The Wake, Issue 6, Fall 2013 by The Wake Magazine

vol. 13 | issue 6 December 16 - January 21

TurtleKing Longboards p. 4 Superheros of Science p. 6 Q&A: Dan Murphy p. 10-11

©2013 The Wake Student Magazine. All rights reserved. Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for the students of the University of Minnesota. The Wake is published with support from Generation Progress/Center for American Progress (online at www.genprogress.org).

Production Production Manager

Editorial Editor-in-Chief

Sondra Vine

Alyssa Bluhm

Graphic Designers

Managing Editor

Sondra Vine, Eric Berry, Kelsey Schwartz, Brittany Long

Art Director

Grace Birnstengel

Sam Lindsay

Social Media Manager

Voices Editor Bruce Ferguson

Kelcie McKenney

Web Editor Sam Gordon

www.wakemag.org The Wake was founded by Chris Ruen and James DeLong.

Sound & Vision Editor Sara Glesne Courtney Bade

Web Assistant

the purpose of the Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. to join the conversation email abluhm@wakemag.org.

Whats Inside? TurtleKind Longboards p. 4 Journalist: An All-American Superhero p. 4

BIZZARO

Photo Poll: Superhero Students p. 5

Covered by the Affordable Care Act p. 5 Knight in Shining Spandex p. 5

Justin Miller

Cities Editor

DISCLAIMER

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

Superheros of Science p. 6

Better Than Fan Art p. 4

Fantastic Four Assassinate Wrong Doom p. 6

Black Friday Blasphemy p. 7 Trouble Over China Seas? p. 7

Patrick's Guide to World Domination p. 7 Eight Arms Are Better Than Two p. 7

The Man and the Mentor p. 8 The Wake Covers The Wake & The Wake p. 8

Keeping Up With the Times p. 8 Superman Joins AARP p. 8

Staying Green or Mining Gold p. 9 The New Minnesota Beatles Project p. 9

Superhero Tweets p. 9 The Wake Origins p. 10-12

Q&A: Dan Murphy p. 10-11

Brittany Long

Staff Writers

3 Reviews p. 12

Nathaniel Kitzman, Ethan Lauer

Business Manager Cooper Henckel

Distributors Shawna Stennes Nesteen Param

This Issue Cover Artist

Lauren Cutshall (Front), Eric Berry (Back)

Photographers Lauren Cutshall, Shresyasi, Gadgill, Dahsol Lee, Kristen Wangsness

Illustrators

Dear Wakies, I know that you’re probably reading this for one of two reasons: a) you’re celebrating the end of another (or a first) semester at the U, or b) you’re procrastinating. Either way, I want you to know, it’s totally alright. We’re just glad you found your way to The Wake. Whether you’re treading in heavy academic waters right now or awaiting your plane ride home, we’ve got you covered. From reflections on the borderline brutal madness of Black Friday to a peak into a sci-fi comic book that could well be our namesake, this issue should have something for you in your time of mentally-drained need.

Now that it’s the end of the semester, and of 2013, just remember the importance of taking things in one at a time. While your professors and TAs might be rushing you through the “last sprint” (why the hell was this the first semester I heard that phrase and why did I hear it from almost all my professors?!), we’re certainly not. Oh yeah, and if you’re not into the whole reality thing right now because it’s too stressful, flip this copy over and drown yourself in some superhero antics and comic-inspired design. Cheers, Sara Glesne Sound & Vision Editor

Eric Berry, Dan Forke, Sam Lindsay, Brittany Long, Peter Mariutto, Lianna Matt, Peter Whiteman, Jennifer Yelk

Contributing Writers Alyssa Bluhm, Aaron Bolton, Lauren Cutshall, Blair Emerson, Kirsten Erickson, Herbert B. Ferguson-Augustus, Shresyasi, Gadgill, Sara Glesne, Jerod Greenisen, Nader Helmy, Cooper Henckle, Ethan Lauer, Dahsol Lee, Lianna Matt, Luke Michaels, Cora Neisen, Zach Simon, N. D. Theis, TimeTwister, Alex Van Abbema, Kristen Wangsness

Can't get enough of The Wake? Twitter: @the_wake Facebook: /TheWakeMagazine Wake-Mag.tumblr.com

13:6

TurtleKing Long Boards Giving back more than just a long board Lauren Cutshall

While turtles have always been known for their longevity and chill attitudes, the same can be said about the local company, TurtleKing Long Boards. What started as a simple start up by two University of Minnesota students, Drew Swanson and Phillip Kelly, soon became much more as they began to design and produce their own long boards. The company, which is committed to creating a long lasting board, adds to the culture of campus life by providing

LUAREN CUTSHALL

Cities students with the opportunity to support a local business and be more environmentally conscious. “[Our boards] are made to be durable and to last,” said Swanson. “And just by you riding it and experiencing it, you’re going to be more healthy.”

Attributing a significant portion of the business’s success to the university resources and available opportunities, Swanson said, “The U has been a really great support network.” As TurtleKing made its presence known by applying for grants and participating in contests, they received continuous encouragement from the university. Since their start up, the company has grown to incorporate more than just long boards. Earlier in 2013, TurtleKing expanded to include internships, youth programs, and business learning opportunities for the Cedar Riverside Community. Over the summer, business accounting and graphic design workshops were offered to the community while two student

Journalist: An All-American Superhero With great power comes great responsibility By Blair Emerson

Journalist: genius-level intelligence, master of disguise, super detective, skilled in deductive reasoning, enhanced speed and stamina, superhuman strength, agility, and endurance. Okay, so a few of these are made up, but have you ever noticed just how many journalists are depicted in comic books? The list goes on and on from the almighty Superman himself, a foreign affairs reporter, to the web-slinging Peter Parker, a photojournalist who takes some crazy selfies. Even Captain Marvel was a broadcaster for WHIZ Radio and the Green Hornet was a publisher at the Daily Sentinel. You might ask, why journalists? Why are such simple storytellers created with alter egos that help save the world? To start, journalists are at the forefront of every story. They sometimes come face-to-face with unspeakable dangers in order to seek truth and report it to the public. They are democracy defenders, armed with the first-right amendment to defend the voiceless. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) states in their mission that

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journalists are “dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty.” Both journalists and superheroes work to protect the public from injustices. In the comic books they use superpowers, but in real life, journalists use the power of the pen to fight corruption and wrongdoing. And many Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists will concur; you really can make a difference with your words. While journalists can’t actually bench press 5.972 sextillion metric tons or run faster than the speed of light, they are able to make the public heard through their words. Journalists aren’t actual superheroes—or are they? What if journalists were accurately portrayed in comics? Would it be interesting? I’ll tell you right now, sitting on this couch with my cats, a laptop, and a Chinese take-out box, I don’t feel much like a superhero. I don’t think I could go

interns were taken on through the program Step Up Achieve Minneapolis. The youth program provided several high school students with the opportunity to design, build, and ride their own long boards. They went through the creative process, learned the computer program used to design their own board, and were able to eventually press and construct their own boards. Students learned aspects of graphic design in addition to the skills of using Computer Numeric Control, or CNC machine. These new skills provided students with an in-demand technical background they can use professionally. The future of TurtleKing lies in the expansion of the company. Swanson hopes to see the business adopt to the non-profit sector, allowing them to continue youth programs, skills workshops, and possibly a CNC machine certification program. As they expand their presence on the U of M campus, TurtleKing wants to make their workshop more of a design space to foster creativity. “The goal is to create this space where people can come in, and have ideas and kind of use the long board as a canvas,” said Swanson. Ultimately, TurtleKing Long Boards is continuing with the non-profit plan of providing a business that gives back more than just a product—but also important lifelong and professional skills.

save the universe right now in my PJ’s. But, then again, you don’t need to have superpowers to save the world. Journalists are superheroes too. They may not all work in a newsroom like the LIANNA MATT Daily Planet or wear spandex leotards underneath their clothes, but we all bust our butts to bring hard-hitting news to the public. In Superman Volume 3, Issue 13, Superman quits his job at the newspaper in an attempt to reinvent his image as a blogger. In his passion-filled resignation speech, he sheds light on the true job of a journalist that could bring any journalist to tears: “Growing up in Smallville, I believed that journalism was an ideal, as worthy and important as being a cop or fireman—a teacher or a doctor. I was taught to believe you could use words to change the course of rivers—that even the darkest secrets would fall under the harsh light of the sun. But facts have been replaced by opinions. Information has been replaced by entertainment. Reporters have become stenographers. I can’t be the only one who is sick at the thought of what passes for news today. I am not the only one who believes in the power of the press—the fact that we need to stand up for the truth. For justice. And yeah—I’m not ashamed to say it—the American Way!”

CITIES Student Superheros Photos By: Shresyasi Gadgill, Kristen Wangsness

John Cowle - Kid Flash

Major: Astrophysics Kaitlin nelsom bird b****

Major: Global Studies and Envi-

Superpower: Ability to run at the speed of light, time travel, and vibrate molecules to walk through matter.

ronmental Studies

Superpower: Flying Bird B**** does not want to take over the world, she would only use her powers selfishly.

Kid Flash would take over the world by going back in time and taking Hitler’s place. Using the knowledge of how history unfolds, Kid Flash would use power and opportunities differently than Hitler to seize power over the whole world and fix it instead of killing people.

noah hummel-hall chronos

Major: Political Science and History Superpower: Manipulating time, adding hours to the day, etc. Chronos would take over the world because, as Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Chronos would use his superpower of manipulating time to change the course of each day so that no one but he would achieve significant academic success. He would start his own business and similarly manipulate the schedule and time to profit only him. He would acquire incredible wealth, then move on to conquering Wall Street and beyond until he eventually controlled the economy, the education system, politics—everything.

Shayna Ho - felion

Major: Biology Superpower: To go back in time to relive events and stay 21 forever. Felion would not take over the world, she would simply use her powers to go back and do things she missed out on, change situations she regrets, and help others where she did not before.

rebecca shaffer superwomen

Major: International Business melanie featherstone malgenta

Major: Studies in Cinema and Media Culture

Major: Chemical Engineering

Superpower: Telekinesis, invis-

Superpower: Mind reading

ibility, and ability to fly on a disc. Malgenta would not want to take over the world. Instead, she would use her powers to anonymously save people like Batman does.

Superpower: Flying

Vitor Milagres - volton

david sundaram The clock

Major: Pre-Dental School Voltron would take over the world by using secrets gleaned by reading the minds of important people and terrorists.

Superwoman would conquer the world by impressing everyone with her superpowers so that they elect her president. She would then fly to other nations and assassinate all other presidents.

Superpower: Time travel The Clock would conquer the world by going forward in time where he believes power will be more centralized.

www.wakemag.org

Cities Superheroes of Science

Insight into UMN Research and its champions By Dahsol Lee

It is without question that science is a driving force in many comic books. Mad scientists and scientific phenomena are commonly used to expand upon and drive the plot in many comic books. After all, where would Tony Stark and his Iron Man be without Stark’s engineering expertise? Spiderman’s nemesis, Dr. Octopus, would fail to exist without his background in nuclear physics. But how much of the phenomena and personalities presented are actually accurate? To create a more dynamic story, many exaggerations of what is scientifically possible are made. So if the characters in comic books are indeed “caricatures” of actual scientists’ personalities, exaggerated for fictional purposes, what do real scientists look like? What research do they conduct? The University of Minnesota is known for its high standings in research, ranking within the top 25 research universities in the nation annually and ranking eighth in 2011 in the National Science Foundation’s list of Top 20 Public Research Institutions. These figures should come as no surprise, with almost 3,000 distinguished faculty members conducting research on campus. Unlike the anti-social recluses seen in comic books, the science professors here at the U work to integrate undergraduate and graduate students alike into the research process. Along with teaching, these professors strive to be innovators with research. So, in some respect, they are superheroes in their respective fields.

“Science is never the final answer,” Silflow said. “It’s the steps along the way. Professor Vuk Mandic studies experimental cosmology and astrophysics. His current topic of research is dark matter, which he investigates through an experiment called Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS). This experiment uses detectors made out of a crystal of germanium or silicon to measure the response of when dark matter particles come and hit the crystals. This whole system is isolated as much as possible from outside radiations that may interfere by being placed in an underground mine in northern Minnesota, and shielded with lead and polyethylene to suppress the ambient background. The discovery of dark matter itself would imply the exis-

6. december 16 - january 21

tence of physics beyond the standard model we already know (with electrons and quarks), and questions of how this new type of particle would fit into our existing knowledge of the standard model would surface.

Note: these professionals do not work alone. Like the members of the Fantastic Four work together to save the world, scientists also work in teams to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They not only collaborate with their own department, but with others from the international science community. It is this cooperation, combined with their individual contributions that make these scientists truly super.

“Discovery of dark matter would give insight into both the physics of elementary particles and the formation and evolution of the universe,” said Mandic. As he studies dark matter, he aims to understand how the universe changed over time, and how dark matter interacted with the particles of the standard model before they split into the halo forms that are present today. Meanwhile in St. Paul, plant biologist Carolyn Silflow delves into the investigation of centrioles—the structures that assemble cilia and flagella in cells. Silflow uses green algal cells, as they have not changed and evolved very much over time, to gather information about the structure and function of centrioles. Though this research is very basic, Silflow predicts her research will be applied to understand human diseases that affect cilia. “Science is never the final answer,” she said. “it’s the steps along the way.” From the Department of Neuroscience, Dr. Robert Meisel is researching aggression using a female animal model. By testing these behaviors in hamsters and examining them on neurobiological and molecular levels, Meisel is working to disprove the claim that males are the only aggressive gender. “Anyone who’s gone to high school knows that girls can be aggressive,” Meisel said, laughing. Males and females, whether they are rats or humans, will both exhibit aggressive behavior, but in different circumstances. This is due to the differences in neurobiology in evolutionary processes of the two genders. Why does this differentiation in gender matter? Meisel applies his research to not only understanding aggressive behavior, but treating it as well. As medication for violent and aggressive behavior targets only the male neurobiological mechanisms, other methods of therapy must be established to assist females with such problems as well. Ultimately, the questions that are attempted to be answered here at the University of Minnesota are not only reflections of current scientific interests, but look to creating a better future through developments in understanding, technology, and medicine.

DAHSOL LEE

VOICES Black Friday Blasphemy

With this year’s Black Friday events bordering on uncontrollable, something has to be done.

Alex Van Abbema Black Friday is crazier than ever. Just this year, a Walmart employee was injured during sales, a Black Friday related shooting occurred in a Kohl’s in Illinois, and a shopper carrying a television home was shot in Las Vegas. Stores were open earlier than ever before (Target opened at 8 p.m., and many other stores opened on Thanksgiving Day), further turning Thanksgiving into a consumerist holiday. With longer store hours than ever, strong violence affecting stores, and employees and shoppers losing out on family time, something should be done about Black Friday. South Park aired a three part miniseries showing rabid shoppers having deadly melees at a deal-heavy Black Friday store. It sends a message in regards to Black Friday violence. We are becoming more aware of the Black Friday epidemic, and these episodes exhibit just how absurd it has become. In a Black Friday environment, brutal competition is inevitable, as people seem to disregard the humanity of others all in the sake of getting a good deal. For starters, retailers could shorten their hours on Black Friday, and allow families to spend more time with each other on Thanksgiving weekend.

According to a recent Huffington Post survey, 63 percent of people believe that stores should be closed on Thanksgiving. Also, the earlier hours make it so employers have to go to work earlier on Thanksgiving to deal with unruly crowds and miss out on time with their family. Shortened hours mean less chance of injury, and allow employers to also spend a bit more time at home before having to head off to work. Sure it might hurt sales a bit, but it’s well worth it for a store’s integrity to promote community over consumerism. Mostly, people should choose to stay home on Thanksgiving weekend and seek out deals on Cyber Monday. Websites such as Amazon.com and other retailer websites like Walmart.com offer many of the same deals that you see at other stores.. This allows the shopper to enjoy a real holiday weekend with their family, and end up with some good deals without being trampled to death. For the sake of shopper and employee safety, as well as the integrity of Thanksgiving, it would be nice to see some retailers promote Cyber Monday sales over Black Friday. This year a man actually got stabbed in a fight over a Walmart parking space. Is this our idea of a happy holiday?

PETER WHITEMAN

Trouble over China Seas? Obama’s “Asian Pivot” and the TPP By N. D. Theis These days the University of Minnesota boasts about more than 3,000 scholars from the “Greater China area” and President Eric Kaler swims in a $110 million bath of their tuition fees. But while Kaler extends an open hand to China, Obama offers only a closed fist… and B-52s. The U.S. is growing more hostile to China on a political level. Yet as a tender, corn-fed Midwestern college boy, I’ve made nothing but friends with my Chinese colleagues and roommates. Since when are the Chinese or enemies? Speaking to a group of U.S. corporate executives in China about an American aircraft doing training exercises in China’s new no-fly zone late last month, Joe Biden said, “The United States has a profound stake in what happens [in the Pacific] because we need—and we are—and will remain a pacific power diplomatically, economically, and militarily…” So what does the Obama administration have up its sleeve? They are going to “pivot to Asia,” in the Obama administration’s

terms. This means focusing more attention on the Asian Pacific: sending our military resources there as we pull out of the Middle East. The U.S. is currently building new military bases along the Pacific rim. For instance, one is currently under construction on the Jeju Island, lying directly south of the Korean peninsula despite the protests of Jeju’s indigenous people. Some argue Obama’s Asian Pivot policy is nothing more than an attempt to “contain” China or improve Sino-American relations. An expensive and destructive policy nevertheless...

Because militarization may not suffice, a divisive trade agreement is also being cooked up in the crack-kitchens of corporate lawyers: the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP breaches civil liberties on almost every imaginable front. It would restrict internet freedoms, eliminate generic drugs and drive up the prices of pharmaceuticals, and lay down provisions for international corporate tribunals under which corporations can sue countries for potential profit-loss due to environmental laws. It’s NAFTA on steroids. The United States is among the 14 signatory or negotiating TPP countries, and China is not. What is this craziness!? The Chinese are our friends! Instead of wasting America’s resources on pointless controversies over world power, why not partner with China? As Americans, we have lot more to gain from the Chinese than their tuition dollars—and a lot more to lose than airspace.

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VOICES The Man and the Mentor Herbert B. Ferguson-Augustus

A man was released from Victor Verster Prison in South Africa on Feb. 2, 1990. The world had changed for South Africa. The country, in its determination to preserve the apartheid system, had become a pariah state, faced a stagnating economy and civil unrest nationwide. The international community heralded the man, who was considered a political rogue at the time of his imprisonment, as a hero and champion of equality. Backed by the world over and facing a South African government, besieged on all sides, he could so easily topple the government, champion Black Nationalism, expel whites, and still walk away as president. The strange thing was, after enduring thirty years of incarceration, he chose not to. However, he was once a different man. He was a college student, and as the only black African college student on campus, he was alone. When he first joined the African National Congress or ANC in 1943, he rejected a racially united front as a means to take down the apartheid system. He supported his mentor, Anton Lambede, when he banned communism from the ANC. Later, he would force the resignation C.S. Ramohanoe, an ANC regional presi-

The Wake Covers the Wake and The Wake: Two comics that share their names with this magazine By Lianna Matt

Known at the University of Minnesota’s campus as the wonderful biweekly magazine that it is, The Wake Magazine also shares its name with two different comic books. Started in 1998, the French comic Sillage has its first issues translated in English (giving it the title, Wake), but after its tenth issue in 2007, the more or less yearly issues have stayed in their original French. As for the other comic, The Wake, it comes from a much more known publisher: Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

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dent for cooperating with Indian and communist political groups. Following the death of his mentor, however, the man gained a pragmatism that supplanted his ideology and led him to embrace communists, Indians, Europeans, and white South Africans in the struggle against the apartheid system. His pragmatism endured. It withstood the Suppression of Communism Act in 1952, when he and his colleagues were arrested and jailed for protesting peacefully. It even held fast for 30 years during his subsequent incarceration. So many other African leaders had abandoned that pragmatism. By the time the man was released from prison, Robert Mugabe had already secured control of Zimbabwe after leading a violent uprising. Similarly, Joaquim Chissano, a FRELIMO general, had achieved the presidency after the Portuguese had been expelled from Mozambique. The same occurred in Angola, where Jose Eduardo dos Santos, a fellow communist, was now fighting against political rivals for control of the nation. Namibia achieved independence by the same means under Sam Nujoma of SWAPO, a political and military organization. Every other nation in southern Africa, excluding Botswana, had achieved either racial integration and/or independence through violent revolution.

Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy’s The Wake shouldn’t be as foreign and exploratory as Sillage (it takes place here on earth) but apparently all we needed to find the horror of science fiction was to look to the Arctic Circle’s waters. USA Today Comics gave its readers a sneak peek of the first issue a while ago, and even though it ends with marine biologist Lee Archer meeting the Homeland Security agent–not even touching on the mysterious thing lurking in the depths–the informal introduction to her personality and the crisp art makes the reader want more. In its first issue of Sillage, the readers meet Nävis, the only human survivor of a space ship crash. As she meets the antagonist of the issue, Madjestic, who wants to terra-form her planet, her personality changes from carefree and happy to angry, determined, and slightly ignorant when she sees the aliens land. Unfortunately, these are the only two facets of her personality that the reader sees, creating a lack of character depth. While the premise of an outsider thrust into a (literally) alien world makes the reader keep reading, Nävis’s interactions with the aliens from the Wake do not offer any-

However, the ex-convict did not embrace such action. He stripped his political stance of its racial and communist undertones during negotiations with South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk. He would go on to take De Klerk as his deputy president when he won national elections in 1994. He neither expropriated land as Mugabe and Nujoma did, nor did he try to squash opposition as Dos Santos had tried. His policies of national reconciliation were moderate and arguably unsuccessful in curtailing the disparity between blacks and whites. Still, he became the father of a nation because he was a moderate, because he was willing to adapt to the changing times and put ideology aside.

he resisted the temptation to lash out at the system that had so abused him, to give into partisan politics, and oppress his former oppressors Nelson Mandela died on Dec. 5, 2013. He was an outsider, his ideology dictated by a life besieged by oppression and segregation. Did he defeat those forces? Looking at South Africa’s stagnating economy, skyrocketing crime rate, and income disparity–one of the highest in the world–many would say no. However, he resisted the temptation to lash out at the system that had abused him, to give into partisan politics, and to oppress his former oppressors. He could have done all this and won; he chose not to. His struggle is our struggle.

thing new, right down to the ever-convenient guide (in the form of the watcher) to explain everything to the reader. However, the comic has the righteous themes that readers cannot help but like. Nävis, in one of the few times she is not yelling at Madjestic, delivers a dramatic sermon about individual, intrinsic value and choice. This was undermined by the snowball effect that occurred in her audience, but it was an effort to give Nävis more character. Not seen in this first installment, the series depicts a society where the mind controllers control half the population that the reader explores. Because of these hints to a deeper significance rather than a shallow, formulaic space adventure, Sillage is worth reading for at least one more issue. While the two comics have begun over a decade apart– The Wake had released its first in May–and have different stories, they share a motif of discovery. And so does The Wake Magazine. So after this issue of the magazine, pick up a comic book and find the curiosity and interest in another world that school beat out of you during the semester.

Sound & Vision Staying Green or Mining Gold

The Duluth Complex is under stake By Jerod Greenisen The Duluth Complex is a plot of land that stretches about 150 miles from Duluth to Canada. Superior National Forests, connects to Lake Superior and features thousands of lakes. It also has a treasure trove of precious metals. Investors from as far as the Gulf of Mexico and Switzerland are strapping up for another environmental plunder. One of the companies making competitive bids for mining rights is GlencoreXstrata, a Swiss company with Tony Hayward at helm. Hayward commanded British Petroleum through its big oil spill a few years back and now wants to test his metal in Minnesota.This area of our state has long been contested and sought after for its minerals. As far back as the founding of Minnesota, one could find records of rich mineral deposits along the shores of Lake Superior. The only issue with extracting the minerals back then had been objec-

The New Minnesota Beatles Project Vol. 5 The End of an Era By Aaron Bolton

The fifth installment of the Minnesota Beatle Project was released on Dec. 3, marking a strong end to the beloved local compilation project. The Minnesota Beatle Project has used the Beatles timeless music and persistent popularity to raise money for Minnesota music education in high schools across the state. It also adds a quality Minnesotans love… it’s local! It has showcased a plethora of bands with Minnesotan roots and even middle school and high school bands that have benefited from its proceeds. Still, all good things must come to an end and only so many bands can rework Beatles tunes. “I felt that the project has blossomed into maturity from both a creative and philanthropic standpoint,” executive Director of the project, Mark Gehring, told MPR’s The Current. This will be the fifth and final installment. While this project does a whole lot of good for music here in Minnesota, it has come to a satisfactory point to end the series for Vega Pro-

tions from the residents. At this time, Minnesota was the frontier of westward expansion and the home of many First Nations tribes with thriving coniferous forests and pristine waters. However, as soon as industry got a taste for the dirt, mining was swift and change was drastic. Today however, the mines and refineries of northeastern Minnesota have been closed down for almost a generation, allowing the environment to become a main tourist attraction that bolsters the economy. The forests, sea caves, rivers, lakes, and wildlife pull in visitors from around the Midwest and showcase the best of the Great Lakes region. Still, modern technology has the extraction of the region’s metals possible once again. The area, looking like it did 100 years ago, has become ripe for the pillage. Or so many environmentalists would like you to think, and many media organizations would love tell you. Regardless of whether or not the former BP executive is now on the board of a company looking at Minnesota, this does not mean that The Duluth Complex will be the site of the next environmental catastrophe or even within the grasp of companies like GlencoreXtrata. This is because Minnesota’s economy has changed and we have taken many difficult steps to ensure the best environmental policy in the nation. The area has some of the richest copper-nickel deposits on the planet. Should it be decided that mining is the best way to boost to the economy, ductions. Both Gehring and Vega have set their sights on expanding the projects charitable reach. With the ending of the project here in Minnesota, they are developing a national project with the same idea in mind: introduce people to good bands and provide the youth with quality music education. More information on the project will be released in 2014.

Still that fact is all good things must come to an end and only so many bands can rework Beatles tunes

SAM LINDSAY

get ready to see competitive bids and destruction of the local fauna and flora. Minnesota could just back away, leaving the area intact but forsaking the economic boom mining would bring. It’s not a simple situation. Minnesota has the most to lose, and the most to gain. But should things stay the same, it all remains intact and just as beautiful as ever. Minnesotans need to come to the table to decide. soms, and many more. Vega Productions stated that there will be limited copies of Vol. 5: only 5,000 CDs, and 500 180gram vinyl copies. This series has come to the end of its road but has opened many doors for music students and bands alike here in Minnesota. People have fallen in love with the project for its new Beatles covers, the local bands it displays and the music education support it has provided. This is the end of one journey but the beginning of a bigger one. MINNESOTA BEATLE PROJECT FACEBOOK PAGE

What does this mean for the local funding this series has given? The final installment will continue to contribute the vital support the series has provided for the past four years. While the new project will only expand its reach, Vega Productions and presenting sponsor 89.3 The Current have shown their resourcefulness to combat this lack of funding here and, in the future, nationally. They have displayed what powerful music can do when backed by a great community. The community has been behind the project and made this unique approach to fill funding gaps for music education possible. This year’s notable track listing includes Grammy award winners Okee Dokee Brothers, Carroll who have been called “Best New Band 2013” by City Pages, Cactus Blos-

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Q&A Q&A with Dan Murphy: From mug shot portraits to comic art By Sara Glesne

Making art has been second nature to Dan Murphy for most of his life. He finds inspiration in some unlikely places, such as catalogues of mug shots, but also in some more common ones, like regulars at his work and coffee shop strangers. Right now, Murphy is working on a nightmarish comic called Elle Cirka that he hopes to eventually publish as a graphic novel. In spite of the haunting panels that make up the first chapters so far of Elle Cirka, Murphy is a pretty upbeat guy who just seems grateful that he’s able to make art and music most days. For our comic book issue, The Wake sat down and talked with him about his comic influences and what advice he has for aspiring illustrators.

now they’re like two smaller side stories. So I’m just kind of slowly working on these as I can, getting books out and at some point I’ll have enough small media ones to make it into a bigger book. For book publishing they do want to see a bigger, nice collection of stuff so I’m working up to that.

The Wake: Can you tell me about Rock Ink Roll? The Wake: Is it going to be at all autobiographical? Dan: I’m not sure, but probably not really. I have this image in my head of two characters living in some old farmhouse in the middle of the woods. So it’d be kind of strange, maybe a bit creepy. That’s the vibe I get off the characters. Instinctually my mind kind of always extrapolates a story of the people I see. Okay, where do they go home to? What’s their life like? I just create an arc in my head, just based on what I think their life is like. That’s how I kind of like to write stories like this. Just piece them together and let them fall into place eventually. It becomes almost natural. The Wake: Where did the name come from, Elle Cirka?

The Wake: When did you get started making art? Dan: In late elementary school, I just read a lot of Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Peanuts. I was kind of a shy kid, so drawing was kind of a way to make friends and to have something interesting about me to meet people. And it was something I was good at and people would ask me to draw things for them. I was kind of known for that. For most of my grade school and junior high and high school I remember the art classes more than anything else. Everything else is kind of faded. And then I went to art school and that was kind of where I was fully able to be around other people like me. I think elementary school was where I first got that bug to do it. The Wake: Now that you’re out of school, how do you find inspiration for your art? Dan: All sorts of places. I work in a used book store and so I’m surrounded with interesting books. I love books and I own just tons of them myself. And I also play in a band. I love music, so that’s another way to keep my mind vivid with sounds and music and just creative endeavors. I balance between both music and art. Even just with the world around me, just enjoying drawing in coffee shops. I love drawing people, there are just so many different types. So that’s one big inspiration. The Wake: So, what projects are you working on right now? Dan: I’m working on a series of books called Elle Cirka. Right

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that were more expressive, more creative. They became far more influential than any of the superhero stuff I remember reading when I was younger. And a lot of it is using those influences, but also drawing, you find you create your own new styles. Like, “Oh, I like how he did this.” Or, “I should use this again.” And part of it is finding your own language, stylistically. You kind of see yourself working that way naturally, eventually. It doesn’t quite look like anything you’ve done before. Letting some of the influences go as you create your own stuff is the way I try to head towards.

Dan: I was trying to find something that described a very kind of “hell circus” basically because the gist of the story is about me running away to join the circus as a kid. And I draw these caricatures there. And the caricature I draw of them is kind of their ticket to be taken into a big tent which is kind of like a symbol for hell, or some kind of punishment which is still a little vague at this point in the story. I remember looking up various translations for “hell circus” in Google translate. And that “elle cirka” was maybe a Latvian, or some eastern European translation of hell circus. And the name just fit.

I’m passionate about music; I’m passionate about arts. It was very close to my heart so I was able to put my soul into it. The Wake: How much of the work that you make is influenced by comic books? Dan: A lot of it. A lot of it is just influenced by some fine art, some classic illustration from the 19th or the 20th century. I started reading superhero comics for a while in junior high and high school. I liked some of the art and certain artists, but never really the stories so much. And then later into high school and then in art school, I got more into independent and alternative cartoonists like Dan Clowes, Chris Ware, Robert Crumb, and Julie Doucet. And seeing people

Dan: It’s every two years that Altered Esthetics does a comic book-themed show, and this year was a show that was influenced by rock music and music in general. We decided the format this year would be almost a 12 by 12 like a vinyl, but that was a bit too expensive. So we pared it down to this size [holds up the book]. People submitted various stories based on what they interpreted that theme to be. It was really open-ended. People definitely used their own relationship with music as a starting point. Even the opening was really fun, my band The Double Dollars played that. It was really just a fun way to involve music. The Wake: Did Rock Ink Roll make sense for you then because you’re a musician and an artist? Dan: It did a lot. I was able to kind of scratch several itches with that. I know I’m passionate about music; I’m passionate about arts. It was very close to my heart so I was able to put my soul into it.

Q&A

The Wake: What do you like or dislike about comic book style art?

school and they’re just amazing. It’s really about what’s in you as a person.

Dan: I like the variety of the styles confined in it. I do get annoyed with people that sort of ape maybe a fashionable style or whatever is popular at the moment and don’t really progress or evolve, or maybe just be too close to another artist’s style. I see my influences come out a lot in my stuff, but I always try to be self aware of it. When I see influences in other peoples’ work that’s maybe a bit too blatant, I kind of want to see them do the same thing. Just progress, and move forward and create something interesting. I always think of creating stuff I would want to buy myself if I just saw it randomly. I think that’s the ideal. Create stuff that you would want yourself.

Part of it is finding your own language, stylistically. You kind of see yourself working that way naturally, eventually

The Wake: Do you see yourself sticking around this art community? Dan: Yeah, I like it. I like the Twin Cities, especially Minneapolis and Northeast, which has such a strong art community. There’s so many great museums and music and all sorts of things to draw from and be around. I think being stuck in the middle of nowhere would be nice as far as being quiet, but I think I would get kind of bored and want to be in the city. Maybe it might change as I get older, but I think as I’m meeting more and more artists I like being here. It does really just cause you to grow and to push yourself. The Wake: What advice do you have for aspiring illustrators? Dan: Just draw a lot. And keep your eyes as wide as possible. I went to an art school, but I don’t think that’s always necessary. If you’re driven and you keep your mind and eyes open and just constantly learn more and you’re exposing yourself to as much as you can, you can really do a lot. It’s really about how much you push yourself. And meeting other artists is really, really good. When I meet other, younger artists I encourage them and give them feedback. Being part of that loop, it just always helps you as an artist, no matter what genre you’re in. Art school or some direction like that helps you focus, but I know plenty of artists who didn’t go to art

The Wake: How did you meet the artists you share studio space with?

The Wake: Do you find mug shots online? Dan: Yeah, I just Google them. Sometimes more contemporary ones are fun, but there’s a bunch of great ones from the sixties in Minneapolis with girls with beehive hair-dos. The Wake: Since you like drawing people so much, is it a challenge to do backgrounds for your comics?

Dan: Just at the monthly cartoonist meet-up here [at Diamonds Coffee Shoppe] through a friend that I actually met in junior high, a guy named Daniel. We made our own comics together throughout junior high and high school. Once in a while we would just bump into each other after high school. And he was like, “Oh Dan, you should really go to this monthly cartoonist conspiracy meet-up here in the Twin Cities.”

Dan: It is, actually. Perspective has always been the bane of many comic book artists. If it’s wrong it can really be distracting and I think I somehow kind of solve that with the backgrounds in these since I can kind of just put one of the circus tent fabrics in the back and that takes up a lot of space and sets you in a setting, but I always want to get better at just drawing buildings. I’m so used to drawing figures that it’s one thing I recognize as a weakness to work on. It’s very important and I notice it when it’s off in people’s work. It’s a continuing battle.

The Wake: It’s called Cartoonist Conspiracy?

The Wake: Anything else you want to say about your art?

Dan: Yeah, the International Cartoonist Conspiracy. And it was started by a guy named Steven Stwalley. He just kind of liked getting people together to draw kind of “jam” comics. One person would draw one panel, another person would draw the next. It wouldn’t always make sense, but at least it’s interesting. Some people show up every month. Some people just kind of come and go as they can make it. I just went to one last week.

Dan: I don’t know what I would be doing otherwise. It’s the only thing I’ve ever really known how to do. My parents were really supportive from early on. I’m so glad I could do it. I get a rush of energy from creating. I can’t imagine just going home after work and not doing anything. A lot of it is just for my own satisfaction and other people enjoying it is really just a bonus.

The Wake: When you’re sketching what media do you use? Dan: All sorts, actually. I have some pen sketches, pen and ink, some wash. My work is in some watercolors. Just playing with it. Even if I don’t like the sketch, I’ll sometimes just try to make the page interesting. Like here, if I don’t like the page, I’ll just do a portrait over it. This [pointing at a page in his sketchbook] is actually from a mug shot from Australia in the 1920s. These beautiful photographs with men in suits and women in nice clothes. They’re just amazing.

At the Autopic festival I was standing there and a guy comes up and I go into my spiel, telling him what my books are and he goes, “Oh yeah, I know. I came to the last one and I bought your books and I’m glad you have a new one! I want to pick it up.” It was just like, awesome. This guy knows my stuff. That was great affecting a total stranger like that. That’s something that makes you want to make more. I’m doing it for myself, mostly but having other people react to it really makes it worth it.

See more of his work at: danmurphyart.com www.wakemag.org

11.

Sound & Vision

3REVIEWS

Glen Hansard Teases With New EP

OKAYPLAYER.COM

The History of Caves

A review of Drive All Night

Dark film and soundtrack from the Tillman Estate

By Kirsten Erickson

By Luke Michaels

Glen Hansard, the Irish-brogued, ginger-bearded and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter doesn’t seem to want to slow down. After releasing Taking Back the Heartland in 2012, he just put out an EP titled Drive All Night. While tweens may mistakenly come across it while looking for One Direction’s Up All Night, Hansard’s fans won’t find any autotune here.

The History of Caves, out on Sub Pop Records, is Emma Tillman’s directorial debut as well as Josh Tillman’s debut as film score composer. Josh Tillman, better known as Father John Misty, has been esteemed for his work with the Fleet Foxes as well as his superb 2012 solo release, Fear Fun. The presence of Father John Misty in the creation of the film is minor, however, as Emma shines as a more-than-capable director. The film is dark and cryptic, focusing on family dynamics and values as it traces a day in the life of widower Evan Snow, a 40-year-old watchmaker, and his three children—Velvet, Cassius, and Azalea.

This EP includes four tracks, each of which offer a taste of what Hansard has been able to do so well, as has been seen in his award-winning music from the film Once: folk music with a rubbed-raw soul. The first track, “Drive All Night,” has the potential to get a little sleepy, what with a saxophone solo and slow drum beat, but Hansard’s gravelly voice and a guest vocal from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder inject some much needed emotion into what could have otherwise been considered a cheesy-sounding song. “Pennies in the Fountain,” in contrast, has a bare and bleak feel, with a haunting banjo strumming to such morose lyrics like “We suffered heartache after heartache/ but we wished for nothing else.” And just when things seem to be getting too folksy, Hansard pulls out the synthesized beats on “Renata” and finishes up with a gospel-inspired, completely a capella vocal on “Step Out of the Shadows.” In all, the biggest downfall of Drive All Night is that it’s so short. Hansard gives listeners just a taste of his talent before the EP ends. One Direction and their teeny bopper fans should take notice: A little certainly goes a long way.

Cupid Deluxe Blood Orange is this generation’s Prince By Ethan Lauer Devonté Hynes just released his second studio album as Blood Orange, Cupid Deluxe. Until this point, he has remained largely behind the scenes in his musical creations, producing and cowriting Sky Ferreira’s hit “Everything is Embarrassing” as well as working with The Chemical Brothers, Florence and the Machine and a few other side projects. This album gives a lot of perspective as to where Dev is coming from both musically and personally. The overall sound on this record is reminiscent of Prince, incorporating pop-funk guitar and bass riffs with emotionally charged airy falsetto crooning, and the melding of Dev’s vocal inflexion and the minor-driven chord combinations is just as emotional as the lyrical content.

The dramatic, sweeping handheld camera shots and rainy day vibe create an emotional stupor while the beautiful, secluded Laurel Canyon location seems to parallel the director’s similarly secluded lifestyle. One cannot ignore Josh Tillman’s brilliant first attempt at composing, however. He proves a master of creating heart-gripping tension as well as musical tranquility. Haunting tracks like the rainy “Car Chase Theme” and the Phosphorescent-esque harmonies of “Title Theme for Boy Voices” resonate, proving that the soundtrack alone is worth your time. One hopes that Josh Tillman’s role, while brilliantly executed, doesn’t overshadow the visionary work of Emma Tillman in a film that takes on innocence, family, and what it means to feel alone. The History of Caves is proof that Team Tillman is a force to be reckoned with.

He gives this 80s feel some modern depth, focusing on his current personal issues on the song “Uncle Ace” which involves the struggle of the transgender underground culture in New York. He seems to have two personas in this song, singing in falsetto and using a lower monotone in a section of the song, referring to himself as a girl highlighting the issue of self-identification. Dev breaks up the otherwise narrowly focused breadth of sound, featuring Queens-based rapper Despot on the song “Clipped On.” Although Despot’s flow is rough and true to the Queens rap scene, it somehow fits into the soft and emotional journey of the album. He continues the rap trend, featuring London MC Skepta on “High Street”, who nostalgically raps about his adolescence. Cupid Deluxe is masterful in this regard, reviving a unique alt-80s feel while simultaneously being a truly current and innovative piece of art. MUSICPICKINGS.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM

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YOUTUBE.COM

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Hulk: These Black Friday lines are something else… They’re getting me pretty riled up… #ohgeez #watchout

Batman: Soooo my Batmobile is currently under repair. Guess I’m gonna have to break out the Prius #sigh Superman: #thatawkwardmomentwhen you forget to wear your Superman costume under your shirt… #wardrobemalfunction

Spiderman: Somebody tried to jack my car today. He looked so cute webbed against that building. Aquaman: Hey so when’s that superhero Christmas party happening? Never got the invite! Guys?

Superhero Tweets By Alex Van Abbema

Iron Man: Just came across Wonder Woman #bootyhadmelike #sorrypepper

Captain America: I have no idea what is going on in this day and age. What’s twerking? What’s this YOLO swag business? #justlookingforadecentsockhop

Thor: Apparently on Earth restaurants, it’s frowned upon to throw your glass on the floor yelling “another!” #kickedout #sorrynotsorry

Lex Luthor: Anyone know where a guy can get some cheap kryptonite around here? Lately the prices have been off the charts… #inflation

Captain Underpants: So when am I finally gonna be recognized as an official superhero? Is defeating Professor Poopypants not enough?

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Keeping Up With The Times Cheating Super Powers By Time-Twister I don’t have a lot of time so I’ll make this quick. My name is Time-Twister and this is my story… I was an average guy: an above-average student, with a belowaverage reputation. Classic story right? Wrong. I am what they call a “talent” in most University Federation Guidelines. I can manipulate time. In high school, I used this talent to my advantage and no one was any the wiser. How often have you wished you could go back in time and change that one false answer to true? Fastforward through A snore-inducing lecture to the quiz at the end? How many times do you wish you could just stop time during a test and pull out your textbook? How about taking all the time you need to fin-

Superman Joins AARP How our favorite superheroes are handling retirement By Cora Neisen It was a fateful and dreary November when the envelope arrived. Superman flew to the mailbox and saw the return address - AARP, Washington, D.C. 20049. After seeing that he was officially a senior citizen, he flew towards his house and punched a watermelon-sized hole in the garage door. Superman was the first to file for retirement among his old superhero clique. He applied for AARP in 2005, followed closely by Spiderman’s 2007 application. Although they struggled at first, many beloved superheroes have accepted their retirement by pursuing some surprising hobbies.

It has been a challenge to remain in obscurity, to cheat just enough to get by but not to pay draw attention to myself. The only one who knows my secret is my roommate, but he got it easy. His superpower is multitasking, completely undetectable in our modern age. But each time I bend time they draw closer. They try to impose their will on us. They send out crime alerts, calling our gifts “crimes” but who wouldn’t use the tools set in front of them? Does it lack integrity to be born different? I have come to the conclusion that it must, because as I am slowly being surrounded on all sides by the Campus PD in this tiny closet, deep within the Gopher Way, I must rationalize their behavior. The clock is ticking.

PETER MARIUTTO

ish an assignment that’s due in an hour? That was my daily life. However, with great power comes great dependency. I can hardly get through a class without a bit of creative rule bending. But this makes my situation worse and worse. The University Federation knows there are talents out there like me and they sniff us out and shoot us on-the-spat. Phasers set to expel.

JENNIFER YELK

tion, Batman has fallen victim to a Grand Theft Auto addiction. Usually seen playing in nothing but a Tap Out bandana, he says this has been the most relaxed he has ever been while still getting a great adrenaline rush every day. While accepting retirement has been a challenge, Batman now goes by Bruce both day and night, awaits his AARP benefits, and drives the Batmobile ten miles per hour under the speed limit. Meanwhile, Superman has taken up water colors. He said painting provides a release for him, similar to the rush he used to get from flying. Superman has surprised fans by discovering a fascination with mythical creatures through his artwork. His favorite subjects to paint are trolls, dragons, and unicorns.

Saying, “F*%@ hobbies,” Spiderman can usually be found sleeping in a hammock in his backyard for days on end, waking only to snack on Swedish Fish and hotdogs. Although some former fans worry that he has taken a turn for the worse, many college students sympathize with Spiderman, agreeing that laying in a hammock eating candy and mystery meat all day sounds quite appealing some days.

Unable to shake his need for intense ac-

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Patrick’s Guide to World Domination One Man, One Plan, No Tan By: Luke Michaels Patrick Cross–or Patty C., as he prefers, because it “Just sounds more gangster.” He said he sat alone in his cluttered 8’ by 12’ dorm room during the planning phases. Patrick has been a student at the U for nearly a decade and continues to pursue a degree in elementary teaching. Describing his memories of the day he tried to take over the world, he recounted a generic map of the U.S. and pencil drawings of Mussolini and Stalin are strewn carelessly across the ffloor and hang limp from crooked tacks on his eggshell walls–yes, he knows that’s against the rules and he doesn’t care. A red Magic Marker smiley face marks the day on his discount swimsuit calendar. Patrick had been plotting this day for years. Today was the day that he would prove to the world that he was not just some acneridden teen who spent just a little too much time locked in his room “updating his blog.” He planned to create widespread panic and harness absolute power in the midst of chaos.

He was currently on hold with the White House. Any second now, he would issue an official takeover threat and panic would spread like jelly on his mom’s signature PB&J’s. But they didn’t answer. No matter, they would regret their brutal negligence! Hundreds of accomplices across the nation prepared to initiate the detonation of hundreds of radioactive P-Bombs (short for Patrick Bombs). He gathered up his strength and pressed his big red button (he was a big fan of cliches). The rockets flew and, because

PETER MARIUTTO

the plan was formulated circa 2005, hundreds of Radio Shacks were leveled nationwide. Luckily, there were no casualties. The U.S. fell into a very mild panic, eventually blaming the incident on “The Commies.” Patrick was crushed. Nobody believed his story, which he vented about actively on his blog—he was really into the year 2005, I guess—for the remainder of his otherwise uneventful life.

Eight Arms are Better than Two Your Friendly Neighborhood College Student By Zach Simon Saving the world. The ole nine-to-five, 20 credit semesters. Papers late, presentations due, classes skipped. Those tears won’t mop themselves. College can be rough, and the “Spider-Man Diet” may not be for everyone, but take it to heart, dear reader, because you too can balance these super challenges with ordinary planning. Before you can start saving lives, one has to prepare. Set an alarm not only to wake up, but to go to sleep. If you’re thinking about that all-nighter, remember that you can give a presentation better half-done and awake than finished and sleep-standing. Unless you go all “Hulk Smash” on your alarm clock and miss class. How do you live with yourself?

Try placing alarms on the floor whilst you sleep snug as The Human Torch in the top bunk. You cannot always rely on your Spidey Sense to get you up, but you can catch a quick super-power nap on the bus. You’re awake now, but you have to be presentable. Nobody wants to be saved by some bedraggled mess that smells like yesterday’s super-suit. There is about as much time as it takes the water to get warm to for you to take your entire shower. Towel: required. Soap: optional. Collect your gear quickly, because if you are not eating a Carnation This Instant Breakfast, there is not a moment to spare. Start chugging that scalding coffee because your monthly workout is waving hello as the bus

screeches goodbye around that corner and you have to sprint to class. Oh no! Jameson is breathing down your neck for the photos you promised him of SpiderMan last week, and you have a paper due in two hours! What to do? Try slipping The Flash a $20, he won’t mind doing a Marvel boy a solid. The Scarlet Speedster can’t live off just Ramen, ya know. Speaking of Ramen, always be thinking about fast meals. The box combo from Cane’s is just slowing you down, try an apple and a few Clif Bars, you’ll save yourself some time at the gym as well.

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The Fantastic Four Assassinate the Wrong Doom! Rap crews vow to avenge MF Doom’s death By Ethan Lauer

s or e m iv ru at r ck s e ar abo ta rew r re ll at c u he co r ll Fo y “T a ste t a he d b d ” of ma gs t t ate lle ox, on ns tr ca et as am ai es e “D h t ag rch Dr on ng d a . i i e o Dr at oth firm nt.” r n on oi pe O but n c p e is be th

DAN FORKE

Last week, the Fantastic Four assassinated the stage, publicly executing who rapper MF Doom on-stage at his New York City they assumed to be Dr. Doom in front of concert. hundreds of what they thought to be hypnotized hip-hop fans. Friday afternoon, the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, and the Thing The Fantastic Four issued a public apolopatrolled the streets looking for crime as gy in a press conference soon after they they often do. When they passed realized the man they had killed was not, a music venue in their in fact, Dr. Doom. The president offisearch, they heard cially pardoned the Fantastic Four, groups of people knowing that any prosecution “Snoop Dogg has taken outside talking about would ultimately be a failed Doom’s performance. effort. However, the rap coman alternative approach, munity has not forgiven the attempting to lure the Upon entering the transgression. superheroes into a giant building, the team saw the rapper in his In fact, many hip-hop moguls hotbox of marijuana trademark Dr. Doomhave used their influence to smoke created by his style mask entrancing round up fans and form vigilanmilitia.” the crowd with microte militias to fight back against phone in hand. They quickly the Fantastic Four, taking gang sprung into action and took violence to a whole other level.

The Wu Tang Clan has been one of the more active crews, training their militia of fans in the art of Kung Fu. Snoop Dogg has taken an alternative approach, attempting to lure the superheroes into a giant hotbox of marijuana smoke created by his militia. His goal is to get the Four too stoned to retaliate when the militia attempts to “pistol whip those suckas.” More is sure to develop as the rap crews continue to develop their plans of attack. There are rumors of a collaborative master attack amongst all crews against the Four orchestrated by Dr. Dre called Operation “Detox,” but nothing has been confirmed at this point. The only certainty we have is that in the coming days, one of two legendary forces will be wiped off the face of the Earth: the Fantastic Four or rap music as we know it.

december 16- january 21

Covered by the Affordable Care Act Helpful for Mutants? By Cooper Henckel Amid the many claims levied against the Affordable Care Act, few have been aimed at the provision that prevents insurance companies from denying coverage of individuals with pre-existing conditions. An unintended consequence of this has allowed many mutants, who had previously been denied coverage, to now have access to healthcare for the first time. Previously, mutants whose condition was discovered were unable to file claims. According to one mutant, who wishes to remain anonymous, after developing mutant powers she started moonlighting as a superhero and broke her arm stopping a robbery. “When I went to the hospital that night, they told me my insurance would no longer be accepted,” the anonymous mutant said. According to her and others, physicians were unable to give even basic care to mutant patients. Insurance companies claimed the

“mutant precondition” was grounds to deny coverage. Overnight, mutants with newly developed abilities lost their health coverage. “When our son was born, we were forced to give birth at a private medical facility,” said Jean Grey, a lead mutants rights activist and educator at an upstate New York boarding school. “I was fortunate to have the resources I did. Other mutants, especially those with physical mutations or from impoverished areas, are forced to seek back-alley treatments or go without care,” Grey said. “This was antimutant discrimination at its worst and we applaud Obama and the ACA’s efforts to end this gross injustice.” While Grey’s view that the law’s protection is critical for improving mutant-human relations is shared with others in the mutant community and beyond, some doctors are concerned about whether hospitals will be logistically able to handle the influx of mutant patients. According to a local physi-

Knight in Shining Spandex A brief how-to guide on literally masking your emotions By Nader Helmy My arms are far too strong for this. My brain far too complex. My stature far too great. My confidence? Far too low. You know, when I first decided to take up this whole “being a superhero” thing, I never thought this would be the part of the gig. No one tells you this stuff. It’s not in the manual. Did you know that three out of every four superheroes are emotionally vulnerable? The fourth is The Thing. That dude’s a rock. Okay, I’ll come out with it. I’ve been seeing this girl. And by “me,” I mean, regular me without the costume. We’ve been together for months now and she’s been so great. The kind of person you can never see yourself not being friends with. Completely and totally mine. Until recently. She’s been colder, more distant. I can tell that what I think and what I feel matters to her less. That’s how you can always tell. We talk less and I

can feel her slipping away. I had my worst fears confirmed when she broke the news to me last week. She says she loves another man. I’ve seen her around town putting up posters and holding signs, screaming emphatically about the man in the costume, but I just assumed it was a harmless fancy. She always did linger a little too long with her eyes glued to the news about the caped crusader’s latest escapade.

Overnight, mutants with newly develo ped abilities lost thei r health coverage

cian who offers free basic care to mutants, “Most hospitals don’t have the facilities to really help these patients. Some mutants have non-human physiology and others can kill physicians without meaning to.” He said treating mutant patients is a serious challenge that few doctors are prepared to handle. “Coverage from insurance companies still doesn’t guarantee treatment,” he said. “The fight for healthcare isn’t over, but we’ve won the first battle and that’s a huge step,” Grey said. With very little political backing for the measure, it seems the mutant community still faces barriers between themselves and affordable medicine.

feeling I could do something better for the world. Something more. But what if that guy, the guy who fights crime (or the idea of him), is better than I could ever be on my own? It’s lonely behind a mask. The anonymity has made me reclusive, self-centered, and most of all, incredibly alone. But I’ve started thinking that maybe I can start living through the hero in me. Maybe I can make her love me again. We all have heroic qualities, mine are just a little more… obvious. Maybe I can make the public’s illusions, her illusions, a reality. Dishonest? Perhaps a little. That’s a leap of faith I’m not used to.

The other man is me. Me, the superhero. She’s breaking up with me for me. She actually said the phrase, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Brutal. Almost hilarious, but I don’t think enough time has passed yet. Yep, she’s in love with a superhero. I guess you always love the idea of what you don’t have. I don’t think I’ll ever love again. I know, everyone says that. But hear me out. I took up this persona, this costume, and I hid behind the mask because I had a

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Better Than Fan Art: Superhero portraits on display to aid city By Lianna Matt The mutant sewer rat attack left a slimy, grungy, and slightly-rabid toll on Kahnta City. The giant rodent’s path of destruction was felt by the Hales Art Museum (HAM). After the rat’s severed arm fell through the roof of HAM, the fight ended. Shards of pottery and ripped paintings have been shuttled to the city’s art restoration department. With countless artifacts lost, repairing damage to HAM is just one item on the long list of restorations in Kahnta City’s future.

At the museum’s workroom, Superman, undoubtedly the most powerful man in the world, demonstrated his strength by pulverizing rock after rock into a rubble pile that is supposed to be... something. When asked, Superman explained, “My art is the process of creating greatness out of something that people perceive as trash. It is a metaphor for all those who felt misunderstood to show that they can become someone that they feel happy with.” Who knew Superman was so deep?

According to Wonderman, Superman plans to paint himself white on opening day and pose as his statue while Flash makes finishing touches on the real exhibit.

Geoffrey Hale, HAM’s museum owner, announced an upcoming exhibition of Justice League self portraits to raise money for Kahnta City’s citizens.

Fed up with Superman’s egocentrism, Wonderwoman blew open his lie. Glancing up from her oil painting, she said, “You should have come here fifteen minutes earlier. He was throwing rock after rock at it muttering, ‘why he could stop an alien attack but couldn’t make his dang rock head stick to his dang rock body.’”

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, HAM will soon host a unique exhibit. The heroes who defeated the menace have stayed to give more of their time to the city.

LIANNA MATT

Overhearing her, Superman joked, “I try to fly. I try to fly, but you pull me down with your lasso.” Flash, apparently, being the good-hearted, go-to guy he is would make Superman’s statue now, but he is preoccupied with his own self portrait. Watching colorful thread after thread stretch across the glass surface of Flash’s wall, the most anyone could catch of the artist was a dash of red ricocheting from side to side. The methodical sweep of his canvas was mesmerizing as line by line, a thread mural of him sprinting through the cosmos started to appear. Compared to the motion of the Flash, the slow, deliberate movements of Batman made it hard to believe that the two work as a cohesive team. Shut away in a dark room, the Batman lifted print after print of himself out of the liquid. Some half blurry and some in sharp focus, the film had close ups and candid shots of him patrolling the city.

december 16 - january 21

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Clark Kent here. Some of you may be familiar with my writing in The Daily Planet, but today I am honored to be guest editing this issue of The Wake Magazine, a publication that excels at reporting on injustices in the community, as well as moments of pride and heroism. Now, some of you may be aware of my alter-ego, Superman. Although I believe strongly in my work as a superhero, I sometime believe journalism is an equally strong way to bring light to injustices in the world. In this issue of this honorable magazine, I am confident that

you readers will understand the good that journalism can bring to the world despite the oftentimes negative public responses to American media. With articles that uncover the truth about students who use their powers to deceitfully and unfairly cheat on examinations or the potential implications of covering mutants under the Affordable Care Act, and others like The SpiderMan Diet, to help you manage your social, educational, and world-saving lives, I feel that this issue proves the beneficial nature of journalistic work. In my mind, the writers in this issue are true superheroes, and I challenge you to do good for this student body, and this world--be it through activism, studying, or writing. As I have said before, until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share -- I'll never stop fighting, and I hope you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t either.

Clark Kent (a.k.a Superman) Guest Editor

BRITTANY LONG

MIGHTY FLAKES A Breakfast that will keep you going, and going, and going, and going, and going...

BRITTANY LONG

december 16 - january 21