Art Department Weekly | Issue 78 Vol. 10

ADW art department weekly issue 78 Vol. 10

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we needed help escaping our kidz bop collection

cover

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2

welcome to 2017

#WCW of the year

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6

Athletes of the year

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8

mini board

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4

toys of the year

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songs of the year

welcome to 2017

mini board

ring masters

after harvey, irma, Jose, Katia, Lee, and maria, we couldn’t *not* make a disaster reference

ed letter

book club

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opinions from a variety of people

TV moments of the year

post it up

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out with the old

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...

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43

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Feeling creative

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memory dump

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Comics of the year

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seiously outdated

first time around

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movies of the year

stuffed with cuteness

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Begin healing

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Current snapshot

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podcasts

Cat gifs Babies & in Chocolate memorium Come Together

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A good democrat?

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white savior

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5 things

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Art Department Weekly is published by Dinosaur Girly Productions, 1468 W 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11204. The entire contents of ADW are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without expressed written consent of the publisher. ADW accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. ADW reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions, and may feature same in other mediums for any and all purporses.

In this issue 3 Editor’s Letter 4 Mini Board 6 Welcome to 2017

The best woman crush, athletes, wrestlers, toys, books, songs, TV, posters, movies, comics, podcasts, and more from the year.

18 Out With The Old

Cleaning house with Madeline

30 The Other Half

Technology, voting, Moana, local politics, old magazine clips, national politics, screenshots, and TV moments that we need to get out of our system.

46 Stuffed with Cuteness 48 Current Snapshot 20 Five Things

Art department weekly Luis Vega Chief content officer

Too much cuteness

favorite tradition The start of a new year generally comes with the feeling of a fresh start. Rife with hope, most people make resolutions to improve what they can in the new year.

That’s not me.

For me, the dawn of the new year is not only a reason to look forward, but also a time to take stock of the year that was and remember all the things that were amazing—and maybe the things you didn’t get to cross off your to-do list.

I didn’t always feel this way. Once I was like most everyone else and felt that sense of a fresh start. Then 25 years ago, my father passed away on January 3rd.

That changed the way I perceived the holiday. It made me more introspective. I now always use New Year’s to celebrate the year that was, to look back and reflect on the things I loved with those that I love.

At the office, I make lists and then walk around and ask others to contribute to the lists. You’d be surprised how often a simple question like “What was your favorite [fill in the blank] of the year?” will spark a full conversation with someone that makes you view that individual differently. Check out what Meredith

LIfestyle Network employees had to say about movies and TV moments starting on Page 12. Of course, you’ll find many lists that are completely my own, such as the best comics and wrestling.

Madeline took looking back on 2017 to a different level when she tried to recap all the stuff she’d like to get rid of and reasons she was motivated to be more active in local politics this year. While she takes over the back half of the issue starting on Page 30, you can see a quick recap of Betty’s year on Page 4.

None of us has seen an Art Department Weekly in quite a while. I thought we could quickly bang out an issue to recap the year. This issue encompasses more than 2017. Why waste an opportunity to clear the decks of all the annecdotes we’ve held onto for so long? Why not make new art for publication? Now we have a 50-page issue.

All of this issue is simply to say, let’s slow down a little and enjoy what we just went through while still looking forward to what’s to come—including more issues of ADW.

Madeline Strum Managing Editor Credits Madeline strum photography (Cover and pages 3, 4, 6, 17, 18-29, 30, 34, 36, 38-39, 46-47, 49, 50), Luis Vega (Pages 5, 7), Patricia Leonard (Page 32)

Year in Review 2017 • Art

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mini board Show of support

Spotted in Brooklyn December 2017.

—MV

a year of betty While she’s been volunteering at the school since the day she was born, this year took Betty all over the City and social media to advocate for her brothers. Above, she checks herself out at a local science exploratorium.

Good ol’ reliable mta Anyone who has waited for a bus in the rain knows that precipitation makes NYC buses extra dysfunctional. On this particular day, there were no fewer than nine B6 and B82 buses in a three-block span. That doesn’t even include the shuttle buses introduced to make up for the multiple subway lines that were closed at the same time. Pubilc transportation was not a high point for 2017...

—MV

#BeLikeBetty does not bother to hide how tired she is of press conferences on the steps of City Hall to ask for #spacetolearn.

Meeting Elsa had to be a 2017 highlight.

A side mission when searching for $10 gifts to give to school staff.

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r A e rh

t r yA

ove

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“do whatever you want. great. you’re a fucking asshole” -madeline

“that’s off-brand for me” -mara

u.S. AGentS Team uSA will don super hero-themed ski suits for the upcoming Olympics. The comics-obsessed sports nut in me thinks they’re perfect. Above is Mikaela Shiffrin in a promo shot for Team uSA as Captain Marvel, and to the left is Lindsay Vonn from her Twitter feed in Captain America’s suit. Side note, only the men were supposed to wear the Captain America suits, but Vonn donned it anyway.

—LV

SufGAniyot On the first day of Hanukkah I came into the office to find the note at right with a delicious jelly donut. Little did I know this is an actual thing. Wiki confirms with the following description: A round jelly doughnut eaten in Israel and around the world for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The doughnut is deep-fried, filled with jam or custard, and topped with powdered sugar. Jews observe the custom of eating fried foods in commemoration of the miracle associated with the Temple oil.

—LV

“i’m trying to get #gingerlivesmatter off the ground” -luis

“Just call it friday” -Jaime

“i had a stalker in middle-school” -mara

“the north korean in me comes out” -gloria

“my daughter goes to Jewish school, so you know she’s obsessed with money” -Jaime

“he’s a budget matt dillon” -laura

Year in Review 2017 • Art

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Tweets, hurricanes, gifs, hashtags.

The year was full of disruptions And distractions

Welcome

Good people Without Illona, Madeline would have surely lost her mind. Besides the physical life lines like jump starting a car, she created a text message group that blossomed into a Messenger club for daily laughs. #hero

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

to 2017 InstAgrAm out the wAzzoo

For someone who did without a phone for several consecutive years, Luis suddenly had a lot of reasons to keep his iPhone at hand.

sAm’s frIend dIed

We’re going to have to try harder if 2018 will be different from 2017. Savannah and Hoda talked to a shooting victim the day after a February 2018 school shooting. I can’t decide if someone didn’t do their homework or thought this was the way to push coverage out of the normal pattern by starting the interview with the question “How is your friend doing?” The friend “didn’t make it.” The anchors’ immediate reactions were not aired.

All three ladies held it together to carry on the usual interview for 7:06 a.m.

outsIde the usuAl news CyCle

The main way Madeline followed all the forest fires was through Facebook posts from family and acquaintances on the West Coast. The mainstream news cycle offered a tiny glimpse into all the destruction and effort that seemed to be consuming a third of the country for most of the year.

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#WcW of the yeAr

Madeline’s favorite non-practicing Republican While I find genuine silver linings few and far between in the Trump administration, one of my favorite developments during the 2016 election cycle was nIColle wAllACe’s television presence.

From offering political analysis in sound bytes at the Today Show’s round table to moderating her own hour-long table of reporters and Washington colleagues, I’m happy there is daily proof that no one needs to blindly follow their preferred political party. When Wallace, as a former communications chief to W. Bush, looks straight to camera and directs the current administration to apologize or calls Steve Bannon a boob or says the party has blood on its hands, I feel a little less angry that people mistake me for a Republican.

more fAvorIte PolItICAl CoverAge krIsten welker

For relentlessly going after 45 with questions I want answered APrIl d. ryAn

For brushing off all the televised idiocy that transpires between her and this administration sAmAnthA Bee

And her writers. I want to bee her. frAnCesCA fIorentInI

For AJ+’s striking and relevant News Broke Peter AlexAnder

For correcting the President on live TV that he did not win the most electoral votes ever (and continuing to fact check him) John heIlemAnn

For making The Circus appointment TV with moments like Senator Sanders pulling him aside in a hotel after the Iowa caucus the teAm At Last weeK toniGht

For exposing stories we should all know about plus doing things like giving an obvious nod to the reporters who originailly covered the depressing topics.

Also, for the puppets and gimmicks.

whIle I hAve your AttentIon!

Feb. 16, 2017, when April Ryan asks Trump if he will meet with the Congressional Black Caucus, he asks her to set up the meeting—and blames Chuck Schumer for it not happening sooner.

Last Week Tonight showcases how bad the appeal of Obama Care could be.

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If I had a list, after “going to Russia to talk to people who pretend to be Americans on social media,” my favorite thing would be when Samantha Bee said, “I get it—people are comforted by the thought of a progressive feminist in the White House. To which I say: If you wanted that, you should have voted for it!”

Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

I can’t believe Bernie Sanders spoke at de Blasio’s innauguration when votes for Sanders were suppressed in New York City. Luis clearly marked his affidavit as Democratic Party. On June 29, the NYC BOE said it tossed his vote because he did not state the political party, then in a letter on July 5 claimed that his political party did not have a primary. #votersuppression See more on Pg. 34

ring masters I watched a lot of wrestling this year (mostly WWE) and while I think it was good year, injuries took their toll on the roster. Storylines seemed rushed and pushes seemed abadoned. With all of that said, here are my picks for the squared circle. braun strowman

Male Wrestler of the Year: The Monster Among Men had a dominant 2017. He became a main event player via his feud with Roman Reigns. He has a date with Brock (and Kane) at the Royal Rumble, and I would venture to say we see a run with the belt at some point in 2018.

Asuka

Not only is Asuka my Female Wreslter of the Year, but she is my Wrestler of the Year period. The most dominant force in all of wrestling continues to put on awe-inspiring performances.

Below is an illustration I created to commemorate Asuka’s 2017.

Omega vs. Okada

I don’t watch a lot of NJPW, but Okada and Omega’s Wreslte Kingdon 10 match was amazing. It lived up to its billing. Bate vs. Dunne and Cena vs.

Styles were also top contenders for match of the year. . moment of the year

athletes of the year Luis’ list of the top athletes of the year 1. Serena Williams

6. sidney crosby

Only one major win, but it happened while 8 weeks pregnant. No one better.

Sidney led the Penguins to another Stanley Cup, solidifying himself as an all-time great.

2. Tom Brady

Brady won another Super Bowl and continues to perform at a stellar level at an age other QBs show degradation.

3. christiano Ronadlo

7. Maya Moore

From UCONN to Team USA to the Minneasota Lynx, no greater winner in team sports.

Won the Ballon d’Or for a fourth time.

8. Kevin Durant

4. russell Westbrook

Jumped ship to the Warriors and helped them win the NBA Title.

A stat stuffing season resulted in a first time MVP win.

5. Jose Altuve

The AL MVP led the Houston Astros to a World Series win.

9. Aaron Judge

Slugged himself to King of NY. 10. Ezekiel Elliott

Ran the Cowboys back into relevancy.

Strowman flipping the ambulance with Reigns inside was absolute lunacy and wrestling gold. Second was Storwman’s ring collapsing match with the Big Show.

Toys of the year

At Casa Vega, we play with a lot of toys. Here’s our combined list of favorite toys of the year Macho Man Defining Moments

The best Macho Man figure ever gives the Defining Moments treatment to a classic Savage entrance.

Criss Cross Crash Track

Madeline thought this would be an awesome gift for the boys. It was.

Horusood H2 & Betromoth B2

Kal and Boom were all about Beyblades this year. These show appearance figures were high on their Christmas list.

DC Icons Batgirl

The best Icons figure ever. Great sculpt, great accesories.

D.VA Funko Pop

Kal’s favorite Overwatch character made for a great Pop figure. Betty seems to agree, calling her “Pink.”

Finn Balor Takeover London

I got a lot of wrestling toys this year.

This demon was easily my favorite.

Marvel Legends build-a-figure Gladiator Hulk

The Thor Ragnarok set was chock full of great detailed figures. None greater than the Gladiator Hulk—my pick as Toy of the Year 2017.

Lego Tie Silencer

Kal requested this set for his birthday. It was an awesome build.

40th Anniversary Obi Wan Kenobi

The perfect likeness of Sir Alec Guiness in retro packaging.

Jusitce League Flash Funko pop

Meg loved the Justice League movie.

She also loves this Flash.

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

Keep up with our 2018 favorites on Instagram @DarthVega12

SonGS of the yeAr If a song is not on Kidz Bop, it’s a safe bet I have no idea what it is. It’s impossible for me to come up with a list of the top songs on 2017, so I enlisted Chanel, one of our favorite Millenials to help out.

—LV “BodAk yellow”

Cardi B “shAPe of you”

Ed Sheeran “desPACIto”

Luis Fonsi ft. Justin Bieber “humBle”

Kendrick Lamar “look whAt you mAde me do”

Taylor Swift “unforgettABle”

French Montana “1-800-273-8255”

Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid “stAy”

Alessia Cara “somethIng Just lIke thIs”

The Chain Smokers & Coldplay

booK club

Some favorite books the Vega family read in 2017 cataLyst

A prequel to Rogue One provides the background on the relationship between Krennic and Galen Erso. annie LeiBovitZ at worK

Lots of words and a few pictures provide the stories and technical description of how some of her most famous images came to be.

LorD of shaDows

The sequel to Lady Midnight, this book takes place in the Shadowhunters universe. I could try and describe parabatai and the faerie courts, but I don’t have that much space.

a BaBysitters GuiDe to monster huntinG

Middle schooler Kelly Ferguson’s Halloween plans switch from partygoing to babysitting, then Baby Jacob gets kidnapped by the Boogeyman’s minions, and Kelly learns there’s a whole lot more to childcare than free snacks and Netflix.

LittLe Bear’s frienD

One summer Little Bear makes friends with a girl named Emily. When summer ends, Emily must leave. Little Bear is sad—until he finds a way to stay close to his new friend even when she is far away!

Tv moments of the year

I walked the halls of the office and asked people for their top TV moments of 2017.

Kentaro winning Project Runway

Camila

The Deuce premiere

tyrion over 7 seasons

Joe

Tori

Jon & Dany join forces

william dying

Laura

Chanel

alec baldwin as trump

the path

Jodi

Mara

dragon death

GLOW

Justine

Luis

Grey’s Anatomy Finale

Vicki The Keepers

Mary Ellen stranger things season 2

Kimberley

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

post it up

It was a banner year for movie posters.

Here are Luis’ top 9 2017 saw a number of well designed movie posters.

The trend continued of Saul Bass inspired movie posters.

Here are my faves in no particular order (though the Baby Driver and Tula Lotay illustrated I, Tonya posters which were clearly my favorite).

movies of the year

Pay no attention to the missing toes. Focus on learning what everyone said was their favorites

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Beauty and the beast

wonder woman

Pitch Perfect 3

Tori

Chanel, Laura and Mary Ellen

Vicki

the florida project

the glass castle

the big sick

Sharon

Justine

Jaime

Dunkirk

Patriots day

coco

Joe

Brooke

Luis

Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

comics of the year It was a difficult year in comics.

Marvel’s downward spiral continued with strong gains made both in sales and creativity by DC. Late in the year, the announcement came that Brian Michael Bendis would be taking his talents to DC which should further see the momentum shift over to DC. Image continued to establish itself (in its 25th year) as the place creators go to tell the hard stories they want to tell. Here’s to 2018 being a stronger year overall. With that said, here were the stand out comics of the year.

1. mister miracle

2. Batman

3. silver surfer

Hands-down the top comic of 2017. Tom King and Mitch Gerards are crafting an absolute masterpiece dealing with Scott Free’s apparent depression, the human psyche, and his phenomenal relationship with Barda. Nothing is close.

Another entry from the great Tom King (who is the Comic Creator of the Year) who with a team of rotating art superstars (Mikel Janin, Clay Mann, Joelle Jones, Lee Weeks) told great stories with the Bat and the Cat and their burgeoning relationship.

Dan Slott and Mike Allred put the finishing touches on a touching, beautiful and poignant story featuring Norrin Radd and Dawn Smallwood. Their relationship was the most real portayal of love, loss and mourning to ever appear in comics.

5. paper girls

6. Saga

Brian K. Vaughn and Cliff Chiang’s ode to the ’80s teen adventure movies continues to hit on all cylinders. Part Goonies, part Stranger Things, this comic is a pure delight.

It’s very easy to take the excellence of Saga for granted, but it was yet another stellar year for Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples.

Simply the most original book out there.

7. the mighty Thor

8. detective comics

I never imagined loving Jane Foster as Thor as much as I currently do. Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman have created such a rich mythology and supporting cast while breathing fresh air into a classic.

The Bat team book has been nothing short of excellent. James Tynion IV and a team of artists have made us care about Orphan, Clayface, Batwing and Batwoman. I expect big things from this series in 2018.

9. jessica jones

10. all-new wolverine

Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos have been consistently putting out Marvel’s most honest book. The Purple Man’s return has been absolutely chilling.

I’ve loved the adventures of Laura and Gabby (Honeybadger) in 2017. It’s one of the best under the radar books currently being published. A definite hidden gem.

4. supersons

No comic fills me with as much pure joy as SuperSons. The interplay between Jonathan and Damien is wonderfully written by Peter J. Tomasi. Plus the pencils

by Jorge Jimenez (who is my Artist to Look Out For) are my favorite regular pencils in all of comics.

2017 in memorium They changed the world in different ways, and now we miss them in different ways

poDcAStS of the yeAr The biggest revelation to owning a phone has been listening to podcasts on my long train ride. Pro-tip: Listen at 2x speed and you can knock them out much quicker. They may sound like Mickey Mouse, but you’ll storm through your weekly lists.

My listening tends be heavy in the realm of wrestling, sports, news, true crime and pop-culture. Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson continues to be the cream of the crop, covering everything wrestling from 1987 through 2009.

Bruce’s inside stories and spot on impressions make the weekly multihour episodes fly by. Bill Simmons Ringer podcast network (specifically the Bill Simmons Podcast) also consistently produces some of the most insightful podcasts around. Late in 2017 he had Graydon Carter, Janice Min, and Paul Thomas Anderson over a 3-week period which were pure audio gold.

Those two podcasts clearly top my best of list, followed closely by Up and Vanished (great deep dive on the missing persons/murder case of Tara Grinstead), The Daily (like an audio version of the Skimm), and 30 for 30 from ESPN (particularly their episode that focused on The Miami Heat team picture in the wake of Trayvon Martin’s murder).

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mary tyler moore

chester bennington

actress

musician

bill paxton

roy halladay

actor

all-star pitcher

robert guillaume

dick enberg

actor

sportscaster

sam shepard

hugh hefner

actor & playwright

playboy Founder

John heard

sir roger moore

actor

actor

Jonathan demme

John hillerman

director

actor

edith windsor

della reese

activist

actress & singer

chuck berry

Jim naboros

musician

actor & singer

fats domino

adam west

musician

actor

don rickles

martin landau

actor & comedian

actor

dick gregory

erin moran

comedian & activitst

actress

Jerry lewis

david cassidy

actor & comedian

actor & singer

monty hall

tom petty

game show host

musician

chuck barris game show host

glen campbell musician

gregg allman musician

chris cornell

Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

musician

“A lot of big names every year, but you look at that [video package] and it seems almost like a generational change—so many of those people—icons, people from our generation grew up watching, from Happy Days to the original Batman,” Carson Daly said following the Today Show segment from which we took this list.

cAt GifS everyone neeDS Because they made 2017 all the more bearable

Whenever reality starts to get too real, try the keywords “Cat” and “Typing.”

chocolAte & bAbieS

Not always the best combination, but when cat gifs don’t work...

If Betty had to tell you about her favorite parts of 2017, most of the list might revolve around chocolate. She is fan of the Neuhaus box for Valentine’s Day, anytime someone offers her a Lindt truffle, and plain M&Ms. More favorites might include iPhones, YouTube (not the kids version), Power Puff Girls, My Little Ponies, Moana, Frozen, and Teen Titans Go!

more GooD thinGS

A SHORT LIST OF WHAT BROuGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER

The eclipse Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Get Out Rompers “Despacito” #nuggsforCarter Cardi B

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Out with the old Madeline wanted to fill a Dumpster for Christmas.

Instead, she took some pictures.

Seriously, why did I keep this string of lights?

When I innevitably come across the tiny bag of spare lights, I will not stop and mend this strand. New lights are easy to obtain.

While clearing off the tops of dressers and the bottom of closets, I decided it was time to finally put all this junk to use for a shoot—outdated business cards, old ticket stubs, random keepsakes and all.

Photographs by Madeline strum photography

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

Fall apart at the seams Some of this stuff we all knew was garbage—like the duct taped boots—but there were some surprises—like faux leather flaking off the strappy pair of boots. We might have loved everything in this pile until it showed, but that’s no reason to take every last pair with us into 2018.

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Your laziness is showing When you wonder if products in your refrigerator are older than your children, it’s time to toss.

Then there are the empty bottles of lotion, random papers I let pile up, and things I just didn’t know where to put.

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Well-loved Some things I liked too much to let go in a timely fashion, but the polka dot onesie and heart-patterned leggings were so loved by Betty that she would take off whatever she was wearing at that moment to put them on if she caught sight of their patterns.

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

Now you like it After I packed up these things to give away, Betty became obsessed with Bay Max and everyone started to (finally) play with Alphie. He was a gift to Kal in 2010...

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

what is this? I don’t believe there will ever be a day when I need to play songs off an iPod. Though, my kids all act like this pile of fast food restaurant toys are absolute necessities.

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merry Christmas forever My mom never tossed out the cards because they could become gift tags the following year. Hence, there’s the ornament balls Luis and Megan made with old cards in like 2006. Now we receive cards full of pictures. I feel even less like I can toss them!

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

A car accident kit I received as gift.

Can you imagine if I told my insurance company that I took pictures, but they’ll have to wait until I develop the film?

Messenger service I used this bag to bring home fish supplies from the office when a coworker abandoned his fish.

We haven’t had pet fish in six years.

From the food blog There was a time when I used to make more complicated foods for dinner. Apparently, that time was 10 years ago.

Seriously outdated A few more items that were begging to be trashed

screwed When I could not order more

ink or paper for this printer, the boys took it apart for fun. so many options Learn more about why I can’t call these Disney Infinity disks “hot garbage” in a forthcoming video game themed edition of ADW. hottest ticket I’d never seen this jacket (dated 2002) on anything other than a hanger...

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

Feeling creative produces great work in approximately the same way that ‘feeling like a doctor’ makes you a gifted thoracic surgeon.

—Merlin Mann

Ideas pile up around here like junk mail. Let’s make a YouTube series.

And start a podcast. And sell artwork online. The ideas don’t stop.

This is a picture of my brilliant to-do wall. I could lump together projects and visually shift priorities. I thought it would be so motivating, like even though I would be spending every day that summer caring for a 1-, 4-, and 6-year-old, I would have time to do more.

At first I was overwhelmed and then I learned to ignore it. For two years.

In December, I turned the wall into a mini board. Even that didn’t help.

The work doesn’t get done until you decide to actually sit down and work.

There’s a humongous difference between gathering up pieces and actually making sense of it. I didn’t want to recap 2017. I wanted to process it and get it out of my system. Let’s really bid it farewell so we can move on to better things.

—Madeline

Here’s to hoping 2018 is more productive!

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So not 1997

A roundup of technological advances Remember when phones didn’t have cameras? When a portable cassette player was cutting edge? Then there are the things I didn’t need such a clear reminder are worthless—like my phone valued at $3 for a trade-in or my router that uploads at a speed of 0.15 Mbps. I have more than 5,500 unopened emails in one account. Yahoo wants me to know I have space for 54 million more. And then my aunt used social media to share her floppy disk collection. I still have hard disks and zip disks here...

ClAPBACk

Marissa Mayer became the president and CEO of Yahoo! in July 2012. She did things like announce 16 weeks maternity leave but then only took two weeks off following the birth of her own child.

In 2013 she said the pervasiveness of cameras meant “there is no such thing, really, as a professional photographer.”

My favorite response was “with ovens as pervasive as they are...”

Mayer resigned from Yahoo! July 2017.

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

ConflICtIng vIews I used to watch Al

Jazeera’s nightly news to see what mainstream media isn’t showing here, but that information is always accessible online— people need to keep sharing everywhere.

SociAlly AWAre

When issues are condensed to 140 characters, will people listen?

Constant connectedness is often viewed as a modern evil, but what if we choose to connect with sources that are outside our bubbles? Facebook, for all the talk of ending echo chambers, only wants to show users the content that the algorithm says users will enjoy while limiting the reach of business pages *and* hiding the phone app’s options to show recent content rather than popular content. Make yourself smarter by following a diverse group of opinions. Share content. Don’t be afraid to click a reaction to boost the content you want to support.

—MV

ABove Simone Biles publicly calls out

teammate Gabby Douglas for slut-shaming Aly Raisman. Both Biles and Douglas later said they were abused by the team doctor. left A family debates race relations in a third person’s comment section on Facebook.

Tweets explain the difference between capitalist and socialist health care systems.

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blocked

Luis registered as a Democrat so he could vote in the primary.

creating a monster

Fake news, Voter Rights, and normalizing hate speech—how we got our 2017

The same way that people attacked Esquire for making it look like everything suddenly went to hell in Ukraine, let’s remember that things did not suddenly go to hell in the U.S. When the Supreme Court decided that there was no longer a reason to protect voters, it seemed only a few nerds cared. The same few nerds who were already paying attention to gerrymandering and fake news.

My uncle had gone door to door asking people in the Midwest to vote for Obama. I wondered if I needed to sign up for the 2016 trips to Pennsylvania, but I couldn’t resolve how to do that with a 1-year-old. What would have really made a difference is if more people believed their vote counted. Senator Sanders’ camp told me on the phone to not let the poll site say Luis couldn’t vote, but then the Board of Elections tossed out his vote anyway. I have a dog now. I should walk him by their offices.

—Madeline

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

beGin heAlinG The world would not have been ready for #MeToo without Moana. Exhibit A from Reddit...

three yeArs too lAte I took the above screen shot on June 19, 2014, because there were so many things wrong with the picture. Zoom in. There are spelling and grammatical errors, but also the logo is for ABC News while the link says “Sunday Times Daily.” But this user believed the story. Below is a 2017 screen shot of Facebook trying to finally teach people to recognize unreliable sources. I couldn’t read their graphic on my phone! #FAIL

To me, the moral of Moana is that only women can help other women heal from male violence.

The movie starts with the idea that the male god who wronged Te Fiti must be the one to heal her. This seems to make a certain sort of inuitive sense in that I think we all believe that if you do something wrong you should try to make it right. But how does he try to right it? Through more violence. Of course that failed.

It was only when another woman, Moana, saw past the “demon of earth and fire” that the traumatized Te Fiti became (what a good metaphor for trauma, right?) and met her with love instead of violence that she was able to heal. Note that they do the forehead press before Moana restores that heart, while Te Fiti is stilll Te Ka. Moana doesn’t wait for her beautiful island goddess to appear in all her green splendor before greeting her as someone deserving of love.

Moana is only able to restore the heart because Te Ka reveals her vulnerability and allows Moana to touch her there. Maui and his male violence could only ever have resulted in more ruin.

—i-want-cheese, via Reddit

too lAte If NBC had not brought back The Apprentice or made Trump look normal

during the months leading up to the election, they wouldn’t need snarky graphics now.

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squad goals The rank and file go after the Panel for Educational Policy on renewal schools.

a good democrat?

In early 2015, I attended a hearing meant to gather pubilc comments about putting a charter school inside a district school. I sat with parents who opposed the idea, and, while I listened to their reactions to what the charter school parents were saying, I realized the whole process is wrong. The people with all the money who needed this deal to go through were not there. Instead two groups from the 99% were fighting each other for space when they should have been demanding the system change—that the people with all the money should improve the system for everyone.

I could never shake the idea that I am a bad Democrat for fighting for charter schools. By the time August rolled around and coverage of the Trump administration had me feeling like 2017 had been going on for eight years rather than eight months, I was ready to fight when no locations were announced for charter middle schools. Mayor de Blasio had promised to cooperate in exchange for renewed mayoral control. I went to a town hall. I began attending school board meetings. I dragged Betty to press conferences, our state assembly member’s office, Gracie Mansion, and more education offices. We’re still fighting.

—MV how engaging

In 2016, in an attempt to do more than simply write Tweets, I made cookies and then looked in four different stores for orange and blue frosting so staff could decorate #SaveOurPreK messages to Tweet at the City. #fail In 2017, Betty and I traveled to offices and events all over the City to make some noise.

Betty passed out on the floor next to my desk when I tried to finish an email.

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taxed A graphic on PBS outlines plans to spend more than $930 million to improve public schools while the panel bemoaned how there is nothing left to tax. #DeVostation

A historic tie in the Senate to start 2017.

White SAvior Trying to avoid the trap of not helping One of the big takeaways of 2016, I think, is that white people need other white people to tell them when they are being racist. When no lines are drawn, no lines are crossed.

I couldn’t *not* fight for middle school space for charters for the 2018-’19 school year. I have special needs children who are blossoming in the charter system. The Department of Education even echoed my concerns that a transfer would disrupt everything good Kal has going for him. So, I attended as many Panel for Educational Policy meetings as I could.

The first time, I used my two minutes of public comment to tell the panel that my son’s charter elementary school needed space for 5th grade because we can’t crowd those kids into the local elementary schools and we definitely can’t ask our host school for more space. The next meeting, I expanded on the idea that it’s stupid the Mayor keeps talking about options for 3-year-olds when we should be supporting schools that help third graders succeed in school. In December, a team of teachers showed up to ask why the City wasn’t doing more to turn around failing schools. They attacked my sons’ school network. So, I introduced myself as someone who would love to be an advocate for public schools, but we couldn’t get into our zoned school. Then I explained that my kid looks white and has blue eyes. He’ll be fine. Space, no space. Whatever. But he is currently learning to respect women and girls, people with skin darker than his, and English Language Learners. The City has an issue with segregation in schools, but it also has an issue supporting the Bronx. I’ve watched them close a dozen schools in 2017. —MV

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the first time around While sorting through old issues of magazines to recycle, there seemed to be a lot of foreshadowing

color me impressed

This was the oddest spread to run across after the all-black attire at the 2018 Golden Globes...

(Glamour 2015)

#metoo

... Though, not as odd as seeing Harvey Weinstein’s children with their faces covered in possibly the same issue of Glamour.

(Glamour 2015)

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

equal pay

The American Association of University Women took out a full page ad to remind readers that women earn only 78% of what men do.

#failed

White women voted for Donald Trump and Roy Moore. Whatever news Glamour tried to bring them wasn’t enough.

(Glamour 2016)

before the election

This is an article about the important roles women play in the Department of Justice. *cough* WTF *cough* (Marie Claire April 2015)

how intriguing

I never saw House of Cards, but I was more interested in this after Kevin Spacey’s departure.

(Marie Claire April 2015)

R.I.P. Erica

After experiencing complications during child birth, Erica Garner became another statistic. According to Afro Punk, her complaints were not taken seriously. If she had been white—if her dad had been white—would we know either of their stories? (Marie Claire April 2015)

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red hook The caption caught my eye— was this girl really from Brooklyn?

No. Red Hook, NY, is different.

(Copyright Getty)

rollin’ With DotArDS Clearing all the screenshots off my desktops My bubble on social media is pretty left-leaning main stream. I follow George Takei and Pete Souza. My feed pushes content at me from people I was never good friends with in real life (maybe we worked together on a project or were on a team together in high school), but we “like” the same articles and memes. I try to mix up what I click on, what I follow, where I leave a reaction to feel like I’m not giving the algorithm a clear set of parameters. However, there are some times I cannot resist the bait. I saw multiple outlets with negative headlines referring to the Egg Roll at the White House, but no one on TV was talking about it, so I had to click a link. Some of the previews of articles gathered here are things I never clicked becase the preview was enough. Other bits stood out to me as maybe the only coverage we needed of certain events.

After the massacre in the South Carolina church, when then-Governor Nikki Haley stood with the people who wanted to remove Confederate symbols and, separately, support transgender people’s right to use whichever bathroom they like, I was filled with warm fuzzies. The cartoon “This Week in Flags” captured all of that, and I think I became a bit more enamored with Twitter.

The left to right layout on this spread does not reflect events chronologically. Vice President Mike Pence walked out of a Colts game after the cast of Hamilton addressed him personally at the end of a performance. He is the embodiment of white male privilege. I’m sure people will never stop applauding him for it.

Please enjoy some of the commentary I found to be funnier when trying to make it through all the nonsense the end of 2016 threw at us plus the reminder that the majority of Americans did not wish for 2017 to happen. Though, white women need to step it up for real in 2018. No amount of pussy hats and saftey pins will overturn an ultra conservative Congress. Do a better job of voting and getting others to vote. —MV

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uP And ComIng President Trump sounded as though he had no idea who Frederick Douglas was at a press conference. over reACtIon Obama was heckled

during a State of the union address. Pence was booed by the public. One of these did not elicit much of a reaction...

new words Kim Jong-un teaches us new slang through his tweets.

torture No one was about to let the Trump team forget that we all know his clothes are manufactured in Mexico and China.

AddIng It All uP A friend of a friend in North Carolina shared a story that I think was meant to cheer up people who were devastated by the idea that we all might be surrounded by Klan sympathizers, but his caption is redeeming.

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memory dump Continuing to clear screenshots off my desktops

From March 2013

From April 2013

From May 2013

From February 2014

From May 2014

From July 2014

Before Brian WIlliams had to step down for telling tall tales, giving the NBC Nightly News desk to Lestor Holt.

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

Rep. Louie Gohmert suggested Texans raise an army to shoot 10-year-old migrants.

from JAnuAry 2015

from June 2015

from July 2015

from novemBer 2016

from novemBer 2014

from June 2015

“No, no, no, GoT. Gay marriage doesn’t need your support!” is the reply to Game of Thrones using a Renly Pop Vinyl to show marriage reform some love.

from July 2015

from 2017

Two times people in the comments showed up to demand “that’s not racist.” They’re wrong. The Dove ad mimicked racist ads from the past and whitewashing Rihanna is racist.

from mAy 2015

“Interest is Coming” is the warning on this Game of Thrones parody design.

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big screen shots It’s time to share some questionable wardrobe and motivations A couple of these sat on the DVR for years, such as Megan Meany matching the tablecloth at J.G. Melon. Others I took pictures of instantly and they simply waited in a folder on my desktop. The dress, the boys fixing their hair, the stylish infographics— those are laughable. The series of commercials where a guy is trying to buy something for his loved ones and receives a minimal response is more troubling. Like there’s a lot of work to be done there by all parties. More purchases are not the answer...

—MV

light hearted

The most standout performance for me on Clipped with George Wendt and Ashley Tisdale on TBS was the lighting.

What otherwise appeared to be a low budget soundstage sitcom painted quite the picture with highlights and tones.

They were indoors and “outdoors” with a story that carried on at all times of day.

I hope that team found more work.

eyes on the prize I don’t know that I ever want to buy jewelry or a vacation for someone who has so much trouble looking up from their phone when I’m trying to talk to them. I should set aside money for therapy for myself now...

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017

so different Am I the only one seeing how much work the computer graphics team has to do to finish the transformation?

can’t help myself It seemed no white boy could stop fixing his hair during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. Free throw line? Time out? Bench? All good places to coif.

Doppleganger Kal’s hair was often compared to different versions of Luke Skywalker. At the time this rerun of Modern Family aired, this was Kal’s exact haircut.

Not on TV I walked past this giant window display and did a double take. It struck me a lot more cheek than I would expect to see around a Rite Aid.

getting fancy When Flight 370 vanished in March 2014, I did not understand what TODAY was trying to say at first. It looked like they were advertising a Sunday night movie of the week but the reporter was so grave. I had to rewind to understand that a real flight had vanished and someone in graphics was being stylish.

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too stuffed So much cuteness I’ve often thought it would be fun to do a Where’s Waldo style picture with Betty or Boom and a bunch of stuffed animals. Unfortunately for me, this did not help me get rid of any of the stuffed animals. photograph by Madeline Vega

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Before she gAve everyone thIrd hAnds And legs

Even Annie Leibowitz is selling mentor programs for $99. The video preview was fascinating enough where she talks about not wanting to be too extreme with the retouching and keep the lighting natural.

current SnApShot

Photographers seem to only make money by selling Light Room actions and access to instructional videos or “mentor sessions” After saturating the market with presets over the past five years, ads are shifting now to say photographers will teach you how to actually use Light Room or Photoshop. There is one group that advertises videos that will teach you how to light a subject properly in the first place. Sort of. Mostly, I see a neverending stream of ads offering sky overlays and action sets.

—MV

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Though there are plenty of videos and blogs out there that show how tiny and “ugly” locations can create gorgeous backgrounds, there are even more people who take pictures of clouds and sunsets in order to package them as layers for other people to drop into photos. It seems everyone wants to drag and drop their way to a finished product.

What I’ve seen less of are layer masks to help people create more stylized products to sell to their customers.

Anyone can book a session, but not anyone can sell the prints.

Josh Rossi, the photographer who shot and retouched his daughter to be Wonder Woman, held a free video conference that I watched. At the end, he asked us to pay $897 for access to videos of him retouching, emails he has sent clients, and marketing materials—business cards, Facebook ads, logos, invoices, and so on.

Designers could be doing all this and selling it to budding photographers. —MV

dIgItAl CorreCtIon The immediate

benefit of shooting digitally is being able to see you did not get the shot, you should change the angle, your light is high... Get it right in camera. (Photos by Madeline Vega)

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five things the random things that will close out this issue

lego mini figures

There are blind bags everywhere, which can’t be a bad thing long history

Did you realize the Dubbs was created 10 years ago? This Facebok notice is from three years ago. licensed characters abound

Cereal boxes for franchises. Yum? #ItsAaron I found this screenshot

and didnt’ realize I’ve been missing an important web series all this time. homemade toys at Target

Someone took a Daniel Bryan toy, painted a “KO” shirt on him, returned the set, and kept the real KO figure.

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Art Department Weekly • Year in Review 2017