Creative Criticality

Culture on My MindCanadian Comedy Takeover: 50 Years of SCTVJuly 20, 2026 It’s been fifty years since SCTV graced the airwaves, and the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track is gonna talk about it. SCTV, known in the long-form as Second City Television, was a Canadian sketch comedy television show that ran from 1976 to 1984. It was an off-shoot of the Second City comedy troupe from Toronto,…

Culture on My MindDragon Con Report 2026 #5: It’s the Puppetry TrackJuly 16, 2026 I’m playing catch-up with the Dragon Con Report after being out of the loop since January. One of the ways that I like to prep for Dragon Con is by listening to the Dragon Con Report podcast.  Brought to you by the ESO Network, the podcast is a monthly discussion on all things Dragon Con that counts down to the…

Returning to Dragon Con as an Attending Pro for 2026 Atlanta, GA – September 3 through September 7, 2026 Boldy celebrating the convention’s 40th show, we’re gonna do Dragon Con again! I am pleased to be selected as an Attending Professional for Dragon Con 2026. This will be my eighteenth year at the con (participating in various capacities since 2009) and my ninth year as an AP (since 2016,…

Culture on My MindBonnie TylerJuly 14, 2026 On July 8, 2026, Gen Xers were rocked with bad news about an incredibly talented influence in their lives: Bonnie Tyler, the First Lady of Rock, was dead at the age of 75. Tyler was a Welsh singer and songwriter who started recording in 1975. Before that, she worked as a backup singer for Bobby Wayne & the Dixies and formed the band Imagination. Her…

Culture on My MindBattle of the Fictional Bands! (Again!)July 13, 2026 One of the staples of the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track is the Battle of the Fictional Bands. Consider March Madness brackets, but filled with fictional musical groups from classic sci-fi that battle to the death. On March 18th, Gary Mitchel, Joe Crowe, Amy Chandler, Shaun Rosado, Kevin Cafferty, and Kyle McCraw…

Culture on My MindDragon Con Report 2026 #4: Tracks of Horror & Urban FantasyJuly 9, 2026 I’m playing catch-up with the Dragon Con Report after being out of the loop since January. One of the ways that I like to prep for Dragon Con is by listening to the Dragon Con Report podcast.  Brought to you by the ESO Network, the podcast is a monthly discussion on all things Dragon Con that counts down…

Culture on My MindWe Were There – Representation in Classic MediaJuly 6, 2026 Representation is important in speculative fiction. Part of the power in television, movies, print, and art overall rests in being able to see yourself in the roles you enjoy. The classic era of science fiction is particularly challenging for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) representation. So for this…

Culture on My MindDragon Con Report 2026 #3: It’s the Brit TrackJune 29, 2026 I’m playing catch-up with the Dragon Con Report after being out of the loop since January. One of the ways that I like to prep for Dragon Con is by listening to the Dragon Con Report podcast.  Brought to you by the ESO Network, the podcast is a monthly discussion on all things Dragon Con that counts down to the big…

Culture on My MindThe Power of Admitting You’re WrongJune 25, 2026 On February 11, 2026, a sheriff’s deputy in Palm Beach County, Florida cited a driver for using her mobile phone while driving. The state’s distracted driving laws allow phone use for navigation and voice calls, but prohibit active texting or typing while driving and ban use completely in school zones and construction…

Culture on My MindPlaying Remote ControlJune 22, 2026 Once upon a time, MTV meant music on television. It was in the name: Music Television. In the late 1980s, however, MTV branched out with their first original non-musical program and game show. Thus, Remote Control was born. The game show ran from 1987 to 1990 and showcased trivia questions based on movies, music, and television presented in…

Culture on My MindAhsoka Tano Collectible GrailsJune 15, 2026 Every toy collector has their grails. Something highly sought-after. Something rare. Something pricey. When it comes to Star Wars figures, I mostly focus on Hasbro, from the various 3-3/4″ lines to the 6″ Black Series offerings. I started as a completist in 1995, but eventually slimmed my collection to characters I truly care about.…

Culture on My MindDragon Con Report 2026 #2: Dragon ConnectionsJune 15, 2026 I’m playing catch-up with the Dragon Con Report after being out of the loop since January. One of the ways that I like to prep for Dragon Con is by listening to the Dragon Con Report podcast.  Brought to you by the ESO Network, the podcast is a monthly discussion on all things Dragon Con that counts down to the big…

Culture on My MindDragon Con Report 2026 #1: The First Dragon ConJune 8, 2026 I’m playing catch-up with the Dragon Con Report after being out of the loop since January. One of the ways that I like to prep for Dragon Con is by listening to the Dragon Con Report podcast.  Brought to you by the ESO Network, the podcast is a monthly discussion on all things Dragon Con that counts down to the big…

Culture on My MindProfessional EngineerJune 4, 2026 It’s been a while. On January 15th, I started a prep course to study for the Professional Engineer licensing examination, and the course started in earnest on January 19th. That was day I posted about Classic Concentration before dedicating pretty much all of free time to studying. I put off taking this exam for years. My education was…

Culture on My MindClassic ConcentrationJanuary 19, 2026 Almost as a rule, members of Generation X talk about watching The Price is Right when they stayed home from school. That show was engaging and energetic, and acted as a feel-good balm when you really felt like crap. On those sick days, The Price is Right was one popular option. Another was Classic Concentration. Classic Concentration was a…

Culture on My MindStar Trek at 60: Physical Appearances in the 24th CenturyJanuary 15, 2026 In May 2007, Patrick Stewart shared an anecdote about a bald man being cast as a Star Trek captain. The interview clip can be found on the BBC’s YouTube channel. Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table…

  Culture on My MindThe 2025 LEGO Star Wars Advent CalendarJanuary 12, 2026 My family has been doing the LEGO advent calendars since 2015 and I chronicle the daily builds on Instagram. Each of the annual box sets has been spotlighted on this site. This year, we continued our tradition of building the Star Wars calendars. The joy of this calendar is seeing how LEGO interprets ships and locales…