Sonic the Hedgehog Drawing Tutorial

Sonic the Hedgehog Drawing Tutorial

Characters from Bahamian Folklore

Characters from Bahamian Folklore

by Shannon Christie

   

     Folk tales are stories that have been passed on by word of mouth originally never written and only memorized. Often told as a means to entertain others especially since in the past no such thing as television or internet was around to provide amusement. These stories are heavily influenced by the culture of the country, environment and often carry a moral so that a lesson can be taught. Here in The Bahamas folk tales have been a staple of our culture. Originating from as far back as when our ascendants were in slavery and had to tell stories they heard as children to their own to salvage their culture, so it won’t fade away to history. Due to both of our folktales originating from enslaved Africans, southern American folktales will share similar element. The stories may have change a tad bit over the years due to the nature of folktales but have essentially remained the same. Some of the most popular folktale characters often used are Ber Bookie, Ber Rabbi, the Lusca, Chickcharney and Anansi.

  Ber Bookie and Rabbi, a pair that always searches for the easiest way to fill their belly without working hard. The pair are often described as two stout men, with Rabbi being dressed in a nice suit and Bookie dressed as a vagabond. The pair often gets into to problems due to lazy habits however, it is usually Ber Bookie who suffers the most due to his greedy and dim-witted nature as oppose to Ber Rabbi who was witty and conservative. Ber Rabbi often tricked Ber Rabbi to fulfil most of their mischief. Their stories were used to illustrate how greed will be your undoing. Fun fact: Their American counterpart are anthropomorphic animals, more specifically a goat and rabbit.

     The Lusca is a mythical creature that is half-shark, half-octopus. The Lusca lurks around in the underwater caves, tunnels and blue holes found all over the Caribbean. However, it is believed that she lives mostly in the underwater caves and blue holes around the Bahamas Islands, especially around Andros, which is the largest island in the Bahamas. She is mean spirited, and some islanders believe that she likes to drown divers and explorers who are not careful. Some even believe that if your boat is over a blue hole she could pull it in down into the dark waters. The tidal currents of the inland blue holes are said to be the breath of Lusca. As she breathes in, water pours into the caverns, in some cases forming a whirlpool, and when Lusca breathes out, cold, clear water gushes up to the surface.

       But Lusca is not all bad because the tidal flow also brings food for the real creatures that live in the blue holes, such as grouper, lobster and reef sharks and other fish. So, Lusca has long been thought of as the guardian of the dark blue holes because she makes sure the fish that live there are fed. Even today, many local Bahamians stay away from the mystical blue holes.

Chickcharnies live in Andros, the largest island in The Bahamas. They are elfish, birdlike creatures with piercing red eyes. They have three fingers, three toes and a tail, which they use to hang upside down from trees.

Chickcharnies live in the pine forests and build nests by joining two pine trees together at the top.

The Chickcharney is peaceful but mischievous creatures and likes pretty colours. When you go sightseeing in Andros carry flowers or wear bright colours to charm them. Legend says if you see a chickcharney and show it respect, you'll be blessed with good luck for the rest of your life. Be careful not to sneer at it, however, or your head will turn completely around!

An old legend has it that a man named Billy Bowleg - the great Seminole medicine man - was adopted and trained by the Chickcharnies. They took him when he was 14 and kept him for five years. When he returned to this people his reputation as a healer spread throughout the Bahamas.

       

                      Anansi is a very popular figure in Bahamian stories. He is a trickster, and is usually a spider-god, but in some stories, he is human and in some stories he is part spider part human.

Anansi is very rebellious and sometimes he likes to cause trouble. He can do almost anything. He can marry the Kings daughter, create money out of thin air; He can trick the Devil and even cheat Death. Even if Anansi loses in one story, you know that he will win in the next. He is very intelligent and quick-witted. No matter what happens to him he usually comes out well in the end, often because he was able to trick someone.

There are many more folktales that can be offered if interested check out the book An Evening in Guanima by Patricia Glinton- Meicholas or the channel of Patrica Bazaard, a professional story teller on YouTube. My favourite folktale story is the gaulin wife - What's yours?

Mangaka Highlight: Io Sakisaka

Io Sakisaka:

 Queen of Shoujo Romance Manga

by S. Sawyer

“A world, in which the person you like likes you back...a world which glitters and sparkles this much, really exists.” 
― Io Sakisaka, Strobe Edge, Vol. 10

If you haven't become acquainted with this shoujo mangaka and/or her work yet, then my question to you is:

With stunning artwork, lovable characters and beautiful storylines, Io Sakisaka's manga never disappoints. Born in Tokyo, Japan, on June 8th, 1975, this mangaka has created many well-known works, such as Ao Haru Ride and Strobe Edge.

Some of her manga have been made into anime series and others into live action movies. Their simplistic storylines and familiar themes are able to shine through no matter the form her storytelling is shaped into. The stories she weaves quite often take readers through one of the most turbulent periods of one's life, adolescence, paired with another drama-filled element of life: love. 

(Ren and Ninako from Strobe Edge)

Ms. Sakisaka's stories would not be so well-liked if her characters weren't so lovable. She crafts adorably imperfect heroines with equally imperfect heroes. The reader is prompted to feel sympathetic to the characters' plights because they are extremely easy to relate to. Though some decisions her characters may make might be frustrating, you still want to root for them in the end. One thing I appreciate about her characters is that they are well-developed, and one can see how they and their relationships with each other evolve in a masterful portrayal of the turbulence of youth.

(Rio and Yuna from Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare - Still ongoing)

Ms. Sakisaka weaves her magic in all of .her works. I have never regretted selecting one of her manga to read, and probably never will. I, for one, cannot wait to see what she produces next!

Fun fact: She also designed the characters for the animated film, Hal (2013).

Life Lessons in Anime

Life Lessons in Anime

by Ridge Thomas

For quite some time among the general public anime has been thought of as something childish. Cartoons that one should grow out of as they can provide us with nothing substantial. However anime has not only maintained a large audience but has also slowly grown over the years to the point that anime movies have received theatrical releases in western markets. 

Much of this continued admiration for anime in western markets is that for many anime has thought them strong life lessons. Going from childhood to adulthood many anime fans can name characters or series that have been an influential part of their life. One such example being the hit anime series Naruto. The titular character of Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki is an orphan who is despised by his village’s adults and made fun of by the kids. He is in every way an outcast.

However despite this treatment he perseveres through it all in order to become hokage(Village leader). Both Naruto’s character and story are quite relatable to many of us growing up. Many who feel isolated because of who they are see characters like Naruto fighting against the odds to find his place in the world and feel inspired to do the same. 

Of course Naruto isn’t the only anime giving life lessons as many shounen anime such as DragonBall, Fairy Tail, Bleach and One Piece teach us to strive for our dreams and to value the people who care about us.

The series I named are ones most anime fans have grown up with and have become a gateway to more series, many of which give even deeper and meaningful messages. For those of us who are now adults these stories continue to provide thoughtful commentary on people and the world. And it’s just that kind of mature content many of us crave.


For example the recent anime movie A Silent Voice features a story about a young deaf girl who is constantly harassed by her classmates especially the lead main character Shoya. The story takes a turn as Shoya’s classmates turn on him in order to save themselves from punishment. What proceeds next is Shoya has now become the target of bullying for years. This leads to him suffering depression and becoming distant from those around him until he makes the decision to make amends for his wrong doing. A Silent Voice not only teaches the lesson of having empathy but also features many more mature themes such as suicide, the pain of loss, redemption, loneliness and perhaps its most important theme, communication. The lesson this movie gives in this writer’s opinion is about learning to listen to the voice of others. To try and understand one another rather than lashing out because someone is different. 

Of course these are only a few examples as there is a wide range of anime out there that exist not only to entertain but to also challenge us to think and learn. Even harsh lessons like learning to accept death and that life can at times deal us a cruel hand. Anime gives us life lessons by giving us relatable characters that face odds both large and small and learn to either overcome them or live with them. Characters that we aspire to be like and stories that commentate on real world problems. And because of how strongly these stories leave its mark on viewers they in term continue to watch and share with friends and other fans creating communities that will continue on.