Last year, we did an interview with the delightful Conor McCullough, the amazing make-up artist who won SyFy Channel’s first season of Face-Off and worked on The Hunger Games film. Though Conor did tell us a great deal about his work on the movie, he also had to keep a few secrets until its release. Recently, I had the pleasure of a follow-up interview in which Conor shared more about his work, including the fact that he is the true master of “frosting” who did Peeta’s camouflage. Join me after the jump to learn more about Conor’s wonderful work and the challenges of filming!
[Read more…]
Follow up Interview with Hunger Games Makeup Magician Conor McCullough
May 22, 2012 by 1 Comment
New MuggleNet Production Features Our Headmaster and Edmund Kern
May 16, 2012 by 5 Comments
Our beloved Headmaster, John Granger, is in Scotland this week, giving the the HogPros on that side of the Atlantic a wonderful dose of his own brand of magic. So, if you are missing his voice here, hop a Portkey over to the wonderful MuggleNet Academic website, which has just put up its latest chapter. In this episode, the subject is very relevant, if a bit racy: sexuality and gender. Join me after the jump for more about the episode, and come back here to comment after you’ve partaken of this feast for the intellect! [Read more…]
Hold on to your Quaffles–Competitive Quidditch is Getting Serious
May 12, 2012 by 1 Comment
In 2005, I had the great pleasure of presenting at the Witching Hour in Salem, MA. It was my first national Harry Potter Conference. I loved the sessions I attended, though I was quite baffled by one item on the program: Quidditch. How, I thought, can they play Quidditch without flying? I was really interested in seeing this spectacle, and sorely disappointed when torrential rain cancelled the outdoor events. Since then, I have been delighted to see Quidditch played at other events, including Infinitus and Leaky-Con 2011. This wonderful, wacky, wizarding sport has grown beyond being a convention conversation piece, and the International Quidditch Association is seeking greater recognition, regulation, and revenue. Check out this great article on the growing legitimacy of Quidditch, and then share your Quidditch thoughts! Do you play or watch? Or, like me, do you just explain any injury you may be sporting as the result of a rough Quidditch match?
H/t to James and my college colleague John (who was asking today if I could hide my broom and wand in my graduation regalia).
Boone, NC, Bookstore Hosts Hunger Games Night
April 19, 2012 by 3 Comments
On April 13 (yes, Friday the 13th), Black Bear Books in Boone, NC, put on a wonderful Hunger-Games-themed evening, including a costume contest, trivia, and food from the cookbook based on the triology. In addition, I shared my thoughts on the way in which Collins elegantly wraps up all the major symbolic elements of her story in one very important little gold pin. Follow me after the jump for for more on this super event, presided over by bookstore owner Karen Hall, who makes a lovely Effie, but is far more experienced in the role of Cinna. [Read more…]
Hogwarts Professor on Hunger Games Victory Tour: Appalachia, Academia, and it’s All in the Pin
March 31, 2012 by 2 Comments
I have just returned from a wonderful whirlwind visit to the fabulous Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University where I was whisked to speak on The Hunger Games as Appalachian novel. I also had the opportunity to present that topic at the much closer but also wonderful Lees-McRae college, and I have been (and will be) doing other Hunger Games-type programs in the midst of the movie hoopla. As our month of Hunger Games movie madness winds down, these programs help bring readers and filmgoers into our on-going conversation about the complexity and artistry of Suzanne Collins’s Panem novels. Join me after the jump to hear more about the talks and about events with our students Mayland Community College where, for me, all this started. [Read more…]
Recent Conversation