Ink and Riffs: Life is Strange comic, Titanic history, and Samantha Marie’s new EP

Ink and Riffs is a regular review series written by me, Citywide Co-Host Max Bowen, to talk about what I’m reading and listening to and why I think it’s awesome. Feel free to send suggestions to citywidemax@yahoo.com.


Life is Strange: Forget Me Not (comic)
I’m a big, big, BIG fan of the “Life is Strange” video games and eagerly read the comic series that was released through Titan Comics in 2020. In 2023, the company released a four-issue series that that follows “True Colors,” the most recent game in the series, which is what I’m writing about here. 

In the new series, “Forget Me Not,” Alex Chen and Steph Gingrich are on the road together, living their dream as a band, converting an old bus into their mobile home and playing gigs all over. But their plans change when they meet Lily, a girl with the ability to take people’s memories—and all she wants is to give them back and find her family.

Storytelling is definitely a core strength of the LiS series, and “Forget Me Not” carries this well, creating a world with depth, feeling and purpose. It was cool getting to see the artistic journey of Alex and Steph and the various challenges they encounter, such as dismal crowds and asshole label execs. The girl is more than a story element—we learn a lot about her and feel for her when we discover how her powers have devastated her life.

Art-wise, I really enjoyed the look of the comic. It has life to it, and the detail in the different scenes, such as Alex and Steph’s mobile home or the clubs they play at. The clothing designs are also well thought out and helps to show the personalities of the cast. In all, this series is a strong continuation to “True Colors” and definitely worth checking out.

A Night to Remember (book)

Regarded as a classic recounting of the final night of the Titanic and rightfully so, “A Night to Remember” combines exact details with powerful emotion to take readers to that fateful night in 1912.

Written by Walter Lord, the book opens the night of April 14, 1912, when the ship declared to be “Unsinkable,” struck an iceberg. Two hours later, the ship seen as the height of shipbuilding and luxury was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

I’ve long had a fascination with the story of Titanic and this book provides a wealth of information that I was before now unaware of. Reading this, I’m transported back to that fateful night, amongst the passengers as they try to save themselves from the doomed ship. The book follows passengers in third, second and first class as they respond to the unthinkable and eventually come to terms with the reality filling the decks and halls of the great ship.

One thing about the book is that it’s the result of a lot of research and interviews with survivors to help set the scenes. We’re given precise details and scenes that really paint a picture of what is happening, from the moment of the iceberg to the survivors trying to determine their fate. The result is an accounting of this historic milestone and a book not to be missed.


Shapeshifting (music)
The second studio album from singer-songwriter Samantha Marie is a really amazing collection of music. I had previously heard the single “aphrodite,” which caught my attention immediately with its beautiful instrumentation and beautiful vocals, and learning the album was out on Oct. 18 was a good day.

The seven tracks are soothing, but carry a message of navigating the world of mental health. One of my favorites is “shinjuku,” which opens with an elegant piano melody and quickly but smoothly moves through different elements.

“Aphrodite” creates an atmosphere of sound that draws you right in and wanders through a great assortment of music, with a blend of folk and pop sounds.

The album features some collaborations, with bectopia on “aphrodite” and Covey on “shinjuku,” and the chemistry is apparent on both. The integration between their different sounds is seamless and really enhances what each brings to the table.

“Shapeshifting” really shows Samantha Marie’s range as an artist and I’m eager to see what’s next.

Ballet dancer looks at life on stage in collection of memoir essays

In her new book “Fierce and Delicate,” Renee Nicholson looks back on her 14 years as a ballet dancer, which began as a child and ended abruptly with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Renee pulls no punches in this book—written as a collection of essays—and talks about the internal struggles experienced when it came to certain topics. As she puts it, nearly everything was taken out of the book at one time or another.

Renee and I talk about the direction her life took after her time as a dancer ended. This includes a new teaching role and she reflects on how her time in ballet prepared her, from guiding young dancers to dealing with their parents. We also look at the ways that the dance world has changed, how young dancers are learning from one another, and the way they're planning for the future.

“Fierce and Delicate” isn't Renee's first foray into the writing world and she talks about working in Narrative Medicine, where she helps people in difficult medical situations to share their stories.

Author Frank Thoms gives us a look at the real Russia in new book

Writer Frank Thoms has spent 25 years talking about Marxism, Russian history, and Soviet Communism as a teacher. But he's also spent years in Russia on seven different occasions since 1985 and has been beyond the Iron Curtain and the Red Veil to what the country is really like. 

In his new book, “Behind the Red Veil: An American inside Gorbachev’s Russia,” he introduces people to Russia, its people, and how he changed from the experience.