For open minds
The artist of Chinese artist Guodong Zhao is incredible. Based in Beijing, this talented illustrator takes photographs and paints on a layer of fantasy.
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Sad or surreal? It’s as these long Asian dragons should be majestic, proud and perhaps even a little menacing. By showing them, sometimes, ruined and wrecked against the sharp contrast of reality Zhao easily transforms them into being of sadness and despair.
Joseph Oliveria wrote the cryptid stories and published them through Afterlight Comics the indie publisher he founded only in 2017. A Kickstarter raised over £3,500 to bring the comic to life.
Good question. You can expect to see brief sightings off the Mothman, Chupacabra, The Legend of Momo and The Pukwudgie.
There’s no messing around with this comic. Joseph Oliveria’s stories pack a punch, and it comes straight at you. Don’t expect much in the way of plot twists or deviations. Cryptids isn’t a comic book collection designed to drag your expectation around. This is a comic book collection written to be a homage to the legends and myths that have made these cryptids familiar.
And while there’s no messing around and there are plenty of straight up by the book plays you would be wrong to take the Folktales of the Cryptids for granted. The delivery is top notch, paced perfectly and concluded with a marksman like perfection.
I’m especially fond of the illustrations and colouring in the last tale – Romance is Dead – where Brendan Purchase drew and Roman Stevens coloured. There are some surreal touches.
There are some common strands in the four horror stories. We’re better off leaving the Cryptids alone. They’re probably better off if we leave them alone too. It also seems to be the case that whether you’re a good person or a bad person that bad things can still happen to you. It’s a cruel world out there. However, if you can keep your wits about you then, perhaps, you’ll have a chance.
While the four stories are each blessed with their own cryptid it is the human characters that give them life and interest. This might because the characters used in the adventures are familiar, don’t need an introduction and so we’re easily at ease with them.
The comic book is available in stores in the UK. You can also buy it directly from Afterlight Comics.com.
Neither Afterlight Comics nor Joseph Oliveria has announced plans for a follow up. However, right now there’s a Kickstarter for a new series called Wendigo Wood. This Kickstarter is asking for less money and, at the current rate of pledges, will raise more. That’s probably a good endorsement of the quality of the previous work.
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Are there any cryptid or horror comic book series that you will recommend?
In Pure Spirit’s copy of Folktales of the Cryptids was provided for review.
Which is scarier? Living in a Jurassic world filled with hungry dinosaurs or getting your head into the world of finance? That should be a no-brainer. You shouldn’t fear sorting out your money in the way anyone would worry about a hungry T-rex.
While I contribute to a private pension (can we be confident in their being a public one in twenty or thirty years?) I’m still only just getting sorted out with better savings and investment plans than a mere bank account. If I had had more confidence at a younger age then I would have earned more on interest.
That’s why I like this game from Scottish Friendly. First off, this helps humanise a finance brand (yeah; by making it about dinosaurs – there’s irony) and makes the company more approachable. Secondly, the focus on Junior ISAs. This is a product that parents take out on behalf of their kids, contribute to and then the child takes control when they’re old enough. In other words, it seems to be like a pretty dramatic demonstration of how useful saving money can be to a young person just when they should start thinking about saving their own money.
The game doesn’t need a download and works on my phone. All you need to do is tap on a cooling egg to bring the heat lamp over it and warm it up. The longer you can keep all the eggs warm the better level of ‘Dinosaur Keeper’ you are.
I think it’s a pretty clear message too. To protect what you have now you have to think about the future too.
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Which dinosaur keeper level did you manage to achieve? Let us know in the comments below.
This bust is the design of Victoria Curtin Rivera of Chibinendo Art. The studio offers limited edition statues, busts and fine pieces of art. Rivera takes commissions but her shop has some designs for pin-ups, merch inspired by films, literature and music as well her own designs.
I think both the shrunekn head and this scary clown might do well over Halloween! After all, who wouldn’t want a shrunken head on the mantelpiece?
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What’s the spookiest design in your collection?
Did you know that nearly one in every five people feel anxious often or even all of the time? The awful feelings are especially common in women who are about twice as likely than men to suffer. Many people suffer in silence because the symptoms are easily obscured by the stress of modern living.
Do you think any of those apply to you? The feeling of spinning thoughts is especially familiar to me.
I’ve suffered from tension headaches before; a double whammy. They’re not nice and therefore all the more reason to try and deal with anxiety.
Whereas feeling stress is natural it is possible to find that your brain has become over stimulated due to the excessive release of neurotransmitters (like dopamine and adrenaline), which leads to hyperactive nerves, and therefore the feelings of anxiety.
The people behind the informational video are the company who make the traditional herbal remedy Kalms which you can pick up from Boots and other chemists.
Kalms, no doubt, is stepping up their education piece as they’ve just released a new herbal relief product called Kalms Lavender, an one-a-day capsule, designed to tackle the symptoms of mild anxiety. You may already recognise lavender as something often recommended when it comes to creating a sensation of calm.
Does it work? There are over 15 clinic trials that show daily capsules can have a positive effect. Kasper and others showed how Silexan can work in two weeks.
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Do you or anyone you know suffer from anxiety? Does lavender work for you? What tips would you share in the comments below?
1. They’re cute
This almost goes without saying but who doesn’t love puppies? They’re absolutely adorable and the best part is, when you sponsor a guide dog puppy you’ll get regular ‘pupdates’ on their progress, including pictures, videos and text, all the way from young 6 month old pups to fully mature guide dogs. You get to track their progress and watch them grow up from adorable young animal to working guide dog, enjoying all the best parts and never having to worry about cleaning up any messes!
2. They perform an important function
Though guide dog puppies are undeniably cute, they do also perform a very vital function. They can help disabled people, such as those who are blind, to live a much more independent life than they would be able to without them. Guide dogs can help otherwise very vulnerable individuals to feel safe doing normal, everyday things that would otherwise be taken for granted. Things like crossing the road and going to the shops can feel like daunting tasks when you are blind, but a guide dog can offer both a level of safety and confidence, enabling those to live a far more independent life than they would otherwise be able.
3. They need your help
Guide dogs are very expensive to train, not least of which because they fulfil such a vital role and they are depended on so much. They are still dogs that are curious about the world and are naturally very easily distracted by everything from dropped food to small animals running around. Guide dogs need to be trained well to learn to ignore such distractions and not endanger their handler. As you may imagine, this is expensive to do and funding is low, so your gift donations really can help make a difference.
4. They’re a companion
Being blind can be a very isolating experience and it can be very lonely. A guide dog is not just a support animal, but it is also a companion and handlers can become as attached to their guide dog as any other pet. Having this companion be with you and help you through every day can help make even the darkest days seem a little brighter, and this can be important in keeping spirits up. This alone can be why some people choose to use a guide dog over simply using a cane; they are so much more than a simple seeing eye aid.
5. They’re a conversation starter
Being blind can be a very obvious disability to others and people will go out of their way to make a clear path for them. While this has the best of intentions, it often results in blind people being almost avoided in public and it can be very hard for blind people to meet new people and socialise because of this. A guide dog functions as a great conversation starter. As people stop to compliment the guide dog, it is a great opportunity for the handler to do anything from ask for directions to strike up a full conversation over a cup of coffee!
Tempted? Sponsor a Guide Dog puppy for your dad today!
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What would you add to this list? Not sure. Plenty of time to sponsor a puppy while you mull it over.
We’ll put this down to someone playing a good prank on Craigslist.
I’ve done a quick check. There’s no shortage of spooky dolls you can pick up on ebay. Got a friend who needs a scare?
The text reads;
Our daughter doesn’t want it anymore. Our dog won’t stop barking at it and we never find it where we left it. Doll has really cute laugh. No batteries.
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What’s the most spooky doll or toy that you’ve ever owned?
What do The Office, The Inbetweeners, Friends, Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Napoleon Dynamite all have in common? They’ve all inspired Shoe Zone with office party worthy dance moves.
You can checkout the infographic summary cards below or even research even more and find out how to recreate these moves over at Shoe Zone.
In Pure Spirit knows about Shoe Zone through the charity the Show Zone Trust. They’ve raised more than £210,000 for the trust and other charities in the last 15 years.
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Are you familiar with any of these dances?
If you want to keep an eye on the special offers and discounts shoezone is able to share with its customers then this is the page to watch.
We’re a fan of the humble push bike here at In Pure Spirit. Why? They’re green and good for you. Not only do pedal cycles not eat up fossil fuels but they don’t take up much space on the road.
Did you know the bicycle will be 200 next year? Baron von Drais’ “Draisine” was invented in 1817 and is considered the first bike.
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Do you cycle? What tips would you give someone who is thinking of beginning to cycle into work in the morning?
Orion Oddities is a boutique store on the handcraft site Etsy. They specialise in some pretty original art. Inspired by HP Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos they make some spooky and yet strangely compelling art.
How about this set of personalised Lovecraftian bottle? They’re made to order out of glass, resin, wood and clay. Tempted? Check them out over at Etsy.
Show me more bottle.
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Are you an expert Etsy shopper? Which stores would you recommend?
