Jose Nateras

Writer / Actor / Filmmaker / PhD Student

United States

Freelance Writer, PhD Student, Filmmaker, and More

Media Criticism, Creative Non-fiction, Journalism, Novelist, Playwright, Screenwriter, Occasional Poet & Stand Up

MFA in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
BA in Theatre and International Film & Media Studies from Loyola University Chicago
PhD Student in Theater & Performance Studies at UCLA

Contributing Writer for The A.V. Club, Stropse.com, Otaquest.com, The Gamer and more...

Email: [email protected] | [email protected]

www.josenateras.com

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Portfolio

Arts & Culture Commentary

F Newsmagazine
11/13/2016
White Critic in the White City - F Newsmagazine

Reflecting on the problematic homogeneity of contemporary theatre criticism in Chicago. Aside from personal conversation, dynamic discussions of a subject like theater occur in the field of criticism. In Daniel Mendelsohn's 2012 piece for The New Yorker, "A Critic's Manifesto ," Mendelsohn writes: "In the end, the critic is someone who [...]

OTAQUEST
11/17/2020
From TV to Movies, Everybody Loves Tokusatsu! - OTAQUEST

When people hear the word generally the first thing to come to mind are the Japanese television shows featuring masked fighters and giant robots. This makes plenty of sense considering series like Super Sentai and Kamen Rider are some of the most obvious examples of the genre.

F Newsmagazine
08/12/2016
The 'Method' to his Madness - Or Lack Thereof: Jared Leto's Performance in 'Suicide Squad' - F...

Jared Leto recently made headlines with his overzealous commitment to method acting. When DC Comics announced a movie adaptation of their superhero property "Suicide Squad," fans were immediately With the notoriously vocal superhero fandom focusing their collective critical eye on the project, almost every aspect of the production is under fierce scrutiny, none more so than Jared Leto's performance as The Joker.

Big Gay Horror Fan
11/02/2018
Adam E. Hoak and Jose Nateras: The Gay Appeal of Suspiria

Dario Argento's superior Italian horror Suspiria has long held a fascination for the LGBTQ community. With Luca Guadagnino's reimagining currently hitting the theaters, I decided to ask Adam E. Hoak and Jose Nateras, two of my favorite Chicago actors (and enthusiastic horror buffs) to chat with me about their love for the film,...

F Newsmagazine
07/26/2016
Part of the Problem: Porchlight's Casting of 'In the Heights'

Earlier this week Porchlight Music Theatre, a mainstay in the Chicago theater community, announced the casting for their much anticipated production of Lin Manuel-Miranda's "In the Heights " Aside from the problematic handling of this announcement by The Chicago Sun-Times - Hedy Weiss described the cast as "unusually 'authentic'" - the casting statement was bound to cause an uproar: Porchlight cast a white actor in the central role of Usnavi - a Bodega owner who received his name from the...

F Newsmagazine
06/21/2017
What's Wrong With Weiss?

Hedy Weiss has a long and well-documented track record of being highly problematic, to say the least. F Newsmagazine has covered her antics in the past year alone.

News & Recaps

OTAQUEST
12/19/2020
A Peek at the Media Conglomerate Behind Some of Your Faves: Avex - OTAQUEST

While most fans of J-Pop are more than familiar with the iconic singer Ayumi Hamasaki, the name Max Matsuura might not be as immediately recognizable. If the fact that the two dated were to make one wonder who Matsuura is, one would shortly find that Max Matsuura-aka Masato Matsuura-is the founder and CEO of Avex, one of the biggest media conglomerates in all of Japan.

F Newsmagazine
07/29/2016
"Street Level" Celebrates Four Years of Galerie F - F Newsmagazine

Galerie F celebrates their fourth anniversary by bringing viewers closer to street art in the gallery space. Things are constantly changing in a city like Chicago. Due to urban development and gentrification, neighborhoods all over the city look drastically different now than they did even one year ago.

The A.V. Club
11/01/2021
Does Practical Magic hold up? 'Tis the season to find out

Since its initial release in September 2016, Gimlet's Heavyweight, helmed by radio veteran Jonathan Goldstein, has racked up nearly 50 beloved episodes and is moving exclusively to Spotify. As if to end its tenure as a more widely available podcast with a bang, the series released the second episode in a rare two-parter this week, featuring a family story whose trajectory would have been impossible for even seasoned listeners to predict.

TheGamer
08/21/2020
Rare Disease Organization Using Fortnite To Raise Money For Charity

An organization devoted to offering treatment to those diagnosed with rare genetic disorders, Cure Rare Disease (CRD), has announced a forthcoming charity tournament. The event, organized in collaboration with Massachusetts DECA, is set for September 5 with all proceeds benefiting CRD. While there is no fee for entry, there is a suggested donation of $10.

F Newsmagazine
11/02/2017
Diwali: A Celebration For All - F Newsmagazine

The South Asian Student Association created light in the darkness at SAIC's annual Diwali celebration. One of the things that sets The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) apart from many other schools is the large number of international students that bring a variety of cultures and experiences to our student body.

The A.V. Club
11/29/2021
Revisit The Witch with the film buff podcast Homies Of Horror

It's no secret that film commentary and criticism are in dire need of diverse voices. Luckily, there are podcasts like Homies Of Horror, one of a number of POC-run horror podcasts that was included on a list recently put out by Dread Central.

TheGamer
08/29/2020
The Blair Witch Devs Hid An Animal Crossing Hoodie Code In Their Latest Trailer

Put some serious Rustin Parr vibes in your Animal Crossing look with this fun little easter egg! Although the trailer for last month's Nintendo Switch release of the Blair Witch game was first released for the back in June, it wasn't until recently that viewers noticed something hidden among all the eerie stick people totems: a hidden code.

TheGamer
08/21/2020
Nine Chronicles Is An Upcoming Blockchain MMORPG (Whatever That Means)

What makes Nine Chronicles unique is that it will be powered by its players using blockchain technology and an elaborate in-game economy. In collaboration with Ubisoft and the global venture fund, Hashed, Planetarium has just announced the final presale for their new MMORPG, Nine Chronicles .

TheGamer
07/31/2020
Edward Gaming Top Laner Fined For Toxic Behavior In Solo Queue

Following an incident of toxic behavior in a recent ranked game, LPL team EDward Gaming, or EDG, will be fining top laner Zhao "Aodi" Ao-Di. Aodi may also be facing further disciplinary measures from the LPL, the Chinese top-level professional league for League of Legends.

The A.V. Club
02/25/2019
Podmass: The Shining 2:37 DANNYYY!!! With Dan Lloyd, “Danny” From The Shining

In each episode of The Shining 2:37, host Suzen Tekla Kruglnska investigates, in order, two minutes and 37 seconds of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 film The Shining. The 2:37 of this episode encapsulates the sequence that starts with Jack Nicholson’s character, Jack Torrance, chasing his son, Danny (played by Dan Lloyd), into a snowy maze. As ever, Kruglnska is joined by a guest, but significantly, this week’s guest is none other than Dan Lloyd himself. Lloyd, now in his mid-40s, has a wealth...

The A.V. Club
03/04/2019
Podmass: Food 4 Thot - The Thots Go To Hollywood (feat. Steven Canals!)

Food 4 Thot focuses on relationships, race, sex, and identity hosted by Fran Tirado (Deputy Editor, Out magazine), Tommy Pico (poet), Dennis Norris II (former figure skater, former violinist, current writer), and Joseph Osmundson (scientist and non-fiction writer). This episode they’re joined by guest Steven Canals, creator of FX’s ’80s dance musical Pose. Having such a diverse group of hosts is beautifully refreshing when it comes to queer, male conversations, and the entire series is a...

Movie & Television Coverage/Reviews

F Newsmagazine
04/02/2018
A Love Letter to Queer Youth - F Newsmagazine

The mainstream non-heteronormative love story we deserve. There are few surprises to be had in "Love, Simon." If you've seen any teen rom-com from the last couple of decades, you'll be able to spot each major plot point coming... ** SECOND PLACE: ILLINOIS COLLEGE PRESS ASSOCIATION — CRITICAL REVIEW, FILM - 2018

Fnewsmagazine
September 22, 2017
Fear ‘IT’self: On Stephen King’s Latest

Either peering from the cover of the two-tape VHS set at the local Blockbuster or peeking up from a rain-gutter in a popular meme; fewer cinematic representations of the horror of childhood have made the same sort of cultural impact as Stephen King’s Pennywise the Clown... * HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS COLLEGE PRESS ASSOCIATION — CRITICAL REVIEW, FILM - 2017

F Newsmagazine
03/26/2017
When Incipient Womanhood Meets Incipient Cannibalism: 'RAW'

Few films have been able to generate the specific sort of word-of-mouth that Julia Ducournau's "Raw" has. Yes, Ducournau's film has built a name for itself as being a spectacular entry to the horror film genre. Yes, "Raw" has joined the ranks of "The Babadook" and "American Psycho" as chill-inducing genre fare, helmed by female directors.

F Newsmagazine
03/04/2017
'Santa Clarita Diet:' A Fresh Netflix Series, Worth the Binge - F Newsmagazine

Netflix's latest original series is a brilliant combination of zombies, suburban satire, and Drew Barrymore. Suburban real estate agents and zombies don't seem like the most obvious pairing. But Netflix's "Santa Clarita Diet" manages to combine the two into a fun, fast-paced, sitcom - which is just the first of many pleasant surprises the show has to offer.

F Newsmagazine
10/06/2017
Netflix and Chill: 'The Little Hours' is a Comedy for the 'Ages' - F Newsmagazine

Coming soon to Netflix, 'The Little Hours', is an unlikely comedy for the 'Ages.' When someone says "summer comedy movie," the first thing to come to mind isn't "cinematic adaptation of 14th century Italian literature." But Jeff Baena pulled that very thing off with "The Little Hours," which was one of the funniest movies of the summer and is coming to Netflix later this month.

F Newsmagazine
04/03/2017
'Kathleen Madigan: Bothering Jesus' is Worth the Bother - F Newsmagazine

When she's not looking for lost Malaysian airlines flight 370, Kathleen Madigan serves up a hearty helping of Midwestern humor in her 2016 comedy special, 'Bothering Jesus' There's something inherently charming about Kathleen Madigan, in a squarely midwestern way.

OTAQUEST
12/18/2020
The Elusive Eighties Sukeban Series: Hana No Asuka-Gumi! - OTAQUEST

We've talked about the popularity of sukeban series in 80's anime and manga before, specifically with Sukeban Deka , but an equally fascinating example of the violent, teen-girl gang centered subgenre of shōjo is Hugely popular in Japan during the 80's and early 90's, the manga and subsequent adaptations are practically impossible to find outside of Japan, let alone in English.

F Newsmagazine
10/06/2016
Season of the (Blair) Witch - F Newsmagazine

How does "Blair Witch" hold up to its predecessors? 1999's "The Blair Witch Project" changed the game in a lot of ways. While its trend-launching "found footage" premise didn't do anything that hadn't been done before, "The Blair Witch Project" did manage to utilize a freshly ripening internet culture and a groundbreaking (for its time) viral marketing strategy to reach a level of mainstream success that was unprecedented.

OTAQUEST
01/01/2021
Kamen Rider Zi-O: End of an Era - OTAQUEST

Though it has since been followed by 2019's 2018's Kamen Rider Zi-O was the last Kamen Rider series of the Heisei Era. As such, the series holds a special place in the Kamen Rider legacy. Since the show's first series back in 1971, Kamen Rider Zi-O is the 29th series in the history of the show and is the 20th series in the Heisei Era.

F Newsmagazine
09/13/2016
A Breath of Fresh Air: Fede Alvarez's 'Don't Breathe' - F Newsmagazine

Fede Alvarez's latest project provides an innovative take on the indie horror genre. In a cinematic climate heavily saturated with remakes, sequels, and adaptations, pickings are slim when it comes to fresh content at the movies. In fact, of the 25 highest grossing films of summer 2016, only three have the distinction of having original content.

F Newsmagazine
01/09/2017
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them: A Textbook Example of Rowling at Her Best - F Newsmagazine

J.K. Rowling makes her debut as a screenwriter and takes the Wizarding world of "Harry Potter" stateside Considering that J.K. Rowling's seven-book " Harry Potter" series has already been made into eight successful movies, a two-part and has spawned numerous multi-media spin-offs; one might think that the pop culture stratosphere might be at Wizarding World critical mass.

F Newsmagazine
02/19/2018
F News on F(ilm) - F Newsmagazine

Extra! Extra! Movie newsrooms are so hot right now. With the current critical success of Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep's latest film venture, "The Post" - currently sitting at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes - cinematic newsrooms are once again lighting up the silver screen.

El Huateque
10/25/2014
El Huateque - Our Review of

As a child, until around seven or eight years old, I was convinced that Aladdin was Mexican. I was positive. Here was a character that looked like me, regardless of any song lyrics identifying a fictionalized "Arabia" as the setting of the film; I had found a character I could identify with.

F Newsmagazine
09/14/0132
'Colossal' and the Monstrosity of the Straight, White, Male

Kaiju movies, which focus on giant monsters like "Godzilla," have been popular for decades. Recent films -"Kong: Skull Island," new incarnations of "Godzilla," "Pacific Rim," "The Host," and "Cloverfield" to name a few - demonstrate that this trend is as lively as ever.

Interviews & Profiles

F Newsmagazine
04/27/2017
Remembering Ryan Wright - F Newsmagazine

A visionary alum is remembered as an important and gracious presence in SAIC's community. "He was so deeply beloved." That's the first thing Anne Calcagno usually has to say about Ryan Wright - the writer, musician, artist, and alumnus of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's (SAIC's) Writing Program.

OTAQUEST
11/10/2020
The Woman Behind "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," Yoko Takahashi - OTAQUEST

Few theme songs are as iconic and meaningful to anime fans as the theme song to Neon Genesis Evangelion, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" or "Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze." While there are a number of reasons for the song's success, a lot of credit must be given to singer Yoko Takahashi.

OTAQUEST
01/01/2021
Kenji Kawai: The Icon Behind the Music of Asian Cinema - OTAQUEST

One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of movies is the score. A good score can do everything from making your heart swell to instilling fear; movie music can inspire you or make you scream; it can be simultaneously unforgettable while literally fading into the background.

F Newsmagazine
01/06/2017
Drowning in Moonlight: A Farewell to Fisher and Reynolds - F Newsmagazine

Staff writer Jose Nateras pays tribute to two starlets who defined a generation, whether they were drowning in moonlight or singing in the rain. As numerous obituaries have reported since the late December passing of Carrie Fisher, the legendary figure requested "that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra."

Book Reviews

Windy City Reviews
05/04/2022
Book Review: How to Walk on Water - Windy City Reviews

The Midwest Swearingen creates has less to do with location and more to do with a sense of longing and danger, feeling trapped by circumstance, and of longing for excitement while foreboding that disaster will come in its wake.

Windy City Reviews
07/11/2022
Book Review: Last Hope For Hire - Windy City Reviews

Despite the high-stakes corporate espionage and sci-fi, action-hero antics of Last Hope For Hire , Wilcox never loses sight of the real world stakes at play for his hero-a real world where medical debt and access to health care are just the sort of struggles being faced by so many others.

Windycityreviews
03/09/2019
Windy City Reviews - Book Reviews - Book Review: Post-Apocalypticon

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at 7:38PM Post-Apocalypticon. Clayton Smith. Dapper Press, October 24, 2018, Trade Paperback and E-book, 269 Pages. Reviewed by Jose Nateras. In "The Apocalypticon Trilogy," Clayton Smith has crafted a world readers will find both familiar and drastically changed by the events of the apocalypse.

Windy City Reviews
11/05/2022
Book Review: Johnny Lycan & The Anubis Disk - Windy City Reviews

Thoroughly leaning into his noir influences, the voice of Johnny is a throwback to the sort of terse, macho private detectives instantly recognizable yet still distinctly unique. Furthermore, Turmel paints a vivid picture of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. In his descriptions of Johnny's garden

Windy City Reviews
09/04/2022
Book Review: Legacy of War - Windy City Reviews

Throughout their sessions, Dr. Moore finds some common denominators between Reed's time in Vietnam and his own, specifically an Agent Ramsey of the CIA, all leading Dr. Moore to delve into his memories of Vietnam and the dark secrets of his own family and the mysterious Phoenix Program. This journey

Gaming Coverage

TheGamer
09/28/2020
Orpheus' Voice In Hades Was Based On Thom Yorke

We recently had a chat with Hades composer Darren Korb, who told us that Orpheus' voice was based on Thom Yorke. When it comes to the creation of a game as evidently inspired as Hades, there are obviously a variety of influences at play.

TheGamer
08/16/2020
Modder Waikuteru Recreates Luigi Circuit In Breath of the Wild

The mod allows players to access a new minigame where they can race through Luigi's Circuit from the Wii version of Mario Kart. As many eagerly await the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , a community of talented fans have taken to developing mods for the game.

TheGamer
09/23/2020
Katamari Damacy Is Getting A Physical Release On PS4 and Xbox One

New information confirms that the release will happen in both North America and Japan on November 20th. Originally released in 2004, the Japanese third-person puzzle-action video game Katamari Damacy , went on to become quite the sleeper hit, leading to a series of successful sequels.

TheGamer
09/09/2020
The Original Resident Evil Cover Star Isn't Chris (So Who Is It?)

According to Bill Sienkiewicz, the cover artist for the game, the character depicted on the game's box is... Ever since the debut of the first Resident Evil game, fans have been under the impression that the game's central protagonist, Chris Redfield, was the main figure in the game's cover art.

TheGamer
09/11/2020
Paizo Reveals Pathfinder Bounties, Repeatable Mini-Adventures That Cost $2

The mini-adventure, officially called "Pathfinder Bounty #1: The Whitefang Wyrm," is a simple hunt mission for a giant wyrm monster. Although the Second Edition of the iconic fantasy tabletop RPG, Pathfinder, came out just over a year ago now, new playable content has continued to emerge.

TheGamer
09/14/2020
Windranger Arcana Officially Available In Dota 2

Thanks to a new Arcana Bundle in Dota 2's latest battle pass, players can explore more of the Windranger's backstory. The Windranger has long been one of the more versatile characters in Dota 2.

TheGamer
09/06/2020
Pinball Is Now A Board Game In Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade

Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade from Wizkids distills the analog-meets-video-game joy of classic pinball machines into a tabletop version. While not everyone can have the sort of reflexes possessed by a Pinball Wizard, everyone can now experience the thrills of pinball mastery thanks to a new board game.

TheGamer
09/18/2020
Fan Spends Over 300 Hours Animating The Intro To Pokémon Silver

Darren Rafferty, who goes by the moniker DARN, posted this labor of love to Youtube and captured nostalgia in a bottle. Considering the sheer amount of fan art that is out there, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that each piece is a labor of love.

OTAQUEST
12/17/2020
A Look Back at the Legendary 19 Game Series, SAMURAI SHODOWN - OTAQUEST

From a first installment that ended up caught in the middle of a 'violence in video games' focused censorship debate to an award-winning 2019 reboot, Samurai Shodown has quite the legacy. Considering it's been 27 years since the game was first released in Japan(under the name Samurai Spirits ) now's as good a time as any to revisit one of the most iconic series of fighting games out there.

TheGamer
08/11/2020
This Composer Has Your D&D Sound Covered With 300 Free Ambiances & Songs

DMs everywhere have access to 300 professional quality ambiance sounds and songs specifically designed to enhance the RPG playing experience. When it comes to Dungeons and Dragons and other similar TTRPGs, Dungeon Masters have the monumental task of building the world which players get to adventure through.

OTAQUEST
12/03/2020
Ogre Battle: Tactics and Strategy and Ogres, Oh My! - OTAQUEST

When it comes to real-time strategy games a number of titles come to mind. The Command & Conquer, Warcraft, StarCraft, and Age of Empires series from the 90s are definitely influential in the genre. However, amongst these titans of tactical-role playing games stands an ogre that's not to be forgotten: the Ogre Battle series.

OTAQUEST
01/06/2021
Henshin A-Go-Go Baby!: Revisiting Viewtiful Joe - OTAQUEST

In the early 2000s, in an effort to boost the sales of Nintendo's Gamecube console, Capcom released five games. Called 'The Capcom Five' these games were P.N.03, Dead Phoenix, Resident Evil 4, Killer7, and the tokusatsu themed, side-scrolling beat em' up, Viewtiful Joe had a style and sense of humor that perfectly encapsulates the mood of the early aughts.

OTAQUEST
11/07/2020
How Remaking the Iconic Final Fantasy VII Made a Good Thing Great - OTAQUEST

In fact, for some the mentality of why fix what isn't broken prevailed. However, considering the game's overall positive reception and winning a couple of choice awards of its own the remake would appear to be a good idea. 2005's computer-animated movie, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, picks up two years after the events of the original game.

TheGamer
08/07/2020
D&D Bards & Warlocks Speak To The Dead In New Unearthed Arcana

The subclasses, College of Spirits for Bards or Undead Patron for Warlocks, allow for players to access a bunch of new spooky powers. In an article recently posted in the recurring Unearthed Arcana feature on the official website for Dungeons & Dragons ,two new subclasses for bards and warlocks were announced.

TheGamer
08/07/2020
Wanderhome Brings The Relaxed Tone Of Ghibli To TTRPGS

Players of Wanderhome will get to explore the world of Hæth as anthropomorphic animals called Kith. Tabletop RPG players who are also fans of tenderhearted anthropomorphic animals and tranquil nature scenes seen in a Hayao Miyazaki film have reason to rejoice: Wanderhome.

TheGamer
08/26/2020
Pokémon GO Is Teasing Mega Evolution News

There's some more info on Mega Evolutions in Pokémon GO as well, courtesy of dataminers. The possibility that Pokémon GO would incorporate Mega Evolution has more than piqued the interest of players over the past couple of months. Until fairly recently though, such a development has been just that: a possibility.

OTAQUEST
11/14/2020
1995 to 2020: How has 25 Years Has Changed Trials of Mana - OTAQUEST

When it was first released in 1995, Trials of Mana , the third game in the series, was only available in Japan. Aside from an unofficial English translation by fans in 1999, that would remain the case until 2019 when the entire series was released in a collection for the Nintendo Switch.

OTAQUEST
11/03/2020
Silent Hill Still Reigns Supreme - OTAQUEST

Even though it's been eight years since the last installment in the iconic survival horror game series was released(2012's Silent Hill: Book of Memories ) the Silent Hill franchise remains one of the most influential horror video game series out there.

Anime & Manga Coverage

OTAQUEST
01/01/2021
Chi's Sweet Home: A Cute Cat Makes for Some Adorable Adventures - OTAQUEST

When a young, gray and white kitten with black stripes, gets separated from her family on a walk, she ends up found by a young boy. In no time, the kitten becomes a part of the family and with that simple premise, cat lovers and fans of all things cute are invited along to see the world through the eyes of Chi, the titular kitten, of Chi's Sweet Home.

OTAQUEST
01/06/2021
Now Is the Perfect Time to Catch up on Inuyasha - OTAQUEST

Last month it was announced that the iconic anime series, Inuyasha , would be receiving a sequel series to be called Yashahime: Princess Half Demon . Set to be released in the Fall of 2020, the sequel series is to center on the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome, as well as the twin daughters of Inu Yasha's brother Sesshomaru.

OTAQUEST
12/16/2020
From Anime to Manga, The Seven Deadly Sins is a Blast - OTAQUEST

When Netflix released the anime adaptation of successful manga series back in 2015, they only had the exclusive rights to one other anime series, Knights of Sedonia. It's crazy to think that the streaming platform that practically invented binge-watching and now actually produces its own anime series , once only had two Netflix Exclusive anime series.

OTAQUEST
11/08/2020
Sukeban Deka: The Yo-Yo Wielding, Undercover, Bad Girl - OTAQUEST

The title of Sukeban Deka , translated to "Delinquent Girl Detective," is probably the best way to describe the series it belongs to. Anime fans will recognize the character type of the Sukeban: the tough girl in sailor style school uniform, but with an extra long skirt; she generally has a bad attitude and is good at fighting.

OTAQUEST
11/16/2020
Revisiting One of the Best Maid Animes Around, Maid Sama! - OTAQUEST

Although the imagery of the French Maid has floated around Japanese culture since the 70's and 80's, the first maid club was started as a marketing ploy for the 1998 game, Welcome to Pia Carrot!! In 2001 Cure Maid Cafe was the first of many maid cafes to open and the increase in maid themed manga and anime only continued.

OTAQUEST
11/17/2020
My Little Monster is an Ideal High School Rom-Com - OTAQUEST

Starting off as a manga back in 2008, My Little Monster would eventually get adapted into an anime in 2012, and later a live action movie. It's no surprise that the series would successfully translate from page to screen, from animation to live action, considering the perfectly balanced chemistry between its lead characters.

OTAQUEST
12/20/2020
Sci-Fi at the Turn of the Century: Macross Plus - OTAQUEST

If nothing else, the 90s was a time of vast change. With the advent of the internet, the impending end of the 20th century, a new millennium fast approaching, and new technology emerging at a rapid rate, the decade ended up providing some fascinating examples of the science fiction genre.

OTAQUEST
12/01/2020
Dragon Ball Z : Revisiting a Classic - OTAQUEST

With the original Dragon Ball Z anime airing from 1989 to 1996 and a fresh remaster called Dragon Ball Z Kai airing from 2009 to 2011 and 2014 to 2015, the idea of checking in with one of the most iconic anime series of all time is definitely worth it.

OTAQUEST
12/01/2020
How the Characters of Soul Eater Offer a Fresh Take on Shinigami - OTAQUEST

In the West, the specific idea of the Grim Reaper dates all the way back to the 14th century. In Japan, the word shinigami first started appearing in works from the Edo period. Yet, in modern work, these classical death deities tend to have a different look to them than western images of scythe-wielding skeletons.

Music Coverage

Fashion Coverage

OTAQUEST
11/10/2020
Cool Kids on the Block: The Fashion of NEIGHBORHOOD - OTAQUEST

With Tokyo based streetwear brand NEIGHBORHOOD's 2019 collaboration with sneaker giant, Converse, the widely known truth has continued to become even more unavoidable: NEIGHBORHOOD is cool. Maybe it's because of the brand's roots in Japanese Motorcycle subculture; or perhaps its creator Shinsuke Takizawa's appreciation for punk-rock and American counter-culture.

Editorial

F Newsmagazine
03/10/2017
My Secret Shame: I Can't Move On - F Newsmagazine

Breaking up is hard to do - and that's just the beginning. Jose Nateras confesses about not being able to move on from a relationship. Part of becoming an adult is reconciling the sort of grown-up we've always imagined we'd be with the sort of grown-up we actually are.

Video Projects: Writing/Directing/Editing

https://vimeo.com/666424412/06699f4cbf
12/08/16
Struts & Frets

As an actor, all Jorge Garcia wants to do is perform Shakespeare. Unfortunately, as a Mexican American performer, he continually finds himself overlooked. When he gets the brilliant idea to mount his own production of William Shakespeare's infamously unlucky "Macbeth," starring a cast comprised of all BIPOC performers, he enlists the help of his best friend and roommate Milo to direct the thing. From landing a haunted theatre to perform their show in, to trying to scrounge up the money to...

https://vimeo.com/668238758/e298ccb208
The Guild Complex Presents: Exhibit B #10
01/27/2022
TESTAMENT: A Novel - Reading/Video Collage

A reading from "TESTAMENT: A Novel" in the form of a video collage originally developed for 'Exhibit B #10' presented by The Guild Complex -- "Exhibit B is a performance series that highlights exciting text-based work in Chicago. Presented by the Guild Literary Complex, a 30-year-old grassroots literary arts organization based in Chicago, Exhibit B showcases prose, poetry, plays, music, and more. We want to create a space that showcases work that you don’t need an MFA to feel and that leaves...