How would the major events of the world have been changed if superheroes truly existed? We may never know, but Indonesian photographer Agan Harahap, whose work we first spotted over at Design Taxi, takes a step towards imagining what it might have been like with these incredible vintage photos of World War II, manipulated to include superheroes and movie villains getting a piece of the action. The photos range from hilarious to poignant and even slightly disturbing – Batman giving orders to the paratroopers at Greenham airfield, Darth Vader sitting for pictures at Yalta, Captain American infiltrating a Russian prisoner-of-war camp — and a few of them make us feel a little better that superheroes don’t actually exist. After all, you never know whose side they might wind up on.
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Here at Flavorpill, we’re pretty much suckers for any kind of minimalist design — minimalist representations of your favorite children’s stories, minimalist posters for iconic TV shows, or minimalist memes. So when Abe Books created a gallery of modern minimalist book covers they liked, we were inspired to put together one of our own. There’s something so satisfying about the minimalist style — modern design is often hectic and showy, and while that can be beautiful, we tend to agree with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who said “A designer knows that he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Click through to feast your eyes our gallery of amazing minimalist book covers, and let us know if we missed your favorite in the comments.
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If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: the homicidal cowboy brothers from Patrick DeWitt’s recent Booker-shortlisted novel, The Sisters Brothers.
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We know what “women’s fiction” means — or what the book industry has made it mean, anyway: family novels or girl-in-the-city tales with pink covers and swirly font. But what puts a book in the “men’s fiction” category? Well, we only have to wait until June to find out — that’s when Esquire will release the first volume of their new e-book series entitled “Fiction for Men,” which has a pretty self-explanatory purpose. So if “women’s fiction” is based on stereotypical ideas of what women are most interested in — family, romance, Cosmopolitans — will Esquire’s series of “men’s fiction” be rooted in beer, sports, and cooking outdoors? Well, maybe, but if so, they’re not telling.
Esquire editor in chief David Granger explains his idea of fiction for men as prose that is “plot-driven and exciting, where one thing happens after another… And also at the same time, dealing with passages in a man’s life that seem common.” The first volume in the series will feature new short stories by Aaron Gwyn, Luis Alberto Urrea and Jess Walter (don’t get excited: Jess Walter is a man), so they’re definitely working with some quality authors — but will that make this moniker any more useful? Or do you think the series might actually get a few previously fiction-shy guys to read? [via Media Decoder]
Would you classify yourself as a geek? Wait though, which kind of geek? A pop culture geek? A sports geek? An encyclopedia geek? A chic geek? An internet geek? If you’re unsure, Best Colleges Online has put together a swell infographic to help you out. Now, let’s face it — you’re probably a combination of a few of these (we know we are, and we’d like to suggest that a lit geek category be added to round us out) — but it’s still fun to check out the attributes of the little cartoon geek version of yourself you most identify with. Click through to check out the infographic, and let us know where you fall on the Sacred Order of Geeks in the comments!
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This week, we read an article over at The Guardian which suggested that the “anxiety of influence” is waning — that is, that writers publishing today are no longer as closely influenced by the literary canon as they once were, and instead look to their contemporaries. Well, considering that this conclusion was the result of a mathematical study based on the number of “content-free” words like ‘of’, ‘at’ and ‘by,’ we’re not sure how much water it holds, but it inspired us to think about some modern writers who do seem to be carrying the torch for their old school counterparts, whether in topic, thematic style, or character. After all, the past never really goes away — especially in literature.
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Here at Flavorpill, we’re suckers for gorgeous photographs of abandoned and decaying spaces, and of course, for lovely architecture, no matter what state it’s in. Recently, we showed you some of the most beautiful train stations in the world – but what happens when those gorgeous places run their course? Though much beautiful architecture tends to fall to pieces beautifully, we think there’s something particularly fascinating about looking at a place that was once such a bustling center of activity after it has gone to seed, a specific feeling of lack that imbibes the place with an eerie glow. Click through to take a peek at our gallery ten gorgeous abandoned train stations from close to home and from far reaches across the globe, and if we haven’t mentioned your own favorite decaying beauty, please add to our collection in the comments.
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After seeing the lukewarm promo, we weren’t sure what to expect from last night’s Mick Jagger-hosted season finale of Saturday Night Live. Jagger was all right in the sketches, but (surprise, surprise) he really shone in the musical numbers, particularly his rendition of “The Last Time,” backed up by The Arcade Fire. Other than that, the episode was pretty middle-of-the-road, much like the season as a whole — not too bad, but not really phenomenal, either. This episode was Kristin Wiig’s last, and the cast sent her off with a teary, sloppy farewell homage that made us smile. Click through to watch the best and worst skits of the evening, and let us know if you agree with our assessments in the comments!
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Barcelona-based street artist Faif, whose work we first spotted over at Beautiful/Decay, takes himself — and his chosen art form — with a grain of salt. We like his tongue-in-cheek commentary on the world of street art, the legal ramifications of self-expression, and the true symbolism of bling in all its forms. Plus, all sarcastic social statements and colorfully winking jabs aside, his work is pretty fun to look at, and we wish some of it was in our town. Click through to check out a few of Faif’s projects, and then head over to his Flickr page to check out even more of his work.
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As you already know, The Avengers is pretty much already the people’s choice movie of the year, and has inspired all manner of pop culture tributes in recent months, from the relatively high brow to the delightfully low brow. Well, here’s just one more for you to add to the list, and it comes with a bonus — in addition to being a charming idea, these cute Avengers-themed cocktails, created by the genius mind (and great illustrator) behind The More I Arty, actually look pretty delicious. And hey, a sampling of your favorite before you go see the film in 3-d might just improve the experience.
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