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The Great Video Game Creator: Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto and his greatest creation.

Shigeru Miyamoto is the creator of some of the best video games in history. He is the creator of Super Mario Bros., The Legend Of Zelda, Kirby, and the very first Nintendo game, Sheriff.

Over time, he has also been involved in so many Nintendo games, from Super Mario 64, to Smash Bros. Melee, to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, all the way to Pikmin 3 Deluxe, which came out recently in 2020. He helped Nintendo become the gaming giant that it is today. He is the main reason we have games like The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.

A lot of Shigeru’s inspiration comes from real life, such as his gardening, which was the inspiration for Pikmin. But before we talk about Shigeru himself, let's talk about some of his work.

Nintendo at first was a small trading card company. However, when they started going into the gaming industry, they made a lot of really bad games. But Shigeru started working there in 1977 and so on, but then made a game that started a long line of well acclaimed games. It was known as Donkey Kong.

Originally, Donkey Kong was going to be a game based off of the Popeye series, but they replaced the characters (Bluto turned to Donkey Kong, Olive Oyl became Pauline, and Popeye became Mario). The “Donkey” in Donkey Kong was used to portray a short temper or anger. However, this led to the creation of one the best video game series ever, Super Mario Bros..

The original Super Mario Bros.

Mario was first introduced in Donkey Kong, and then became wildly popular when Super Mario Bros. was released worldwide. He has not only become one of the most popular game characters, but has a movie in the works, a manga, and more than one game on each Nintendo system. Had he not been invented, Nintendo of America would not exist. He basically is the Avengers of the gaming industry. When it comes to his games, he is inevitable.

Speaking of inevitable Nintendo games, The Legend of Zelda is another one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, and like Pikmin, it had inspiration from Miyamoto’s childhood. He bravely explored a cave in Sonobe, Kyoto when he was about seven or eight, and this was the beginning of The Legend of Zelda. These adventures spawned some of the best games ever. It took a while to release, but it was very well received with its great dramatic music and storyline.

Like with most games back then, The Legend of Zelda had a manual only for use if you were having a hard time, which was almost always disregarded. Honestly, I’ve played it, and I really enjoy it. It shows me that even back then, games were still super cool. But enough about games. Let's talk about the main focus of this article, Shigeru Miyamoto.

The award-winning The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Shigeru Miyamoto has been and is one of the most important game designers in history. When he made Donkey Kong, there was a lot of weight on him, the main reason being that Nintendo of America's fate rested on his shoulders. Radar Scope, an old Nintendo game, wasn’t selling well, which could have pushed Nintendo to the brink of bankruptcy.

However, when it came out in arcades, Donkey Kong was a big hit, saving Nintendo of America from bankruptcy. From then on, he made more games that would continue to impress the world. However, one of the main games that he made that helped Nintendo skyrocket to where it is now is Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo Entertainment System. That's why Nintendo is the gaming giant it is, because of him. He makes some of the most enjoyable games ever, and as gamers and non-gamers, we can be thankful of that.

He has been working at Nintendo for forty-three years and while he isn’t working on other Nintendo games currently, he is doing work on the upcoming Super Mario Movie by Illumination. One of his famous quotes is, "Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock and roll."

He has two adult children, 26 and 28 and a wife.

Fin.

References:

The Legend Of Zelda Developer Interview by Akinori Sao, 2016

Super Mario Bros Interview by Akinori Sao, 2016

Shigeru Miyamoto Article on the FANDOM Nintendo Wiki

Mark Mothersbaugh Answers Elijah’s Questions

Portrait of Mr. Mothersbaugh by Ryan Schude.

Mark Mothersbaugh is the lead singer of the New Wave/Post Punk band Devo. He also scores movies and television shows. He’s written theme music for Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and Rugrats, while scoring music for The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and Thor: Ragnarok. He is not only a musician, but also an artist and a sculptor. He’s made art like the “Roli Polis” sculptures, Self Portrait as Clown, and Fingerbot and the Boy (more on these below!).

I first found out about Mark Mothersbaugh at a young age when I watched Yo Gabba Gabba!, where his segment was Mark’s Magic Pictures. I started listening to Devo in the fourth grade and learning more about them during this pandemic we’re in. I think that it made me see them as more than just musicians. It made me see them as people who had an important message and wanted to share it. Their focus on spreading a message instead of making money made me like their music even more.

So here is my interview with Mark Mothersbaugh!

Photo of Mark Mothersbaugh performing with Devo by Bobbie Watson Whitaker.

Elijah Gomez: You’re working on music for tv/movies/video games, your art/sculptures and you travel for appearances. What’s your creative process? How do you keep track of all of your projects?

Mark Mothersbaugh: I work on overlapping projects, because that’s the way my mind works. Sometimes music suggests a visual to me, and I walk across the hallway at my studio, and put it on paper.

I like working on/composing for film and tv and games because of the interaction with the other creators and artists that allow a composer to make an idea bigger than it was before I joined the project.

I have a great team at Mutato that keeps me on target on each project, so we never miss any deadlines.

Freedom of Choice, 1980

EG: The name Devo means de-evolution and songs like “Space Junk” are about scary futures, but songs like “Whip It” and “That’s Pep” send motivating messages. Songs like that taught me that life isn’t just positive or negative, but it’s both. What did being part of something like Devo do to change your world view?

MM: Devo was created as an art movement originally, writing songs and performing was much more affordable in those days than making films or large art pieces, and so we gravitated that direction as a natural response.

Members of Devo, Brian Eno and David Bowie.

EG: Why were you and the other members of Devo resistant to Brian Eno’s ideas for “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!”?

MM: Maybe I’ve overstated our resistance a little too much in interviews: Brian Eno, Corny Planck the engineer, and David Bowie all contributed artist material to the album. At that point in time, record companies were all angling for our attention. Managers were claiming that they represented us, and lots of outsiders all were looking for ways to get a piece of us before we had a chance to make our own public artist statement.

Brian Eno was and is a musical icon, a genius I think, and super supportive of us. I thank our lucky stars he was willing to put up with us and help make that recording happen.

Pee Wee’s Playhouse Theme by Mark Mothersbaugh and Cyndi Lauper.

EG: You have written theme songs (Rugrats, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Crash Bandicoot, the Sims series, Thor: Ragnarok, The Willoughby’s, and the Lego franchise) in different eras. What is it like creating music in all these different eras? What are your favorite and least favorite theme songs that you’ve written?

MM: I’ve enjoyed writing for film, games, and tv through the years, and technology has changed through the times and I’m always staying up to speed with all that stuff.

It’s been a fascinating experience.

As far as faves and least fave theme songs, it wouldn’t be fair to call the theme songs out that way.

My favorites change from day to day. I love early ones for different reasons than I like later ones, same with Devo songs.

Sometimes I hear something I haven’t listened to in a few years, and I find a different meaning that wasn’t there originally for me. It’s ever evolving.

Untitled Roli Poli, Ink on ceramics, 2014

EG: What gave you inspiration for your Roli Polis? What are the Rolli Polis about? Do they speak?

MM: Roli Polis are kind of like minions of Booji Boys. They are trusting, loyal, and contain a part of my better side in them.

If we ever get them their own tv show, we could find out if they speak.

Self-Portrait as Clown, Screen print of painted collage, 1987

EG: Personally, I’m afraid of clowns, but I really like the postcard of you as a clown. Why did you make a self-portrait of yourself as a clown in Self-Portrait as Clown?

MM: It was a self-denigrating self-portrait that came up in time again when we were assembling the Myopia exhibition catalog.

I painted the image around 1975-77?

Next it was revived in a limited edition silk screen print that I made in the 1980’s.

I think it represents the process of growing up and realizing some things you thought/opinions you had when you were age 17, you just don’t feel the same about those same things at age 28.

Fingerbot and the Boy, Woven Nylon Fibers, 2009

EG: In Fingerbot and the Boy, Fingerbot has no face, and I think he and the Boy are making first contact with their fingers. What is the meaning behind their interaction?

MM: I like Fingerbot because it is sort of the naive self connecting with wisdom and experience.

1964—Monument to the Conquerors of Space, 2012

EG: Living through the protest and shootings at Kent State were a part of the inspiration for Devo and the concept of de-evolution. I’m living through a pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. You expressed your feelings through music and art, and I’m getting to express mine through writing and art. There are similarities, because we both used words and creativity to communicate, but how did you keep your creative process together during those troubling times?

MM: I needed to turn to my creative process after the shootings, because the other Devos and myself were confused by what had happened.

We realized de-evolution was real, and we wanted to talk about it through our art.

EG: This is a similar time of trouble to when Devo started. I feel like some of the messages are still important today. Are there any plans for future Devo albums about this time? If not, are you making any solo music about this time?

MM: Never say never for future Devo albums, I write music for myself - not just for Hollywood - on a regular basis, and I’ve enjoyed putting out limited releases through the years.

I’ve been encouraged to organize and release more of the approximately 50 albums worth of material I have written for my own enjoyment, but that means facing the other way - instead of continuing to forge ahead.

Ping Island/Lightning Strike Rescue Op

EG: I recently watched The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (directed by Wes Anderson), and I really liked it. What was your favorite song that you made for the movie? Mine was Attack On Ping Island.

MM: I have to say, I enjoyed writing Attack on Ping Island. By that point in our relationship, Wes was coming into my studio before he had the script finished, and we talked about what the outdated music equipment on the boat would be, and how it would sound.

So we (Wes and I) went down to the basement at Mutato Muzika, and pulled out an old 1970’s era Oberheim TVS 1 synth from Devo archives, and it sounded just right.

I remember when I had live orchestral players in my studio, recording Attack On Ping Island, and right before we recorded it, Wes walked into the room with the players and instructed them to “play like you’re a synthesizer”, which I thought was awesome.

Club DEVO Catalog - Surplus 1980

While I am inspired by Mr. Mothersbaugh, I don’t believe in idols, but I’m impressed by his ability to multitask and his unparalleled level of creativity.

Thank you Mr. Mothersbaugh and Jennifer Shipman @ Mutato Studios for the interview. I hope that you all enjoyed this interview as much as I enjoyed working on it!

Fin.

Jacob Lawrence’s “Migration Series”

Jacob Lawrence hard at work.

The Migration Series by Jacob Lawrence is a sixty piece series of paintings about The Great Migration. The Great Migration was an event that went from 1916 to 1970, where millions of Blacks went to the north to escape the dangers and cruelty of the south, especially since there were lynchings. The north had better jobs and pay, but it also had racism still. Jacob Lawrence was 23 years old when he made The Migration Series, and worked on it from 1940 to 1941.

His parents divorced when he was 7 years old, and he and his siblings were put into foster care. When he was 13 years old, they went to New York City to live with their mother in Harlem. He discovered art when his mom put him in classes after school. He often drew with crayons when he was young. He fell behind in school at 16, and had to start working at a laundromat and a printing plant.

Harlem Community Art Center, 1938.

He started taking classes at the Harlem Art Workshop. He was taught by Charles Alston, who suggested he join the Harlem Community Art Center. He eventually joined, and his teacher was Augusta Savage. She got him a scholarship at the American Artists School, and also got him a position at the Works Progress Administration.

Charles Alston and Augusta Savage.

In 1941, on July 24, he married Gwendolyn Knight, a student in his class whom he liked. They were married the same year he finished The Migration Series. She helped Jacob with his paintings and with writing the captions for them. Gwendolyn Knight painted during her life but didn’t have her first solo exhibition until 1970.

Jacob Lawrence and Gwendolyn Knight.

The Migration Series was inspired by what was happening in America for Blacks during that time. The Great Migration is very important in Black history. There were racist White people who would bomb and burn homes where Blacks lived, and if they moved somewhere else, they’d follow them and do the same thing again. Not only that, but they wouldn’t be able to live in good homes with fair prices. Instead, they had to live in bad or unsafe homes with unfair prices. During WWI, most jobs that white immigrants would be doing, Black men were doing those jobs and making more money, and that didn't make white men happy. This is one of the causes of the bombings and burnings.

Waiting for a northbound train in Jacksonville, Florida, 1921

Many Black people stayed in the South because moving could be difficult and expensive. But the 6 million Black people who decided to leave showed that sometimes if you’ve had enough, you don’t have to stay where you are. You can leave to find a better job and make a better life.

This led to the Black community in the North increasing between the 54 years of the Great Migration, making a big change in the North’s Black population. It was good for the people migrating, but for the people in the North, it was a bit worrying. Some white people in the North were worried about Blacks competing for jobs and places to live, which caused Black people to face problems similar to what they had faced in the South.

The Migration Series, Panel no. 1, Casein tempera on hardboard, 1940-41

I like painting The Migration Series, Panel no. 1 - During World War I there was a great migration north by southern African Americans. I like it because it not only gives a simple explanation of The Great Migration, but also says that it started during World War I which gives me a specific time to the beginning of the migration.

The Migration Series, Panel no. 4, Casein tempera on hardboard, 1940-41

I like The Migration Series, Panel no. 4 - All other sources of labor having been exhausted, the migrants were the last resource. I like its use of colors. The nail in the painting is both dark blue and black, making it look a bit 3D.

The Migration Series, Panel no. 37, Casein tempera on hardboard, 1940-41

I like The Migration Series, Panel no. 37 - Many migrants found work in the steel industry. I like it because it gives an example of a job you could have in the North, like working in the steel mill. It uses the good color combination of blue and yellow to represent molten steel.

The Migration Series, Panel no. 60, Casein tempera on hardboard, 1940-41

Lastly, I like The Migration Series, Panel no. 60 - And the migrants kept coming. I like it because while it gives an end to Jacob Lawrence’s story of The Great Migration, it isn’t the end, because the migrants kept coming.

Fin.

A Bit of You in Five: Jack Davey

A Bit of You In Five are five questions that I ask people about books, food, art, music, and technology. I use the answers to learn from people who create things I find interesting.

Still from Jack Davey’s Undone

Jack Davey is a musician and formerly a part of the influential, two person band, J*Davey. She has collaborated w/ Thundercat, The Roots, Prince and many more. She is now a solo singer, boss and also my Titi Bri.

Her new song “Who Are You?” is out now as part of the Defund The Sheriff album. You can listen to it on Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music now!

Titi Bri aka Jack Davey!

Elijah Gomez: What is the last book you read that meant something to you, and why did it mean something to you? Jack Davey: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was the last book that I read that meant something to me. It’s a story that explores the metaphysics of quality in life, specifically how we maintain our well oiled machines to sustain our relative quality of life. It made me think deeply about my own personal practices and spiritual maintenance toward achieving a quality life experience.

EG: Where do you love to eat, and why? JD: I love to eat in my mama’s kitchen, because NOBODY makes food like mama and it’s free, so ain’t nothing beating that.

EG: What is your favorite band and why do you love that band? JD: My fave band has got to be The Roots. Their dedication to their craft and skill as musicians is unmatched.

EG: Who is your favorite visual artist and how do they inspire you? JD: Martin Scorsese. The way he uses music to reinforce his moving images has always inspired me.

EG: What is your favorite piece of technology from the 21st century? JD: The internet, hands down!

Titi Bri and me!

The Back to the Future Trilogy

Back to the Future Trilogy posters. ←

The Back to the Future trilogy is a great trilogy, like Lord of the Rings, but like any trilogy, it has its flaws and its good points. I am here to give my opinion on the good and bad on Back to the Future Part I, II, and III.

Doc Brown and Marty McFly in amazement after seeing the time traveling DeLorean. ←

Part I

Enter a room with tons of clocks and machines. A bowl with dog food with the name “Einstein”. A boy comes in. He connects his guitar to a huge speaker. The moment the sound begins, he is blown back into a bookcase. This whole scene is how the movie begins.

Back to the Future is about Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) who travels back in time by mistake when his scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) is killed by terrorists because Doc stole plutonium from them. Marty and Doc were working on a time travel machine and Marty ends up in 1955. His mom ends up falling in love with him, which if he does not reverse will cause him, his brother and sister to never be born. He also has to find a way to travel back home to 1985. This recurring them of Doc and Marty having to go through time to fix something they botched repeats throughout the series.

George McFly, Lorraine Baines and Marty McFly (aka Calvin Klein) at The Enchantment Under the Sea dance. ←

The movie is great, but in both Part I and Part II, there isn't much respect for the women in the movie. I hate Biff (Thomas F. Wilson). He is a Class A, complete, and absolute jerkface. He’s the kind of person you’d want to avoid in middle and high school.

George McFly (Crispin Glover) is a coward throughout most of the movie, but when he gets the courage to punch Biff, it’s a great moment for his character.

One of the main things I find funny during the movie is when Marty plays his guitar in 1955 and no one, and I mean NO ONE knows what he’s playing. All of their faces are like “What?!” Doc is hilarious throughout the movie. He’s the kind of guy who’s very smart, but still comedic.

They just didn’t get his guitar playing lol. ←

Near the end of the movie, I am shown a student trying to force Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) to dance with him, but with his “newfound courage”, George takes her back, which got on my nerves, because they were objectifying her. Up until Part III, women were not treated kindly.

The end of the movie has Doc say “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” I think that the movie itself is good, but it does have some flaws.

Marty and the Time Machine in 2015 from Back to the Future 2.←

Part II

According to Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, they got 2015 about 50% right. Not hoverboards, of course. Anyways, Part II started where Part I ended, with Doc’s famous quote, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” The movie is in three timelines. 2015, Post Apocalyptic 1985*, and 1955.

When Jennifer is asking too many questions about her and Marty's future, Doc uses a device to make her unconscious, being a scene where women are mistreated. I think she was curious about what the future was like, and even if it would bend time and reality, that didn’t give Doc the right to make her pass out.

*It’s not like that literally, it just feels like it.

Hoverboard! ←

In 2015, we had iPhones and Wii U’s, not hoverboards and food dispensers. BTTF2 might have gotten 50% of 2015 right, but half isn’t that close. In 1985, when they return, Marty’s family isn’t home, Biff is rich and runs the town, he married Lorraine somehow, Doc was declared crazy, and Marty’s dad is dead. This goes to show that (unless time travel isn’t invented) one little thing can have a huge effect. After realizing that 2015 Biff stole an almanac from 2015 with all sports events from 1950 to 2000, and gave it to 1955 Biff, then Doc and Marty have to go back time.

Griff Tannen with his gang. ←

Unfortunately, going to 2015 would make the events of 1985 ripple into 2015, meaning they need to go to 1955. The dynamic duo of Doc and Marty retrieve the Almanac and destroy it, but the DeLorean is struck by lightning, somehow sending Doc to 1885. Marty goes to 1955 Doc, and after Marty says ‘I’m back FROM the future”, 1955 Doc passes out, ending the second part of the trilogy.

Time Machine in 1885, from Back to the Future 3. ←

Part III

The third and final part of the BTTF trilogy is my favorite part of the series. I didn’t know much about Western movies, and had only seen a glimpse of a western during an episode of Ultimate Spider-Man (Great show, by the way!). The movie is great. It really was a non-stop thrill ride. I think that of all of the Tannens shown throughout the trilogy, Buford ”Mad Dog” Tannen is the worst. He is a very cruel person, and had Marty not made the decision to go back to 1885 to save 1985 Doc’s life, he would feel guilty about it for the rest of his (fictional) life.

Marty faces off with Buford. ←

One of my favorite parts involves the fight between Buford and Marty. Marty knows Buford is obviously going to shoot him, so he put on a metal plate and then punched Buford hard a few times. Then Buford fell into manure, a.k.a., POOP! Honestly, that’s one of (in my opinion) the funniest scenes, although it happened to 1955 Biff and his cronies in 1955.

One of the main characters, Clara, isn’t used as a plot device, and isn’t just there to be there. She has an impact on the events, and has feelings. Although she doesn't believe Doc when he says he’s from the future and he has to go, she has the right to be angry, although she came back for him when she found out how sad he was. I like that they made Clara an important person in Part III. It shows that they understood that women shouldn’t be used as plot devices.

Doc and Clara’s Time Train in 1985. ←

When Marty goes back to 1985 with the DeLorean, it is destroyed shortly after. Doc spends an unknown amount of time in 1885, and returns in the “Time Train”, which ends the movie similar to Part I, ending the trilogy.

Back to the Future: Tales from the Time Train, Issues 1-3. ←

What’s Next For Back To The Future?

Although there probably isn’t going to be a Back To The Future IV/4, the closest thing we have is the IDW Comics series, Back to the Future: Tales from the Time Train which shows what happens to Doc and his family after Part III, which, although I haven’t read it, I bet will be good.

Time Machine Time Circuits. ←

Was it good?

I think that the women in Part I and II could have bigger roles, but I like that in Part III they gave Clara a bigger role in the story. I also like the idea of different timelines with different versions of people. Overall I think trilogy is pretty good.

Fin.

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

Album cover designed by John Cabalka, Erik Munsön and Devo Inc.

On August 28th, 1978, one of the best albums in history came out—Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!. Devo is a New Wave band from Akron, Ohio, consisting of two sets of brothers—Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald and Bob Casales—and drummer Alan Myers. I was introduced to Mark Mothersbaugh when I was little and watched Yo Gabba Gabba, where he was a contributor.

During the recording the other band members didn’t really listen to producer Brian Eno’s ideas. They admitted that he had some really good beats, but they were resistant to them. Devo were unwilling to change their original demos of the songs. Eno had good synth parts, but they didn’t really use most of them. Eno’s parts ended up only being used for three to four songs. I think the band were resistant because they thought the demos were already good to go.

Devo by me, Elijah Gomez.

One of my favorite Devo songs is “Space Junk”. It’s about objects from space falling into the world. In the song, a girl named Sally was hit and crushed by space junk, hence the name. Sally is a regular person that happens to get crushed because governments are in a space race and they’re not protecting the common people—the regular Joe or Josephine. One of my favorite parts of the tempo is that it goes fast, up and down and I think it fits well with Mark Motherbaugh’s robotic raps, and the final piece of the puzzle is Devo’s multi patterned drums. Gerald Casale and Bob Mothersbaugh wrote “Space Junk”, and produced the song.

The album itself is a home run going 121.7 mph. It has the tempo going up and down quickly, and uses the drums in a whole new way. It is fun to dance to and have a good time with! Produced by Brian Eno (with additional production by David Bowie), Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is a great new wave album with music inspired by post-punk, punk rock and hip hop. It helped show me that music can tell stories. I think this is a great album and if you like to listen to music that’s not the norm I recommend that you listen to Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!.

FIN.

Devo hat! photo by George Gomez

A Bit of You in Five: Tanya Morgan

A Bit of You In Five are five questions that I ask people about books, food, art, music, and technology. I use the answers to learn from people who create things I find interesting.

Von Pea, photo by David McDowell

Von Pea and Donwill make hip-hop/rap music, and are known as Tanya Morgan. Donwill is originally from Cincinnati, OH but lives in Brooklyn, NY, and Von Pea is from Brooklyn, but lives in Cary, NC. Their new EP Be Right Back (BRB) is coming out on April 10th, 2020.

BRB was recorded over 4-5 days, at their own houses. They created it during the global pandemic because they felt that “to write out thoughts and express emotions is more constructive than obsessing over things that can’t be controlled.”

You can listen to it on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play, Tidal, and Bandcamp on April 10, 2020 and Resurrection is the first song from the BRB EP, available now!

Donwill, by David McDowell

Elijah: What is the last book you read that meant something to you, and why did it mean something to you? Donwill: The last book I read that meant something to me was Parable of The Sower by Octavia Butler. It's a story about learning to deal with change and how we may not be able to control a situation, but remaining in control of our responses is important. I don't know if your parents would let you read it but it's definitely a book that I'd recommend. It is kind of scary at times and feels pretty close to what is going on in the world today as well. Von Pea: Hmm... I’m reading Go Ahead In The Rain by Hanif Abdurraqib right now and it's about one of my favorite groups, A Tribe Called Quest. They’ve meant so much to me growing up and I’m still inspired by them to this day. The author speaks on his personal relationship with their music and the role it played in his life. It's special to read about a subject you also share a love for.

E: Where do you love to eat, and why? D: One of my favorite places to eat is the Italian bakery in my neighborhood. Whenever I go there it feels like I am in Italy and the coffee and pastries are great. I love coffee and they really know what they are doing. They also have really dope brick oven pizza that I absolutely love to eat. V: I love to eat at the nearest soul food place with a decent rating haha. I try to eat at home and when I'm at work, I grab whatever I can. If I can find a good fried fish place and get some yams and greens, I'm a happy camper. I don't have a specific place, necessarily. When I'm back in Brooklyn, I go to Duncan’s.

E: What is your favorite band and why do you love that band? D: I'm going to slightly modify this question and give you the name of my favorite musician, Stevie Wonder. He is hands down my favorite producer and songwriter. His catalog is so dense. There are different eras of his work, so you can immerse yourself in his career as a kid or dive into him as an experimental 20-something. He also wrote and produced for a bunch of other people, so his catalog feels endless. V: De La Soul! They are tied with A Tribe Called Quest as my favorite, but they never broke up so they have more albums. I have been a fan since I was what, 10 years old? They always sounded like they were making music that I wanted to make even back then. They’re older than me, but their music was more playful when I was a kid, so it's like their music matured as I did.

E: Who is your favorite visual artist and how do they inspire you? D: This is a tough question mainly because I'm so immersed in music, but I love Gordon Parks. There’s this photograph called A Great Day in Harlem by Art Kane that documented the jazz scene happening in Harlem during the 1950s. Gordon Parks was commissioned by a hip hop magazine called XXL to recreate a version of the original photo documenting rappers almost 20 years later. It's one of my favorite photos of all time. V: Shoot...I have said this for over 10+ years now. Tatyanna Fazlalizadeh is the first time I had an emotional reaction to art outside of music or some movie. It was a painting of a little boy crying and it made me feel something. I never really paid much attention to visual artists, but my friends are slowly opening my mind up haha.

E: What is your favorite piece of technology from the 21st century? D: It would probably be my iPhone. I have a love-hate relationship with it but it's a pretty powerful piece of technology and something I would have never imagined. It's like having a super computer in your pocket. V: Video calling that really works well. Especially in times like these where people can't be in the same room with their extended families. It's mad important these days and we probably took it for granted before.

FIN

Cover art for Tanya Morgan’s Be Right Back EP

Design: Flux Fun

When I designed the Flux Fun logo it started out as a pencil drawing, then my dad helped me upload it to the computer and I chose the colors from the Flux brand colors. Then I chose the font for the letters. I chose to do the logo as a drawing because kids would be attracted to drawings. I figured it would work well since this is a project for kids. I chose the font because i thought kids would be attracted to the bubbly letters. I, for one, like bubbly letters and I think it’s safe to assume that most kids would, too.

Thank you Flux Projects for giving me a chance to design this. I truly appreciate it.

From Flux Projects:

This series of small engagements was created to help us see our home spaces in surprising new ways, much like our temporary art projects have done for public spaces for the past 10 years.

We envision these actions to be created by yourself, with others in your home, and sometimes with people next door, across the street, or down the hall.

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Croissants, Cookies, and Kouign Amaans… OH MY!

By Elijah Gomez

All photos by Elijah Gomez.

I’ve gone to The Little Tart Bake Shop since we first moved to the Grant Park neighborhood when I was a little kid. My parents introduced me to many foods I’d never eaten or seen before, and I fell in love with French pastries. My favorite pastry is the plain croissant, but we’ll get into that later. First, let me introduce the woman who made my love for French pastries possible.

Lea & Mrs. Sarah.

Sarah O’Brien (I call her Mrs. Sarah) is the owner of The Little Tart Bake Shop (Little Tart), an Atlanta bakery created so people can eat pastries and enjoy time with each other. Little Tart technically began as a booth at the farmers markets in 2010, and the very first Little Tart opened in Grant Park in 2011. It was made with hard work, development, love and teamwork. Since then, Little Tart has opened two more locations, one in Krog Street Market in 2014, and one in Summerhill in 2019.

For this story, we visited the Grant Park Little Tart. This location has gigantic windows with lots of sunlight, and a big outdoor patio for kids and dogs. Mrs. Sarah has been a professional baker for almost 10 years, and said, “here in the Grant Park shop, I’ve been baking for more than eight years.”

Pink Praline Escargot.

Mrs. Sarah described the Little Tart menu as “... French inspired and Southern based” which I agree with. The menu was made by everyone on staff working together, developing and sharing ideas, and working as a team to choose menu items. Some of the best pastries on the menu are the Kouign Amaan, whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, sablés, and the greatest pastry I’ve ever tasted, THE PLAIN CROISSANT.

The perfect pastry.

A croissant is a buttery, flaky, and slightly crunchy kind of pastry, and was first made in 1839 when an Austrian artillery officer, August Zang, opened a Viennese bakery on rue de Richelieu in Paris. When I eat a croissant, it’s like a flaky flavor explosion in my mouth, and if you have apple juice, it’s a DOUBLE flavor explosion. But if it’s a chocolate croissant with apple juice, it’s a TRIPLE FLAVOR EXPLOSION! Your taste buds have a super delicious party because the flavors are so darn yummy. Basically, croissants are amazing and a perfect pastry. I went behind the scenes in the Little Tart kitchen to find out how they get made, and who makes them.

How Croissants are made with Sofia!

In February, Mrs. Sarah and I sat down to chat about Little Tart.

Elijah: So, Mrs. Sarah, how did you get into baking? Sarah: My grandma was an incredible baker, and taught me to make her famous apple pie when I was ten years old. I've been baking ever since.

E: Where did you study baking? S: I didn't! I studied literature and poetry but just always came back to my love of baking. [Note: She earned her MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop]

E: Why did you decide to collaborate with Octane on the original Grant Park location? S: I respected Tony and Diane (founders/owners of Octane Coffee) and the business they built, so I was proud to partner with them. I didn't know anything about coffee so it made sense to me to partner with the best in town. I learned a ton of what I know about coffee from watching them.

E: Do you have many seasonal dishes and pastries? S: Yes! Our galettes, quiche, danishes, frangipane - so much of what we do is seasonal.

BGT Sandwich.

E: Why did you choose to reduce Little Tart’s menu items that contain meat? S: My goal is to be thoughtful in all of the decisions I make in this business. I have many opportunities to truly demonstrate my values, through hiring, policies, how we work with our community, and how we spend our money. So this is a way for us to tread a bit lighter on the earth, by using less meat, since animals raised for meat contribute greatly to greenhouse gases and thus, global warming.

E: What makes a sablé different from the other cookies at Little Tart? S: The texture! Sablé means "sandy" in French, so a sablé should be lightly crisp and crumbly, never soft!

Grant Park Little Tart coffee bar.

E: What inspired your design choices? S: Just what I like! My home pretty much looks the same as Little Tart. I love green and brass and plants and lots of different wood tones and textures.

Grant Park Little Tart seating and table.

E: How do you balance family life when you and your husband both work in the food industry? S: Oh boy. Big question Eli! It's hard all the time, and I'm not sure balance is a real, achievable thing, but mostly I just try to ride the wave of whatever is happening and enjoy the downtime when I have it. I also invest in my team. I surround myself with the best folks so that I can have time away with my family. I couldn't do any of it without my team, and that includes my team at home - my husband! And my husband is lucky to have incredible partners, too. So we're in a good place to somehow make it all work. [Note: Mrs. Sarah’s husband is Paul. He co-owns Ticonderoga Club.]

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Currant and Double Chocolate Chip!

My final thoughts about The Little Tart Bake Shop are that it’s a great business with delicious food, a calm and welcoming atmosphere, and very kind people who love to bake and support our community. Little Tart is overall a great place to hang out and have fun while eating yummy pastries.

Little Tart’s locations are currently closed because of COVID-19 social distancing, but you can support them this weekend on Saturday and Sunday (March 28 - 29) by PRE-ORDERING some Little Tart yumminess ONLINE. Pre-order (with one hours notice) and then pickup Saturday or Sunday from 9am - noon at the Grant Park shop. They’ll have pastry boxes, coffee (iced and cold brew concentrate in mason jars), and pantry staples. I LOVE YOU LITTLE TART!

FIN.

Little Tart Bakeshop 437 Memorial Dr SE Atlanta, GA 30312 littletartatl.com

Omari at the coffee bar.

Eating the perfect pastry. Photo by Kristy Gomez.

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