Table of ContentsRKYV Holiday Edition {Dec. 2010}

RKYV ONLINE LOGO –

David Marshall {current}

Roy G. James {original}

Virtual Cover

- Art by Kassandra Heller

- Layout by r. j. paré

Interior Art

- By Mike Grattan, James ‘Jig-One’

Titman, Larissa Gula, Stan Nelson,

Naomi Randolph, r. j. paré, Tom

Nesbitt, Nik Powliko, Kassandra Heller

Editorial Column

- “At the Outset: A FewThoughts

from the Editor”

- By r. j. paré

World View

- “A Canadian Living in the USA”

- By Tom Rossini

Family Life: “The Return of the

Prodigal Columnists”

- “Christmas is Coming…” by Leanne

Bechard

- “YummyYuletide Treats” by

Murdoch aka Christina Marchetti

Syndicated Comic Strip Review

- “Bob and DougMcKenzie - the

Comic Strip”

- By Nik Poliwko & Tom Nesbitt

Featured Artist Review

- “Kassandra Heller”

- By r. j. paré

Short Fiction

- “MyHoliday Judgement”

- by Darke Raven

Poetry

- By Wanda VanHoy Smith, Stephen

Campbell

Pop Culture

- “MangaMaximus”

- By Darke Raven

- “Raised on SaturdayMorning

Cartoons”

- By Pauline Paré

Actually, read this month’s Syndicated Comic Review for more of

“Bob and DougMcKenzie - the Comic Strip” – by Nik Poliwko & TomNesbitt

At the Outset

A few thoughts fromThe Editor…by r. j. paré

Merry Christmas everyone and welcome to our first ever Special Holiday Issue! During this season,

many, if not most of us, celebrate some sort of Holiday – be it faith-based, cultural or secular. It is a

time for us to make that little extra effort in order to show our loved ones that we care. I was raised

Catholic [and French Catholic, to boot] my family observes Christmas at this time of year.

Christmas

– noun

1. The annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on

December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging

gifts.

In fact, my daughters [the little darlings] get

to enjoy multiple traditions around Casa Paré

this time of year. Mywife’s family is Dutch

and she grew up with the tradition of Kris

Kringle and the 12 days of Christmas. So

Genevieve & Chantel leave their slippers

outside their bedroom doors for the 12 nights leading up to Christmas and each morning they

discover that “Kris Kringle” has left them a surprise [usually a small gift = to a “stocking-stuffer”].

It gets them so excited for the big day that by the time Christmas comes they are bouncing off the

walls [the sugar high of Holiday treats might have something to do with it as well]. I hope

whatever holiday your family celebrates that it is filled with joy and giving.

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving...

We Are The World, USA for Africa

It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid

At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade

And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy!

Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time

Do They Know it's Christmas? – Band Aid

Not that there is anything wrong with that…As I mentioned earlier, living in such a multi-cultural society, we are aware of a wide variety of

holidays and traditions that take place at this time of year. Wish your Jewish friends aHappy

Hanukkah. Or maybe you know folks who honour universal African heritage and culture, by

observing Kwanzaa, and they’ve invited you to celebrate with them. Go for it! Eat, drink and be

Merry! Embrace the uniqueness of our individual traditions and share in the wonderful diversity of it

all.

Heck some folks who, in the past, had not been observing any particular holiday tradition - have now

taken to observing one that they learned of through a favourite television show.

Festivus

– noun

Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23. It was created by writerDan O'Keefe

and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a screenwriter for the TV show

Seinfeld, as part of a comical storyline on the show. Celebrants of the holiday sometimes refer

to it as “Festivus for the rest of us,” a saying taken from theO'Keefe family traditions and

popularized in the Seinfeld episode to describe Festivus as another way to celebrate the

holiday season without participating in its pressures and commercialism.

The name "Festivus" has also begun to be used as a general term for any type of December

party not affiliated with the season's other events.

The point being that this is a season to

spread goodwill and cheer, regardless of

our differences. There is no reason to be

competitive, or have conflict, with the

new, old or varied traditions your family,

friends & neighbours choose to observe.

It’s all good…

Speaking of good, goodies and all things

shiny and bright… this Holiday Special is

chock full of heart warming surprises just

waiting for you to unwrap:

Holiday Tree – by r. j. paré

Columnists & writers, past & present, have chipped in with some wonderful reviews, poems,

recipes and Holiday Wishes. I thank each and every one of them [credited throughout] for

taking a moment out of their mad shopping schedules to pen some words for this edition.

When I posted the message that I was considering publishing aHoliday Special on short notice

amazing art clips from our talented contributors came pouring in. I thank them all for sharing

their work with us.

Kassandra Heller gladly met my impossible deadline sending files of beautiful art for me to

use and revealing a little bit about herself and her work in a brief interview for our Featured

Artist Review.

Frankly, I consider it practically a HolidayMiracle that everyone was able to chip in and make this

Special happen on such short notice.

Best Wishes to all of you this Holiday

Season…

r. j. paré

Surveillance Report: RE: Naughty& Nice urgent update.

by SSE Winky

Special Supervisory Elf Winky hereby affirms that the behaviour of subject Paré is not – repeat

NOTworthy of consideration for naughty status at this time. Despite missing many deadlines

over the course of this last year he has testified that he “really, really didn’t mean to,” and that in

the future he would “try his best to be on time.” It is our judgement that this individual does not

merit coal in his stocking at this time.

P.S. – Santa, I promise, the guy’s “Nice” material.

My judgement is sound on these matters and

cannot be fooled, influenced or manipulated -

even by milk and cookies [although… his

beautiful wife was kind enough to make those

tasty little sugar cookies I like and even had my

favourite brand of low-fat milk, yummy, yum,

yum..].

frosty – by r. j. paré

And the boys from the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay

And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day.

Fairytale Of NewYork, Pogues

outside of Phipps Conservatory – by Larissa Gula

World View

ACanadian,Living in the USAby Tom Rossini

AHistory of Christmas

I am sitting down on the couch as I type this and

looking around at the various Christmas decorations

that blanket my house. We have the three Christmas

trees, holiday garland adorning the banister railings

and many other knick knacks and crafts on the

shelves, mantles and tables. On top of that my house

is lit up like a Christmas tree itself, with numerous

flood lights, LED lights and CFL socket lights in the

lamps. As I look at the various decorations I see some

reflecting the birth of Jesus Christ, while others reflect

the season of holiday cheer and other commercial

influences. This has made me wonder, “How did

Christmas have its origins?” Is this a religious

holiday, a holiday based on other circumstances, or a

holiday related to commercial influences?

– by Josh Bowe

I discovered that 2500 years before the birth of Jesus researchers have found proof that people, in the

old world, celebrated theWinter Solstice [recognizing and observing the longest night and the

shortest day of the year as well as a hope that spring was soon approaching]. The Roman Saturnalia

was celebrated with lights, charity, and greenery while the Germans celebrated with feasts and Yule

Logs.

Now there are many more variations to this holiday season than what one can write about in one

column [as our dear editor has put a time crunch on this article] and so I suggest that you take some

time and search the internet for the origins of Christmas and you may be surprised at the literature

out there.

There are articles out there to explain whyDec 25th is the chosen day vs Dec 21st. There are

articles explaining the birth of Jesus and why the Catholic Church decided onDec 25th as

well.

Digging a little deeper you can also find out how other traditions started like the various

decorations and symbols, why certain music / carols were written, why certain food became

the staple of the holiday season as well as the origins of gift giving.

Of interest for me personally, is Sinterklaa orSaint Nicholas. andwhy he is considered by

many to be the original Santa Claus.

The following excerpt is from Wikipedia

The one thing I have realized after reading many articles

is that the holiday season, over all, is a season of giving,

feasts, family and faith.

I wish each and everyone aVeryMerry Christmas and a

HappyNew Year.

Tom

< Kris Kringle – by r. j. paré

The most famous and pervasive of these figures in modern celebration worldwide is Santa Claus,

a mythical gift bringer, dressed in red, whose origins have diverse sources. The name Santa Claus can be

traced back to theDutch Sinterklaas, which means simply Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra,

in modern day Turkey, during the 4th century. Among other saintly attributes, he was noted for the care

of Children, generosity, and the giving of gifts. His feast on the 6th of December came to be celebrated in

many countries with the giving of gifts. Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop's attire,

accompanied by helpers, inquiring about the behaviour of children during the past year before deciding

whether they deserved a gift or not. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the

Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of Central and Southern

Europe. After the Reformation in 16th–17th century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer

to the Christ Child or Christkindl, corrupted in English to Kris Kringle, and the date of giving gifts

changed fromDecember the 6th to Christmas Eve.

Family Life

TheReturn of the Prodigal ColumnistsEditors Note: For this Special Issue a couple of long-lost former Columnists and [in Murdoch’s

case] providers of wonderful recipes and cooking tips… return! Nurses by profession, both Leanne

& Christina took turns a couple years ago providing RKYV readers with some sage Health advice

and it is our pleasure to welcome them back to the pages of RKYV ONLINE.

Christmas is Coming…by Leanne Bechard

Glowing Christmas Tree – by r. j. paré

It was the day afterHallowe'en, and I decided a trip to Canadian Tirewas in order; toilet paper must

have been on sale. When I walked into the store, the customer service representatives were in the

process of putting up a 12 foot Christmas tree, laden with lights of every colour, stars and strands of

tinsel were strewn from the top to the bottom of this tree, all before 10am. There was an inflatable

Santa, already perched by the front door, with a sign attached saying "Christmas is coming... check

out our selection of Holiday Decor!" I hadn't sorted out Hallowe'en candy yet, let alone,

acknowledge Christmas was quickly approaching.

My email box, as of late, contains Holiday Greetings of every sort, from E-cards, to interactive videos

my children are completely amazed at. Their wish lists are ridiculously huge and not cohesive with

my budget restraints.

My son thinks that an iPpod Touch is in order, he's 13.

My daughters 11 and 6, sat down with the dreaded "Wish Book" (provided yearly by

Sears), and wrote at least a hundred of their top picks for Santa, aka MOM.

I have always taken pride in reminding my family what the real meaning of Christmas is… the art of

giving and being thankful for the happiness you bring to someone else. To all who are reading this,

remind your families, friends and perhaps the occasional stranger, the real meaning of Christmas.

If you know anyone who is alone this Holiday season, make a point to call, or drop in with

some cookies.

If you know a single parent in your neighbourhood, offer to shovel the snow for them, I can

guarantee that would make their day (it did for me).

A simple smile, holding the door for someone with their hands full, or donating to local food

bank makes a world of difference.

My wish to all of you, cherish your loved ones always. Make a point to share something wonderful,

even when you don't really feel like it – you will bring happiness to someone, I promise.

Merry Christmas andHappyNew Year,\

Leanne Bechard

Special Contributor, RKYV Online

SundayGirl – by Mike Grattan

YummyYuletide Treatsby Murdoch aka Christina Marchetti

SeasonedGreetings everybody…

I hope you enjoy some of my favourite holiday recipes here.

You will notice that they are all sweets and that is because I

work every Christmas – so we order out for Chinese and then

go tobogganing (I think I spelled that right, really, I am

educated!!) afterwards. I hope you enjoy these sweet treats as

much as my family and friends do.

Have a great New Year.

Tina

Butter Tarts2 eggs

2 cups brown sugar

½ cup butter melted

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

Raisins, nuts or other fillers

Combine all ingredients and fill 3” tart

shells. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes and the 350

until set.

An elderly neighbour gave this recipe to me when

I was in grade school. She has since passed, but

this recipe has stuck aroundwith me ever since.

It has been to Texas and back with me and I never

misplace it. It is an all time holiday favourite of

mine and many of my friends. Feel free to use

any kind of filler that you want and almost as

much as you want. I prefer a meatier tart, not as

much of the syrup thing going on so i add quite a

few raisins and nuts.

Chocolate CherryHazelnut Fudge

½ cup chopped hazelnuts

12 oz pkgs of semisweet chocolate chip cookies

2 14 oz cans of sweetened condensedmilk

2 12oz pkgs of white chocolate chips (3cups)

¼ cup chopped red candied cherries

Cook hazelnuts until toasted. Line 8” square

baking pan with waxed paper. Melt choc chips

with 1 can milk. Melt white chocolate with other

can milk. Fold nuts into dark choc and cherries

into white choc. Alternately spoon into pan and

swirl with knife. Refrigerate x 8 hours.

If you don't have hazel nuts and cherries, you can

use dry cranberries (unsweetened if you can find

them or you end up with super sweet fudge) and

almonds. I don't remember where I got this recipe

from but it is a well used one.

RumBalls2 cups of graham cracker crumbs.

1/2 cup of cocoa

1 cup of finely chopped nuts.

1 cup icing sugar.

Blend well then add 1/2 cup butter melted and 1/2

cup of rum.Mix together and roll into small

balls. I like to dip mine in chocolate. It is a

running joke around here about the lack of rum

most days because I use it in my rum cakes.

However, Jack Daniels works really well for this

recipe and it is amazing what jack's balls taste

like!!!!

This recipe is from Ruth Sharon’s cook book. She

is a local published cook book author and has

some simple and amazing recipes for everyday

use. I do believe i have all of her books, and they

were well worth the purchase. The name of this

book is Good home Cooking I.

Always looking for the ultimate Chocolate chip andOatmeal cookie recipe, I do believe I found it in

the next two. My husband's editor bought this cookbook for me a couple of years ago called the

Chocolate Snowball and all I can say is OMG!!! Definitely splurge and use butter in these recipes.

They have got to be the richest cookies I have ever made. That being said, they are supposed to be

huge cookies (1/3 cup dough per cookie) which only gives you a dozen cookies, so I scoop dough by

the tablespoon and get about 4 dozen really good sized cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 pound of unsalted softened butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325.

Cream first five ingredients. Sift next three and

then add to cream mixture. Add chocolate chips.

Place dough by the spoon full on baking sheets

and cook for 20 - 25 minutes.

Cookies will be flat and expand quite a bit.

Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 lb of butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 3/4 cups of rolled oats

1 cup dark raisins (I always plump and then well

drain my raisins before using them)

Cream first four ingredients. Sift next four

ingredients together and then add to creamed

mixture. Add oats and raisins. Cook as above.

Note: For both these recipes, if you live at high

altitudes, please reduce white sugar to 3/4 cup.

Now I don't know about you folks, but I am an unbelievable fan of minced meat, preferably without

suet thank you. I like to get mine from the Bulk barn, but there are some pretty good jarred varieties

on the shelf of your local grocer if you don't have a BB near by.

MincedMeat Cookies

1 cup butter

11/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups minced meat.

Cream first 3 ingredients. Sift next three and add

to creamedmix. Then add minced meat and mix

well. Drop by spoon full on greased cookie sheet

about two inches apart and cook at 375 for 8 to 10

minutes.

This recipe came from a Mrs. Fran Bakke, from

the Harrowsmith Volume 3 cookbook.

Note: I am also a big fan of parchment paperwhich I line all my cookie sheets with. It makes clean

up so much easier and no extra calories are added.

I am going to sign off now.

Have to get some sleep before I

go to work tonight. Remember

to eat well, play hard, sleep

well and stay safe.

Have a veryMerry Christmas

and aHappy New Year.

Tina

Amelia – by James ‘Jig-One’ Titman

– by Naomi Randolph: Coal is a crime! Wouldn't it be great if we could all do this when we got

something we didn't want.

Syndicated Comic Strip

Review

Bob andDougMcKenzie- the Comic Stripby Nik Poliwko & Tom Nesbitt[article by Nik]

Back in the early 80's, my good friend Tom Nesbitt and I were listening to the Bob &DougMcKenzie comedy

album featuring Dave Thomas andRick Moranis (based on their "GreatWhite North" segment from the hit

TV series SCTV).

It hit us that "Bob& Doug"would work

great as a comic-strip! We created a

package featuring six daily strips as well

as a concept for a book and sent it off to

Quality Records (the producers of their

album), who in turn forwarded our

material to Dave and Rick!

I think it was a Sunday morning when

Dave Thomas called and said he loved

our work! They had gotten other

proposals, but felt that Tom and I

captured the Bob & Doug characters

better than any other they had seen.

Contracts were worked out and we

were on our way to doing a daily comic

strip which would be distributed by

Worldwide Features Syndicate, a

division of the Toronto Sun newspaper.

Editor’s Note: Tune in over next few issues as we serialize Nik’s article and show off somemore of

his and Tom’s work on Bob& Doug – leading into Nik’s featured artist appearance in RKYV # 45!

Featured Artist

Review

KassandraHellerby r. j. paré

Intro: Kassandra is an artist living in Los

Angeles. She graduated from the College for

Creative Studies in Detroit, MI. Ms. Heller is

married to the artist Chris Houghton who also

draws comic books [yea! I always got give it

up for my comic book peeps]. And she adds,

“My favorite candy is Charleston Chews.”

“An Apple a Day”

Digital/Adobe Illustrator

2010

r.j.p:Have you always known that you wanted to be or, rather, were an artist?

KH: Yup, I never had any doubts. Even when I was really little, I’ve just always drawn.

r.j.p: Did you study or major in art while in school?

KH: Yes. I graduated from the College for Creative Studies majoring in Illustration.

r.j.p:Who was your primary source of encouragement, as a child, in pursuing art?

KH: It really helped to have a family that always

believed in me andmy love for art. I decided at a very

young age that I wanted to be an artist and I never

doubted that dream.

Not to discredit myMom in anyway, but my Dad really

got me interested in cartoons and comic strips. He

always had such an appreciation for them. He knew

why they were funny and never discredited them for

being goofy or “for kids.”We always watched cartoons

together like Popeye and Ren and Stimpy, as well as

read comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.

“Music Man”

Digital/Adobe Illustrator

2010

r.j.p:What is your favorite media to work with?

KH: I love towork digitally, especially in Adobe Illustrator or Flash. Traditionally, I like to use

color pencils and oil pastels.

r.j.p: Do you use any special tools and

techniques to create your art?

KH: Not really. I usually work on the

shapes and designs for the

illustration inmy sketchbook first.

Then, I scan those drawings in and

clean them up and color them on the

computer.

“Sketchbook Page: Feathers”

Ink

2010

r.j.p:What inspires you to create art?

KH: Within daily life, I’m constantly looking for

inspiration. Whether I’m on the bus or watching TV,

there are so many characters and interesting activities

going around everyone all the time.

Myhusband is also an artist as well as most of my

friends so I’m constantly surrounded by creativity.

That helps fuel andmotivate me as well as provides

mewith a constant group of artists to go to in order to

show mywork.

“Alex”

Digital/Adobe Illustrator

2010

r.j.p:Howwould you categorize your artistic style?

KH: Somewhere in-betweenMary Blair/Jim Flora and themore modern Nickelodeon-style

animation? It’s hard to narrow it down exactly. I’m inspired by so many artists from different parts

of theworld and different periods in history.

r.j.p:Would you say that there is a "message" or "unifying theme" in your work?

KH: I don’t try to maintain a theme or

message in my artwork really. I want

each illustration to speak for itself.

Although I do draw a lot of happy or

cute things.

“Lions”

Digital

2010

r.j.p:Which famous artists / creators or styles have influenced

you?Why?

KH: There’s so many, it’s hard to try and narrow it down!

Pascal Campion, Lorelay Bove, Guy Davis, Jongmee Kim,

Bob Flynn, Sergio Aragones, Chris Battle, Mary Blair,

Brigette Brigade, Katie Rice, Brittney Lee, and a lot of the

fellow girls from GirlsDrawinGirls.

“So Dangerous”

Color Pencil

8x11

2010

r.j.p:Would you rather have an engaged & loyal but, ultimately, small Indie readership or work on the latest

Spidey, Wolverine or X - book? [the old Art vs Commerce question]

KH: Ah I’d go with the small indie readership anytime! I think

there will always be room in the market for creator-owned

properties. P.S. I love the comic book series, Reed Gunther.

r.j.p:With advancements in computer graphic tablet technology,

some artists are now creating their work directly in the digital

medium and releasing it in purely digital formats... are the days

of paper & pulp doomed to the realm of fadingmemories?

KH: No way! I still do a lot of work with Prisma Color Pencils

on Canson paper. I do this kind of work for galleries and

commissions [Two areas that thrive on tangible original art]. I

think there will always be a demand for original art.

“Girl on an Adventure”

color pencil

8x11

2010

“Heidi Sings a Song”

Color Pencil, 8 x 11, 2009

r.j.p:What do you think of the term "starving artist"?

KH: I think it can mean different things to different people. If you’re a “starving artist” it’s

hopefully because you know how valuable your skills are and are holding out for a position that

you’ll enjoy and thrive at instead of settling for a job that just covers your expenses for a while..

Not that that’s a bad idea. ;)

r.j.p: Do you feel more a sense of community with other artists or a sense of competition?

KH: I feel a sense of community. Especially with so many artists onlinewith blogs, Twitter, Flickr,

etc. it’s easier to reach out to artists for help or inspiration.

r.j.p:How do you market yourself?

KH: I update my blog about every week to keep an online presence as well as set-up booths at

comic-cons. I participate in gallery shows and am an active member of GirlsDrawinGirls.

r.j.p: Do you find it difficult to stay motivated / inspired?

KH: Not really. I try tomix things upwhen I’m feeling

uninspired in order to keep things interesting. It helps

to draw in my sketchbook a lot. Drawing in public, you

never know what you might see that might help inspire

a new piece. I just wish there was more time in the day.

“MyMonster”

Digital

2010

r.j.p: This wonderfully whimsical piece seemed almost

tailor made for adapting as this month’s cover and it was

beaucoup fun to do.

r.j.p:While traditional publishing and distribution has

become a difficult goal to achieve for the modern Indie comic

creator, what do you think of the impact that social networks

and POD services have had as an alternate means of

connecting you, your work and your audience?

KH: I think POD services are great. I haven’t used them for

comics but more so for leave-behinds and portfolios. I think

it’s great that anyone can now get their work printed, even if

it’s just for a small audience. It’s somuch easier than what it

used to be.

“Little Miss Octo-Princess”

Digital/Adobe Illustrator

2010

r.j.p:What other interests do you have, besides art?

KH: I always love taking a break to play video games or watch a movie. I go to the library a lot too, which is

fun. I love cats and currently my husband, Chris and I are looking to adopt one.

r.j.p:What advice would you have for a young artist starting out today?

KH: Don’t get discouraged! Keep creating new work and looking at successful artists working

today. Try to maintain a regularwork/sleep schedule. That’s what I’m trying to do anyhow. I’m a

young artist myself!

r.j.p: Do you have any big plans, shows or Cons coming up?

KH: Nothing specific just yet but this Summer I’m sure I’ll be hitting up a few conventions. I’ve

always got new projects in the works and the best way for people to keep up on what I’m doing is

to follow my blog at http://kass204.blogspot.com

r.j.p:Howwould you like your art, and by extension yourself, to be remembered?

KH: Hmmm…. Ask me again in 60 years.

LINKS:

“HEY There, Hot Shot!”

Digital/Adobe Illustrator

2010

I would like to thank Kassandra for

participating as our featured artist.

Her delightful illustrations, combine

influences from the fields of

animation, sketch and fine arts in a

fashion that is simply a pleasure to

behold.

Merci, Madame Heller.

r. j. paré

www.Kass204.blogspot.com

http://kass204.deviantart.com/

http://www.flickr.com/people/kassandraheller/

– by Josh Bowe

Short Fiction

MyHoliday JudgmentBy Darke Raven

[Accompanying images are from

Roger Price’s Tattoo Art.

You can e-mail Roger: moleman00x@hotmail.com

or facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=629478508 ]

The door shook and shook under the repeated pounding of the person standing outside, prompting

a slow irritated groan from Rumplestiltskin as he climbed the stairs to his front door, a look of

disbelief on his face. At first the door merely gave off it's usual chime denoting a visitor, but the

chime soon rang again and again followed by tapping, then a constant rapping, which turned into a

loud banging that has not ceased for a whole minute.

Who would be coming to visit at near midnight it was not clear, but since the Security Crystal by the

door was still glowing it's soft green it was not an overtly violent or disturbed individual despite the

fact the person pounded almost relentlessly on the door now, add to that the fact the roomwas in the

center of a large castle surrounded by a large group of highly trained guards who also could distinct

between normal and hostile visitors, even if they allowed someone to visit at such a late hour. As he

reached the door, opening it, he called out “Merry Christmas!” in as jovial a voice as possible, the

door opening to reveal his visitor, “Howmay I he-- OH NO!!”

With a quick gasp he quickly tried to shut the door again, only to be stopped as a black clad arm

quickly shot through the opening stopping him from completely closing the door.

“Ouch.” Keiko Yamanaka, the 7th Judgment muttered as she managed to hold the door open

with her arm. No doubt the short hairedAsian woman of fair height (taller of course than the shorter

in stature Rumplestiltskin) was already frowning at her situation as she tried to coax her way in with

her usual ‘charm’. “Do you mind? This isn't doing you a bit of good with your court required

mandatory check in.”

“What the hell!” he cried out, flinging the door open allowing Yamanaka and her white clad partner

(the taller, long blonde haired Spell Thrasher, Eve) to enter. “Why do you insist on checking up on me every

holiday? And can't you ever dress in a festive manner this time of year? Something with more green and reds

in it or perha-- gcckk...”

“I don't know,” Keiko retorted, rubbing her arm she used as a door stop as she entered, her free hand

presently choking the one she came to see. “The whole baby snatching racket you ran and was convicted over

a few years ago probably has something to do with it.”

“That was years ago, and as you can see I

have no babes in my abode.”He complained, once

Eve convinced Keiko to let him go.

“Honey? Who is it? When are you coming

back to bed?”

Silence reigned for a few seconds.

“At least none of the newly born variety at

any rate.”

A quick check of the bedroom guest and they were

gone in a fewminutes, however...

“That wasn't fast enough in my opinion.” Keiko growled in a manner most unpleasant, gnawing on her

corndog as the two walked along the boardwalk observing the stores still open for last minute Christmas

shoppers. Yes, even in the Realm of Dreams the denizens of the dreaming landscape observed holidays mostly

associated with the passage of time in the waking world, one of their favorites of course being the celebration

of Christmas (observed once a year in the realm, daily in the Innocence Zones and pocket realm valleys that

were Christmas themed). “I don't know what's worst, finding out Stiltskin is getting some or that it's the

princess he was workingwith the gold

spinning con the last time we ran into him some months ago... you remember that one, don't you?”

“It was during our anniversary as I remember it...” Eve noted, “And you really don't forget running

into your first dead prince in the middle of a roadway.”

“Yeah I still remember that too.”Keiko sighed, “Ah the memories...” (beep beep beep beep)

“...speaking of which when will they remember that it's the holidays and even we deserve time off?” (snaps

open her cell phone and looks at the message) “Hmmm... hmmm...”

"What is it?" Keiko, with a rather confused expression, holds up the phone showing it to Eve.

"You are not going to believe this."

* * * * * *

The mission was short, yet still totally unsatisfactory. All Eve could say to console her partner was

"We can go back to our Christmas now... really... we'll be back at the hotel shortly and we'll finish

trimming the tree and then we'll watch vids and do other more mature adult oriented stuff, OK?"

Keiko sighed, shaking off the morose mood she was in as they stepped up on the shuttle platform,

taking a seat waiting for the next shuttle back to the big city. "Look, where are we?"

Eve sighed, and knew what Keiko was fixated on. "Whoville. The home of the Who, and every who

big and small loved Christmas a lot, except the Grinch who lived nearWhoville..."

"But that was last year, and he was the most shocked of the people who assembled when you

declared him the culprit of Christmas and tried to organize a lynch mob to storm his place."

Silence.

"So I was a year off." Keiko finally relented, "What's the crime in that!"

"They were serious about banning you fromWhoville for a year weren't they, especially when

you strung the mayor up the town Christmas tree like a pinata."

"It's their fault for keeping the village idiot as mayor..." (suddenly Keiko stops as she notes

Eve's smiling face) "What? Did I say something wrong? Right? Is there still whipped cream egg nog

on my face?"

"No, no, and no... though I admit licking it off your face in front of everyone and getting that

shocked reaction was a joy unto itself..." Eve sighs, pointing above them, "Mistletoe."

And that was all that was needed to be said, as

Keiko leaned forward and kisses her beloved

deeply, holding the kiss for a minute as they

embraced under the mistletoe.

Finally, as the next shuttle landed, she released

Eve and said "I was particularly fond of the

moment when you shot whipped cream in

your mouth and invited me for a taste. That

was priceless."

"I knew you’d approve." she said, smiling as

she led Keiko onto the shuttle.

Fin

PoetrySelected Poemsby Wanda VanHoy Smith

PEACEON EARTH

Her Christmas tree has a hangover.

After a week of celebration Douglas Fir

is ready to roll over in the gutter like a drunken

sailor at the end of leave.

At first it was fun being admired and decorated

while they sang Joy to the World and Peace on

Earth along with the carols from an album

recorded at the White House…

Almost worth giving up his life on the tree farm.

The ornaments she hung on his limbs were beautiful

but grew heavy and its time to pack them away for

another year.

He sheds needle tears as she carefully lifts the antique

ornaments and tells her granddaughter where they came

from as she wraps them in tissue paper'

.

“These spun glass birds are over a hundred years old

They came from the black forest in Germany and

hung on the tree of your Grandmother 's mother.

before the great World War I that was supposed to be

the war that ends all wars.”

She removes glass bells and angels saying, “ these

ornaments came from Occupied Japan after WWII

and this string of lights from West Germany before

the wall came down.”

She plays a CD of Willie Nelson singing his song

“What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth” and drags

the weeping tree to the curb.

Herald – by r. j. paré

THE LAST CHRISTMAS TREE

Bright & shinymemories... – by r. j. paré

She didn't mind paying seventy dollars

for her fresh Christmas tree.

Her children are all grown and

this may be the last tree she decorates.

Long after farmer poet Frost refused

to sell his hill of greenery to a city profiteer

for three cents a tree there are tree farms.

The Douglas fir she decorates grown on a plantation

reminds her of her childhood.

Old Tannenbaum has become a green industry.

Unlike the ones her father cut from land of

a farmer neighbor who had such a thick forest

he didn't even notice when one was gone.

The last time someone tried a tree theft

he was met by a gun and a warning.

The farmer's son knows about global warming.

Her tree holds her Mother's antique birds from Germany

blown glass bells, horns and drums from down the years

AHallmark of a life wrapped in tissue paper appears.

A Norman Rockwell family shining on a

glass ball that celebrates “Our First Christmas”

On another a Teddy Bear bears the message,

“Baby's first Christmas.”

She and the ornaments have survived seasons

of wars fire and death

Her son hangs a starship on a branch and she remarks,

“It's a beautiful tree. I think we will have a joyful time.”

He replies. “We always do.”

On New Years day her son watches

as she un-trims and frees the tree of her life.

“This may very well be my last tree.” She states.

“Don't say that” he puts an arm around her.

She pulls off a strip of tinsel and say, “The middle

of next December I plan to take a Christmas cruise

on the Loveboat.”

He hugs her, “That’s great. Will you take us all along?”

Selected Poemsby Stephen Campbell

Failed Crop

Potatoes rife with blight are spoilt,

A death now bites and strikes the land,

The poor lie dead, a child lies killed,

A child who never learnt to stand

With feet made strong on food aplenty,

Sent to far off fields to feed

The rich. The mouths of fattened gentry

Say, “Get ye wretch, alight with greed

And hungry eyed, take thy flight

From door of mine, I little care.

Go diminish into the night

And take away your tale of despair.

Beauty Seen from Balconies

Sitting on Balconies

Easing anxieties,

We sip and savour our time.

Reading and listening,

The sun reflected glistening

Off your eyes and their immortal shine.

We talked both of poetry

That great old incendiary

Verses that fashioned our clime.

Looking down at below

Heaven reveals how slow

The art of a time long declined

Is assailed by dull men. Undermined.

But never mind what beauty can be shown on page,

Such things cannot speak for our greatest age,

This is my age and yours, yet we look back

Or are led by men and their subtle tact.

Let you and I stay here above this world.

Let us not care for deceptive words.

Let us revel in loves high balcony,

The lasting home of our own perfect matrimony.

Kasabian, for his daughter, Laura, on

her birthday – by Mike Grattan>

– by Josh Bowe

Pop Culture

MangaMaximusby Darke Raven

This Holiday Experiment:

Azumanga Daioh Volume 1 to 4

By Kiyohiko AzumaOriginally Published by ADVManga, Republished byYen

Press

It's the end of the year, and that means Christmas. This year, for this year's Holiday Special, I decided to

review a title I recommend often as a great gift to give to the new fan of Manga, Azumanga Daioh.

The quintessential school comedy drama, and called by some the "Seinfeld" of Anime/Manga, Azumanga

Daioh just celebrated it's 10th Anniversary of the manga's first publishing, and is one of the most

recommended mangas out there today. The best of the best. Originally published in English byADVManga, it

was eventually picked up by Yen Press and republished by them... and probably for good reason as you'll see

though my review of the Yen Press version of the title is coming up... in 2011.

Take a sit, because you're about to be told a tale of the class of one Yukari Tanizaki, three years of a group of

eccentric wacky yet totally lovable girls whose tales are well known, personalities familiar and names are

iconic. Besides the totally off the wall Yukari (a teacher of the English language, whose jokes only make sense

here and in the Japanese language version of the Anime) and her childhood friend slash school rival fellow

teacher Minamo (Nyamo) Kurosawa, we have her class (Yukari's). There's child prodigy the young 10 year old

Chiyo-chan (who later "reappears" as the character design for Azuma's next series, Yotsuba&! (aka Yotsuba

and Everything, the ! being "everything"), her dogMr. Tadakichi and the strange stuffed cat who Sakaki

dreamed about during the first year and dubbed as Chiyo-chan's "dad"... though it may yet be proven that the

strange alien cat might actually be the far out and strange Yotsuba's true father... hmm...

Add onto that the athletic yet soft natured cat lover Sakaki (who is often troubled by her love of cats at it seems

to be one sided until she meets the iriomote cat she names Maya), "rival" Kagura who starts the series off as a

member of Nyamo's class only to join Yukari's class in Year 2. Childhood friends and odd couple the wildcat

idiot Tomo and straight girl with diet problems Yomi. Secondary girl and seldom thought of as a part of the

main cast Kaorin (who is swallowed up by her stalker teacher's class, the disturbingly pervy Mr. Kimura, and

leaves Yukari's class in Year 3). And, of course, we can't talk Azumanga Daioh without the iconic Osaka (aka

Ayumu Kasuga), and her many strange ways.

The three years are filled with manymisadventures and situations, from the set like the yearly sports fest (aka

field day), cultural festival (which actually doesn't occur in the Senior year, replaced in the story by the class

senior trip to Okinawa where Sakaki meets Maya for the first time while on Iriomote Island), and the yearly

pilgrimage to Chiyo-chan's summer house to incidentals like Christmas, Chiyo-chan's day and her birthdays,

Sakaki's cat misadventures andmuch more. In total a long satisfying series of fun, humor mixed with abit of

drama occupied by a small solid cast of lovable characters that will leave a very solid impression on you and

be a sure fire hit for any fan of the school centric genre. Also this is the title that launched (in my opinion in

any case) a new fascination with the four panel comic format that is getting quite a workout of late in manga, a

format you usually would associate more with comic strips from the newspaper than Japanese manga per se.

My review volumes I bought from ADVManga's run, and

the one problem with the run is that they kinda tweaked it

dialogue wise here and there to try and suit an American

audience, and while it is explained in better detail how the

original went in the back it still is a bit changed from the

original. Why is that important? Well if you're sitting on

the fence about reinvesting in a fresh version of the four

volumes from Yen Press after seeing how they put out

Sunshine Sketch I am wondering if the Yen Press version

of Azumanga Daioh might be more true to the original

version than the ADV translation, makingme kinda

interested in picking it up for review and comparison... but

that's for a future review coming soon.

But for now, regardless of whether your reading the

original ADVManga version, the ADVManga Omnibus collected coffee table edition, or the new Yen Press

reprints this is a must have for the stockings of any well read or new to the genre manga reader. A 5 out of 5.

Enjoy!

Wish ListJust so you know what to ask from Santa-san... or demand from Japan... in the coming months. My list of the

top ten things Japan is presently holding out on, in no particular order other than the order I thought it up...

Item - Professor Layton Anime Movie(s)

You might have heard about it, the Anime movie so far put out for the Professor

Layton series (and that there is either more comingor out now). Japan, just like

Animal Crossing the Movie, and other things some of which made my list, have been

sitting on their hands on this one. If you are a Professor Layton fan you should

demand that this movie (and any other made in the future) get released here on this

side of the world. Sidebar note, don't forget to also demand the prequel game trilogy

of the series which is available now in Japan too.

Item - Nintendo 3DS

I am not one for gimmicks but this is the next gen of DS, coming out in a few

months in Japan, the 3DS. Yes, it implies that the DS is going 3D... sad since it

should have gone more multimedia like the PSP, instead of slap on a

pointless gimmick like 3D content. Still it's coming in Japan and if you're a DS

fan and don't get horrendous stress headaches staring at 3D things... like

me... you should demand this... oh, and speaking of things to demand here's

the first game you demand for said 3DS.

Item - Professor Layton vs. PhoenixWright (Nintendo 3DS)

Amongst the first year's releases for the 3DS is a slated crossover

between Professor Layton and PhoenixWright which is supposed

to be in development now... though considering it only just came

to light just recently we might not actually see this until 2012 in

Japan (maybe).

Set in an alternate world of magic, both Professor Layton and PhoenixWright find themselves joining forces

with the Professor handling all investigations while Phoenix handles the courtroom work as they are set to

handle "Witch Trials" and either defend the innocent witches or prosecute the guilty (your standard rhythm

and roll for an Ace Attorney game). New to the Ace Attorney games but standard for the Professor Layton

games is anime cut scenes, which means at long last they'll put a voice to Phoenix (probably the guy who did

the voice for Spike from Cowboy Bebop and the negotiator in Big O here in the states for the English version),

Maya andmaybe even Mia if she pulls appearances. Sadly this game doesn't include Pearls as a cast member.

Item - Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Live Action DVD Set

Well this is actually a few years old, and you probably already watched it subbed

on Youtube, but this live action Sailor Moon series is the only thing Sailor Moon

(past the live action stage shows of course) to never see official release on this

side of the world. Downer? The series only covers the first year and was ended

without even attempting to plumb Sailor Moon R, S or SS. Also the series

replaces turningMamoru (Tuxedo Mask) evil midway by turning fan favorite

Ami (Sailor Merucry) evil, then keeping evil for way too many episodes, and

don't get me started on the whole turning Luna (who is a stuffed plushie cat in

this version) human so that she looks like Chibi-usa gimmick!. But still it

completes that Sailor Moon collection so why not.

Item - PhoenixWright the Anime Series

Did you knowPhoenixWright had his own Anime? He did... only

unlike the games (of which we last saw a spinoff for Miles

Edgeworth) and the manga (only two to date though there's

supposed to be one for the whip wielding female Von Karma) this

one has been a Japan only thing. Obviously if your a fan of Phoenix

Wright you'd want this in your collection. Go demand it come

across to this side of the world.

Item - Free Demo Downloads for the Wii

I don't know what it's like for XBox360 owners but I know I can pick up and

try out free demo versions of stuff from the PlayStation Network for my PSP

(and a PS3 if I had one). So where is this technology for the Wii? Apparently

Nintendo is too money grubbing because they don't have that kind of thing

froWii owners, the ability to sample and demo games for free. Everything

from the WiiWare store costs money, with nary a free thing in sight except

for a few token channels that serve so-so purpose or take up a fewminutes of

time apiece per use or per day (in the case of the voting channel for instance).

Stop being so stingy, Nintendo, and give us some free downloads to... well...

download.

Item - LEGOBatman 2

Did you like the original from Traveler's Tales? So why have we NOT

been graced yet with a sequel? Come on, Traveler's Tales, while we're

young (and work in new LEGOs like Spoiler (which was only un-

lockable in the character create mode when you beat 100% of the

villain missions), the new short lived female Robin (which used to be

Spoiler), who later became Batgirl III... well, I could go on and on

about female LEGOs all day but you get the point.

On this note also that you should be getting LEGOHarry Potter Years

5 to 7 in Summer 2011 (to coincide with the release of Harry Potter

and the Deathly Hallows Part 2), LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars

(first quarter 2011), LEGO Indiana Jones 3 (if they ever make a fifth

Indiana Jones movie) and hopefully something new in 2011/2012.

Item - Earthsea Anime Movie

The first directorial work of HayaoMiyazaki's son, his first foray into

anime directing and becoming as great a legend as his father before

him... still blocked from release on this side of the world because SyFy

Channel still owns the rights to the series! Damn you SyFy! Either sell

Disney the rights to Earthsea or cough up the dough and buy the rights

to Earthsea from Disney and release it yourself! One or the other man,

stop keeping us waiting!

Item - KingdomHearts 3

Enough with the prequel upon prequel! Kingdom Hearts 3 already, and I'd tell

you what female characters I'd like to see as playable characters but I'd be

stating the obvious. You knowme too well, SquareEnix! MAKE THEM

PLAYABLE!!

And finally...

Item - Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu DVDSet

Yes, you thought I forgot didn't you... I almost did. The third and probably final

season of Hidamari Sketch, put it out on DVD already if it's not presently

available now. At last the last two girls of the six arrive and the series wraps up.

So, you know, if you enjoyed the first two seasons and the manga you should

wrap up your collection with Hoshimittsu, the third and final season.

And that's it.

Enjoy your holidays and remember

to start planning your wish list ahead for 2011...

I am.

January, coming shortly, we look at PhoenixWright the manga (both Volume 1 : Phoenix Wright and Volume

2 : Miles Edgeworth) Meanwhile in February it's Valentine's Day and we're looking up abit of love in the form

of another classic iconic series, this time we take off the mask of love found when deception is set aside in the

classic romantic comedy Kare Kano aka His and Her Circumstances. Stay tuned, and Merry Christmas

everyone (and Happy New Year).

Raised on SaturdayMorning Cartoonsby Pauline Paré

{{{ SPECIAL!! SPECIAL!!

SPECIAL!! }}}

As much as love some of the new Christmas specials such as “Shrek theHalls” and “Prep &

Landing: Secret Santa,” nothing compares to the classic TV holiday specials. Until this very day,

Rankin and Bass charm us with “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” and “Santa Claus is Coming to

Town.” I am not sure why these shows with their outdated effects still fascinate children who are

used to slick CGI effects.

To this very day I still look forward to these specials each and

every year. I am also unsure why very few modern specials stack

up against these time-honored classics. Was it the endearing

characters, the timeless stories or the warm fuzzy feeling you get

when watching them? Our parents introduce us and we introduce

these to our children. They have become just as much a part of

Christmas as the turkey and the tree.

Rankin/Bass was also responsible for “Frosty the Snowman” and one

sequel. Another classic holiday favorite is “The Grinch Who stole

Christmas” by Cat in theHat Studios. The newer movie version was

okay but when “Glee” did an homage to the Grinch it was the classic half

hour special to which they gave that honor. Another eagerly awaited

special is “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Originally sponsored by Coca

Cola and featuring a spattering of product placements, the version we see

is affected by a law forbidding advertising in children’s programming.

The special was put together on a shoestring budget and a nearly

impossible deadline. Animator Bill Melendezwas embarrassed

by the production quality of the voice track but Charles Shultz

refused to change it. Mr. Shultz saw in this special what we all see

today; fun innocence and the true meaning of Christmas. “A

Charlie Brown Christmas” is just perfect because of its sweet

imperfections.

I do mourn the Rankin/Bass specials that are nearly never aired due to the removal of religion from

Christmas in the media. “Nestor the Long Eared Donkey” delighted me the year it premiered and

“The Little Drummer Boy” was a yearly Christmas tradition at one time. Both are available on DVD

but rarely seen on television.

Why have studios stopped producing treasures like these?

“Shrek the Halls” is a modern delight that combines the

best ofDreamworks talents with a truly memorable special

but many of the newer Christmas specials that are produced

for children’s channels don’t have the charm and longevity

of those from the 60’s and 70’s.

So I encourage you to find your inner misfit, defy the Burgermeister Meisterburger, stop being a

greenmeanie and gather around a small sad Christmas tree to enjoy a yearly tradition that I hope

will last another 50 years.

outside of Phipps Conservatory – by Larissa Gula