This is it.

This might be the season in which we finally see Norman completely lose it.

Bates Motel, the contemporary prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film, Psycho, might actually answer the question this time: How exactly did Norman go psycho?

Season two was our first look into Norman’s mental illness. We saw more of his blackouts, as well as his interactions with the figure of his mother, and how he exited his body when he killed his junior English teacher, Ms. Blair Watson.

Season three picks up at the end of summer, with Norman waking up on the first day of senior year, snuggled up next to his mother, Norma Bates.

While eating lunch alone at White Pine Bay High School, Norman begins to hallucinate and sees Ms. Watson sit next to him, eagerly welcoming him back to the town’s only high school.

As the hallucination goes on, blood begins to drip down Ms. Watson’s neck — the exact spot Norman slit after having sex with her.

When Norman confesses to his mother, she reacts by homeschooling him and promoting him to motel manager.

They then proceed to snuggle again — the show’s producers have successfully and consistently made the audience feel uncomfortable with the mother-son affection.

When Annika Johnson, an attractive escort staying at the Bates Motel, is brought onto the show, Norman can’t resist.

At this point, the show fully embraces its Psycho roots. Norman peeks through Johnson’s window as she makes her way to the shower.

One of Norman’s more obvious triggers is sex. But as if that weren’t psycho enough, seeing his mother’s struggle is another thing that make him black out, as his desire to protect her and make her proud is overwhelming.

This first episode also follows the subplot of Norman’s brother, Dylan, who is set for trouble.

Dylan has been the only one noticing Norman’s peculiar behavior, and his background in the town’s illegal drug distribution business makes him a target for many people, even Sheriff Romero, who helped protect the business that runs the economy at White Pine Bay, Oregon.

The audience can’t help but feel sorry for Dylan as he continuously deals with the fact that he was the product of his mother’s continuous rape by her brother Caleb, who didn’t stop until he moved out.

The final two minutes of the premiere have Norman ironically escorting Johnson to a restaurant. But when the Porsche they left in finally returns to the motel, Norman is the only one exiting the car.

Season three is set to answer many questions and raise some new ones as well.

The show’s acceptance of its roots will lead to disturbing revelations and clarity about Norman Bates.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter @MikeWheresIke

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The comic-book world is confusing, especially now that movie studios are racing to bank on characters that were created over 50 years ago.

The Marvel Universe is one of the world’s most familiar, partly because of the huge success of its characters.

But what many don’t know is Marvel doesn’t have the rights to all of its characters. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and the Hulk are Marvel Studios’ big four, but a new deal with Sony will allow Spider-Man to finally be a part of the Marvel universe.

Sony has owned the rights to Spider-Man movies since Tobey Maguire suited up in the red and blue suit, meaning Sony had complete control over casting, writing, distributing and revenue. Much like Spider-Man, the X-Men and Fantastic Four movies are Marvel storylines, however 20th Century Fox owns the screen rights to Wolverine and Mr. Fantastic. Now, in light of fierce competition from Marvel, Fox is a little less reluctant to create a deal where its characters interact with Marvel’s characters.

The new Sony-Marvel deal will create countless possibilities for comic-book lovers, summer blockbuster and casual moviegoers. The first move is getting rid of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, and having (another) new actor play the role of Peter Parker (The Amazing Spider-Man) or Miles Morales (The Ultimate Spider-Man).

Before having his own movie, Spider-Man will be making an appearance in an MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) film. Comic book aficionados assume it will be the 2016 film, Captain America: Civil War. Prior to this deal, the idea of having Spider-Man and Captain America in the same movie was laughed at as near-impossible.

The collaboration amongst other Marvel super heroes doesn’t end there though. There’s a good chance Spider-Man will make an appearance in the 2018 and 2019 films, Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 and 2.

Spidey’s new era will begin July 2017 with Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President, and Amy Pascal, former Chairperson of the Motion Pictures Group of Sony, reshaping the character to their liking. Feige is the mastermind behind the quirky group of heroes in the summer blockbuster, Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel’s interlocking storylines. This will be Pascal’s first producing project.

The fandom of Marvel super-heroes is massive, and as soon as news of the new deal emerged immediately rejoiced, imagining Spider-Man fighting off evil alongside Avenger buddies. The downsides of Spider-Man’s reboot is having to watch the original story again (sorry, Uncle Ben), and having a sixth Spidey movie in the past 15 years.

Spider-Man spin-offs like the Sinister Six will still be under sole possession of Sony, and the new deal will push back all of Marvel’s “Phase Three” movie releases.

Superhero movies are where the movie industry is headed for blockbusters- Marvel has 11 films planned to be released now through 2019, Warner Bros has 10 DC-inspired films planed to be released between 2016 and 2020 and Fox contributes another six films.

Spider-Man joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe hugely bumps up the popularity of all three dealing parties, but the biggest winners out of all are moviegoers.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter: @MikeWheresIke

The post What does the future hold for Spider-Man, Sony and Marvel? appeared first on Emerald Media.

Finals week is all that separates us form a much needed week of rest. But for this weekend take a short EMX bus ride to Springfield and be among the world’s most talented tattoo artists.

The 2015 Evergreen Tattoo Invitational and Expo will host over 100 world-class artists at the Willamalane Center. This event is tailored for tattoo artists trying to learn new stencils and buying new needles, but aspiring artists can attend and listen to seminars featuring some experienced artists. Your average Joe can also attend and possibly find a new design for their first or next tattoo.

Body art is a huge part of international culture, and this expo will bring in some of the most talented artists in the world. If you’re looking for a new tattoo but don’t know who to go to, informational sessions can help out in picking a local artist to ink you up.

Willamalane Center is on 250 S 32nd St., Springfield, March 7-8, $10 & $25 in advance, $12 and $30 at the door.

Eugene

Mar. 6: Fashawn: The Ecology Tour
Fashawn, has kicked off his Ecology Tour and is making a stop at WOW Hall. Ecology is Fashawn’s newest album and has been critically acclaimed by magazines like XXL. Fashawn has collaborated with rap artists: Dom Kennedy, J. Cole, Murs and many others.
WOW Hall, 8 p.m., $13 in advance $15 at the door.

Mar. 7 Midtown MMA Throwdown 6
Mixed Martial Arts has gained an enormous amount of popularity around the world, and now there’s a chance to catch an MMA fight live in Eugene. A night full of fights will fill the Lane Events Center with the main fight against the light heavy weight: Tyree Fortune versus Derek Harris.
796 W 13th Ave., 7 p.m., $25-50.

Mar. 7 Soul Vibrator and One Dollar Check Dual CD Release Party
Soul Vibrator is winner of the 2014 Eugene Weekly’s Next Big Thing Competition, and One Dollar check is a un, high energy, unique sounding band with reggae influences and rock and roll roots. They’ll both be selling their new album at Cozmic Pizza.
199 W 8th Ave., doors open at 7 p.m., $5-10.

Mar. 8 Mary Poppins
Get your dose of Disney with Upstart Crow Studios’ presentation of what has been a classic for years.
855 W 1st Ave., 3 p.m., $20.

Portland

Mar. 6 rePLAY: Symphony of Heroes
The legendary theme to Zelda is possibly one of the greatest childhood memories. The Oregon Symphony will perform songs from The Legend of Zelda, Halo and other popular music from video games at the Schnitzer Concert Hall.
1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 p.m., $30-95.

Mar. 7 James Bond Costume and Dinner Show
Dry martinis, tuxedos, advanced gadgets and everything you expect from agent 007. Dress up in your best Bond character and have a chance to win the contest and some prizes. Dinner is optional.
1125 SE Madison St., 8 p.m., $30-76.

Mar. 8 Zombie Sundays
Come to the East Burn and enjoy anything zombies- except for the food. Enjoy food specials, happy hour from 3-6 p.m., and at 9 p.m. watch the latest Walking Dead episode. Before and after the show movies will be played in the basement and you guessed it: they’re about zombies.
1800 E Burnside, 9 p.m., varies.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter @MikeWheresIke

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Spring break is a great opportunity to explore Oregon’s natural wonders. With no classes or tests to worry about, backpacking is a great outdoor activity to take part in. Whether you’ve never carried 30 to 60 pounds on your back or you can go days without eating, trails across Oregon accommodate everyone.

One of the biggest challenges for students is acquiring the appropriate gear. Fears of high cost may prevent many newcomers from actually backpacking, but fortunately, students at the University of Oregon have the Outdoor Program.

Everything you need to backpack is available for rent through the Outdoor Program. Emma Juth, a student staff  member with the program, started backpacking recently.

“The stuff we have here is pretty inexpensive to rent,” said Juth. “Student staff is always here to answer questions like how to use certain gear or how to pack a pack.”

The McKenzie River Trail is a good place to backpack for the first time. However, if desired, the level of difficulty can be altered.

“If you can logistically manage to shuttle it correctly, you can either do where you’re gaining elevation or losing elevation,” Halley Anderson, a second-year student working with the Outdoor Program said.

Anderson also mentions that increasing the level of difficulty can be done just by extending the trail’s length. Three Fingered Jack, North Umpqua Trail, The Sisters and the Pacific Crest Trail are all tougher trails that are a little further away than the McKenzie Trail.

Backpacking is meant to be a challenge, but the reward comes naturally.

“It’s a fun, physical challenge carrying everything you need, so you can make it days and days in the wilderness just on foot,” said Anderson. “Having that solitude and having that experience with the natural world is really great.”

“You carry what you need. You don’t need your phone, your laptop, you disconnect from those things that maybe distract you and just focus on the beauty of nature,” said Juth.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter @MikeWheresIke

The post Where and how to backpack near Eugene over spring break appeared first on Emerald Media.

Flashback to the middle of the college football season: If you were watching anything on ESPN, or even if it was just playing in the background at the bar, chances are you heard the chorus to “Centuries” by Fall Out Boy over and over again.

ESPN’s overuse of the song offered two opportunities: enjoying it or being annoyed with it. But can we really blame Fall Out Boy for making the song?

Had ESPN never played it to promote their broadcasting of football games, the door to new music may never have been opened for anyone who hadn’t been familiar with Fall Out Boy. But, on the other hand, because the Disney-owned network decided to continually play the song, a large portion of the ESPN audience grew to hate it.

Even Pete Wentz, the band’s bassist, sympathized with those annoyed by “Centuries.” “I watched [college football] a little bit. It’s a little bit crazy to watch with your song in it so much,” he said. “Hopefully we didn’t annoy you too badly!”

“Centuries” received the bad end of a network or show’s use of their song, but often, a show or network can help a song’s popularity skyrocket.

In Breaking Bad’s finale, the final moments featured an epic rising view of Walter White’s body and “Baby Blue” — a song that was originally released in 1972.

The next day, “Baby Blue” by Badfinger was a chart topper: It was on iTunes’ top 25 hits, its streams on Spotify increased 9,000 percent, it was number 14 on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs and it had 37,000 new downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, an information and sales tracking system.

Breaking Bad also helped out music groups and their songs, like “Crystal Blue Persuasion” by Tommy James and the Shondells, and Los Cuates de Sinaloa, who appeared on the show to perform “Negro y Azul: Ballad of Heisenberg.”

Commercials give a helping hand as well.

Fun. had already gotten a helping hand from Glee, but after Chevrolet featured “We are Young” in a Super Bowl ad, the song was another instant hit.

According to Billboard, “We are Young” spent six weeks as number one on Hot 100, and broke Eminem’s digital sales record, selling “at least 300,000-plus for six straight weeks, becoming the first song ever to reach such a total in each of six weeks,” all after the super bowl commercial was aired.

For most musicians, the use of their song in a network or TV show can help boost their career. But unfortunately for Fall Out Boy, that doesn’t always coincide with a growth in their fan base.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter: @MikeWheresIke  

The post This is how ESPN killed ‘Centuries’ and Breaking Bad revived ‘Baby Blue’ appeared first on Emerald Media.

The end is near, of winter term at least. With finals and dead week coming up, this is the worst time to slack off. But if you do begin to slack off, here are a couple of ideas on what to do this weekend.

Organized by the Salseros Dance Company, the second annual Eugene Salsa Festival kicks off Feb. 27, and runs through March 1. This weekend-long festival will have a handful of activities that everyone can enjoy, including live music, workshops and performances. The festival is open to anyone curious about the Cuban dance style. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never set foot on a dance floor; people of all experience levels are welcome.

The Salsero Dance Company dedicates itself to promoting Latino culture through salsa dance and music. With this being only the second festival ever, organizers hope to increase its attendance.

The festival will be held at the Vet’s Club building (1626 Willamette St.) and admission varies between activities and days. Tickets range from $15 for an evening pass, to $125 for a full events pass.

EUGENE:

Feb. 27-28 Oregon Game Studies Conference 2015

Hosted by Think.Play, a student group founded in 2011 to highlight academic discussion about video games and their culture, this event aims at expanding to include others outside the university community. Allen Hall, room 140. Check their blog for updates.

Feb. 27 Eco Fashion Show

Fashion week in New York ended a week ago, and now it’s headed to Milan, Italy. This weekend, fashion week is making a stop in Eugene. Students submitted designs and some have been selected to be modeled on the runway. One twist, each design can only be made out of “upcycled” clothing. Global Scholars Hall, room 123, 8-10 p.m. FREE.

Feb. 27-March 1 The Odyssey

Flashback to high school when you had to analyze Homer’s epic, or even now in a literature/English course. Now you can enjoy Ballet Fantastique reenact this classic on stage. Hult Center (7th Avenue and Willamette Street), $29-35, 2:30 p.m. an 7:30 p.m. 

Feb. 28-March 1 Photo Weekend in Eugene

Perfect for someone interested photography, but has no idea where to begin. This two-day course will be instructed by Tim Cooper and Tony Rizzuto. 1000 Valley River Way, $109 for one-day or $159 for two-day courses.

PORTLAND:

Feb. 27 Mary Stuart

This seven time Tony Award nominated play has its opening night Friday at Northwest Classical Theatre Company. The play explores what any person in a position of power has to choose: whether or not to keep that power, or choose love. 2110 SE 10th Ave., $22, 7:30 p.m.-12 a.m.

Feb. 28 Parks and Rec with Geeks Who Drink

#TreatYoSelf and grab your five friends that binge on Parks and Rec to form your team of six and quiz your knowledge on the Golden Globe award-winning show. 6835 SW Macadam Ave., $5 per person, 1 p.m.

Feb. 28 Portland’s Dinner Detective

Take part in America’s largest murder mystery comedy dinner show. You get some delicious meals made from fresh and local farms, and you get to solve the murder mystery. 1441 NE 2nd Ave., $60, 6:15 p.m.

Feb. 29 Threesome

The world premiere of this witty play follows a couple through the struggle on deciding whether or not to partake in a threesome. Though this show is presented as a comedy, it touches base on issues of sexism and independence. 128 NW 11th Ave., $35, 2 p.m.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter: @MikeWheresIke.

Week seven gifted us with amazing weather. We’re all on the cusp of celebrating the end of winter term, itching for spring break to begin. As the beautiful weather holds up through the weekend, here are some events you can take part in:

This Sunday, Feb. 22, drag yourself over to the EMU Ballroom to be a part of Drag to the Future!, an annual drag show put on by the University of Oregon’s LGBTQAAA. This year’s theme explores queer culture of the past and future. The event will be emceed by  K’Raven Koxx and Ben Jammin’.

In past years, the show opened its doors to over 400 attendees and even sold out the drag show. As of now, 265 people have confirmed attendance via Facebook, but that number is sure to increase. People of all genders, sexual orientations, color and nationalities are welcome to the event. UO students will be the highlight of the night with their creative spirits.

Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for general admission, available for sale in person or online at the UO ticket office. The doors to the Ballroom open at 5:30 p.m.

Here’s what else is going on this weekend:

EUGENE:

Feb 19 From the Big Bang to Black Holes

If you haven’t been watching Cosmos or taken an Astronomy class with Dr. Fisher, you don’t understand what space is. Janna Levin will be lecturing about “time, the universe and everything.”

Lillis Hall 182, 7:30 p.m., FREE

Feb 20 Friday Night Dance

Get your friday night groove on. The Oregon Ballroom Dance Club is putting on a community ballroom dance in Gerlinger Hall. The night consists of two parts: an hour lesson and two hours of open dance. No experience or partner required.

Gerlinger Hall — Woodruff Gym, 7:30-10:30 p.m., $5 with student ID

Feb 21 The Honey Whiskey Trio

This a capella group returns to headline the second annual SheSings Festival. The Honey Whiskey Trio were winners of the 2013 Harmony Sweepstakes National Competition.

868 High St., 7:30-9:30 p.m., $19-23

Feb 22 Community Yoga at Sweaty Ganesh

You’ve heard all about it, but now you can actually participate in a “hot” yoga class. Sweat up a storm while benefiting the Walama Restoration Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental stewardship and biological diversity.

820 Charnelton St., Noon – 1 p.m., $5-10

PORTLAND:

Feb 19 Portland Jazz Festival

Beginning this weekend, Portland will seem more like Harlem. Some of jazz’s biggest names will be in the city. Freda Payne will be performing jazz and motown classics with The Mel Brown Quintet.

221 NW 10th Ave., 7 p.m., $15-25

Feb 20 The God Game

Dealing with issues of politics, religion and gay rights, this new play by Suzanne Bradbeer follows two friends: an agnostic Republican and a gay Republican campaign manager for the Republican candidate.

823 SE Grant St., 7:30-9:30 p.m., $15-22.

Feb 21 Chinese New Year Cultural Fair

Gong Hey Fat Choy! Celebrate the year of the sheep (or goat) with a dragon dance, lion dance, puppet show, food, booths and many more activities.

777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., $8

Feb 22 Oregon Symphony: Beethoven’s Fifth

If there’s one piece of Beethoven’s music you know — it’s this one.

1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 p.m., $22

Taylor Swift’s 1989 has been number one on the Billboard 200 for 11 non-consecutive weeks, and “Shake It Off” – the album’s first single – was number one for 21 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. Perhaps you felt a bit happier than usual during Swift’s reign on the radio. Well, you’re not alone.

MTV News recently published a story on mental health and Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” Simon A. Rego, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Yeshiva University, targets lyrics in the song and explains how exactly they can benefit our health.

“I keep cruisin’/Can’t stop, won’t stop moving,’ is a behavioral principle,” said Rego. “She’s saying basically, regardless of the chitter-chatter or buzz around her, ‘I’m going to focus on moving on to what’s important in my life or things that I value or goals that I have.’”

But the haters are still going to hate (hate, hate) and Revo knows that, but we have to follow Swift’s wisdom. “People around you are going to be who they are and unfortunately we often have to deal with people in our lives that are negative,” he said. “You don’t have to put your focus externally on those situations, you can turn your lens inward and instead focus on what’s important to you and work on yourself. It’s much better to ‘shake it off.’”

But the link between music and psychology is not limited to Taylor Swift. University of Southern California professor, Joseph Nunez, explained the success of a song and its repetition. “Songs that are more repetitive do better,” said Nunez. “So once you got on the Hot 100, the more you repeated the chorus, the more word repetition, the less complex the song, the better it did.”

Jenny Mendoza, a graduate student here at the University of Oregon, is researching how easy it is for us to detect patterns paired with how predictable music can be and how that relates to why we like specific music. “There is this sweet spot of complexity where it’s interesting enough that it catches you, but predictable enough that it has that repeated chorus,” said Mendoza, explaining “Shake It Off’s” 21-week reign.

Sometimes it won’t be Taylor Swift to cheer you up, it might be the band you were obsessed with in middle school, and that’s psychological too. “A lot of people’s music preference is based on their adolescent period because music at that point is a really strong sign of identity. A lot of the way you identify with a social group is through music.” said Mendoza. “Because of its heightened importance at that point in one’s life, it often lingers throughout adulthood.”

Mendoza explained that a loud, fast, major song is associated with happiness, and a slow, soft and complex song is associated with sadness.

So, don’t fill in that blank space of yours with sad Starbucks lovers (or your long list of ex-lovers), but rather fill it with some encouraging and cheerful music to make you feel happy. After all, “the number one reason that people usually cite (listening to music) is that they want it to help regulate their emotional state somehow… people seek music for that reason,” said Mendoza.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter @MikeWheresIke

We’ve made it past the midway point of winter term. This calls for celebration, and Valentine’s Day couldn’t be more perfectly timed.

There’s an abundance of events you and your significant other can attend in Eugene on Valentine’s Day.

The 13th annual Sweetheart Ball will be hosted at the Hilton Hotel (66 E. 6th Ave.). Dinner will be complemented by entertainment from the Eugene Gleemen, the Sheldon Dublinaires and dancing to the Blue Skies Big Band – all for $50 per person.

The Valentine’s Day Dance presented by KindTree and hosted at Cozmic Pizza (199 W. 8th Ave.). Enjoy dancing, with DJ music by Frankie and Deano, and everyone’s favorite: karaoke — all for $5 for couples and $3 for all you single people out there.

Valentine’s Wine Dinner at Route 5 (248 E. 5th Ave.) offers a delicious course of house charcuterie board, broiled willapa bay oysters, followed by dungeness crab salad, an entree of ribeye for two and meyer lemon pot de creme for dessert — $85 total.

But if you’re not in a relationship, or don’t want to make a big deal about a capitalist-centered holiday here’s what else you can do:

EUGENE

Feb. 13 Ninkasi Dawn of the Red Zombie Pub Crawl

Ninkasi Brewing Company is bringing back their Dawn of the Red brew and they’re inviting everyone (over 21) to celebrate the return with drinks a pub crawl.

The hopping begins at Kesey Square (E. Broadway & Willamette St.), at 6 p.m., for free.

Feb. 13 & 15 Casablanca presented by Radio Redux

The critically acclaimed classic is coming to Eugene in a stage adaptation. The World War II based screenplay falls under the Valentine’s Day theme with “long-smoldering romance.”

Hult Center (Willamette St., between 6th and 7th), 7:30 p.m. on the 13th and 2 p.m. on the 15th, $21.

Feb. 14 Miranda Lambert

The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and Academy of Country Music award-winning performer is making a stop at Matthew Knight Arena on her Certified Platinum Tour. Justin Moore and RaeLynn will be opening up the show.

Matthew Knight Arena, 7:30 p.m., tickets start at $39.75.

Feb. 14 – 15 Oregon Asian Celebration

Celebrate Asian culture and heritage at the Asian Celebration. Demonstrations/performances will range from martial arts, material arts and cooking. Along with performances, 22 food booths and more than 70 marketplace vendors will be present.

Lane Events Center (796 W. 13th Ave.), 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on the 14th and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on the 15th, $6 for one day or $10 for both days.

PORTLAND

Feb. 13 Meghan Trainor

She’s all about that bass, and she making a stop at Portland’s Wonder Ballroom a week after presenting at this year’s Grammy Awards. “All About That Bass,” which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 last year and was nominated for a Grammy this year.

128 Russell St., 6 p.m., tickets start at $20.

Feb 14. Zwickelmania

Zwickelmania is a one-day event where breweries are opening up to the public. Those taking part in this event will be able to meet the people that brew their beer, and (of course) beer taste. This event is free and locations are spread out through the Portland area. Check here for participating breweries.

Feb 14. Cuddle Con

Perfect for Valentine’s Day weekend, Cuddle Con models after Comic Con in having different panels for different people. Some of the events that will take place are cuddling classes, Acroyoga and pillow fights.

1015 E. Burnside St., noon – 6 p.m., entry starts at $10.

Feb 14. Cuff Me! The Fifty Shades of Grey Musical Parody

One of the year’s most anticipated films already has a parody out. The show has popular (and cheesy) music, like Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”, while spoofing the Fifty Shades of Grey book. This musical has been critically acclaimed by the NY Daily News, the Washington Post and the AP.

1111 S.W. Broadway, 8 p.m., ticket prices start at $30.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter @MikeWheresIke

The University of Oregon finally has its own comic book publication.

Art Ducko had its official release party Friday at the Mills International Center. The comic publication features unique art and writing from students at the UO.

The new publication was in the works last year when Alex Milshtein, editor in chief, approached Ben Saunders, program director of the comic studies program, with the idea.

“The inspiration came from MAD Magazine,” said Milshtein. “I’ve been reading it since I was a kid, and if you look at MAD Magazine, we basically took the format from MAD Magazine.”

Slowly but surely people became aware of the new project.

Saunders, the “sugar daddy” of Art Ducko, contacted everyone in the comic studies minor to reel in anyone who would be interested. Editors, writers and artists like Erick Wonderly were all picked up during the year-long start-up.

Wonderly was approached by Saunders when he was a part of the arts, culture and comics class fall term.

“Wool Over the Eyes” is Wonderly’s first work to be published, and although he is excited, he looks at the printing of his work and Art Ducko itself in a bigger light.

“It feels exhilarating for me. It feels me up with a certain energy,” said Wonderly. “Other people are seeing (my comics) and they can either like or dislike it, but I think its’s good. The more exposure people have to comics and cartooning the more it’ll be considered an art form.”

Milshtein’s goal in starting up Art Ducko was to showcase the talented artist and writers at Oregon. Art Ducko’s content is not restricted, opening up the opportunity for anyone to submit in work.

There are no restrictions, in the kinds of comics they publish. Part of the inspiration behind the openness of the work came from Milshtein’s own experiences. “I was a cartoonist myself, and I had a lot of trouble getting my cartoons in other publications,” said Milshtein. “It was impossible… (And other artists) couldn’t panel in, much less full length six page narratives.”

The end goal is to advance the culture of comics on campus. Oregon is the only school in the country that offers an undergraduate minor in comic studies, and an entire collection of original comic books from the 1940s lies in the Knight Library,.

But those already in the comic community want more.

“I’d love to see some courses that link twentieth-century comics to the larger history of graphic satire and caricature, or on the history of newspaper strips or editorial cartoons,” said Saunders. “And of course there are whole genres of graphic narrative worth exploring in greater depth – from science fiction to memoir to investigative journalism to superheroes.”

Wonderly adds:”Comics are art, and art is the mirror and the sculpture of a society’s culture.”

Email Alex Milshtein at uocomics@gmail.com for more information on being a part of Art Ducko.

Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter @MikeWheresIke