Author Archives: Amber Noizumi

He’s the jerk, the wild and crazy guy, the arrow-through-the-head jokester, the sadistic singing dentist and one of the three pelvic-thrusting amigos. As a comic, Steve Martin is unmistakable. Also the creator of such screenplays as “L.A. Story” and “Roxanne,” few know Martin as the sophisticated writer and playwright he has become, contributing to the […]

Clowns make us happy, clowns make us laugh with their bulbous red noses, water-squirting flowers and painted smiles … or at least in theory. Anyone who’s familiar with Stephen King’s “It” will tell you otherwise. What is it about these cultural icons that is supposed to be funny, yet instead incites horrific, blood-curdling terror in […]

He’s been George W. Bush, a wannabe cheerleader, Ted Kazinsky, Alex Trebek and even Dr. Evil’s cohort, but tonight Will Ferrell will try his hand at something new ““ horror. The Saturday Night Live veteran will be performing live in “Never Bet the Devil Your Head” at Royce Hall. After leaving the show last May, […]

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no ““ it’s an alcoholic, suicidal crow. This booze-binging bird is a character from the comic strip “Maakies” by Tony Millionaire, one of the many bizarrely creative works that fall into the genre of independent comics. Indie comics don’t portray cape-clad superheroes saving humanity from worldwide domination, but instead […]

From limericks to grocery lists as “found poetry,” everyone has written some sort of verse. In this vast poetic world, it is survival of the fittest ““ and Susan Wheeler has proven that she wields the creative vitality and originality needed to thrive. Her accolades are a testament to her survival skills: She has won […]

Walk around UCLA during lunchtime and eavesdrop on some of the conversations. You’ll hear tidbits of gossip, vacuous banter about clothes, TV and parties, but you’ll rarely hear a conversation about Marc Chagall’s dimension of metaphor in the modernist art movement. While most of society gets inundated with toilet humor and shows like “Jack Ass,” […]

For a taste of Japan, many people head over to Tsunami for overpriced sushi and noodles in the Ackerman Union A-level. But, why not skip the tepid fare and get your Japanese fill at the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History? “MATSURI! Japanese Festival Arts,” which will be on display through Feb. 9, 2003, is […]