Everybody Poops
Posted on February 04, 2008 by Laura Kittrell
Check out the Wikipedia page for parrotfish. It will tell you that the parrotfish gets its name from its "parrot-like" beak. It will also tell you that the parrotfish changes its gender during its lifetime. It will not, however, tell you about the wonderful world of parrotfish poop. Wikipedia isn't exactly known for being the world's best resource on, well, anything, but poop is the most interesting thing the parrotfish has going for it. A more thorough Googling will tell you that a large portion of the world's sand is, in fact, parrotfish poop. Seriously. That castle you just made? Poop. Those buckets of sand you just poured over your friend? Poop. That thing you just swallowed underwater that's making you gag a little? Sand? No, poop.
Saving the Day Pretty Regularly
Posted on November 11, 2007 by Stephen Piccarella
The day I became a superhero was July 11th, 2007, the day I came to my first workshop at 826NYC. Since then, I've been fighting crime and saving the day pretty regularly. I'm sure you've seen me in the papers under headlines like, "CRIME FOUGHT!" or, "DAY SAVED!" I don't have my own series of comic books yet, because I've only been on the scene for a few months, but I've appeared in comics alongside my close friends Daredevil and Dr. Strange several times. Daredevil's a nice guy. He's lived through some rough stuff, so he's not all there all the time, but he's good company. I think he makes appearances here once in a while. If you're reading this, look into it. He's somebody you should meet, no matter who you are. I don't know about Strange, though. Dr. Strange is a really crazy dude. I mean really crazy.
What They Were Thinking
Posted on July 17, 2007 by Dante, age 11
I am Dante, taking the summer filmmakers workshop. This guy is Ben, who plays Jordan, one of the main characters. In this shot he just found a cave in prehistoric times and he took a giant millipede egg, which he thinks is a dinosaur egg. Actually, it's neither: It's an avocado! If you want to know why he's in prehistoric times, it's because he and his sister went into their grandfather's laboratory and accidentally turned on a time machine and went to the past!!
Being in the film workshop is crazy. We're standing on ladders with the cameras, the light is so hot you can cook on it, and the avocado is making me hungry!
Life in the Ring
Posted on February 14, 2007 by Alex, age 8
You know what I think we should have? I think we should have fake wrestling tournaments. We'll call it KWE (Kids' Wrestling Entertainment). It's about all these kids who love to watch wrestling. They could come up with wrestling names, and then become fake wrestlers.
The reason why I came up with this idea is because I love wrestling. I have loved wrestling since I was a little baby, even if I didn't understand some of the words. Wrestling might be a little inappropriate, but sometimes it can be fun to watch. So I think kids could do it, but not actually punch anybody's face or break any noses.
Tales of the 826NYC Super-Fish
Posted on January 31, 2007 by Ellie Horowitz
Long ago in a 40-gallon tank, fish swam blissfully through clear water and plastic plants. They lazed in their ceramic castle and burrowed in white pebbles. "This is the life," they said. "This is the life."
Soon after, the tank grew opaque and the fish began to die. What was turning the tank green? Bacteria? Photosynthesis? Nobody knows.
Two interns were sent on a mission to the pet store in order to save the six fish left. "It's the pH level!" The pet-store workers exclaimed. The interns returned to 826, emptied and filled ten gallons from the tank, and waited.
Blog Entry 0021
Posted on January 23, 2007 by Brendan, age 10
This is my first blog in like 4ever. Today I'm talking about my newest comic, Super Ultimate Book O'Fun. I really can't think of anything to talk about other than the fact that this comic is around 110 pages and that it might be downloaded on this blog (or in the writing gallery). But this is my first day back at after-school, so I'm pretty happy. Unfortunately, I have nothing else to say. Oh well.
Over and out.
Just Your Average Buisnnes Man
Posted on December 20, 2006 by Ted Thompson
For the first time since we opened our doors, the 826NYC staff has business cards. We have mixed emotions about this. On the one hand it's rather convenient to be able to hand someone our information when they ask without having to explain that our name comes from a street address in San Francisco. On the other hand there's something beautiful about being card-free—it means that we get to know people on a community level rather than a business one, that we know them primarily by their first names and from face-to-face interactions. I know it seems absurd to complain about the organization growing. We just hired our sixth (!) staffer and that means we're able to serve many more people beyond our community. It's just that when I asked Alex, age 8, to fill in the details of my card yesterday, it's funny that "Buisnnes Man" was the first thing that came to his mind. I always thought of us more as "Comunnitee Membrs".
Claymation Infestation!
Posted on November 06, 2006 by Meaghan O'Connell
The first day of our new claymation workshop, called "Shaping a Story"
I shook nervously as a formidable group of would-be stop-animators
arrived, all smiles and USB ports, and presented to the class their
own films they had worked on independently. I sat back wide-eyed,
watching what made me feel like an inferior human being. I
re-examined my wasted childhood, filled with too many episodes of
"Full House" and clearly not enough time spent with at-home movie
editing software. They had iMovie, I had Skip It. They had creative
outlets and practical life skills, I had the neighborhood record for
the number of times I could jump over a pink plastic ball attached to
my ankle... But there was no time to lament years of lost opportunity;
we had a story to shape.
826Bob Dylan
Posted on October 08, 2006 by Allison Milligan
"We don't usually make interns clean but..." So this is how my time at 826NYC started. Scott and I ventured out to Staples, some cleaning supply store, and then grabbed a car to the Williamsburg library. On the way I had little idea of where I was going and little idea of who I was with, but was fully aware that I wherever we were headed was a) extremely messy and dirty b) hasn't been used for months and may or may not have been broken into and c) contains a conspiracy theorist's vault. When descended into the depths of the Williamsburg Public Library, I was surprised - it was pleasant down there. Yes, it was a little dirty, but nothing our new slick new lime Swifer Wet Mop couldn't handle.
The *new* Dear Abby and Rock the Space Croc take over Williamsburgh
Posted on July 18, 2006 by Michelle Penaloza
Though the tutors outweighed the tutored (in number and actual size), the ideas and creativity abounded in our cozy Superhero Annex.
James, our resident advice-giver and problem-solver, crafted insightful responses to letter littered with burning questions: "My roommates shaved my cats' hair without my permission. Now they look horrible! What do I do and what should I say to my roommates?" and "What is the meaning of life?" James also tackled some seemingly unsolvable problems: ("Help! I have no ideas!")
Continue reading "The *new* Dear Abby and Rock the Space Croc take over Williamsburgh"