PicoBlog

“Suncoast” is an incredibly tender and authentic film — the kind of movie that makes you fall in love with movies all over again. It’s written and directed by Laura Chinn, her first stint in the big chair after a successful run as a writer/producer of mostly televised fare, and set in her own hometown of Clearwater, Fla. As a fellow Florida native, I instantly communed with its depiction of low-slung, terracotta-tiled houses, oppressive glare and slightly feral denizens.

Today’s story goes behind the scenes of my latest investigation, published last week with Billy Penn and WHYY public radio in Philadelphia. Eddie Ibanez, the grifter husband of Fox News anchor Jackie Ibanez, charmed billionaire investors while pretending to be an orphan, ex-CIA spy, and math genius. He even claimed to help the Philadelphia Eagles win the 2018 Super Bowl. He was only exposed after Purple PR invited me on a press trip to Miami last June, in support of Ibanez’s newest project, CryotoZoo, fronted by Logan Paul.

I’ve been thinking lately that there never seems to be any respite from the fight. We are engaged in a multi-front war that often leaves little time for other things. We get mired in the unceasing need to stay on the offensive because there is so much to fight against. The day my daughter was born was the happiest day of my life. Her graduation from college yesterday, was the proudest—a reminder that there is, after all, also so much to fight for.

“The beautiful and nostalgia-ridden Sunrise Mall stands baking in the Corpus sun, boasting (nearly) original signage and motifs straight out of a late ‘80s coming of age movie. This is the first mall I’ve ever been to that has a pirate ship in the middle of the food court, and the second mall I’ve ever been kicked out of.” As a Brit, nothing strikes fear in my heart quite like the message that “violators will be prosecuted” at the bottom of No Trespassing signs in the US.

I wrote Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart and The Sunset Route, plus eleven thousand miles of daily hiking blogs at carrotquinn.com. This is a weekly-ish newsletter where I yammer about my dogs, living in Alaska, and the various arguments of being alive. Let me read it firstncG1vNJzZmibkae%2FsMDQrqCnpl6owqO%2F05qapGaTpLpw

Hello! I was going to do these every Wednesday, but then the strike ended and I went back to work. Which is great for me but less great for me being good at this. Which isn’t fair to any of you. Especially those of you that like this, which might be one person. But this is for that one person: You. Things have been busy, so let’s just drop the song for the day: The Forest Maze from Super Mario RPG.

Welcome back to Process Junkie where we look at the behind the scenes making of comics from all different angles. Today we’re talking with the incredible Elena Casagrande about superhero costume design! Although it’s hard for me to imagine any of you guys following this Substack NOT knowing who the insanely talented Elena Casagrande is, just in case I’ll do a short introduction. In addition to drawing the hell out of our Eisner-winning BLACK WIDOW book, Elena has worked on books like CATWOMAN, BATGIRL, BATMAN SECRET FILES, and much much more.

Hey y’all! We’ve got a bunch of new subscribers, so I thought I’d do a little housekeeping!  I’m Alice, a podcast producer in Durham, North Carolina. I write this newsletter in partnership with Transom, the best training ground for radio and podcast makers, no matter where you are in your career. If you’re new, there’s a huge archive of resource guides to help you build skills and interviews with some of my favorite creators.

From the time I was 10, I’ve been obsessed with what it means to grow older. I’m curious about what it means to others, of all ages, and so I invite them to take “The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire.”Here, book designer Susan Turner responds. - Sari BottonSusan Turner is a senior book designer at Penguin Random House. She lives in Connecticut with her wife, the writer Elissa Altman, their dog, Pete, and their three cats, Charlotte, Arthur, and Pip.