Dhaka Tribune
Tuesday, September 10, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 21
Hot Topic I’m no superman Written in the Stars dhaka toy museum
Ad ve rti se m en t
A weekly production of
DhakaTribune Editor Zafar Sobhan Magazine Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad TMAG Team Sabiha Mahmud Sumi Rubab Nayeem Khan Munira Fidai Afshan Sattar Natasha Rahman Azfar Rahman Saudia Afrin Tahsin Momin Sama E Deen Rifat Binte Haider Contributors Fardeen Ameen Imtiaz Salim Q Zulyadain Islam Abak Hussain Afshan Sattar Graphics Mohammed Mahbub Alam Kazi Istela Imam Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: tmag@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
4 Look of the Week Monisha Momtaz
8 Written in the Stars
Follow your dreams
More inside Gossip 12 Dear Diary 12 Blush Much picks Of the week 2 Room of the week Tahasina Afrin 3 Doodle of the week Tahsin Momin 10 Guitar tabs of the week Scott Stapp’s The Great Divide
11 App of the week: My6sense Your world 9 Fiction The freeloader strikes 9 Comic book Neonomicon 9 Book The Dresden Files 5 Car Evolution of the Batmobile Horoscope 5 Your forecast
TMAG says 2 Funk up your room Bang!!! 2 FYI How to find your superpowers 3 School Survival Giving back 10 Playlist Saving the world tunes 10 Instrument Djembe 10 Album Dissector EP “Local Maniac Syndrome” 11 Movie Wonderboy 11 Game DC Universe 11 Web critic The Fox
Real Life 3 Event Tweets 6 Hot topic 9 Non-fiction Looter lure 12 He says, she says
Fashion 4 Beauty check Have mercy Wonder woman
4 Wardrobe check Superhero suit up!
Status of the week To eat or not to eat, that is... yum. That was easy.
Quote of the week About the cover We have the wonderful We Draw Stuff to thank for this super cover. Artwork Navid F Rahman
I respect old people; they graduated high school without Google and Wikipedia
Editor’s note Dear Readers, It’s been a hectic week at TMAG. Back-to-back photoshoots, content changes, and lots of drama makes for one exhausted team. If there’s a superhero we would have liked to have on our side, it’d be Dr Manhattan. Speaking of superheroes, we’re rounding off our exploration of comic-book greats this week. Check out a man who’s a hero to teens in Dhaka in Written in the Stars (Page 8). We’ve got some super fashion and make-up tips in Fashion Face-off (Page 4), and everyone’s favourite ride in Street (Page 5). Follow our Tumblr page http://tmagtribune.tumblr.com for behind-the-scenes photos, previews, and clues to themes for upcoming issues, for those interested in sending us postcard fiction. Send your doodles, room photos, questions and complaints to tmag@dhakatribune.com Love from the TMAG desk
Lingo of the week Jelly short for jealous For instance, Friend This red may have suited someone with a better build. You I can feel that you’re jelly, buddy!
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Your Life
FYI
How to find your super powers Amid all the socialising, you do get off on the wrong foot with your peers, especially when they impose their ideas on you. If it goes against everything you believe in, you should say it out loud, be heard. Exercising a little power goes a long way. Read on more to find out what your power is
admit, try to talk them out of it. If things get out of hand, consult with an authority figure. Some of your friends might question your loyalty now, but they’ll surely thank you later. 5) Steer clear Certain people will expect you to get along with their shortcomings, but they’ll poke fun at yours. Don’t let them thrive by taking you for granted. If you can’t get along with them, voice your opinions. Sugar-coating is no longer an option. 6) The power of “NO” When in doubt regarding a suggestion from a friend, feel free to say no. You are just exercising your beliefs, there’s nothing wrong with that. If they are close, they’ll surely understand your concerns. 7) Family Introduce them to the family more often. If you think a peer is involved with something fishy, call them over. Nothing spooks them better than authority figures. 8) Positive reinforcement If a peer suggests something troublesome, you suggest something exactly opposite. If you keep at it, it will knock some sense into their noggins.
1) Perspective- get one Sometimes, your mates will ask you to have their back even when they aren’t true blue. Look for the pros and cons and exercise your view points. Refrain from playing the friend card. 2) Questions A friend or peer wants your support concerning a particular issue, but if they won’t confide the details, get curious. They may leave you out of it. 3) Prioritise Socialise by all means, but let them know the things you want to be involved with. 4) This isn’t snitching If your friends are involved with something controversial, pry in subtly. If they
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Rubab Nayeem Khan
Funk up your room
TMAG’s Room of the week!
BANG!!!
Name TAHASINA AFRIN Area BANANI The right lighting can turn a punch space into an area of visual interest. We like the mood of this quiet study corner
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All credit for fighting with devils and keeping the world safe from evil goes to our very classy superheroes. Having a superhero themed room is quintessential for people of any age. This week, check out the cool and epic ideas that TMAG brings you Start off
Send in a picture of your room to tmag@dhakatribune.com and you may be crowned TMAG’s room of the week!
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Choose one or pick as many as you like from a bunch of characters. Both looks have their unique ways to give a new touch to your room. Though Superman, Spiderman, and Batman are the most popular and classic superheroes, adding Hulk, X-men and Green Lantern will exaggerate the theme more precisely. But be careful to not mix them up with each other. Be specific with your ideas.
Focal point
Complement the walls of your room with favourite scenes of comic books or movies. Don’t forget to add 3D effects to the wall decal or else you will miss the real taste of having such a themed room. Do up any wall with your most favourite superhero’s emblem. The exquisiteness will double if all of them hang in exclusive but simple frames or are painted on the doors of the bookshelf. Try to keep the colours of the wall as vibrant as your favourite superhero’s attire. Blue or red might be the best option for those who are extremely fascinated by Superman or Spiderman. To make the room exceptional, make the bed a place of focus. There are plenty of options, decorate your bed into the BATMOBILE pattern and fly through Gotham city with Batman while sleeping! Saudia Afrin
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Schoologistics
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School Survival
Giving Back A little bit can go a long way. Our actions can be the root of someone else’s happiness, as well as a powerful way to help ourselves. Here are a few different ways to volunteer to help the community around you, as well as benefit yourself collected through donations is an ageold practice to support lower income families. It helps maintain them while they go out to find means to survive on their own.
Local area clean ups Grab a trash bag in one hand and walk down the streets in front of your school, or around the block cleaning up the roads. Cleanliness around the school may encourage other schools and institutions to implement the same thing, and may further discourage littering.
Teaching the underprivileged Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Students can form groups and teach underprivileged adults certain skills that may help them earn their future income. Perhaps sowing, or how to run a small shop? And why stop at the adults, younger children can be taught both academic and creative skills. Beginning from math and science and going on to art and even music.
that luxury. Reading programs can partner or group together volunteers with those people who are seeking help in reading. For children, perhaps an additional story time could be held to further encourage reading.
Reading Programs Not every adult and child out there has had the benefit of going to school; so don’t underestimate the ability to read. Many may not have
What about me Beyond the good feeling that comes from helping others in donating your time and energy, volunteering can have
Planting trees While you’re removing the mess, why not add to the environment too? Planting trees are an excellent way to purify the air around you, as well as add a little aesthetic appeal. Collecting donation Distributing necessities like food and clothing
TMAG’s Doodle of the week!
Tahsin mOMIN doodled this WHILE DOING HIS PHYSICS ASSIGNMENT
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School is that time in our growth years where education and socialization take the forefront, but it is also the time to give back to the community that has made that possible for you.
a significant impact on physical health and mental health. Make your day by making the days of those less privileged than you. Afshan Sattar
EVENT Tweets Happy Moment Picture Contest September 10 Venue 68,Richmond concord 1st floor,Gulshan Avenue,Gulshan-1
US Graduate Study Opportunities in Science Fields 3pm, September 10 Venue The American Centre
“ROCK FOR AWARENESS : CONCERT TO REMOVE ILLITERACY” September 13 Venue Engineers Institute
Alumni Campus Day @ IUB
September 13 Venue Plot 16 Block B, Aftabuddin Ahmed Road Bashundhara R/A
The Art and Practice of Leadership
9:30am, September 14 Venue 9th Floor, Midas Center, Dhanmondi
Anchor presents “ Lords Of Metal”
10am, September 14 Venue National Library Auditorium
Eid Mela
10am, September 15 Venue Drik Gallery, House 58, Road 15A (New), Dhanmondi
Stage Drama “Mahatma”
7pm, September 15 Venue Studio Theater Auditorium, Bangladesh Shilpokala Academy
Macquarie University, Australia Free Spot Assessment & Counselling Session If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag@dhakatribune. com and see it in our weekly!
11am, September 16 Venue House 40, Road 27 (old) Concord Royal Court, Dhanmondi
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FASHION FACE-OFF
Beauty Check bigstock
Have some mercy, Wonder Woman Who said princesses were all about damsels in distress waiting to be rescued? Making most women cringe at her voluptuous silhouette is one thing. But forcing men to lose their swag with her superb fighting reflexes, Wonder Woman is an aura that you can’t fight.If fighting for justice, peace and truth could make one look like her, then we’d be bending over backwards to be half the powerhouse of a woman she is. TMAG shows you how to look the part of the DC Universe princess Oozing with sensuality, here’s opening up a window to the Amazonian warrior’s smouldering looks. Cheeky business Emphasize the cheekbones by blending in a cream blush that matches your skin tone. Add definition by dragging the blush towards your hairline. For a natural dewy look use a highlighter to bring out that out of the world glow! Eyes that speak To perfect Wonder Woman’s exotic eyes, use deep beige or browns to
bring out the sensuality in the eyes. Mixing two shades of browns will enhance the eyes. Line both your upper and lower lids with an angular liner brush and blend it into the crease. An icy white shadow on your brows will bring out your eyes. Go all out on the mascara and voila! Succulent lips A deep strawberry red can make the lips pop! Moisturize your lips with a bit of balm to keep it looking supple. For fuller lips apply the red liner slightly on the outer edges of your lips. Put a double coat of cherry/strawberry red
Look of the Week
catwoman Meow! You don’t have to be a comic book character to rock Catwoman’s style. Sometimes black on black and vixen red lips can really turn the heat up Model Monisha Momtaz Makeup Aniqa Nawar Photographer Syed Latif Hossain
lipstick. Make sure to apply it to the inside of your lips. With lips like that, you wouldn’t need any other weapon! Lightly blow dry your hair upside
Wardrobe Check
Superhero Suit Up! You would never see Spiderman on the side of a building in pyjamas, or batman driving around Gotham in a casual t-shirt. Get your inner super hero on by adding these themed attires and accessories to your wardrobe You can get superhero themed round neck t-shirts in various stores around Dhaka like Crystal Collections in Happy Arcade Market, Dhanmondi #3, or POPS, in Metro Shopping mall, where they have a collection of Batman, Superman, Star Wars, Avengers, Spiderman and Hulk t-shirts. Having a larger collection of merchandise and t-shirts, SRK ShowTime Shop in Banani, has not just t-shirts, but also has collectable original comics ranging from Tk1800 up to Tk7000. The prices of the superhero round neck shirts vary, but average around Tk450. For the girls, there are a variety of options available. What’s important to note is what kind of accessory you are wearing. Superwoman for instance, fashions a large silver band around her wrist. These bands that come in gold and silver are available on and off in jewellery shops in Pink City in Gulshan, RAK tower in Uttara, and Aarong, with a large variation in price ranging from between Tk800 to Tk1400. You can add a little culture to the outfit by wearing a large bunch of plain gold or silver bangles on each wrist.
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down, keeping the natural lustre and bounce and you are done! Get your wonder woman gear on, and let’s hope for wings, shall we? Natasha Rahman
Cat woman wears an outfit that would be incomplete without the tall black boots. Boots like these are available in some shops along Elephant road, and are also available in Cats Eye. While you’re there, consider the leather pants as well. They would do wonders to your themed outfit. To any outfit, really! If you want a Thor themed outfit, try a red skirt, black top, and a large gold bangle to top it off. Add a pair of yellow shoes if you have some in the closet. A green top and purple pants would pull off the incredible hulk, while adding a large black shrug to your cat woman outfit would transform it into batman. Keep your eyes open for tops and accessories that might work with what you already have, to create a great outfit. Some stores to check out might be the above mentioned, Westecs, Spark Gear and all of Doja Market and Bongo Bazar. These last two are abundant in hard-tofind-but-totally-worth-it buys. And the most important place to look: the back of your closet. You might have something perfect just stashed away back there! Afshan Sattar
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Street FFPB
Fantasy Football Players of Bangladesh Fantasy League Top 10 after Gameweek 3 Rank Team 1 FC Wenger 49 2 Gunner Till I Die 3 Riders of Rohan 4 Team Masti 5 Shetra FC 6 Enforcers FC 7 Phoenix 11 8 Anfield Army 9 Hectorious Tristan 10 The Blues
Manager Z Mission Tanvir Ahmed Shovon Reazur Rahman Rohan mirza mostafa Nene Rupak Shakil Mahmud Nayeemul islam Asim Abdullah Sharifur Rahman MAG Asif
GW 78 70 66 83 64 61 59 76 63 60
TOT 232 225 223 221 219 217 212 211 211 210
The code to join FFPB’s Classic league is 975-707
Car Talk
Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Self-pity won’t make you feel any better. If you know your problems, solve them on your own. Stop feeling pathetic. Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)
You might feel a little dejected this week if things don’t go as planned. People will get under your skin. Feel free to cringe. Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)
The Evolution of the Batmobile When it comes to ridiculously awesome fictional cars with a bizarre amount of insanely cool features, one needs to look no further than the Batmobile. Although it’s existed in a number of films over the years, it’s a perpetually righteous and sexy means of transportation, driven by everyone’s favourite superhero, Batman. To get a feel for the history of this awesome ride, let’s take a look at three of its most remarkable variations that were actually built Holy seatbelts, Batman! Buckle up for a wild ride! Although the first Batman film serials date back to the 1940s, the first Batmobile that people tend to think of is the one from the iconic 1960s Adam West, Batman series. This Batmobile, the first one to be extremely stylized, was originally a one-of-a-kind concept car, specifically a 1955 Lincoln Futura. When George Barris was tasked with building a Batmobile for the TV show’s launch in a matter of weeks, he decided that the Futura could be modified into a Batmobile more easily than building one from scratch. Even before modifications, the Futura had some pretty distinct, almost superheroic flair to it, including wild cosmetic details like its clear plastic canopy top, and huge outward-canted tailfins, both incorporated into the Batmobile. After the end of the Adam West era, live-action Batman went back to hide in
HOROSCOPE
his cave for a while, only re-emerging in 1989 with the new Tim Burton directed series. That meant a newer, grittier Batmobile, this time, built off the chassis of not one, but two Chevy Impalas. The car was designed by Anton Furst, who hoped to make the Batmobile less of a clown car and more of a tank. Furst took inspiration from 1930s flat racers and 1950s muscle cars. The “Keaton Batmobile,” as it is sometimes called, rides remarkably low to the ground, and like all good Batmobiles, can shoot flames out the back. The Keaton Batmobile introduced the “Bat Missile” mode. The Batmobile featured in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Series has a radical design upgrade, mostly in that it’s not so much a car as a tank, literally, and the first Batmobile not to be built off an existing car chassis, called the Tumbler. Instead of being any kind of modified car, it’s instead a military prototype. It has
the indispensable jet engines, machine guns, and even a detachable bat-pod motorcycle “Bat Missile”. But the Tumbler doesn’t just take from the established stack of Batmobile features, it adds a few of its own as well. One unique feature the Tumbler has is a somewhat unintuitive electric engine. Understandably, the old flaming jet is used for the bulk of the Tumbler’s propulsion needs whereas the electric motor is reserved for stealth. Already impressive, the Tumbler still has room for further improvements. In the latest, The Dark Knight Rises, the batmobile appeared to be flying. That’s not all either. If we are not wrong, our calculations suggest that you’ll be treated to three more Batman reboots before you die and unless Batman gets a Spacecraft or something, three more Batmobiles are inevitable to hit the silver screen. What kind of features those bad boys will have is anybody’s guess. Tahsin Momin
Don’t let anxiety get the best of you this week; you are better than this. Think of the things that are falling in place. Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
Family and friends will need your undivided attention this week, and this could come off as frustrating to you for a change. Chill. Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
You’ll feel a little crabby if it takes you a long time to nail an assignment or project. Accept the fact that it’s beyond your control. Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)
Issues at home or work could wreak havoc; so much that it puts a damper on holiday plans. It’ll pass, so try to keep your cool. Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22)
Your financial plans may not come to fruition this week if you keep planning. Quit stalling, get it over with. Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
Miscommunication may widen the gap between you and loved ones this week. Reach out to them. It will make a difference. Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Confining yourself within four walls has its perks this week. A little rest and relaxation will have you up and running in no time. Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19)
A blast from the past really isn’t a great way to kick start the week but don’t get too spooked if an ex wants to get back with you. Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)
Take the time to console a dejected family member. A little motivation goes a long way. Do it. Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)
If you don’t get whatever you have been impatiently waiting for, at the start of this week, keep calm, and find a diversion. That ought to do the trick!
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HOT TOPIC
I’m no
Superman Last week, TMAG talked about supervillains, real and fictional. This week, we round up the discussion by focusing on the other side of the pop-cultural phenomenon that is the whole superhero genre. We’re talking about the people that love them. Abak Hussain and Sabrina Fatma Ahmad discuss how superhero flicks have changed their audience and vice versa
Whatever you might feel about them, superheroes have infiltrated our dreams and lives starting from their origin in comic books and distilled all the way down to television shows, movies, video games and other media. Even though these beings are obviously so far from any sort of reality – if it was possible to be a real Batmantype thing successfully we would have seen one by now – they have firmly placed themselves in our collective imaginations and show no signs of going away. Superheroes have changed. For the sake of keeping things manageable, let’s ignore the rich world of comic books and graphic novels for now and focus on the films. Both the costumes and attitude they were have had to evolve the contemporary zeitgeist. The changes are more unconscious and subtle compared to what remains the same. Superman is still Superman. And yet, the (almost) all-powerful extraterrestrial from the planet Krypton has had to force himself to change to adjust to the reigning political correctness of Planet Earth circa now.
Although Superman is the archetype of what we call a superhero, the best case study of all is the dark fellow with no superpowers at all – Batman The public was already used to seeing a portrayal of Batman in the deliciously campy Adam West version. Even in its day, it was impossible to take the show seriously. All that changed with the advent of the feature films. Tim Burton’s 1989 film “Batman” introduced a level of seriousness to the character that had never been seen before. This Batman didn’t dance and didn’t answer a flashing red telephone. The body-hugging suit was replaced by protective armour. Michael Keaton played it straight and the villain was played to psychotic perfection by multiple Oscarwinner Jack Nicholson. This meant things just got serious.
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HOT TOPIC
The franchise flattened out soon after, lapsing into standard action, overblown comic bookish fight scenes and stories that make no sense. After Joel Schumacher’s atrocious “Batman-Robin”, it seemed like Batman was dead in the water. With rumours of a curse plaguing the Superman franchise (every movie that followed Christopher Reeves’ accident, fizzled at the box office), it spelled disaster for DC heroes at least. During this lull, the commercial success of the early X-men movies and Sam Raimi’s Spiderman proved the blockbuster potential for this genre, and it was Marvel’s turn to step into the spotlight. The Marvel-verse had a little bit of something for everyone: action for the dudes, romance for the ladies, all wrapped up in a nice PG-13 package so that the whole family could watch. And then mister Nolan stepped in and once again, changed the game. Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” did the impossible by making Batman even darker than Tim Burton had. He tossed out any trace of camp, and made a gritty origin story fit for the 21st century. This Gotham was a world we could believe possible, this Batman someone who would inspire awe the way the first Superman movie had once amazed young watchers. Closely followed by the debut of Iron Man in 2008, a culture for “celebrity” superheroes was created. For the first time, at least on screen, Bruce Wayne was as important and interesting as the Batman, and the spotlight on Tony Stark possibly bigger than the suit he wore.
These realistic, relatable depictions of the men behind the costumes paved the way for the very cynical adaptation of Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” Models taz ish Mon a Mom asi W Syed Samiul Naziha Amin er Photograph sain os H tif Syed La
The world was tired of pristine role models in tights. They wanted fallible heroes, moral ambiguity. If the original comic superheroes were well-received
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in an atmosphere where patriotic feelings were running high, the backdrop of the hotly-debated and highly controversial Iraq war made for an audience that wasn’t merely satisfied with “perfect” heroes destroying public property with no accountability, all for a “good cause.”
2012 was an interesting year for superhero features, squaring off the highly profitable Avengers (which probably owed much of its success to Joss Whedon’s name in the credits as opposed to any intrinsic merit of the film itself) and the highly anticipated Dark Knight Returns It was probably telling that even game-changer Nolan found his trilogy dissected and analysed and criticised by viewers grown so wise to movie magic as to be intolerant of perceived credibility flaws in a work of fantasy. Which brings us to present time. Now that some of the frenzy over RDJ’s witty quips, Henry Cavill’s pretty features and Amy Adam’s lack thereof, has cooled down, it is interesting to note not only the reaction of the real life audiences, but also those of the reel life ones. Less than a decade ago, when deciding how the kid would react upon finding Iron Man crashing in his barn, plugging the Avengers movie and emotionally manipulating the strangely vulnerable protagonist would probably not be on the list. As for the Man of Steel, well, let’s just say Earthlings took an impressively short time to get used to the idea of an alien defender, dub him ‘Superman’, and get on with life as usual. In the age of Twitter and Instagram, even flying men don’t hold your attention for too long.
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written in the Stars
The success story of a dreamer
Where did the idea of launching Dhaka Museum of Toys come from? Any significant reason behind the project? I’ve been a collector for over 30 years now! Most of these collectibles have travelled all over the world with me. I always tried to find space to actually display these gems but space was always an issue, so the more my collection grew, the more I thought about having a central storage/ display space as I wanted to share it with fellow enthusiasts. There are numerous toy museums abroad. Recently, I had the privilege to visit Mint Museum of Toys in Singapore and then later BatCat Toy Museum in Bangkok, Thailand. I thought, hey, if they can have these museums right next door, why not have one in Dhaka? Once Dhaka Comicon successfully happened, that was my green light to move forward with the museum. How has the audience response been? Just AMAZING! Honestly I really didn’t know what to expect, but starting from setting up the museum where fellow collector Kazi M Noor spent sleepless nights on his own accord, along with assistance from Shafkaat Ahmed, Shadab Ahmed, Wasi Ahmed and Moyud Bhuiyan to build the very unique Castle Grayskull entrance to the museum (you’ll have to see it to believe the awesomeness of it), to all the guys at Flybot studios mainly Sami who created the one of a kind Video Promo (available on Youtube under Dhaka Museum of Toys) to the Grand Opening where so many Pop Culture Enthusiasts poured in to show support and of course the daily drop ins from collectors and families with
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their kids- this is definitely something one of a kind, and I’m so glad I could do this for Dhaka. When did you first start collecting these action figures? Can’t really give you an exact time frame, but I know that since my father is a collector, it runs in my genes. My family would always bring me action figures way back in the late 70’s when I was maybe 4ish, but the difference was, I somehow saved the boxes/packaging since I wanted all the toys to have the new-in-box look. But my interest really kicked in when I was first introduced to Star Wars through my friends Zeeshan and Sohrab (my school friends and neighbors). That was it and 30 odd years later we now have the museum. Sohrab was always an inspiration to me and we always talked about this museum. As a matter of fact, he was the one to officially inaugurate the museum, but it was not possible due to his untimely passing earlier this year. Dhaka Museum of toys is dedicated to my friend and brother Sohrab Rahman Khan! Who’s your favourite super hero? Batman! But do know that this universe of pop culture is endless, so it’s always quite difficult to boil down to one or two characters. For instance, my favourite super hero is batman; but alltime favourite character is Boba Fett from Star Wars! What was your childhood like? My childhood was incredible. My parents’ support and love was neverending and yet they threw in proper values. I grew up to stories and my father reading me his old comic
books, I also remember monthly trips to Zeenat Book Supply in New Market and the Elephant Road toy shops, but only so much was available during that time. I used to stage entire dioramas. The floor in my grandmother’s room was a battlefield of little soldiers where I would set up entire Second World War story sets from the books my father read to me and of course, there were his cars. An entire shelf of the museum is dedicated to your dad’s personal childhood collection of model cars; was he the one who influenced your habit of collecting? Yes, and that’s just an entire shelf of my father’s Old Tin cars that I could salvage from my mom’s storage, there is so much more; the search continues. Just recently I discovered all my father’s old comic books from the 50’s as well as my own from the 80’s. Those are all coming to the Museum very soon. My father and I are both pack rats. He taught me how to preserve, restore and follow through with this dream. How does it feel owning Bangladesh’s very first toy museum? I’m still in shock and can’t even believe that this is now a reality. It will take me a few years. But the constant excitement will always remain, that during the time of all this negativity in Dhaka, I was able to bring in something unique for all ages. So, at first you launch Incursion Music to change the underground music scene. Then you organize the very first Dhaka Comicon. What’s next in the agenda?
COURTESY
Ten years ago, an aspiring band could never dream of landing their first record deal without knowing a few “important” people. Since 2007, one man’s vision changed that. Saadi Rahman barely needs introduction. A businessman and a visionary, he believes you should always chase your dreams. He certainly did. A former musician and still a current music enthusiast, Saadi knew of the lack of proper music support for budding musicians in Dhaka. To offer musicians a one-stop music solution, he launched Incursion Music in 2007. Holding on to another childhood dream, Saadi, along with a number of supporters, organised the very first Dhaka Comicon last year. And finally, last month, Saadi inaugurated the very first Toy Museum of Bangladesh, featuring his lifelong collection of personal toys and merchandise. Azfar Rahman caught up with Saadi to give you a scoop on some of the details behind the Toy Museum and what may come next
Incursion was another dream of mine, when I started playing drums in school, I always thought about a one stop music solution, and with a lot of hard work and an incredible team, Incursion is making its mark in the local music industry. But that’s a whole other story. During my college years in the US I visited many Comic cons and Pop Expos and saw the events grow in size. The first convention I went to only had 200 collectors show up, now the San Diego Comic Con takes place over 180,000 sq feet of space and boasts over 120,000 attendees each year. It was a massive challenge trying to create Dhaka Comicon and it was after years of talks and discussions with my friend Abu Yousouf (RollOut T-shirts) that we made it happen along with help from all our fellow collectors in Dhaka and of course the two companies that believed in us Samdani Art Foundation and Ananta Apparel. It was a massive success and this year we will bring you Dhaka Comicon 2013 “Bigger & Better”. In my line of work, there is a new agenda almost every day. From the success of Comicon, there is now a lot of activity with pop culture, ie more conventions, comic book creation, cartoon creation, short films, etc. I am trying to now focus on seeing if we can create action figures locally for the many characters about to be born from some great content creators we have in our country. Meanwhile, at Incursion, we just launched the very first paid digital download portal for music, both locally and internationally; so the journey continues in full steam ahead. Is there any message you have for our readers? Follow your Dreams!
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Fiction
YOU WRITE IT
COMIC book
The freeloader strikes
Book
Wizard of Awesome
nonFiction
“Smita ma’am, your voice is a Godsend” Mehnaz crooned as her guruji played a Sanskrit classic on the harmonium. She had come here from India for 6 months on a singing tour and had taught Mehnaz and a few others classical music. She aspired to be a renowned Classical singer one day and finding Smita, her guru, made her journey just a little more easy. “You must visit me in Mumbai when you come, my family would love to meet my favourite student,” hummed Smita ma’am as she stuffed herself with butter chicken and Nan, that Mehnaz’s mom had spent hours
preparing for her. Mehnaz was a sponge, she absorbed every wondrous detail that her teacher gave her about India; Mehnaz could see herself amongst the smiling Indians, she could taste the sweetness of the laddoos, the ride on the horse driven carriages and smell the rain against the long glass pane windows. “Thank you aunty for the wonderful food and the sarees, it’s breaking my heart to leave.” Smita ma’am chanted melodiously. Mehnaz almost cried watching her wonderful guruji leave for India. “Mehnaz, you are always welcome to my house, I will show you all that we have talked about over the past month.” In about a week, Mehnaz landed in India. The bustling traffic, the rude nudges in the crowded roads and the pounding rain worsened everything. Finally, she landed at her guruji’s doorstep, with a huge suitcase, dishevelled hair she gleefully rang the doorbell. Smita ma’am opened the doorshocked! Mehnaz felt a sort of reluctance
Looter Lure
bigstock
If you’re new to fantasy, and haven’t already discovered this gem of a series, feel free to thank us now. If you’re already clued in, you’re welcome to say “About time!” Meet Harry Dresden. He is Chicago’s only licensed, professional wizard. It’s a fairly quiet life, chasing nasties, and then coming back to his apartment, cat and his talking skull. Yup, you read this right. Sometimes he helps out the police department on less-than-conventional cases. And then, almost without warning, things start to get very complicated indeed. A rich canvas that includes all the elements of high fantasy, without ever ceasing to feel urban, author Jim Butcher reels you in, starting off on a light, almost slapstick note, and slowly turning up the pressure, raising the stakes, until
3 types of looters that you find on the streets. You are wandering down an abandoned road under the dim moonlight, slowly being devoured by the darkness, looking for anything useful, when suddenly from around the corner, no more than 100 yards away, someone appears. You both freeze, staring across at each other waiting for the other to react. What is the person going to do? Is he good/ bad? All of these questions would fill
your mind as you meet. In a real survival situation when you encounter humans, this same situation could very well happen, because the two of you have never met before, and have no idea of the others’ tendency. You are in the dark as to how to respond to the other person. The game could very well reflect this if it’s implemented on friendly looters/ scavengers. The Talker This is usually the type who’ll just randomly come up to you and try to indulge you in a conversation. Even though the conversation will lead to no particular direction, at the end of it you are most certainly getting mugged. At some point in the conversation, the other person will try to grab hold of your hand and won’t let you go until he gets what he wants from you.
but decided to brush it off. Wait here dear, let me get you something to eat” Stomach growling, she pictured her teacher‘s special biryanis and curries. Smita ma’am came out with a tray of ancient looking dried cake and a glass of water. “Here, you must be starving! Please eat your heart out” Mehnaz tearfully put a bite of biscuit in her mouth. After some uncomfortably long small talk, Mehnaz was expecting to be shown to her room to change and get comfortable. Smita ma’am dropped a bomb. She asked “Where are you staying? At a hotel or at a friend’s?” Mehnaz swallowed a lump of tear and whimpered a nearby hotel’s name, lying forcefully. Her guruji gave her the sweetest smile and urged her to eat more biscuit. Mehnaz got up and left the house. “I know you’ll be very busy with your trip, but you must give me a call before you leave.” Smita ma’am hummed.
A Modern Spin on Classic Lovecraft
Natasha Rahman
you’re sweating bullets, afraid to turn the page. Any further detail about the stories themselves could be construed as spoilers, and once you’ve started reading them, you’ll thank us. Over 14 books and counting, we follow a wild romp involving everything from vampires and werewolves to evil fairies, zombies, demons and more. The cases are loosely linked, so it pays to read chronologically, but each book works just as well as a standalone. The stories are written in a sort of mock film-noir style, with generous dollops of cheesy humour. It’s like Once upon a time-meets Dick Tracy, jointly directed by Guillermo del Toro and Joss Whedon. Do you really need another reason to check them out? Afshan Sattar
The Stalker This is the sort who will follow your around for weeks, take notes of what you do, where you go, who you hang out with. Based on your routine, they’ll make a plan on how to get hold of you alone. Once they get hold of you, there is no other option left, apart from surrendering and giving up all you have. Beggar in disguise This type might look like ordinary beggars to you but don’t be fooled, they are looters in disguise. When you are stuck in traffic or walking through public places, beggars will threaten to smother you with faeces or try to scare you by holding a snake to your face in order to make you give them what they want. So, the next time you see something like this coming your way, man up and be your own superhero. Tahsin Momin
Alan Moore is a bona fide hall of famer when it comes to the comic world, having written tales that will go down in geek folklore, such as V for Vendetta and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. So geeks will delve into Neonomicon with interest, a chilling horror tale based on an HP Lovecraft classic. Moore teams up with illustrator Jacen Burrows, whose dark artwork will no doubt leave an impression. The duo deliver some intense graphic material ranging from murder to hallucinations and creepy cult groups without overdoing it. The art resists the urge to be overindulgent and being dark for the sake of being dark and remains purposeful, helping to drive the story along. But while the art resists, the story is too graphic for its own good at times – it revolves around two young FBI agents investigating a series of murders leading to a journey across an evil world filled with grotesque monsters carrying out horrific acts. Despite the world being painted so well with a barrel of interesting ideas, Moore doesn’t manage to tie them together. At times it feels like he’s being explicit just to grab attention, the characters don’t really develop and the one-liners and awkward delivery gets old after a while. Despite its shortcomings, it’s worth a grab for the artwork alone but if you’re after a good horror read, Moore’s other work such as The Swamp Thing or original HP Lovecraft would be a better alternative. Fardeen Ameen
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10 tmag Guitar Tabs Artist Scott Stapp Song The Great Divide
stereo
This week’s best Instrument
Intro/Verse e |---------2-----5---------------------2-----5--------------| B |------3-----------3----3---------3-----------3----3------| G |-------------------------------------------------------------| D |---0-------0--------0---------0-------0--------0---------| A |-------------------------------------------------------------| E |-------------------------------------------------------------| (Hammer on) (slide) e |--------------(2-3-2)-----------------------(2-3-2)-----------| B |-----3-3--------------3\2\0-3----3--3------------3\2\0-3-| G |------------------------------------------------------------------| D |--0-------0-----------------------0------0---------------------| A |------------------------------------------------------------------| E |------------------------------------------------------------------|
Pre-chorus (repeat this section twice) e |--------------------------------------| B |--7/6---6--6---6\7-7-7-7-7-----| G |--x--x---x--x----x-x-x-x--x-x-----| D |--5/4---4--4—4\5-5-5-5-5-----| A |--------------------------------------| E |--------------------------------------| e |----------------------------------------------| B |-12-12-12-12-12—14-14-14-14-14-| G |--x---x—x—x---x-----x---x---x---x---x-| D |-10-10-10-10-10—10-10-10-10-10-| A |----------------------------------------------| E |----------------------------------------------|
Chorus D G Bm A
TOP Saving the
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world Playlist
1
John Lennon Working Class Hero
2
Foo Fighters My Hero
3
Black Sabbath Iron Man
4
Rage Against the Machines Renegades of Funk
5
Sound Garden Live to Rise
6
Smile Empty Soul Who I am
Say you’re playing rock and roll. You’re amped and playing heavy. What do you do when you have to change up the bridge? We know
Remy Zero Save me
9 3 Doors Down Kryptonite 10 Chris Cornell You Know My Name
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some bands that would make space for a percussion solo. Now, the percussions can be a variety of instruments and one of them is the Djembe. You probably already saw Brandon Boyd grooving it with Jose Pasillas on countless Incubus concert videos, where they play the djembe and the drum kit together. The djembe happens to be the most versatile instrument in the percussion family. The djembe is basically a goblet drum made out of wood, with a drum head made of goat skin. The drum is rope tuned and played with bare hands. The djembe is very loud, allowing it to be heard clearly as a solo instrument over a large percussion ensemble. It is said that a skilled drummer is one who “can make the djembe talk”, meaning that the player can tell an emotional story with the sounds. What is even more
interesting is the fact that it originates from Western Africa, like the Cajon and according to the Bamana people living in Mali, the word “djembe” originates from the saying “Anke djé, anke bé” which means “Everyone gather together for peace.” This saying defines the character and purpose of the instrument. It is a beautiful instrument, and more people should be aware of its existence. Many artists have used the djembe brilliantly. Artists like the Incubus, Sting, The Cat Empire, Blue King Brown and other South American music groups have incorporated the sound of the djembe and made it into an art. The djembe is available in many stores in Dhaka, but to get a properly constructed drum, one should research more and scope out online price differences. It is definitely an outstanding instrument. Q Zulyadain Islam
triggered intro will take you into the feel of war and violence, literally. Each and every song has its own concept regarding the recent apocalyptic obstacles. Severe thrash drumming by Muktadir, high ranged screams by Dip, amazing guitar solos by Pulock with shredding, heavy riffs by Affnan and the bass works by Shiplu are enough to make these masterpieces. Mass Destruction, War of Innocence, Samsu, the Slaughterer are the most popular tracks. The track
“Samsu, the Slaughterer” talks about the battle against the posers and wannabes with its sarcastic name. All the lyrics are written by their drummer, Muktadir Anzan. All tracks are recorded and mastered at G.R.B. Artillery. The album has been released independently by the band. You can simply order your copy by clicking their official Facebook page; www. facebook.com/dissectormanics.
Music news
Local Maniac Syndrome One of the two earphones in a pair not working is a typical problem that we always face. We ignore it most of the time and keep listening with one ear. But, this time TMAG suggests you to get a new pair of earphones before listening to the Dissector’s newly released debut EP “Local Maniac Syndrome”. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make your ears bleed. The merciless raw thrash metal act from the East Bengal horde, Dissector has unleashed its EP on August 30. Four raw sounds along with a
Spotlight
7 The Ramones Spiderman 8
Djembe
Oh mighty! That ukulele sounds so dulcet. Yes, it delivers its blessings in the newly released unplugged track called “Smarto” by 12AM. This band can simply blow your mind into rock, blues, reggae, pop and even into minimalist aura. A great number of versatility is appreciated in their musical concept. 12AM (12 Ante Meridiem) is basically a rock band along with
Imtiaz Salim
Wake Up! Its 12AM blues, minimalist and reggae tastes based in Bangladesh. The band formed as a musical experiment in 2009 with founder member Shaik Salekin (also plays in Lalon) and a few friends. They formed with the goal of making music in its initial form which is closer to their heart. Initially they used to be professionals by approaching lounges and party music with their music. They have played in a number of events across Dhaka for embassies, tribute shows, charity shows, etc. Exploring in an experimental way, the band is getting professional responses everywhere. Initially, the band consisted of five members, with Tinu at vocals, Salmi at the guitar, Andy at the bass, Salekin at the vocals and guitar, and Nahid at the drums. Along the years, the line-up has changed with occasional guest players and vocalists
making an appearance like Shawon Gaanwala. Among them in particular, Aleckzy Amphy Teves Choudhury was a favourite with the fans, for her versatility in singing. However, her glorious journey with 12AM was shortened by her sudden death in late 2010. Currently the line-up contains Salekin on vocals and guitars; Andy Rozz on bass and back vocals; Risul Islam Rimon on keys and back vocals; and Abrar Athar on drums. 12AM has already hit the studio for recording their full length album. It is now setting up a list of 8 songs for the album. The album name would be “Nilmanush”. The front man Salekin has told TMAG, “We have finished making demos of five songs for the album. We have a plan to release the full length by the end of this year if everything remains all right.” Imtiaz Salim
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playroom
WE RECOMMEND app of the week
My6sense Platform Android Price Free Size 1.3MB Designed to bring the best, most relevant and interesting updates from your social networks, news and blogs, based on your own personal interests, My6sense brings the best from your Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, RSS, blogs, news and social streams and learns from you as you
Web critic
DC Universe Online just went about setting the land-speed record for going from a subscription to a free-toplay MMO. So, there is nothing to hold against them. It is a good game, if not a brilliant one. It’s got some of the best MMO combat around, well-designed missions, and from the very first glance at it, you notice that it makes use of a ton of contents of its comicbook universe. Nonetheless, much as you enjoy City of Heroes, or even Champions Online (Yes, it’s possible), it is only here that you get to officially tag along with Batman or beat up cops with Harley Quinn until she likes you enough to let you wear her hat. Can you ask for anything better? A massive-multiplayer experience, DC Universe Online carries the highenergy action to the battle-front with a combat structure designed to deliver a fast-paced action experience with the addition of extraordinary powers at your disposal for your personally created heroes and villains. Fight alongside Superman, Batman and
use the app. My6sense not only becomes your intelligent scout, diving deep into your content to find the best for you, but smartly builds hooks into each social network to have you commenting, liking, tweeting, messaging and replying to your friends from within the app. No wonder My6sense is counted among the Web’s top apps.
Not your summer blockbuster
Tahsin Momin
Seriously, what does it say?
Move over, Gangnam Style. You’re so last year. This new viral video “The Fox” by Ylvis hasn’t reached Kolaveri and
Game
movie
Harlem Shake levels of popularity, but isn’t too far off either. Originally intended as advance promo for a late-night variety show in Norway, it picked up almost 2 million views overnight, leaving the creators, brothers Bård and Vegard Ylvisåker, completely flabbergasted. The video basically shows people dressed in animal costumes, and the hook of the song ponders what foxes sound like. It has the silliest lyrics and the catchiest beat, and an awesome choreographed sequence to boot. The video inspired quite a number of covers, and couple of remakes, including a fairly lame one called “What does the Whale say?” Ylvis also has another funny video called “Stonehenge”. Check them both out on Youtube. Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
DC Universe
others to defeat crime and evil, or join up with The Joker and Lex Luthor to bring mayhem and devastation. Players can choose their superpower and weapon styles from a variety of options, engaging in active combat using both. For the very first time ever, players and fans will be
able to enter this mythical world as an active force for good or evil. Metropolis and Gotham City await the next hero to save them, and fear the next villain to conquer them! In DC Universe Online, that could be you. Tahsin Momin
First things first. Robin, as in “Batman and Robin”, also has the nickname Boy Wonder, but this is not an origin story for the Caped Crusader’s sidekick. This indieflavoured superhero film borrows heavily from collective superhero mythos, but what it does new is all in style and tone. “Boy Wonder” is dark and realistic, it has more the tone of a psychological thriller than a comic book movie. This is how you make a freshfeeling superhero flick. Listen up, Snyder and Co., your CGI-drivenapocalyptic-destruction-of-all-ofNew-York thing is getting really old. The hero is Sean Donovan, a seemingly shy kid who witnesses his mother being murdered and grows up to be a vigilante. He’s one of those “quiet ones you gotta watch” types. His father is an abusive alcoholic. Sean absorbs all this trauma and his rage becomes his driving force. He will no longer put up with abuse. He hits back. Hard. Really hard. Unlike his spandexed brethren of the summer blockbusters, this kid isn’t afraid to inflict some real pain. Young actor Caleb Steinmeyer, who seems to have no other feature film credits on IMDb, does well in channeling Sean’s inner demons. You can tell he’s more motivated by inner turmoil than a desire for truth or justice or the American way. A cop named Teresa (Zulay Henao) suspects that something is amiss about Sean. There isn’t that much reason for her to exist other than to provide a bit of sexual tension/potential romance. Teresa’s presence is a bit disappointing as it lapses back to the idea of every male superhero needing a pretty female counterbalance. She also damages the gritty plausibility of the rest of the film. The director, Michael Morrissey, has nothing else on his filmography, but should he choose to make a sequel to Boy Wonder, it would certainly be welcome. And that’s a rare thing. Abak Hussain
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12 tmag
TEENARAMA
He says
She says
Dear Diary, September 5, 2013
Here I was thinking that I need to come clean. But with my conscience eating me up, how would I know that all along I was the puppet and Imran my ventriloquist. This was a time when all the masks fell, even mine. I know what I had done was immoral, but how does it justify what Imran has done to me? NEWS FLASH: Sameer isn’t who I thought he is. Imran, being the mastermind, knew about my weakness about Sameer, moulded that character and sent him to woo me. Unbelievable? Well, believe it. Imran sat me down and gave me hell over my confused feelings. He was disappointed as he hoped I would come back home and tell him that I met Sameer, and he hoped that I would tell Sameer to stay out of my life. He couldn’t believe that I could actually go away on a trip with a guy who I knew for less than a week. Now that I come to think of it, I wish I hadn’t been so blinded by Sameer’s charm. But how could I not? He was just as I had imagined him to be and more. He was irresistible and to think that Sameer wasn’t real was something I don’t think I can accept in a long time. It should have occurred to me that such perfection can’t be real. Diary, I can’t bear to write to you any longer. I am going to leave on a long vacation. My heart, my sanity and my conscience needs a break. A long, long break. THE DREAMER If you want to share your awesome or not-so-awesome life events email it to us at tmag@dhakatribune.com
1
I left my bike at my friends place and went home via CNG. When I reached my neighbourhood I realised that I wasted money on public transport when I already had my own vehicle.
Blush Much?
2
I was dozing off during breakfast, so my brother whacked me in the face with a chapatti.
3
My brother was having ice-cream in front of me, and I was drinking juice. Our cousin made me laugh so hard that I ended up spitting out juice at my brother.
4
It’s difficult to walk wearing a sari, so every time I come back home from a wedding or a party, I pick up my sari like a lungi and run up the stairs.
5
This idiot friend of mine left a thumb tack on my seat. I flung myself on the chair, and the rest is self-explanatory.
Email your confession today to tmag@dhakatribune.com
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Although you are in a relationship, you suddenly feel awfully attracted to someone else. The chemistry is so real, you can cut it with a knife, but how do you decide on your feelings? TMAG brings you two incidents where couples are undecided about their partners
The problem of having too much chemistry with someone who isn’t your significant other...
He says
Every time I walk past her, I only wish to get closer to her. I don’t know what happens every time I am near her. I try to think of my girlfriend to keep my conscience in check.
She says
I am in a long term relationship for 3 years now, but recently I am finding myself drawn to my classmate. The way he gazes into my eyes makes me want to rush into his arms. I wish I could control my feelings around him.
The problem of losing interest just because everything is perfect...
He says
My girlfriend and I have a very good thing going which is maybe the reason why I try to find trouble elsewhere. A perfect relationship is a myth, because I need a bit of excitement in my relationship.
She says
I am planning to get engaged to my guy next year. My friends and family love him. I already have everything planned in my head, but I am hating the fact that everything is going just as it should be. For some reason that doesn’t feel right.
Ad ve rti se m en t
Ad ve rti se m en t