The Whisky Live Celebration, a boutique festival experience for whisky lovers, will be touring three cities during autumn/winter 2018. Here's a list of some highlights to seek out, as well as ticketing information. Read on...

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 10 April 2018  |  View Comments

Here's a quick news update from the world of South African comics, with a special focus on news from some of the creators who will be appearing at FanCon Cape Town Comic Con later this month. Read on...

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 6 April 2018  |  View Comments

Injustice 2 is a stand-out example of what fighting games should be and offers an interesting feature in the form of gear pieces that you can use to customise your fighters, as well as a single-player mode that continues to offer new challenges every day.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 29 March 2018  |  View Comments

Fighting game Injustice 2 is a sequel to Injustice: Gods Among Us, which was released in 2013. The game was developed by NetherRealm Studios, which is the same development house that created Mortal Kombat X (in between the two Injustice games, in fact). It was released last year and now the "ultimate", presumably final, edition, Injustice 2: Legendary Edition has been launching this week for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs. If you've yet to buy the game this review is to help you decide whether this is one that's finally worth adding to your collection. Read on...

It's been a long, long wait but the comics project Defenders Of Eden is finally on Kickstarter with a tangible offering - Issue #1 of the comics series - that's ready to be printed and shipped. Read on...

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 23 March 2018  |  View Comments

In a reboot of yet another film franchise we are presented with a new origin story for Lara Croft, one of the few female action heroes in both video games and cinema who offers the possibility of being a role model for young women. The result presents a question: is this reboot good enough to be the definitive version or will we be subjected to another reboot (after a sequel or two) in a few years?

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 16 March 2018  |  View Comments

British businessman and widower Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West) leaves his barely teenage daughter, Lara (Alicia Vikander), behind when he heads off on a mysterious trip from which he does not return.

Fast forward seven years to 2018 and Lara, unable to come to terms with the fact that he has likely died, is working as a bicycle delivery person in east London and avoiding all connection to her wealthy origins.

After a mishap Ana Miller (Kristin Scott Thomas), Lara's (somewhat) guardian who has been running the Croft business empire in Richard's absence, convinces Lara that she has to accept the truth and sign the legal papers so she can take over custodianship of the Croft manor and inherit the Croft fortune and business empire. Read on...

Black Panther is a modern day science-fiction superhero escapist fantasy set in a world in which we ask the question: what if there was a country in Africa that had not been colonised and instead it had secretly become the most technologically advanced nation in the world? This is the answer.

By: Bill Masuku  |  Posted: 13 March 2018  |  View Comments

Black Panther, which takes place one week after the events of Captain America: Civil War, wastes no time at all to jump into the action and is a quick reminder of why T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), who assumes the mantle of Black Panther, a chosen warrior protector of his country Wakanda, was so well received in the aforementioned film. The action reintroduces us to his super reflexes and swift savagery in close combat as he goes to meet his love interest Nakia (lupita Nyong'o) to inform her of the passing of his father, King T'Chaka (John Kani), and the inevitable ascension to the throne that awaits him. Read on...

The Illusionists, a grand spectacular featuring a cast of international magicians, illusionists, and escapologists, has opened in Cape Town at GrandWest, where it will complete a run of seven shows before moving to Johannesburg, to the Teatro at Montecasino, for a month.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 9 February 2018  |  View Comments

Seven international performers (plus an eighth - but I'll get to that in a moment) are in Cape Town to present The Illusionists, an arena spectacle of magic and illusion. The show tours the world with different performers who have particular specialities so you won't see the same show if you watch this in another country.

The South African presentation is a mix of sleight of hand, mentalism, grand illusion, escapology, and comedy that's a good overview, for people who have never seen a show like this before, of the different forms of entertainment that live magic can comprise. We are privileged to have a lineup visit us that comprises particularly interesting performers. Read on...

The Swedish Comics Association has put out a call to comics creators all over the world to apply for its four week 2018 residency in Malmö. This is a perfect opportunity for African comic creators to get out of their comfort zones, meet likeminded individuals from around the world, and make better comics. Read on...

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 30 January 2018  |  View Comments

Learn more about political cartoonist Brandan Reynolds, get a sneak peek of Captain South Africa, order the last issues of Stray, and find out more about some of the new South African comics coming out this year. There are also lots of fascinating news snippets and quick highlights of major events happening in the next couple of weeks. Read on...

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 26 January 2018  |  View Comments

The Cape Town Magic Club, which shortly will be celebrating its two year anniversary, has emerged from its entrancing, secret city-centre locations to enthral tourists in one of the country's most accessible and recognisable spots.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 8 December 2017  |  View Comments

Cape Town is magical in more ways than just the magnificent views and world class facilities - it is, of course, home to the College Of Magic, a unique school, which opened nearly 40 years ago, that has been imparting life skills to young people that they attain as they learn and perfect the performance art of magic. Consequently the city has a rather large and diverse magic community and professional entertainers from all sorts of backgrounds and with all sorts of skill levels, interests, and performance styles. Read on...

Batman plus Wonder Woman plus the Flash plus Cyborg plus Aquaman plus - oh, is that it? - fight fight fight to save the world, which needs saving... again... but can they save us from more bad filmmaking in the DC Universe?

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 17 November 2017  |  View Comments

Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) try to assemble The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) to form the Justice League because the world is falling into chaos without the lightness and moderating influence of Superman, who is dead, and they've had weird encounters (Batman) and fire beacons from Themyscira (Wonder Woman) to tell them that something is coming.

The Flash is, like, "Yeah!"; Aquaman is, like, "Ugh."; Cyborg is, like, "Nope.". Read on...

Deep in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town there's a little plant nursery with a café that serves light meals - and behind the counter is a barista who makes a great cup of coffee.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 10 November 2017  |  View Comments

It is one of the wonders of the Cappuccino Quest that sometimes you find really good ones in the most unexpected places (and, conversely, bad ones at establishments that really should know better). Read on...

The second volume of YouNeek Studio's epic historical fantasy featuring an African sword-wielding female protagonist is halfway through production and seeking funding from fans to cover the printing costs. Read on...

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 26 October 2017  |  View Comments

The news doesn't stop, even when the news gathering is delayed. Find out some of what's been happening in South African comics and what comics creators have been working on in the past few months, plus learn how to order the next two issues of Stray, if you haven't already. Read on...

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 13 October 2017  |  View Comments

It's October. It's Friday the 13th. It seems like a good day to talk about horror and zombies. Comics writer John Layman, a recent guest at FanCon Cape Town Comic Con, tackles five questions and answers an unsolicited one of his own.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 13 October 2017  |  View Comments

John Layman is the creator, writer, and letterer behind the award-winning series Chew, which was illustrated and coloured by Rob Guillory and which they published through Image Comics. The series ran for 60 issues (plus a few standalone single issues) and concluded late last year. Read on...

Does magician and mentalist Andrew Klazinga really have mental powers? He explores the possibilities in his first solo show, which is running as part of the Cape Town Fringe Festival.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 3 October 2017  |  View Comments

Mentalist and magician Andrew Klazinga's If I Really Did Have Powers... (It Would Look Something Like This) wins the award for the show with the longest title running as part of this year's Cape Town Fringe Festival. He's also the third, and final, magician to be participating in 2017. His show runs during the final week of the festival. Read on...

In a show that forms part of the Cape Town Fringe Festival magician Greg Gelb uses his skills in a humorous way to remind his audiences of what's important in life.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 28 September 2017  |  View Comments

Last year Cape Town based magician Greg Gelb brought a show called Blurred Lines to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, which he later re-performed at Alexander Bar. This year he follows on with a show titled Refocused. It's about remembering to focus on what's important in life, rather than be distracted by the noise and the disposable. In contrast to the intensity one might expect with such a title the show is laid back and jovial but Gelb takes moments to link what he's doing to the theme and the meaning is brought through in his effects. Read on...

Mentalist and magician Brendon Peel is in Cape Town to confound audiences with a show, which is running as part of the Cape Town Fringe Festival, that presents a selection of effects that will entertain and mystify fans both old and new.

By: Mandy J Watson  |  Posted: 22 September 2017  |  View Comments

Brendon Peel is a young magician from Port Elizabeth who has been performing professionally since the age of 18 and who spent his formative years studying magic without the help and supportive environment that most Cape Town magicians experience as a result of the presence of the College Of Magic. Over the past six years he has regularly featured at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and has occasionally also appeared in Cape Town at the Cape Town Fringe Festival and the Cape Town Magic Club. One of his career highlights has been performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Read on...