Zach Youngs 3/12/26 Zach Youngs 3/12/26

ECCC Wrapped: Mixed Bag of Community Joy, Grumbles, Nerdisms

There were still plenty of comics professionals signing, sketching, chatting, and being cornered by fans who did not realize that their 20-minute theory on Aquaman's ability to communicate with sea life as part of a broader metaphor for climate change was not appropriate when other people waited patiently behind them. Yet, Artist Alley felt like a small piece rather than the centerpiece it had been in years prior.

Izzy Christman 3/11/26 Izzy Christman 3/11/26

Mornyng Knight Queers ECCC with ‘The Solo Swordfight’

The gender-defying scoundrel known as Mornyng Knight—a stage character who is an amalgamation of drag and Renaissance faire theatrics—has come to the Pacific Northwest. And they’re armed! Embodied by the Jeff-nominated actor, combat choreographer, and producer Chloe Baldwin, Mornyng Knight transforms your inner demons into physical objects (possibly balloons), then stabs them! In their own words, it’s a show of “epic poportions.”

Zach Youngs 3/10/26 Zach Youngs 3/10/26

Sound Cinema: Historic Admiral Theater

I happened to be in Pier 4, but even amid the modern seating, state-of-the-art sound, and digital projection, there was still a piece of the old theater in the partial mural on the auditorium wall. It was a bit haunting, like looking at something that was not supposed to exist anymore. It kept catching my eye as I sank into the comfy seat with ample leg room.

Izzy Christman 3/8/26 Izzy Christman 3/8/26

Queers Confidently Flourish Amid ECCC’s Commercialism

ECCC was so very Queer this year. Not in a rainbow capitalism kind of way (at least not exclusively). There was an authenticity to this queerness that wasn’t planned or staged or made exclusively for profit. There were simply lots of gay-ass people around, stopping and gabbing and hyping each other up—even talking about their various artistic pursuits. This year, ECCC felt more like a public forum than it has in a long time. And that truly feels worth celebrating.

Zach Youngs 3/7/26 Zach Youngs 3/7/26

Ben Mauro Dives into Future’s Past with ‘Huxley: The Oracle’

I had the pleasure of chatting with writer and artist Ben Mauro who has his own booth on level 2 of the Summit Building at Emerald City Comic Con. We spoke about Ben's career as a video game and film artist as well as his graphic novel Huxley. He is at the convention with the prequel chapter in the Huxley saga—Huxley: The Oracle.

Parker Dean 3/5/26 Parker Dean 3/5/26

Parker’s Pages: A Future of Her Own

A Future of Her Own by Samantha Quamma is a delightful book that combines historical fiction, activism, and a kick-ass heroine to make something positively brilliant.

Lynette Evans 3/1/26 Lynette Evans 3/1/26

Soft Life, Hard Lessons: The Ghost of 22

It wasn't until my life was threatened that I found the boldness to move. I learned that staying isn't succeeding if you are being annihilated in the process. It is always, always okay to leave a table where love is no longer being served—even if you’re the one who set the place.

Parker Dean 2/26/26 Parker Dean 2/26/26

Emerald City Comic Con Returns with Sparks of its Former Glory

Finish up your cosplay and grab your favorite comic books—Emerald City Comic Con is back! ECCC is a time-honored (and super nerdy) Seattle tradition, held at the Seattle Convention Center on March 5-8 this year. Attendees will be preparing for four days of panels, screenings, fan meetups, cosplay contests, after-dark partying, and perusing the wares of Artist Alley, where local artists come together to hang out, create, and sell fun products.

Gray Harrison and Calista Robbins 2/24/26 Gray Harrison and Calista Robbins 2/24/26

‘Ashes, Ashes’ Snapshots Family, Grief, Humor in Kenmore

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down, written by Gretchen Douma, premiered February 5-8 at As If Theatre. The play, with its familial themes and living room-confined location suited the small, homey venue well. Staff greeted guests with warmth, ensuring all felt welcomed into the budding Kenmore arts community. Upon entering the Kenmore Community Club, a donation-based concession stand sold fresh, homemade cookies which added a unique layer of care, commitment, and connection to the performance and the theater space that often goes unfelt by patrons at larger venues.

Andre Stackhouse 2/23/26 Andre Stackhouse 2/23/26

Biennium Rollercoaster: Top 5 Bills Ripe for People Power

Washington has reached the second month of the second year of the two-year legislative cycle known as the 2025-2026 Legislative Biennium. The coming weeks will sort out which of the thousands of bills introduced will remain on a path to Governor Ferguson’s desk, and which will have to find their hopes with a new bill in a future session.

Meet five bills introduced this biennium, their stories, and their hopes for the future.

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 2/21/26 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 2/21/26

A Meditation of Self-Love this Black History Month

Black history month comes every February, but before, during, and after my brown skin shelters me. The first line of defense between the softness within and the harsh exterior. My mind has been cultivated to love everything about myself.

Parker Dean 2/20/26 Parker Dean 2/20/26

Trans* Talk: SweeThe4rTs Art Show

On February 13, Common Objects opened its doors for SweeThe4rts, a T4T art show and market, created by the Trans community, for the Trans community to share art centered on the relationships between Trans folks.

Kristel Chua 2/17/26 Kristel Chua 2/17/26

Lessons from Venezuela: Working Class Solidarity vs. Imperialist Violence

Rae Lee is a regular at my workplace, a friend of a friend, and an anti-imperialist organizer. Given the US’ January attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty, I became curious about Rae’s recent trip there in early December, convened by Simón Bolivar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples.

Izzy Christman 2/14/26 Izzy Christman 2/14/26

Age Verification HB-2112: Who Will it Truly Protect?

HB-2112, or the “Keep Our Children Safe Act,” is currently in committee in the Washington State House of Representatives. Its stated mission is “establishing an age minimum to access certain adult content online.” This argument certainly makes a lot of sense in the abstract. After all, we have age restrictions for adult stores and entertainment venues. Still, it is less the intent and more the execution of these laws that makes them so dangerous.

Lynette Evans 2/13/26 Lynette Evans 2/13/26

Soft Life, Hard Lessons: The Luxury of Letting Go

“Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. You look ten years younger.”

That’s what a man told me recently, and I had to smile. He didn’t know he was looking at a woman who had survived a tsunami. He didn’t know that just as I had finished a hard, honest conversation with myself about the state of my marriage, a hidden betrayal hit me with a force that nearly annihilated me. I had no time to brace for the impact; I just had to decide if I was going to swim or float away aimlessly.

Zach Youngs 2/10/26 Zach Youngs 2/10/26

Sound Cinema: Firehouse Theater

The theater is unassuming, tucked off to the right of SR 104 in the town of Kingston. Those waiting for or heading to the ferry to Edmonds likely drive right by it. Yet, Smith's original mission of creating a movie theater where locals can come and see something on the big screen is alive and thriving—especially on $9 Wednesdays when the afternoon crowd buzzes. The theater functions as a community hub and a place where people can see a blockbuster or the independent, art house, international, and repertory films the big chains disregard.

Calista Robbins 2/7/26 Calista Robbins 2/7/26

Teatro ZinZanni Lowers Final Curtain in Seattle

A spiegeltent crafted of wood, canvas, and velvet, adorned with stained glass, vast mirrors, and regal chandeliers overtook an empty lot on Mercer Street. An arching sign marked the threshold of the new world of Teatro ZinZanni, welcoming guests to their first show, Love Chaos and Dinner, which featured a unique cast of acrobats, clowns, and various other talents. What was meant to be an 11-week run sprouted roots and secured ZinZanni as Seattle’s staple circus destination for nearly three decades.

Izzy Christman 2/6/26 Izzy Christman 2/6/26

Haunted Burrow Books Cultivates Local Creative Literary Community

The inside of the shop is tranquil, and yes: there are a lot of horror books! And not just from big-name authors— Haunted Burrow Books makes an effort to lift up voices from smaller presses and places special emphasis on local authors and artists. But don’t worry: If horror isn’t your jam, there are other offerings as well, especially in mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 2/1/26 Raegan Ballard-Gennrich 2/1/26

Perennial Conventions: Tending

I no longer have social media (future article on this to come), but I do watch a lot (too much) of YouTube. And for me, January 1—and earlier, in truth—began the seemingly endless bombardment of New Year-inspired content. Planner updates, journaling tips, weight loss and dieting advice. Mere weeks after winter has begun we’re inundated with peppy people telling us how to get our lives together. I’ve never really bought into this, though I know how easy it is to be swept up into the fervor of goal-setting energy.

Gray Harrison and Calista Robbins 1/31/26 Gray Harrison and Calista Robbins 1/31/26

As If Theatre Debuts New Works Program with ‘Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down’

Described as a “dramedy about what happens when the skeletons in the closet meet the ashes in the jar,” Ashes, Ashes is Gretchen’s first full-length play produced for the stage. The playwright has over thirty years of experience as an actor, ten years of writing as a theater critic, and more recently joined the storytelling community à la The Moth. She first began developing the idea for the play in 2017 while taking a playwriting class with Rebecca Touriño Collinsworth, founder of Parley Productions.

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