The amazing Emma Clare got to it first and already has shared with us a set of pretty useful and even life-saving tips on how to manage and protect our mental health, especially in times of stress. If you haven't already, I urge you to read it!

In this ...

Writing good romance is hard- it has so many pitfalls to avoid, so many tropes to grapple with and principles to keep in mind, that experience is necessary.

Writing actual platonic friendships between a male and female character is even harder.

The basic reason why it is harder is because ...

Soviet poster advocating atheism and science over religion

From the most ancient times, art has always been used by the ruling classes for purposes of propaganda, to propagate certain ideas about those commissioning it and their purposes: that kings are mighty, that regimes are for ever, that the enemy is ...

So I came across this new announcement of a reboot (?) due in 2019 of the nostalgic cartoon Thundercats that most of us grew up with (fine, ok, I'm only dating myself with this).

I have always been partial to Thundercats, but not overly possessive. I didn't mind the ...

They’re painstakingly made, take a lot of time to be completed, often cause their creators to burnout or feel like their investment goes unsung or unrewarded. To make a webcomic is a serious commitment that requires discipline, dedication, planning and scope. And there are no guarantees.

So why do ...

So last week I talked about the basic principles of dialogue, so the recipe to the cake itself. But now I’d also like to talk about that cake’s icing and trimmings- what will make the dialogue we’re writing be fun and distinct and pop in our comic ...

Every good story (true, fabricated, or more typically, somewhere in between) here in the City That Forgot to Care, begins with a thoughtful pause, a drawn out “Well,” followed by the phrase “what had happened was…”

“Who drank my beer?”
“Dude, what happened to your face?”
“Why are you carrying ...

In the movie Annie Hall, the main character writes a play and uses it to give his failed relationship a happy ending.
There are countless stories where awkward, nervous protagonists…perhaps courtesy of awkward, nervous writers…win the battle, defeat the villains and get the gorgeous girl.

An unknown number ...

The tradition of creating handmade gifts began sometime in elementary school when it was not only appropriate, but expected, to give our parents original creations. Eventually, a handmade knick-knack has a difficult time competing with the latest smart phone or drawing tablet and is pushed aside to make room for ...

SECRET SANTA 2014
The deadline is quickly approaching and HippieVan would like to send out a friendly reminder that Wednesday, December 10th, is the last day to sign up and participate in this year's Secret Santa drawing gift exchange.

Signing up is easy, all you have to do is ...