The unofficial start of the Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier, much to the chagrin of consumers. But most people eventually give in, getting swept up in shopping in hopes of giving a loved one the perfect present, spare no expense. But the Christmas season isn’t all consumerism. A lot of people use […]
At this particular course of American history, we find ourselves off the precipice and rolling down a rocky cliffside toward Thanksgiving. Yes, Thanksgiving, despite what every major drugstore and retailer might tell you, Thanksgiving comes before Christmas. And usually before Hannukah, and sometimes before or after Ramadan and also before Kwanza, but after Diwali. Now […]
Thanksgiving. That wonderful time of year when we gather around the table with family and friends to give thanks, gorge on carbs and try our best to not open up any emotional wounds that were incurred the previous years. We here at Motif wanted to provide you with a handy dandy guide for navigating Thanksgiving […]
Dear C: I read an article on diabetes in the last issue of Motif that really got me thinking. My son goes to a school that feeds the kids breakfast in the classroom every day. He can’t avoid it; not that he wants to. You wouldn’t believe what they give these kids! Everything is packaged […]
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. Though it contains many omissions and much of it is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it has become the main book of reference for much of the galaxy. In the entry for Rhode Island Comic Con, it begins like this: “Rhode Island Comic […]
Unlike “cool,” the undefeated champion of slang words, “nerd” means many things to many people. It was once an insult hurled by jocks at smart kids who ate paste and never got laid. Now it’s shorthand for obsession. Whether you’re a comic book nerd, a political nerd, a vinyl nerd or any other variety of […]
Today, a friend of mine was told that he has diabetes. It’s a story that is becoming all too familiar. For perspective on this creeping plague, I went browsing in the Diabetes Atlas. It was a real eye opener. I had no idea diabetes was such a global killer. In 2015, AIDS-related illnesses killed 1.2 […]
When asked to write this article I spent days agonizing over trying to be inclusive and explain to “muggles” (non-magic folk) the details behind cosplay and how some people may use cosplay as a form of therapy. As a self-aware individual and cosplayer, I only have my experience and the stories shared with me by […]
Rhode Island Comic Con is upon us again and thousands of excited fanatics will invade downtown Providence like a colorful misfit army of all backgrounds and backstories, much like their favorite characters. Some will even be dressed as their favorite characters — each year cosplayers dedicated to their artistic crafts bring to life heroes and […]
My comic collecting began on a crap Monday. I decided the Deftones’ White Pony, some overly sweet Moscato and a few comics would cheer me up. Getting home and decompressing, I was reminded how much I enjoy the tangible paper love every turn of a comic book’s page gave me. How easily I turned into a hero […]