staying out really late to play elaborate hide-and-seek games with the kids in my neighborhood Pool passes for the neighboring town’s lesscrowded pool

Spending all my babysitting money My new boombox that had a CD player Going to the movies with my friends in the middle of the day without a parent to drop us off Being trusted to be left alone all day to not watch too much TV or not burn the house down while making mac & cheese.

The mall

Camping for two weeks at the Badlands, Black Hills, Yellow Stone, and other national parks

My stupid job working the grill at the turn at a golf course

Yearbook camp for a week

Talking about the screenplays everyone was writing that were going to be such amazing movies one day

Disney World road trip with a friend’s family

Not having to worry about a curfew

(I had worked at McDonald’s for at least 24 straight months, so I don’t think I did anything but plan the next yearbook and enjoy myself that summer.)

Air-conditioning My own car A cellphone that was lightyears ahead of the original pre-paid thing I’d bought Smoking

supreme court rulings Does everyone remember when Facebook was overtaken by red equal signs as profile pictures? Even though the Supreme Court wouldn’t rule on the Prop 8 or DOMA cases for another three months? Yeah, they make their rulings in June. If they feel like it.

This year they ruled on Hobby Lobby. (“Erroneously” I might add, but that’s a whole different themed issue...) Let’s flashback to the major decisions they made in summer 2013.

When I say “if they feel like it,” I’m referring to Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, a custody battle between a 3-year-old’s biological father and the couple who began caring for her at birth. The government is not supposed to separate children from Native American tribes. The Supreme Court delayed a ruling until finally returning the issue to the South Carolina state courts for further proceedings. Why put it on the docket at all?

Trayvon Martin’s murder and Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling’s comments rightly fire up the discussion of racism in this country, but it’s unfortunate that no one was as fired up as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last summer. In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. The South has changed, according to the ruling. The way the federal government intervenes in voting law

will have to change massively as a result. The majority opinion held that the formula in Section 4 can no longer be used, but that’s okay because Section 5 still exists.

Justice Ginsburg read the dissent aloud from the bench— something that rarely happens—saying, “In the Court’s view, the very success of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act demands its dormancy.” Snap. Section 5 will have no actual effect unless and until Congress can do something to replace Section 4. Until Congress can do something...? Oh, no, Miami-Dade County.

Getting back to those Facebook profile pictures, the justices held in a 5-4 vote in Hollingsworth v. Perry that the traditional marriage activists who put Proposition 8 on California ballots in 2008 did not have the constitutional authority, or standing, to defend the law in federal courts after the state refused to appeal its loss at trial. Then in United States v. Windsor, the justices held that restricting U.S. federal interpretation of “marriage” and “spouse” to apply only to heterosexual unions, by Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), is unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment, because doing so “disparage[s] and ... injure[s] those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity.”

It’s nice to remember when SCOTUS protected people.

in great anticipation

Unlike some Dubbs writers, Madeline has so rarely been moved to complete states of fandom that she can actually recount those two summers in the small space below.

“Did you see the picture of Superman?”

Henry Cavill in his Man of Steel costume?

Oh, he’s in Gotham City? Luis is really excited for the next Superman movie. It opens in May... 2016. I love movies, but I have never been that excited. Which is kind of odd considering how passionately I think I can speak about Stan Winston.

I mean, things are a little different now with the amount of corporate transparency and need to build a buzz, but I can remember only two movies that I ever cared about that much.

Jurassic park

Lightning flashes. Rain is pouring down.

The theme park Jeeps are stalled. Cups of water inside the Jeep vibrate with each thunderous boom. Is that thunder? A giant lizard eye peers inside the Jeep. If the audience isnt’ sure yet, the T-rex roars.

Knowing that books are better than movies might have been the Golden Rule

in my house growing up, but I did not read Jurassic Park until after I had seen the movie (which was probably only days later because my aunt gave me a paperback copy for my birthday the week before).

I was sold on the trailer. I loved the commercial that focused on the side mirror with the T-rex chasing them. I bought the single of John William’s theme on cassette.

Jurassic Park opened at just the right time that I cared about DNA and survival skills and Stan Winston. It captured my nerdy coming-of-age brain in ways New Kids on the Block had rocked other girls’.

Mr. Harper, the reading teacher every girl was crushing on, had spent a lot of class time talking about Industrial Lights & Magic. I had watched Winston’s Oscarwinning T-2 special effects a thousand times. Without having seen the dinosaurs he and ILM created, I don’t think I would have read the book so many times.

Batman Forever

My absolute favorite show in the early ’90s was Batman: The Animated Series. Near the end of its run, Batman Forever came to theaters. While I had been completely in love with Michelle Pfeifer as Cat Woman (another Winston creation), I was also happy with the campy ’60s TV show. The idea of bright colors and Jim Carrey did not bother me. It had Tommy Lee Jones, and I had seen him be amazing in the Fugitive.

This movie was going to be so good!

My trips to the mall always involved a stop in the book store, so I was not surprised to see a novel adaptation. My need to buy said novel did surprise me, though not as much as my need to take an unused Robin-themed french fry container from my job at McDonald’s and pin it to my bulletin board. I went to the noon showing on opening day. I’ve never been excited to see another movie since.

summer blockbusters Nothing says summer to me like the annual big budget special effects laden movie.

For me, it all starts with George Lucas releasing each of the Star Wars films at the end of May, but I could care really care less about the release date. I can’t wait to see Guardians of the Galaxy, opening Aug. 1. I’m not alone in my anticipation for summer movies. Midtown Comics recently offered tickets to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but when I clicked the link—within 7 minutes their allotment of tickets was gone. —LV

Bright Sun + Cold Water + Endless Sprinting = The Only Solution for

so much energy The day I was looking to be superinspired by the activity at the sprinklers was the day the Parks Department decided not to turn them on... life without sprinklers

Sprinklers are by far my favorite thing about summer. It seems that every park in New York City was designed to include one place where children can be blasted with water. The designs vary wildly from park to park, but it seems like at some point someone must have said, “Enough with opening the real hydrants. Let’s just give them unlimited water.”

Starting around Memorial Day, the City turns on the water. Cold, endless, manufactured rain.

Our closest park used to have a button that had to be pressed in order to start the spray. Someone needed to keep pressing the button every 30 seconds.

This created not only annoying games, but also confusion for moms pushing strollers past the park. Are they on? No? Is that the spray...?

I’m not sure what happened, but the button is now broken (it looks like a mini fountain, and children try to drink from it) and the spray is constant. There is no longer a question. The other day, I did not

see the spray. I cursed. A lot. It was stupidhot at 11 a.m., the park was crowded, and I was not prepared to bake.

If sunrise is at 5:29 a.m., our park has usually been heating up for five hours by the time I get there. The slide that faces east is nuclear. The rubber mats will blister your skin. I just want to melt, not chase after two little boys who can’t seem to play anything together. sprinklers

It might seem boring, but somehow sprinklers provide limitless fun. This kid has a water canon, that kid has a plastic bag, this one is going to just sit on the sprinkler, and shorty is only going to play in the puddles off to the side. The kids are running too fast and it doesn’t matter if anyone knows how to swim. Bathing suit? Grandparents strip kids down to their underwear. No planning. No sunblock. Sometimes, no shoes. There are like a million accidents about to happen all at the same time. Saying “We’re going to the sprinklers” never means the same trip twice. Considering how much Kal wants to know what he’s going to do, he never questions the idea of going to the sprinklers. It is always going to be fun.

The kids and the games they are playing are constantly changing within a single trip. We arrive while the littlest kids are out. They leave to go home for lunch.

Bigger kids start to arrive on their own.

Moms who don’t like to be out unless it’s definitely sunny start to arrive. Kids are getting hurt and disappearing from play.

Other kids are just getting bored with the water guns and now it’s time to throw buckets of water.

This is not the place for making friends and engaging in imaginative play. This is child versus the elements, the place for honing sprinting and zombie-killing skills.

This is the first year that Kal has brought water guns to the sprinklers.

(Not that there are many years of history.

He’s 4.) But he has plenty of experience with bigger kids using him for target practice. Part of it is because he’s a good sport and laughs when they are shooting him in the head (I do not find this funny), but mostly he is the fastest kid out there.

And he never stops running. Ever.

We could not find the long singlepump tubes that other kids have. Instead, we bought a pair of pistol-sized singlepump waterguns. I never imagined I might need two so we could give one to a

I read Runner’s World monthly and love the “rave run” spread in the beginning of every issue.

Here’s what I would choose.

*Hilary’s Rave Run* stranger. Boom isn’t so interested in the guns, though, so, when a boy slightly older than Kal took Boom’s gun, all I had to do was point out to Kal and this boy that they should shoot each other. All the other watergun-toting kids were at least twice their age, so the little boys happily paired off. It was still not the fair fight Kal had been picturing. This kid took Kal’s bucket and shot Kal in the eye (for real) every time he tried to get close enough to refill. When Kal finally did refill, he shot at the ground. I actually told Kal that I didn’t care if he shot this kid in the head. (Yes, escalating violence...) But Kal wanted to stick to the rules of shooting low. I reaffirmed that shooting at the pavement is too low. Kal didn’t care. He had a gun and a boy was playing with him.

The whole game only lasts for a few minutes. Probably 10 at the most. The other boy turned abruptly, collided with a girl he didn’t know, hit the pavement, and wouldn’t stop crying until his grandma took him away. We didn’t see him again.

After that Kal shot me for a while, and then started making “soup” with leaves.

The whole time there are at least 12 much bigger kids and half a dozen smaller kids running around, screaming, oblivious to everyone else. Boom cried a lot because we forgot to bring a truck.

If Kal only runs the whole time, so be it.

The sprinklers are usually located in a completely sunny area of each park.

Between the sun beating down on him and the ridiculously cold water, he’s

wiped for the rest of the day. Maybe 30 minutes of my time (though it often feels much longer), and both kids are ready to just chill for the next five hours. This is my favorite part of summer.

When he’s not running

Kal is usually willing to sit down when I’m going to read stories with Boom before his nap because it means I will read books that Kal likes.

Kal’s Favorite summer books

Kindergarten, Here I Come!

How to Train Your Dragon 2 series Lego building inspirations Once Boom is down for a nap, Kal wants to play his favorite video games Disney Infinity How to Train Your Dragon 2 Mario Kart This summer, Boom seems to have control of the iPad. Luckily, they have the same iPad favorites Angry Birds Star Wars 2 Dumb Ways to Die package opening videos on YouTube Plants vs. Zombies When I do call a moratorium on video displays (because when is the TV not on in my house?), I can rely on a few other favorites

wooden Thomas tracks building “constructs” to knock down Play-Doh using markers as race cars physically rolling around or jumping standing on one’s head

An 8-mile sunrise run that starts at my Midtown apartment, runs to the east side of Manhattan and down the East River path to the Brooklyn Bridge—and back.

You get the cool breeze of the water, the beauty of an NYC sunrise and the endorphins of running—it’s a magical trifecta!

I am truly convinced that if more people experienced this—the city would be a lot less stressed!

Don’t let all that running and jumping and balancing on his head fool you. Kal is more than willing to sit completely still and devour a bag of popcorn in a darkened theater. He already sat nicely through Howto Train Your Dragon 2 and plans to repeat the experience when Planes: Fire & Rescue opens later this month.

lazy days of summer The first time we went to the sprinklers this year, I don’t think Boom was prepared for how exhausted he would be. Before I could get him to his room for a nap, he fell asleep watching YouTube. The problem is Boom has FOMO. It takes a whole production to make him believe that Kal is not doing anything fun and that it’s time for everyone to nap. He usually surrenders to sleep at naptime, but I think he’s figuring out how to pace himself. He stands around just enough, finds the shade, plays quieter games. He doesn’t plan to have another episode of crashing on the couch.

—Madeline

outdoor drinking Rather than run a list of boozy memories, we thought we’d sort Time Out New York’s list in the style of New York’s “Approval Matrix” with some of our own commentary. For a complete guide of places and opinions, check out Time Out. Manhattan

Frying Pan Pier 66A Chelsea Piers “Dock yourself next to a bucket of beers”

Loreley 7 Rivington Street (btwn Bowery & Chrystie) “Inspired by breweries in Cologne”

Zum Schneider 107-109 Ave C Alphabet City “a guy in a ski suit doing the chicken dance near the bar “ t.b.d. Brooklyn 224 Franklin Street Greenpoint Hostesses hand out written notices to parents who bring children Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden 29-19 24th Ave Astoria Serving Czech favs

The Garden at Studio Square NYC 35-33 36th Ave Long Island City “Party-loving beer enthusiasts”

some place else

Northern Bell 615 Metropolitan Ave Williamsburg “rotating beer selection features more than 45 brews “

Central Station 84 Central Ave Bushwick “...with tomato jam and arugula...”

high brow

low brow

The Boat Basin Café 79th Street (at the Hudson River) Families with children and dogs early, drunk girls vomitting later

Formed: August 2012 First Venue: 5 Napkins in Union Square Number of gatherings: 32

my favorite Burger As a member of the well acclaimed NYC burger club, Burger Babez (@burgerbabez) having to choose my top three favorite burgers is a very difficult task. However, my top pick, hands down is an easy one….the black label burger at Minetta Tavern. It’s perfect on its own without any cheese. A selection of prime dryaged beef cut with a mound of caramelized onions and pommes frites.

It’s that simple, no sides necessary.

Burger babez has a special anniversary meeting dedicated to this burger.

The char grilled burger at The Spotted Pig is a close second, very different than the black label burger but still perfectly satisfying. I would go

Number of burgers: 160+ burgers (Combined, I did not eat all that by myself!)

Follow the babez at: instagram.com/burgerbabez as far as saying that no ketchup or mustard is needed for this one. Topped with Roquefort cheese and rosemary shoestring fries on the side, the line is worth the wait. If the Spotted Pig could get any cooler, it just did. They started taking reservations so I will have lots more of these burgers in my lifetime.

Last but not least, the Bash style burger at Burger and Barrel. The combination of onions and bacon jam is killer. Finished with American cheese, pickles and special sauce, you won’t look back. Something about that bacon jam makes this burger a memorable one.

Happy Eating!

—Erica

Summer jobs Human Algorithm

Like something out of a light sci-fi series, who wouldn’t want to be a teenager getting paid to predict the downfall of the Japanese markets? lifeguard Even the guards who wrapped themselves in floppy hats, dark sunglasses, jackets, and blankets made this job seem so dreamy.

awesome

Mandatory for probably as long as kids have been mandatorily attending school nine months of the year...

Drive-thru greeterand-sometimescashier My McDonald’s

While we were thrilled to finally have a digital version of the Dubbs that people could read (that whole website version fizzled out fast), we were even more ecstatic to receive an email from Issuu that Jane K. was now following us. Jane first read the Dubbs as an intern at Niche way back when. We thought we’d send her some questions and see what’s up.

decided to switch from a speaker to face-to-face ordering taking. All I had to do was smile.

Woman’s Day Online Intern An unpaid

internship that put me in charge of the entire site within my first couple weeks.

Best. Internship. Ever.

What have you been up to?

About a year and a half ago my nowhusband, Rob, and I left our jobs, packed up our tiny Brooklyn apartment, and went on a one-way 3-day road trip to Austin. We got married and bought our first house. Rob’s been working out of a sweet little recording studio here, and I had been freelance editing and web designing from home. Until recently! You may have heard Niche is launching a new magazine here. I got lucky. We’re currently working on our launch issue— out this September.

Instyle Intern*

A priceless experience before heading into start-up magazines.

Library volunteer*

Studying the cover art as I re-shelved and straightened children’s titles was probably the best perk. paper girl I pictured

myself riding a bike, pitching each paper onto the subscribers’ porches.

Reality: I slowly walked the route with my mom.

What do you miss about NYC?

Our friends. Good pizza for a buck. Public transportation! Despite all the drunk tourists and the claustrophobia and the risk of getting stabbed by a crazy person, at least the subway was a way to get home after a night of debauchery. We have no options here!

Fry Girl One time the air

conditioning broke, but I had to stay at my post. Customers asked if I was all right.

What’s your favorite thing about Austin? How about the fact we just

*Job worked after September

awful

MPA Intern A really

well-paid internship where I was expected to verify the proper use of the MPA logo on every masthead in existence. Seriously. And I had to hunt down every magazine on my own.

favorite reader

bought a 3-bedroom house with a pool for less than $200k? Imagine the rat-infested efficiency apartment we could have bought in NYC for that kind of dough. And Rob and I have been taking advantage of all the space. We’re gardening, we built some furniture, currently working on our kitchen. I think

we’ll be here a long time. Austin is just this fun free-spirited little town in the middle of big and crazy Texas. As Rick Perry said recently, “It’s the blueberry in the tomato soup.” Well, I love it here.

My mom moved to Austin from NYC in the 1970s with her then-husband, and in a way I feel like I’ve inadvertently been following in her footsteps. I found an old picture of her here hanging out at Hippie Hollow—the only clothing-optional public park in Texas. Yeah. Unfortunately you probably won’t find me following in her footsteps there. (I mean, I have my own pool for that.)

What’s your favorite thing about ADW? Baby pictures of Kal and Ryne.

Jane’s mom, circa 1972

my favorite artist Luis’ homage to Lee’s Rogue

I’ve been a comic book fan for more than 30 years now. While I appreciate a great story, I have always gravitated to the visual images on the page and the artists who create them.

As a child I was mesmerized by the pencils of Neal Adams, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, and Jim Aparo. In the mid-’80s, I was captivated by John Byrne (his X-Men and Fantastic Four are still amazing) and George Perez (Teen Titans).

The late ’80s saw a shift in pencils, from cleaner lines and minimilaist shading to a much more detailed form of comic art. In came the excess of musculature, the heavy use of crosshatch shading. It really was the dawn of a new era and, as comic fans, it was a sort of new golden age.

Todd McFarlane and Erik Larsen were breaking new ground with Spider-Man. Rob Liefeld was breaking sales records with X-Force. It was a new world in comics, and it was being ushered in on the backs of these young talented artists.

For me, one stood out head and shoulders over the rest. Jim Lee. He was 23 when he broke into work at Marvel in 1987. He illustrated a fill-in run on Alpha Flight (Canadian superteam created by John Byrne) that really caught my eye.

His pencils were the perfect blend of accurate anatomy (characters were starting to get cartoonishly large) and iconic action poses with amazing faces.

He also mastered the art of cross-hatch shading. He used it in such a magnificent manner that it became the industry norm. There was a power and energy in his pencils unlike anything I had ever seen before.

By 1992, Lee and McFarlane were the top selling artists in comics. Lee’s Uncanny X-Men #1 relaunch in 1991 is the best selling comic of all-time according to Guiness Book of World Records.

After a contract dispute with Marvel (over the royalty payment artists received), Lee and six other high-level artists broke away and formed Image Comics. These guys instantly became the Beatles of the comics world. They were in-demand celebrities without selling out. They were fighting for creator rights for artists everywhere. They flipped the comic world on its ear. Instantly, the Big 2 became the Big 3.

Lee’s Wildsotrm studios churned out hit after hit, headlined by Lee’s own Wildcats. In 1998 Lee decided the stress of running his own company was too much (and the want to pencil more comics), so he sold Wildstorm to DC. Since then, Lee has continued to amaze with his penciling. He has had iconic year long runs on both Superman and Batman and parlayed those runs into the role of DC Creative Director and then Co-Publisher. He continues to be one of the most powerful and creative forces in comics today.

—Luis

Jim Lee’s Top 5 Here are my picks as to the best work Jim Lee has ever done.

1. Batman: Hush The year long epic

written by Jeph Loeb was Jim Lee’s return to fulltime pencilling.

It set the stage for Jason Todd’s reintroduction while making a villain of Tommy Elliot. Simply brilliant.

The perfect Batman book.

2. X-Men Jim Lee pencils, Chris

Claremont words.

The best X pairing in years. The best selling comic of all-time with one the greatest covers of all-time (5-panel gatefold). The sales on this book set the stage for Image Comics formation.

3. justice league Another

exemplary pairing.

This time taking over the DC Big 7 with Geoff Johns.

This book was the official launch of the New 52 universe.

4. Wildcats

Ridiculously succesful launch of Jim’s first creator-owned project. While the story was a little flat, the art and colors were amazing.

5. Superman: for tomorrow

Lee and Brian Azarello try to put a human (and surprisingly religious) twist on the man of steel.

Lee’s pencils were astounding.

INFINITELY

awesome

My favorite video game launch of 2013 was Disney Infinity.

What seemed like it would be a Skylanders ripoff turned out to be the most enjoyable game of the year.

It embraced the collectible-toy-toconsole trend that Skylanders developed—and improved on it. The gameplay is fairly simple but addictive.

You complete challenges in a story mode to collect rewards and items that you later use in the most innovative and compelling part of the game—the ToyBox—where the play has no rules.

The ToyBox is a completely empty world you customize to your heart’s content. You want to build a race track around Cinderella’s castle that incorporates monsters from Pirates of the Caribbean but with the feel of Alice in Wonderland? No problem. My 4-year-old has built more toy boxes than I care to count—each a different motif and purpose—and he still wants to play every day.

The individual collectible characters are also great. There is a wide variety of characters from Disney properties, soon to include Marvel. Over 30 so far with everyone from Sorceror Mickey to Ralph and Vanellope. Simply put, Disney Infinity has been my favorite game for almost a year.

—Luis Favorite Character Mr. incredible (with Ralph and the Lone Ranger a close second and third) favorite Playset The Lone Ranger

favorite new musicians

Jhene Aiko

The 26-year-old R&B singer-songwriter is a force to be reckoned with in 2014’s new class of artists to watch. Her debut mixtape, Sail Out, was released in the tail end of 2013 but it was jam-packed with amazing featured artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Ab-Soul, and Vince Staples. In 2013 and now, you can hear her neo soul voice being featured in Drake’s “Wu-Tang Forever” and “From Time” off of his album Nothing Was the Same, as well as Big Sean’s hit record Beware.

2014 has been a big year for Jhene, from her performance at Cochella to her photoshoot in the May GQ to, most recently, her mesmerizing performance on Ellen. Jhene recently revealed her rap alter ego, J-Henny, on a alternative version of her track “Stay Ready,” showing that not only does she have the voice of an angel but also some aggressive rhyming skills. “She still sings, but she’s more aggressive, she likes to really talk a lot of shit and talk about things that a lot of R&B singers don’t talk about,” Aiko explained. Jhene was truly born to make great music, and we can expect a lot more amazing records to come from her in the coming months.

Chance The Rapper

Probably one of the best new rappers on the scene in 2014, Chance the Rapper started getting mainstream attention with his free independently released mixtape Acid Rap. It’s a breath of fresh

air compared to all the really bad hip-hop hitting the airwaves today. If you haven’t listened to Acid Rap yet, do it!

Trust me, it’s that good. His music is strange and nasally but it works well with his melodic singing and cadence.

Chance is a Chicago-born artist, and he doesn’t let you forget it by simply repping Chicago teams but by bringing up the problems that people from the South Side face. The track”Paranoia” addresses gang violence and takes you through a journey of anger and frustration that is the reality of his Chicago. “They murking kids; they murder kids here/Why you thing they don’t talk about it?/ They deserted us here/ Where the fuck is Matt Lauer at?

Somebody get Katie Couric in here.”

Chance is not serious all the time and does have his fun and carefree songs such as “Favorite Song” and “Good Ass Intro.” Chance has been featured on Skrillex’s new album as well as in a song with Justin Bieber—probably the only Bieber song I listened to willingly. He’s been touring all over the U.S., selling out concert venues and gaining more traction as an independent artist.

Recently Chance, along with his father, organized a social media campaign that led to a successful 42 hours of no gun violence in Chicago. Some call it a miracle in the murder capital of the U.S., but it shows how much passion and love Chance has for his hometown. He has that same passion in his music. I can’t wait for what else he has in the works for the world.

—Sterling

my fAvorite teAmS

S c i om r

c rne co sAgA

kareem Abdul-Jabbar, roger staubach and reggie Jackson “What?” “How does that happen?”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

Those are usually the reactions I receive when I tell people my favorite sports teams are the new york yankees, dallas Cowboys and L.A. Lakers.

I’ve been called front-runner or spawn of Satan more than I’d like , but the genesis of my fandom is a really simple story: I idolized my oldest brother.

My oldest brother was significantly older than me. I looked up to everything he did. He never treated me like the snot-nosed little know-it-all I was. He respected me and answered anything I asked him. Before long he was dragging me everywhere with him.

On trips to the playground to play basketball he would uncork the most incredible shot I’ve ever seen. Whenever he would shoot it people would shout out “kareem.” When I asked him about the shot, he told me it was called a sky hook, which he patterned after his favorite player kareem (hence everyone’s cheers). kareem was a New York City high school legend who went on to win multiple titles at uCLA before entering the NBA and making instant winners of the Milwaukee Bucks before being traded to the Lakers. It wasn’t long before I was following Lakers boxscores in the newspapers to see what kareem was

doing. Then I finally saw them play and was mesmerized. Not by kareem, but by their young point guard, Magic Johnson.

I had never seen anyone like that. On my next birthday I received a Magic Johnson jersey, and my lifelong love affair with the Lakers was born.

The rest of it was simple. As the oldest child, and my most regular babysitter, my brother controlled my entertainment.

We saw, read, or talked about whatever he wanted. I loved every minute of it.

He would tell me stories about his favorite ever football player (in that time), a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who played for Navy and even served in Vietnam. He told me about what a true sportsman he was, as gracious in defeat as he was in victory.

He of course was talking about Roger Staubach, and thus a Cowboys fan was born. A Danny White #11 jersey was my next birthday gift.

The easiest team I root for to understand is the Yankees. We were all born and raised in New York, so it never raised any questions. People understand that. Again my Yankee fanaticism was driven by my brother and his love for Reggie Jackson. Still to this day any team he plays on, my brother wears #44. So all in all, my sports loyalties were developed by my idolization of my brother.

—Luis

usually a book that sweeps the Eisner’s (Saga won each of the three awards it was nominated for last year) can relax a little, but brian k. vaughan and fiona staples’ epic space opera fantasy series has gotten even better in year two. This intergalactic Romeo & Juliet meets Lord of the Rings continues to sell through the roof while delivering character-driven sci-fi gold. Alana and Marko’s evolving relationship while they travel the universe with their daughter Hazel and avoid capture is the best thing on the market today. I didn’t think Vaughan could get better than Ex-Machina and Y-The Last Man, but Saga does just that.

deconstructing

woody Woody Allen, perhaps the most prolific American director of the past 40 years, delivers what Mike Posillico believes to be a raw and unnerving glimpse into a fictionalized accounting of Allen’s own life in 1997’s Deconstructing Harry. Like many of Allen’s films, the exact genre is undistinguishable. As is his custom, comedy is prevalent, but equally so are moments posing serious questions about one’s own worth to loved ones, contemporaries and ultimately oneself.

Deconstructing Harry follows Harry Block, played by Woody Allen himself, as a neurotic, atheistic, ex-wife-collecting, pill-popping, physiatrist-swapping, alcoholic writer through 48 hours of fantasy and reflection as he struggles to come to terms with the catastrophic damage he’s caused those around him at the expense of his own artistic endeavors.

Birthed in the shadow of James Cameron’s box office juggernaut Titanic, Deconstructing Harry flew so far under the radar it could have buzzed the deck of the famous shipwreck itself.

Allen a lifelong admirer of directors Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman, weaved their two cinematic styles into his own to pull off a seamless journey cascading from reality to fiction. Much like Fellini’s 8½, Harry interacts with his own written characters that do not hesitate to call him out on his shortcomings as a human being.

“Hey, I’m not going to stand out here and get lectured by my own creation,” says Harry.

“You can’t fool me. I’m not like your shrink.

He only knows what you tell him. I know the truth,” replies his literary alter ego, Ken. Like all great comedy, Deconstructing Harry is rooted in tragedy. From the opening of the film Harry’s life is a disaster zone. Harry is accosted at gunpoint by Lucy, a jilted lover who accuses him of black wizardry for his ability to spin everyone’s misery and suffering into literary gold. Harry confesses to her that his life is not as it seems and is in fact in

ruins. Plagued with writer’s block, Harry has taken an advance on a novel for which he has no idea what to write, his money is gone, and his girlfriend has left him. It’s at this moment the film takes shape and the ride begins, bringing us into one of many vignettes narrated by Harry and brilliantly used to introduce us to his humor, background and underlying self-worth.

“Harvey Stern married too young— mainly to get out of his parent’s apartment, which was a rent-controlled cornucopia of guilt, antagonism, and soul-deadening criticism. By day he labored listlessly in a shoe store. By night, he glowed intensely over his Remington portable.”

Harry’s main protagonists are all thinly veiled representatives of himself. The most far-fetched is Max Pincus, an elderly Jew whose wife of 30 years discovers that he is an ax-murderer and a cannibal!

Max’s response when challenged showcases Harry’s hilarious disdain for organized religion, family and humanity all at once: “If I tell you why I did it, do you promise not to noodge me?”

Ultimately Harry, during one of these flights of fancy, stops disguising himself as these characters and steps into their roles personally, traveling to hell in a vain attempt to win back his lost love, Fay, from Satan, played wonderfully by Billy Crystal.

While on an elevator ride descending deep into the murky underworld, Harry settles an old score with his famed longtime nemesis by decreeing that the floor dedicated solely to “the media” is filled to capacity.

The plot to Deconstructing Harry pays homage to Bergman’s celebrated Wild Strawberries, which follows an elderly professor traveling to be awarded a doctorate. During the trip, the professor relives key experiences through flashback.

Harry Block also travels to an upstate university, which expelled him while he was a student, but now wishes to honor him. Harry reflects upon past mistakes, relationships and moments that have directly shaped his current state of being.

One could easily project Allen’s own highs and lows in reality against the trials and tribulations of Harry. On the surface there is very little reason to root for this man. He’s selfish, self-absorbed, and petty, but underneath loveable, charismatic and in possession of an unrelenting loyalty to the written word, which houses the universe he’s created. The same can be said for Allen himself who has attempted with limited success to stay out of the public eye while trying to remain loyal to an art form that often makes that impossibile.

What’s personally drawn me to Allen’s films in the past arrives in spades with this scathing opus. The performances, the soundtrack of old standards featuring the likes of Benny Goodman and Cole Porter, and the warm autumn feeling every movie he’s photographed simply exudes from the screen. And let’s not forget the mountain of misanthropic one liners delivered by the title character himself, with a fervor only a seasoned comic could pull off with such effortless regularity. adw

funny girl

I don’t think I watch The Mindy Project the way I watch other shows. While I don’t follow Mindy Kaling on Twitter, I was more than a little excited to give her book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) a try. The memoir sheds plenty of insight into what drives the character Dr. Lahiri and the ideas for the show.

I might give her obnoxious behavior a free pass, but it makes me laugh. —Madeline

Okay, if we are indulging imaginary situations, I would love to introduce you to my husband.

Straight Anderson Cooper.

A best friend isn’t a person.

It’s a tier.

It’s so weird being my own role model.

Because I’m not good at saying no.

One time I left a flea market with a samurai sword.

I’m not overweight.

I fluctuate between chubby and curvy.

I figure if I’m gonna be a mess, I might as well be a hot mess.

Maybe I won’t get married, ya know?

Maybe I’ll do one of those Eat, Pray, Love things.

I don’t wanna pray. Forget it.

I’ll just die alone.

I don’t want to go to your stupid party.

But you know what? I should have been invited.

Tattling is when a little girl does it.

When a hot woman does it, it’s called whistle blowing.

It doesn’t need to be true, I just need to hear it.

Sir? You’re not using enough cheese on that pizza, sir.

I just need to ride out this minor humiliation until I find my Kanye.

I’m going to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Escalator, maybe. Baby steps.

I’m a little disappointed at this conversation.

—Dr. Mindy Lahiri

Empowering Over the past few years, there has been an abundance of strong scene-stealing comedians, from Amy Poehler to Melissa McCarthy.

For me, there is one who stands out above the rest.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m certifiably obsessed with Mindy Kaling. I first fell in love with her as the ditzy and self-absorbed Kelly Kapoor on The Office. Since then, Mindy has developed her own cult-following, being dubbed “everyone’s best friend” because of her relatable and hilarious social media commentary on everything from sample sales to the NBA. On her own sitcom, The Mindy Project, Kaling accurately demonstrates the dichotomy that exists in so many women, portraying a successful Ivy League doctor who is unapologetic in her love of shopping and rom-coms.

Mindy embraces sex and dating on her show, rivaling Jerry’s girl-a-week rotation on Seinfeld. Even more empowering, Mindy refuses to make her appearance an issue, proving that a woman doesn’t need to be a blonde size 6 to get a date—she just has to have a brain and sense of humor.

—Marisa

five thinGS the random thingS on luiS’ mind

new york ComIC Con

Another year of artist sketches, creator signings, amazing panels, cosplayers, video game and toy previews, and free swag. I’m so happy I’ll be going back for a fourth consecutive year. dIsney InfInIty 2.0 mArveL suPerheroes

For the first time in my life I’m anticipating a game more than Madden.. The original Infinity was amazing. I can’t wait to see what they do with the heroes on this platform.

Lego IdeAs eCto-1

Lego continues to churn out amazing sets. I want this. Right now.

J. Crew LudLow suIt Specifically in Italian Chino. That might simply be the best-looking summer suit on the market.

ICed Coffee. Nothing is better in

the summer. My day has not offically started until I get some iced coffee.