Over at PJ Media, Dave Swindle has compiled this ambitious and thoughtful list of what are in his opinion the 50 greatest counter-culture films of all time. They range from The Lord of the Rings to Yellow Submarine to The Avengers, plus many more that you may have never heard of. Take a look, and let him know if you agree with his assessments.

Last summer, I met Tom Wilkinson, an art photographer who lives in Brooklyn and sports a hipster beard. His wife Alissa was a professor of mine. I've since spent hours at their apartment, poring over Tom's graphic novel collection (including Sandman, Fables, Unwritten, and much much more), playing Mass Effect and watching Buffy on their giant TV, and discussing current and future writing and art projects. It was through this connection that I learned about Tom's narrative photography project.

Four years ago, Tom started a labor of love exploring friendship in the 21st century, a project to create a series of still, cinematic images that tell interlocking stories about overlapping groups of friends. Exploring romance and platonic love in a modern city setting, the parts of a series are meant to be viewed in order to properly communicate the narrative.

This photography project is a complex and detailed enterprise. Each photo shoot requires as many hours of set up and prep time as a typical film set would need. Actors need to be cast; schedules need to be coordinated; and props, lighting, and furniture need to be set up to make the perfect shot. Every click of the camera costs $6, and every end photograph is so detailed that only one can be produced per shooting day.

As of now, about forty out of a total of sixty-five images have been created. Tom and his merry band of dedicated actors and volunteers are embarking on the last leg of their long journey, and need to raise $10,000 more to complete the project. They're in the home stretch, but they need all the help they can get to make it past the finish line. Please consider becoming a part of this beautiful and intricate expedition by giving to Tom's kickstarter. If you have a desire to see unique photographic art in this world, your contribution won't be wasted.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tgwilkinson/tg-wilkinson-sequential-staged-narrative-photograp

The first character I think of when someone asks me about my favorite fictional character is Menolly, the protagonist of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong and Dragonsinger. Why?

Most plots, particularly those in genre fiction, require protagonists to be action-oriented, as a main character who does nothing does not create an interesting story. But I am a risk-averse introvert who is decidedly the opposite of your average main character. While most of the time it's fun to live vicariously through characters that are very different from me, occasionally I find it hard to empathize with a loudmouthed, bold-as-brass, trigger-happy protagonist.

This is why Menolly is such a breath of fresh air to me. Menolly is shy, quiet, largely non-confrontational, and obviously introverted. Despite this, she still experiences an amazing adventure. That's why she's my favorite character. She is someone I can imagine being, and she has a story I can imagine living.