When comics were just “funny books” and specifically aimed at kids (young boys to be precise), heroic men punching dastardly villains with a large “WHAM” or “BANG” drawn in was enough. But as the demographic has expanded far beyond young boys—and even grownup boys—and into girls and women, with expectations of more varied and sophisticated […]
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Posted inNews
Near and (Mule) Deer
Experts to discuss the balance between recreation & conservation
Mule deer can be found in Bend’s backyard gardens and along the highways connecting the city to other Central Oregon towns. In fact, seeing one is so unremarkable that the risks facing them are easy to miss. But wildlife biologists say the species is suffering, and humans are to blame. That simple conclusion should come […]
Posted inOutside
Pounding The Pavement, Off Road!
Haulin’ Aspen presents trail road challenges and charms
Luke Larsen knows a thing or two about trail running, having participated in the Wasatch 100-miler that includes 5,000 feet of elevation gain in a single leg-busting, nine-mile stretch, and the Speedgoat 50k held in Snowbird, Utah, a marathon-plus run that sends runners up an 11,000 foot elevation gain. For good measure, Larsen has also […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A Beer-cation in Sunriver
Two taprooms make for one worthy trip
The Mountain Jug is the kind of place any beer lover wishes was their local watering hole. Wood-paneled walls. Comfortable couches. An AC/DC pinball machine in the corner, and a ’70s-era VW Thing parked semi-permanently outside. A few hundred vinyl albums for you to freely choose from. And, of course, lots and lots of local […]
Posted inCulture
Our Artist of the Month: Josh Cleland
Bringing a classic cartoon look to a modern era
In one image, a holiday card, a brown bear glides down a mountain on the pure white snow. He is wearing a blue down jacket, a green striped scarf whipping in the wind, a Santa hat, and a smile from ear to ear. His pup rides in the front. It is an image that is […]
Posted inCulture
Small Portions
Murder and morality in Irrational Man
Remember the joke Woody Allen tells in Annie Hall about the two old women in the Catskills? The gist is this: One woman complains that the food is terrible, the other replies, “I know, such small portions.” Allen’s films in this later part of his career are so innocuous, so wisplike, so slight, that while […]
Posted inMusic
In Spite Of, or Because Of
Ziggy Marley makes his own name—and own music
It’s hard to explain Ziggy Marley without talking about his dad, the prototypical reggae singer whose name is so recognizable that the (excellent) documentary about his life three years ago needed only his last name as a title. Bob Marley’s image is so iconic, with dreadlocks slicing through the air, it can easily be caught […]
Posted inOutside
Run, Slap, Run
Cascade Lakes Relay: The most funnest run in Oregon
Seven years ago, Carrie and Scott Douglass ran the Golden Gate Relay together, one of the burgeoning number of approximately 200-mile running races that split up the chore among a dozen or so runners. Since then, they also have run the Bourbon Chase and Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay, and these events have become not just a […]
Posted inCulture
Theatrical Release
The sad story of a girl named Amy
From a distance, it’s hard to tell how much celebrity suffering is actually theater. Asif Kapadia’s shattering documentary Amy certainly qualifies as theater in its own right, piecing together great amounts of archival, never-before-seen video footage of late musician Amy Winehouse with dramatic effectiveness. Much of Kapadia’s film is narrated by the star herself, inter-spliced […]
Posted inMusic
If You Don’t Know Me By Now
From chart-topping to charities to cooking, Martina McBride is ruling the world
Country music superstar Martina McBride will bring her famed songs and smile to the Deschutes County Fair on July 30, but will she be serving her refreshing iceberg wedge salad? When you have accomplished as much as McBride has—she’s a three-time Academy of Country Music Top Female Vocalist and four-time Country Music Association Female Vocalist […]
