When last we heard from Justin Duerr, he was helping solve the mystery of the Toynbee Tiles in the acclaimed (and locally produced) documentary Resurrect Dead. In director Jon Foy’s film, Duerr is presented as an enigmatic Renaissance man who has devoted his life to creating art and music and pursuing truths big and small alike. While the flick featured brief glimpses of his art, his latest show Stranger Things Have Never Happened lets his works take center stage.

Hosted by Gallery 309 and presented by the Coalition Ingenu self-taught artist’s collective, the event presents imagery that seem to draw influences from sources as disparate as Hieronymus Bosch, Yoshitomo Nara, Henry Darger and Philly’s own Isaiah Zagar. In other words, count on seeing some truly unique outsider art. In conjunction with the show, Gallery 309 will be hosting special screenings of Resurrect Dead on April 13th and 27th. Like Duerr, the film is enlightening.

The bottom line? If you are want insights into one of the most compelling figures in Philly’s art scene, check this show out.

Justin Duerr, Stranger Things Have Never Happened
April 6th-30th @ Gallery 309
309 Cherry Street,  Philadelphia, PA 19106

Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/117078751756514
Screenings of Resurrect Dead: On April 13th and 27th, 6-9:30pm

“Bread, and two of those little fish, and a mug of that good dark beer to wash them down. Oh, and some bacon. Burn it until it turns black.” – Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones

Among the images of blood, dragons and war, the Game of Thrones series (or A Song of Ice and Fire, to you diligent readers) conjures a king-like hunger with its mouthwatering descriptions of great feasts, simple meals and regional fare from Kings Landing to Winterfell to across the Narrow Sea. Both in print and in the HBO series, food is a powerful force, and has spawned at least one detailed food blog and several spinoff publications.

Just in time for Season 2 to begin, we have an advanced copy of The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook, which features more than 150 recipes inspired by the A Song of Ice and Fire books’ detailed descriptions. Written by Alan Kistler, this cookbook is one of the most detailed and well-researched niche books I’ve ever read – and I own quite a few nerdy, one-off cookbooks.

Within the hefty 250-page volume, you’ll find recipes from all the known regions, broken up into themed sections by meal type: Breakfasts for Warriors; A Morsel in a Moment, aka appetizers and snacks; Something for the Sideboard, (sides and bread); Fireside Fare (soups, stews, salads); Feasts for Friends and Enemies (mains); and Deceitful Delights, Desserts and Poisonous Cocktails.

The language is accurate to the story throughout, yet modern enough that anyone with patience can understand and assemble the recipes. Quotes or contextual details from all of the books preface each recipe, which is a helpful touch. I appreciate that the author took such care to read through each book and make so many dishes come to life in an authentic way, not just grasping for what the characters could potentially have eaten, which happens with many niche or character-themed cookbooks.

Luckily, The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook is as authentic as it gets. For our premiere party, we cooked a rustic “Inn at the Crossroad 7-Grain Loaf,” assembled the “Pentoshi Stinky Cheese Plate” and “Doran’s Chickpea Paste,” and naturally had to make “Arya’s Lemon Cakes” to finish it off. Enterprising maesters can even try a hand at brewing, as there are more than a dozen recipes for various ales, spiced wines and mysterious brews (Wildfire, anyone?).

Even more lucky, we’re giving away a copy to one reader. Comment on the post below with your favorite food-related quote from any book or episode (no major spoilers please) and we’ll pick our favorite sometime next Friday.

The Indonesian film The Raid: Redemption or The Raid, has been blowing up the festival circuit over the last few months since it was purchased by Sony Pictures Classics, retitled (to give way for a trilogy) and re-scored. The film has been getting the kind of buzz in genre circles not heard since Attack the Block last year, and where Attack the Block was a throwback to 80s sci-fi, The Raid: Redemption might be one of the the greatest action films to hit our screens in a long time.

The film is the story of swat team sent to take back a building from a crime lord who has filled it with criminals, each of whom pays a fee to live there law free. Under suspicious orders the team begins to re-take the building only to have the tables turned when a bounty is offered up by the crime lord for anyone who takes care of this newest “infestation”.

What results is a hyper-violent, kung-fu action film that will satisfy anyone looking for an hour and 40 minutes of solid ass-kicking. The film is very similar to a video-game in that the team slowly makes its way through the numbered floors of increasing danger on their way to the top where the big boss and his two loyal bodyguards reside. Somewhere in there of course is more plot there to be had, but honestly, that is not this film’s strongest point.

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Cabin in the Woods will finally be getting a theatrical release on the very befitting Friday, April 13th after sitting on the shelf for almost 3 years. The film, written by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, has become a thing of legend thanks to some amazing word of mouth from screenings at both Butt-Numb-A-Thon and SXSW.

The film is a by the horror text book story of five friends who go for a weekend retreat at a remote cabin in the woods and insanity ensues. I really don’t want say anymore. I have seen this film and the less you walk in with the better it will be for you.

We have 25 passes for 2 to a screening of the film at The Rave, Monday April 9th, 2012. Want a chance to check this out before the Internet has a chance to spoil the film for you? Simply comment with your favorite “Cabin in the Woods” film and why by Sunday. The best answers will score some tickets.

No trailer for this one… too many damn spoilers.

Photograph by Diana Molina

A group of the most fascinating people I have never met are currently scaling the remote crevices of the Copper Canyons on foot, as they have for nearly a thousand years.

The Tarahumara people are considered to be the greatest long-distance runners in the world. They humbly refer to themselves as “Rarámuri”– the Uto-Aztecan term for “foot runner”– and running has been their primary mode of transportation through their home, the Sierra Madre mountain range, for generations pre-dating the conquistadors invasions.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is bringing a rare glimpse into the lives of these reclusive super-athletes to Philadelphia through their newest exhibition, Run! Super-Athletes of the Sierra Madre. The folks at Penn have curated an excellent combination of visual and tactile displays, including a full gallery by photo-journalist Diana Molina, and a collection of ancient artifacts by Dr. Carl Lumholtz, a Norwegian ethnologist who lived among the Rarámuri in the 1890s.

In conjunction with the exhibition opening, the Penn Museum’s Annual Petersen Lecture will be given by renowned local author, Christopher McDougall, who wrote about his personal experiences, interactions and friendships with the Tarahumara people in his best-selling adventure memoir, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.

Geekadelphia was fortunate to have a quick chat with Christopher McDougall about his experiences with the Tarahumara people. Learn more and see event details. Continue Reading…

As everyone knows, I’m a huge fan of Zenescope Entertainment and what they have accomplished since the first issue of Grimm Fairy Tales hit the stands in 2005. Between their flagship book, the spin-off title Myths & Legends, the entire Wonderland series and the just completed Dream Eater Saga, you would think that would be enough. But no, they keep on going, publishing more great series and bringing the unique Zenescope style to more new readers.

The latest to hit the stands is their reimagining of The Jungle Book by Mark L. Miller Carlos Granda. Continue Reading…

One of my favorite places to hang out is Redcap’s Corner, a gaming store that recently relocated from 4040 Locust Street to 3617 Lancaster Avenue. I’m there every Wednesday for Dungeons and Dragons Encounters, most Tuesdays for board game night (we’ve currently got a Blood Bowl league going), and, when I can make it, Saturdays for Living Forgotten Realms.

The owners of the store, Adam Friedman and Benn Roe, are two of my favorite geeks in all of Philadelphia. After playing some King of Tokyo with them, I got them to answer some questions for me.

So tell us – what’s a Redcap, exactly?

Benn: A redcap is a cruel and unforgiving faerie who springs into existence in order to commit murder on nature’s behalf. He looks like a slightly goblinoid old man, usually found carrying a scythe or an iron pike and always found wearing a red hat, dripping with the blood of his victims. Being the savvy businessmen that we are, we knew right away this was the creature we wanted to identify with our store.

Adam: What he said.

What was the driving force behind you opening a board game shop?

Adam: I’ll let Benn cover this one.

Benn: After college, it slowly began to dawn on me that a political science and philosophy double major with a minor in English didn’t actually point toward any sort of career, and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my life. In high school I had wanted to open up a political bookshop with a coffee shop attached to it, so I started thinking of entrepreneurial sorts of things to do.

I quickly realized that I was driving out to the suburbs to play games at Alternate Universes, even though I lived in Philadelphia proper, and it all just sort of fell together. Philly needed a game store and I needed something to do with my life, plus starting a business where I could get paid to play games meant I didn’t even have to give up being a kid. Continue Reading…

From ‘Stranger Things Have Never Happened‘ (Justin Duerr)

You geeks are lucky First Friday didn’t fall on April Fools’ this year– as I would have had you running all over the City of Brotherly Love, looking for non-existent galleries and installations. Celebrate the first full week of the Spring equinox with local art.

First Friday: April 6, 2012 

• Stranger Things Have Never Happened @ Gallery 309: The art of Justin Duerr (‘zine author/ Resurrect Dead movie) will be shown via the Coalition Ingenu Self-taught Artists’ Collective. Public reception on April 6, 6-9pm. Two screenings of Jon Foy’s documentary, ‘Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, will be shown on following Fridays, April 13th and 27th @7pm. Free.

• The Art of Beekeeping @ Art in the Age: While there won’t be a formal reception for this until April 26th, this exhibit *technically* open in the AITA space on Friday the 6th, and it sounds fascinating… “During the month of April, The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild will showcase the ancient tradition of beekeeping, highlighting a variety of modern hives types and beekeeping techniques within the Art in the Age gallery space.” Just don’t take anyone who may require an epipen.

• Gallery ML Body Art: Apparently Philadelphia is home to the world’s first and only collective body art gallery (!)– Gallery ML (NSFW). They have a new space on 111 Arch Street and are having a public First Friday reception.

• “Runoff” @ Part Time Studios: Opening reception for artist Brian Payne on Friday, April 6th, 6-9pm, at Part Time Studios in Fishtown.

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A few months ago I reviewed Rachel Rising #1 in the Comic Roundup and went on and on about why I love the work of Terry Moore. To recap, the man is a genius who has created a fully realized world of characters that sometimes feel more genuine that the people I know at my job. Both Strangers in Paradise and Echo were off the charts good and that is all the more impressive when you realize that he self published every page of both series.

Now the first trade paperback collection of Moore’s newest series, Rachel Rising, is out and solidifies the fact that this might just be his best work yet.

Rachel Rising: The Shadow of Death collects the first six issues and introduces us to Rachel, a young woman who has just risen from a shallow grave after being strangled to death. While she tries to figure out what has happened to her, a little girl named Zoe is seeing visions of a strange woman who is compelling her to kill in very grisly ways for reasons we don’t understand.
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testicular cancer survival rate

We already know that you love 30 Rock. I mean, how can you not? And since you love 30 Rock so much, we need to tell you about an awesome event coming up at the Keswick Theater. Tracy Morgan will be performing stand up at the Keswick Theater on May 19th. And his stand up really shouldn’t be missed,  because you never know what he’s going to say.

Tickets are on sale now, so get them while you still can! Visit the Keswick Theater’s website for more information.

Tracy Morgan @ the Keswick
May 19th, 2012
www.keswicktheatre.com/?events=tracy-morgan

Keswick Theatre
291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside, PA
215-572-7650
www.keswicktheatre.com

Our frienemies over at Technically Media (publishers of Technically Philly) have just launched a Philly-specific URL shortener: ph.ly and along with it, a weekly email newsletter.

Brownstoner.com, Brooklyn’s leading site for real estate and neighborhood news, started a Philadelphia edition back in early 2010. Along with it, they launched ph.ly which was a URL-shortener that could be used for anything (it mirrored the now-defunct bk.ly which they launched the year prior for Brooklynites).

Unfortunately by the end of 2010, Brownstoner’s presence in Philly was no more. And without philly.brownstoner.com, they took down ph.ly. “They had launched a Philly URL shortener, to their credit, before we did, and so when they took theirs down, rather than reinvent the wheel, we figured we’d just use that domain in a bigger way.” says Christopher Wink of Technically Media.

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Over the past few weeks, a number of insightful, hilarious, and occasionally heartwarming videos have been popping up on the new hyperlocal video platform, Philly In Focus. My favorite? This clip about cheesesteaks being created by aliens.

The site has been on our radar for a while, but today Comcast officially announced the launch of the website in public beta at a press conference.

New hyperlocal websites seem to pop up every other day, but this particular site is definitely worth adding to your reader. The website, spearheaded by Comcast’s Project Open Voice, is “a dynamic new platform and OnDemand initiative dedicated to making local videos and other interactive media easier to discover and share.”

Basically, it’ll get locally produced online video onto your television. Awesome.

In a press release from Comcast, Mayor Nutter was quoted as saying that “Philly In Focus is a portal that will centrally showcase Philadelphia’s innovative, real, and engaged residents, businesses, and institutions. This project – undertaken in a broad partnership with Comcast and others – advances the City’s goal of being open, transparent, and communicative with each other and the rest of the region, nation, and world.”

Speaking of the rest of the nation, Philly is one of six cities involved in the initiative, others including Fresno, CA; Houston, TX; Hialeah, FL; Peterborough, NH; and Medford, MA.

So go scope out the site, and maybe submit your own content. There are a surprising amount of quality videos on there. I expect you’ll get lost on there for a while.

Philly In Focus
www.phillyinfocus.com