Graphic comics of H.P. Lovecraft enough to give you nightmares

Don’t read either volume of the “The Lovecraft Anthology” before going to bed. You may never want to turn out the light. Two new graphic collections, edited by Dan Lockwood, are enough to give nightmares to any imaginative reader. | 10/24/12 09:14:07 By - Tish Wells

‘Star Wars Reads’ invasion of schools, bookstores, libraries, set for Saturday

Don’t be surprised if you see Imperial Stormtroopers, Jedi, Rebels or various configurations of R2-D2s on the streets of America on Saturday. They will be enjoying “Star Wars Reads Day” at your local libraries, schools, independent bookstores, Barnes & Nobles and Books-A-Million. | 10/04/12 10:42:43 By - Tish Wells

In ‘Samurai Awakening,’ Japanese culture, history, demons come alive

When a typical American boy spends a year in Japan on an exchange program, he’s expected to have his mind opened to new experiences. In “Samurai Awakening,” young David Matthews achieves that and more — for a price. | 10/03/12 08:44:02 By - Tish Wells

New ‘Sherlock’ board game to be sold in U.K. only

If you have a hardcore “Sherlock” fan, make plans to go to the United Kingdom in November. That’s when a new limited edition of the board game Cluedo — or Clue, as it is known in the United States — will be released featuring the popular mystery series. | 10/02/12 12:25:24 By - Tish Wells

Brits vs. Americans in ‘Chef Race’ across America

According to the first two episodes of “Chef Race,” the United States is a nation of grillers. Please pass the bison burgers. A new reality show made for BBC America, it pits 16 chefs split into two teams, in a race across the United States. Eight chefs are from the United Kingdom and the other eight are Americans. The culture clashes are jarring at times. | 09/28/12 11:47:35 By - Tish Wells

The voice behind the Clones in 'Star Wars' speaks out

Who is Dee Bradley Baker? If you’ve turned into “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” then you’ve heard him many times, slightly differently each time, and never seen him once. He’s the voice actor behind the numerous Clone Troopers on “The Clone Wars,” the fifth season of which starts Sept. 29 on Cartoon Network. | 09/24/12 11:42:12 By - Tish Wells

Author offers a fresh perspective on Thomas Jefferson

In “Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brulee,” Thomas J. Craughwell has put together a history of our third president through the prism of agriculture and food, in particular, French cuisine. | 09/19/12 16:57:41 By - Tsh Wells

PBS, Acorn Media bringing back ‘Foyle’s War’ in 2013

You have to wait a year, but new episodes of “Foyle’s War” will be returning to PBS in 2013. “Masterpiece Mystery,” along with Acorn Media and Eleventh Hour Films, have come together to do a trio of episodes starring Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks as Inspector Foyle and his assistant, Sam (short for Samantha). | 09/14/12 12:08:08 By - Tish Wells

Ashley Eckstein’s ‘Her Universe’ a flourishing success among media fans

In June 2010, actress Ashley Eckstein, the voice of the Ahsoka Tano on the animated TV series “Star Wars: the Clone Wars,” opened a booth at the Celebration V convention in Orlando.

It was for her new company Her Universe, which aimed directly at an elusive demographic in the media fan-geek world — women.

Two years later, Her Universe is a success with licensing from “Star Wars,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “Star Trek.” Its shirts and jewelry are sold in stores like Hot Topics and online at ThinkGeek.com | 09/13/12 12:18:20 By - Tish Wells

It’s going to be a Lucasfilm couple of months

Leading up to the rollout the new Blu-ray box set of the “Indiana Jones” adventures, Lucasfilm has re-released the four films in theatres. Next will come the new season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the release of earlier seasons on broadcast television, and finally slopping over into October, a plunge into literacy. | 09/06/12 11:45:19 By - Tish Wells

Origami: an eternal and pop-culture favorite

There’s more to origami than cranes. It started centuries years ago, likely in Japan, and has had widespread appeal ever since. New variations appear all the time. Traditionalists will enjoy “Amazing Origami” and pop-culture enthusiasts can try their hand at folding Darth Vader’s black helmet. | 09/05/12 08:24:44 By - Tish Wells

Irish ‘Copper’ faces down 1864 New York City

By setting “Copper” on the East Coast, award-winning creators Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, and Academy Award nominee Will Rokos, brings in the turbulence of the 19th century as well as the clash of ethnic and racial politics on the small island of Manhattan. All this makes an intriguing stew. But despite the harsh, brutal beatings, and whorehouse shenanigans, it’s almost too gentle in its recreation of the rough-and-tumble period. | 08/15/12 15:18:59 By - Tish Wells

Forget ‘Borat’ — D.C. exhibit shows the real Kazakhstan

The first question might be, where is Kazakhstan? The second is, why go see an exhibit about it? The answer is simple. Kazakhstan is basically unknown to Americans outside of the 2006 movie “Borat,” and has more to offer. “Nomads and Networks,” which opened Saturday at the Arthur M. Sackler museum in Washington, D.C., provides a snapshot of this vast country and its ancient history | 08/13/12 11:40:41 By - Tish Wells

‘Easy Chinese’ cookbook lives up to its name

Virtually every city, town and hamlet in the U.S. has one or more Chinese restaurants. So, why would you want to cook the dishes for yourself? One reason is that it tastes good. Another is that it’s a challenge. | 08/06/12 12:08:04 By - Tish Wells

Documentary ‘Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry’ introduces you to the artist and the man

When filmmaker Alison Klayman graduated from Brown University in 2006, she knew she wanted to be a journalist or a foreign correspondent. Her only experience, however, was an internship at National Public Radio’s "All Things Considered" and some other radio work. So she went to China, bought a camera and began filming artist Ai Weiwei at his home and studio. The result is a documentary that shows clearly why Ai has become such a thorn for the Chinese government | 07/30/12 18:21:39 By - By Tish Wells