#generationx — Public Fediverse posts

Bret Easton Ellis – author of ‘The Shards’ and co-executive producer of the new FX series – says he’s sad for Millennials: “Obviously there’s pain there; this is not the happy generation”

Bret Easton Ellis gets into much strife over the things he says. Usually the critics are a third his age (he’s 59 at the time of our chat, 62 today). Those critics are mainly speedy thumb-texters or Goggle Box-like couch analysts, who either have no idea what life was like before the internet, or don’t know how to use it properly now. What some critics fail to realise is that Ellis’ works are like diaries about the opulent 1980s – a time when things were less doom and gloom (admittedly, much of this D&G has been the result of said decadent era), but it was a time at least when vibes were more optimistic and aspirational. And perhaps, yes, sadly, ultra-competitive on the social circuit.

In retrospect, and in light of today’s woke values, Ellis’s fictional (and some part-factual) tales about excessive drug-taking, hard partying, serial killing and rampant infidelity would appear more nihilistic than the orgies and battlegrounds of ancient Rome, and he is often taken to task for taking the decadence thing too far. Heck, it’s mostly fiction, kids! And again, mostly retrospecitve.

In his recent book ‘The Shards’, Ellis continues his relaying of life in the fast lane, packing its pages with sketchy sex and unhealthy one-upmanship, material obsession and murderous rage, but there’s a catch: part of it is real.

Acting as a kind of ‘prequel’ to his first novel Less Than Zero (1985), The Shards [was] Ellis’s first novel in 13 years. While his book White of 2019 was part memoir / part podcast-put-to-paper, The Shards is what you might call autofiction (a cross between autobiography and make-believe). The story is set in his final year of high school. A murderer is wreaking havoc on the streets of Los Angeles, circa 1981, to a soundtrack of Scary Monsters and Hungry Like The Wolf. Opulence and high self-opinion were big in the early ’80s. It was a time when woke was just something you did with a hangover…

Now, as if by wish of mine come true, there is a TV series based on The Shards, just released on FX – the drugs-and-knives-connotating title intact, created by none other than my all-time favourite horror/thriller telly auteur, Ryan Murphy.

Now, while I’ve read the book, I’ve not seen The Shards yet – because the amount of entertainment online these days is overwhelming and if I subscribed to every channel and streaming platform, I’d be even more overwhelmed. Also, I’m a busy bloke unless you invite me to the party; and television PR is not what it used to be. Gosh they used to have smarts and manners in the ’90s, sending us writers things “for our consideration” – not redundantly wasting time on the consideration of witless influencers. Heck, I wish I’d gotten sent every Ryan Murphy production to preview even as it was being dropped to all – I would put all other entertainment and lifestyle features on hold to go and get all thesis-paper on it. Too late now. Everybody else has seen it. Late to the game. Just kidding, the delay in watching it has only got me more excited in anticipation to see it. And that soundtrack better be killer, gentlemen.

I did, however, manage to have a nice long chat with Bret Easton Ellis a couple of years back about that very book, and it’s an interview well worth dusting the cobwebs off of, and presenting to you now, dear reader.

Ellis, who not only lent the rights for the novel to be turned into a series by Murphy but came on board as executive producer and co-writer. Even the main character’s name is Bret Ellis, so we can only guess that we’ll be getting all the sex, all the drugs, all the decadence, and all the horror – straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

Such as you get here.

Interview by Antonino Tati

Hi Bret. What did you think of the immediate negative press you received for your previous book [to ‘The Shards’] ‘White’?

I think it was absurd. I think the mainstream media’s response to the book is Exhibit A in what I talk about in the very last chapter. This hysteric overreach that anyone who has an opinion that is different than theirs – than the bubble they reside in… I think White is actually a very chill book, tonally. I don’t think it’s hysterical and I don’t think I use any exclamation marks.

I don’t think my book is attacking anyone. I think what the book is calling for is a kind of calm, let’s-take-a-deep-breath, neutral attitude towards what’s happening and have a conversation. The idea that I am attacking Millennials when I’m actually quite sympathetic to them is part of the problem.

Aren’t you doing them a service by getting them to wake up and say something, rather than just Like something?

I live with a Millennial and I know that this is one of the great stressors: of being liked… His online presence and the crippling shame that occurs if you are attacked online; or if something of yours doesn’t get a lot of followers or a lot of likes. It seems to me to be a terrible way to live. I don’t know, where is this going to go?

The thing is, Bret, when we went to primary school, we were given happy stamps and stars for good work, right? But we didn’t expect to receive these in our adult life. Why is it that the new generation isn’t equipped with the armor to cope with critique?

My theory is that maybe many of these people felt they didn’t get enough attention or enough love from their mothers and fathers, who were narcissistic and wrapped up in their own lives. I certainly can say that this is true of me and many people I know of my generation. So I think Gen-X-ers overcompensated.

“I’ve talked to parents my age and they have wrung their hands and said, ‘I’ve overcompensated – I did not want my children to go through the childhood I had, and I wanted to give them everything I was lacking.’ They have ultimately said, ‘I think I’ve coddled them into helplessness.”

I talked to a parent who said, “I arrange ‘free range’ time for my child now” – who is actually a teenager. “I will actually not follow them or track them on the phone – and they can do that one day a week, like going to the mall or to a movie, or whatever.” We looked at each other and burst out laughing. Free range time? That’s all I had! I barely saw my parents. I was completely on my own, and by being completely on my own I fostered a kind of independence and it aided me to becoming an adult. Some of these parents have done the opposite to the next generation and they become so worried about them that they’ve over-medicated them, they gave in to their every whim, and also you have social media guiding them into a self-made bubble where they’ve built a world that they feel good about. Actually they’ve built a safe space for themselves. But once they go out of that safe space they encounter the often-unpleasant difficult realities of life, and you break down.

Above: audio of Bret Easton Ellis discussing helicopter parenting and the perils of social media.

Ellis in his 1982 yearbook.

We’ll talk more about the perils of social media in a moment, but I want to go back to where you were given the freedom and an environment of ‘non-paranoia’ while growing up. We have helicopter parenting today and some parents are over-zealous in their protection of their children. Has this worry rubbed off on the next generation?

That could be well and true. I know that definitely is a narrative in my partner’s story; that was his mother what you just described. What was supposed to be something that was supposed to aid in a child’s comfort actually added to a child’s sense of stress and paranoia.

And sense of victimisation. Likes online often coincide with incidents where an individual has worn their heart on their sleeve or shown a weakness and I suppose that kind of feeds into the idea that playing victim is a likeable thing.

It does.

As opposed to when you and I were growing up, just pushing through or being the hero was what was admired. Now it seems we’re celebrated every time we show we’re weak…

That’s true. I do see that my partner is much, much more interested in people who have become victims, or who have victimised themselves; or who have terrible ailments; or who are transgender; people who are going through immense physical and emotional difficulties, rather than someone who wins an award, or someone who’s an individual. That’s what really bothers me, is this notion that the individual doesn’t matter but the group does.

“It’s an argument that my partner and I get into a lot. I grew up admiring individuals doing something amazing or creative. He cares more about the group and what the group thinks. What does the group think about this video? Or this video game? Or this victim movement?”

It’s like the ’90s meme ‘Kill your idols’ is suddenly going viral.

Yes, but around the world, people still do like soccer stars, people do respond to huge pop stars. But one-on-one, when I talk to my boyfriend or his friends, they identify with people who are injured in some way more than people who aren’t.

Is there a certain Us-versus-Them at play? When a person is liking someone’s victim situation, aren’t they kind of saying ‘there’s someone weaker than me, hence I like it’?

Yes, of course, that plays into it as well.

Isn’t that less celebratory and more sadistic and sinister?

Well I’ve never met a more passive-aggressive generation than Millennials. There’s a passive-aggressiveness there, and I think you’ve just located it. There is a very ‘Oh, I’m just a likeable victim’ mentality going on but ‘I’m very positive and I really want the best for everybody’ – but the slightest questioning of that, the slightest hint of the reality that comes in, I have never seen a group turn on you with a snarl and a snap so goddamn quickly it’ll make your head spin.

It’s like an episode of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ but real life, really.

Yes, and not with drag queens, sadly. That is a very strange dichotomy; between that upbeat positivity and this almost whiplash anger at almost anything that intrudes upon it.

Instead of the proverbial silver soon, would you say Millennials were born with a silver smartphone in their mouth?

Completely I would. Obviously there’s pain there; this is not the happy generation.

“There’s a lot of stress; a lot of anxiety about being likeable; about dealing with technology; about being distracted by technology; and I think there’s a real lack of pleasure in the amount of information they’re privy to. You’ve got so much of everything that nothing really matters in the end.”

I saw a headline some time ago that read: Bret Easton Ellis Takes On Generation Wuss…
That happened years ago on my Twitter feed where I began to notice things about my partner and his friends that were so shockingly weak. Little things that they couldn’t do or were confused by. So I decided to put some of that stuff in my book [White] and I really did not think it was going to be circled so heavily and dissected by Millennial writers – I mean the angriest, longest reviews have been from Millennials. The reviewers were, like, “The old and irrelevant white writer Bret Easton Ellis”. That is Millennial in a nutshell; Exhibit B of what I’m talking about: this over-reaching hysteria about anything that comes close to investigating the world with a critical eye. It’s depressing in a way, but I never meant to poke a stick at Millennials.

“Millennials weren’t created in a vacuum; they were a reaction to many of the values of my generation and Gen X. Of course they were tired of our nihilism, our negativity, our coolness, our irony. Maybe it’s normal to react against that with an aspirational viewpoint, but it’s disturbing to hear them say “Why would I want to see that movie when it’s so negative?”

What do you think are the nihilistic aspects of today’s generation? What about your Kim Kardashian followers and people that are infatuated with Instagram; two examples less about victimisation and more about selfness.

And fakeness. You’re putting out a fake version of your life; you’re becoming an actor. I know quite a few people who are not having a great time right now – they’re kind of depressed, having problems with their relationships, have addictive issues, or are unemployed… and then I see their Instagram feeds and everything’s awesome; they’re smiling under palm trees, or holding their little baby with their husband – even though I know they’re getting a divorce in eight months. There is something nihilistic about that, compared to my generation which just said, “It’s all fucked”.

You just need to look at the popular drugs during any given generation to see that they reflect the overall attitude. Look at cocaine and how it tied into decadence and greed. Today there’s crystal meth, ketamine – harsher drugs than they were taking in the ’80s.

They’re taking cheap drugs. They’re not taking, dare I say it, the better cocaine that was available to all of us in the 1980s [For the record I only tried it first time in the early ’90s and have only done it two or three times since, AT]. Drugs are so bad now and everything is so cheap. Of course everyone is smoking or snorting crystal meth; it’s relatively inexpensive. Or they’re taking organic drugs, like Kratom, which is sweeping across America [and which works like morphine]. A lot of this is about the economic disadvantages this generation has, and that limits their choices, especially in terms of lifestyle.

Despite financial limitations, they’re not limited elsewhere – I mean they’ve got the internet whereas Gen X never had the internet through their teens, twenties and thirties. Aren’t they over-supplied with choice?

But they have no money. And I’m sympathetic to that. In fact, I’ve been far harsher with my generation in my fiction than I have been with any other generation. I’ve taken my generation to task in Less Than Zero, and American Psycho [and in The Shards]. I’ve really criticised their shallowness and fecklessness, and their posing and materialism.

If someone in their twenties would read three of your earlier books, say ‘Less Than Zero’, ‘Rules of Attraction’ and even ‘Glamorama’, do you think they’d have less of an antagonistic attitude toward you?

Completely, because that’s what reading fiction does; it makes you more empathic; it puts you in someone else’s shoes, whether it’s Oliver Twist’s, Lily Bart’s, or Patrick Bateman’s. I think that sustained concentration on these pages and on these characters who are so different to you, that’s why fiction always thrilled me; to take you into these different worlds. I’m not sure if it fully works that way anymore in this hectic, busy world. And I don’t think video games today work like fiction novels: they last for 36 hours and you’re in control of the narrative. Sometimes I do feel very old-mannish about the novel. You know, “The novel is the greatest medium!” Many people don’t think this anymore. I think I was just raised in the right time.

Thinking about all your years of writing, would you say honesty is the best policy when putting pen to paper?

That’s what I’ve always done since Less Than Zero, and I think that’s what an artist does. I think any writer should be doing that and I pity the writer who does the opposite.

Bret Easton Ellis’ novel ‘The Shards’ is out through Swift Press / Allen and Unwin, RRP $32.99.

‘The Shards’ airs on FX. I’ve bookmarked it myself.

Guess who’s f3cking up dinner? ‘The Invite’ takes the dinner-party-from-hell film to next level sh!tstorm

Mattel have released a Whitney Houston doll: Now, where in the hell was all this doll variety to be spoilt with when I was a boy?

https://creammagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/master_george-sex-the-absolute-master-august-1.wav

Get ready for a bumpy ride: RuPaul and a splendid ensemble cast bring the disaster movie back with a bang

That Madonna and Kylie collab is out and it’s pretty fab, but wait, did Madonna just throw shade at Pepsi at the end of the video?

Hands in the air for a ‘Romy and Michele’ movie sequel is finally in production

‘Ice Cream Man’ big on the kill variety, unapologetic as all-hell, and not for the faint of heart (or stomach)… but we’ll probably watch it again on stream

Pre-Owned vs New Rolex: What Buyers Need to Know

THE CREAM WINTER ESSENTIALS GUIDE 2026

How to Shop for Cannabis Responsibly in New York City in 2026

FOUND OBJECTS: VOLUME 01 (The Downloads)

Rate this:

Why the 90s Movie ‘The Craft’ Still Resonates with Millennial Women

For young women, uniqueness, independence and presenting a certain difference to the norm were qualities often frowned upon – right from the dawn of mankind through to the decadent, sometimes very sexist 1980s. But in the 1990s, a myriad versions of the female and the feminine began taking shape, reflected both on television and in film. ‘The Craft’ was one film that both reflected and inspired the way women could reclaim their power – not just in image, and not just through magic.

Story by Siân Alison

“We are the weirdos, Mister.”

This film quote captures the teenage experience perfectly, especially in the 1990s. For millions of millennial women, The Craft isn’t just a 90s cult movie, it’s a time capsule to that specific decade. It was a story about friendship, belonging and discovering that being different didn’t have to be a weakness; indeed, it ought to be seen as a strength. Nearly thirty years later, the themes of The Craft still resonate, proving that the film’s real magic was never witchcraft at all, but its understanding of what it meant to grow up feeling like an outsider.

Released in 1996, The Craft followed four teenage girls brought together by loneliness, rejection and a fascination with witchcraft. On the surface, it was a stylish supernatural thriller but beneath the spells, magic and black lace, was a surprisingly honest exploration of identity and the desire to belong.

Those themes in the 1990s felt painfully familiar to most teenagers, it’s a reminder of school corridors, misunderstood friendships, teenage insecurities and the comforting idea that maybe the outcasts could have a little power, too. Long before social media gave every niche community a place to gather, finding people who accepted you wasn’t always easy. The Craft explored something many teenagers desperately wanted which was finding people and friends who understood you. Sarah, Nancy, Bonnie and Rochelle weren’t the popular girls, they were the girls who existed on the outside looking in, and as an adult it’s easy to understand why the film became so popular. Millennials who grew up in the ’90s will probably remember what that felt like;in the 1990s you weren’t expected to be unique or different, you were supposed to fit in and blend.

The girls in the movie found strength in each other, embraced and encouraged one another’s talents. This is just one of the reasons the film still resonates today. Unlike many teen films of the era, The Craft didn’t shy away from difficult subjects. Bullying, racism, body image, abuse and self-harm weren’t just plot stories to create drama; they shaped the characters and the choices they made. Watching the film today, those themes remain strikingly relevant and still shocking.

The film also celebrated individuality long before it became fashionable, and certainly a different style to the Barbie-pink aesthetic of eras that preceded it. Black lipstick, kohl eyeliner, silver jewellery and gothic fashion weren’t presented as something to apologise for, they were part of the characters’ identity. Decades before social media embraced alternative aesthetics, The Craft suggested there was strength in refusing to conform.

Perhaps the film’s greatest strength, however, lies in its portrayal of female friendship. One of the reasons the film has aged so well is that it never presents female friendship as simple but, more truthfully, complicated. The characters support and protect each other, but they also become jealous, competitive and destructive. Looking back as adults, it’s that complexity that feels so believable. The Craft understood that friendship can be both a source of strength and a source of pain.

As teenagers, many viewers were captivated by the magic but watching it now, it’s the emotional message that stands out. Each girl turns to witchcraft hoping it will solve the problems that dominate adolescence, popularity, beauty, revenge, acceptance and love. Instead, the film reminds us that shortcuts rarely bring happiness and that power without self-awareness can quickly become destructive. That said, witchcraft with real intent can do wonders in achieving what one truly wants. Sometimes with a catch.

Nancy’s story is perhaps the clearest example. Played by Fairuza Balk, her character’s power very quickly gives her confidence and control, but it also isolates her. She becomes consumed by the very thing she believed would save her.

It’s a surprisingly mature message for what many people remember simply as a supernatural teen film. There is a great lesson we learned as teenagers and that was realising that power isn’t always freedom, and using shortcuts to solve problems can come with consequences.

The film also asks a timeless question… What happens when power becomes more important than happiness?

It’s a question that still feels remarkably relevant today. Part of The Craft‘s lasting appeal also comes from its timing. It belongs to a world before smartphones, social media and influencers shaping teenage life (albeit often negatively). Watching the film today feels like opening an old photo album. The fashion, the music and the teenage bedrooms instantly transport millennials back to an era when friendships were built face-to-face and Friday nights often meant a trip to the video rental shop rather than scrolling through endless streaming options.

That’s a reason why the film continues to attract new audiences while remaining so deeply nostalgic for those who grew up with it. Its visual style still feels iconic, but it’s the themes beneath the surface that have given it such remarkable staying power. Identity, belonging, friendship and self-acceptance aren’t ideas that belong solely to the 1990s or only to teenage girls; they’re experiences that every generation understands.

Today, The Craft remains far more than a cult classic. It reminds us that growing up isn’t about becoming someone else to fit in; it’s about finding the people who make you realise you never had to. It’s nice to revisit a film that reminded an entire generation of outsiders that being different wasn’t something to fear.

That’s the real magic of The Craft, and it’s why millennials continue to return to it decades later.

You can stream ‘The Craft’ free on SBS On Demand or Tubi, and the film is also available to view on Paramount+ and Netflix.

An interview with Australia’s foremost modern Witch, Fiona Horne

That Madonna and Kylie collab is out and it’s pretty fab, but wait, did Madonna just throw shade at Pepsi at the end of the video?

‘Ice Cream Man’ big on the kill variety, unapologetic as all-hell, and not for the faint of heart (or stomach)… but we’ll probably watch it again on stream

Hands in the air for a ‘Romy and Michele’ movie sequel is finally in production

Pre-Owned vs New Rolex: What Buyers Need to Know

THE CREAM WINTER ESSENTIALS GUIDE 2026

How to Shop for Cannabis Responsibly in New York City in 2026

FOUND OBJECTS: VOLUME 01 (The Downloads)

Rate this:

49 years ago today
Generation X in London, August 9, 1977, as documented by Ray Stevenson

#punk #punks #punkrock #GenerationX #history #punkrockhistory #otd

🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
📻 Vortex Rewind ⏪ (80s extended versions, maxi singles, long versions)
──────────────
🎵 Generation X - Dancing With Myself (Extended Version)

▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
https://lesonduvortex.net

💬 Join us on Discord:
https://discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

#VortexWave #GenerationX #NewWave #Punk #80s

Millennial history teacher explains the 3 phases of Gen X and why they were ‘forgotten’

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/millennial-history-teacher-explains-3-phases-of-gen-x-and-why-they-were-forgotten-ex1/

🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
📻 Vortex WaveSpiral 🌀 (Post Punk & Classical New Wave)
──────────────
🎵 Generation X - Dancing With Myself (Uptown Mix / Remastered 2002)

▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
https://lesonduvortex.net

💬 Join us on Discord:
https://discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

#VortexWave #GenerationX #PunkRock #NewWave #1980s

🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
📻 Vortex WaveSpiral 🌀 (Post Punk & Classical New Wave)
──────────────
🎵 Generation X - Dancing With Myself (Uptown Mix / Remastered 2002)

▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
https://lesonduvortex.net

💬 Join us on Discord:
https://discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

#VortexWave #GenerationX #PostPunk #NewWave #1980s

49 years ago today
Billy Idol with Generation X at the Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales, on June 14, 1977.

Photo by Lorraine Owen

#punk #punks #punkrock #oldschoolpunk #punklegends #GenerationX #billyIdol #punkrockhistory #otd

I enjoy working from home so I can sing old Smith's songs like Bill Murray's lounge singer without worries of getting an HR write-up.

🏴‍☠️ 🐻

#Tuesday #GenerationX #silly

Monday Covers snuck up on me even though #MondayRandom10 didn't.

How about #GenerationX doing Bowie's Andy Warhol? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtysIwFqQys

#MondayCovers #BillyIdol #DavidBowie #GenX #AndyTakeALittleSnooze

This was clearly considered perfectly safe back in the 60s. This is me being carefully nurtured by my parents who saw nothing wrong in this and even decided to take a photo of it.

I still have all of my fingers, you'll be glad to hear.

#throwbackthursday #generationx #healthandsafetygonemad

#GenX #GenerationX #GenXMemes #StayFeral #LatchkeyKids #90sKids #80sKids #GenXHumor #ShitIFind

For many, Mom is the greatest gardener we’ve ever known https://www.allforgardening.com/1798723/for-many-mom-is-the-greatest-gardener-weve-ever-known/ #garden #gardener #gardening #GenerationX #Working

Man explains why ‘neon’ colors were such a staple of the Gen X ‘80s wardrobe

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/man-explains-why-neon-colors-were-such-a-staple-of-the-gen-x-80s-wardrobe/

🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
📻 Vortex Rewind ⏪ (80s extended versions, maxi singles, long versions)
──────────────
🎵 Generation X - Dancing With Myself (Extended Version)

▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
https://lesonduvortex.net

💬 Join us on Discord:
https://discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

#VortexWave #GenerationX #PostPunk #NewWave #80s

Generation X Band Photographed by Adrian Boot in West London, 1982

📰 Original title: Generation X Photographed by Adrian Boot in West London, 1982

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/generation-x-band-photographed-by-adrian-boot-in-west-london-1982.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#music #generationx #billyidol #1980spunk

🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
📻 Vortex Rewind ⏪ (80s extended versions, maxi singles, long versions)
──────────────
🎵 Generation X - Dancing With Myself (Extended Version)

▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
https://lesonduvortex.net

💬 Join us on Discord:
https://discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

#VortexWave #GenerationX #PostPunk #NewWave #80s

Trader Joe’s played a new kids on the block song and all the gray-haired moms started bopping our heads to the beat

#genX #generationX

A Look Back at Gen13 #1 (1994)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, superhero fans, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to examine one of the many tales of Jim Lee’s original WildStorm universe through the original Gen13 mini-series.

There is a lot to enjoy in the WildStorm comic book universe of the 1990s with such titles like WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, Team 7, StormWatch, Grifter, Backlash and Wetworks to name some. The WildStorm depicts the world as chaotic filled with strong paramilitary concepts, conspiracies and even aliens from deep space.

Along the way, WildStorm has its own take on the sub-genre of super-powered teenagers which was realized as Gen13 (stylized as Gen13). Strangely enough, the team – which actually first appeared in the Deathmate Black crossover comic book in 1993 – was originally titled as Gen X but WildStorm had to rebrand it into Gen13 as Marvel Comics already trademarked the name Generation X for an X-Men-related comic book project. To learn more about production history and background of Gen13, click here.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Gen13 #1, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi with artwork done by Jeffrey Scott Campbell (ink work by Alex Garner). This is the first issue of the mini-series.  

Early story

The story begins sometime in 1979 when a married couple (Stephen and Rachel Callahan) desperate runs away with their two little children. A team of armored troops (the Black Razors) riding two hovering vehicles catches up with them and hit Rachel with bullets passing through her body. Stephen, who is carrying his son Matthew, uses his power to destroy one of the hovering vehicles. One of the Black Razors realized that the husband is gen-active and nobody informed their team that he was with Gen12.

Agonizing with severe head pain, Stephen tells Matthew to take his little sister Nicole with him and run to the trees. As far as Stephen is concerned, he is finished and all he can do is buy time for the two little children to escape. He tells Matthew to protect his sister. Suddenly, the Black Razors killed Stephen right in front of Matthew and Nicole.

Fifteen years later, a young, nerdy college student named Caitlin Fairchild makes her way through the college campus in Princeton. She is a gifted student who has been focused on maintaining a high grade and graduate with her advanced degree in computer science in the near future.

Upon arriving at the dormitory, she meets her promiscuous roommate Alexa who informs her that some guys arrived earlier looking for her. The guys were described as middle-aged suits and they wanted to talk to Caitlin about some internship program. Alexa then leaves.

A few hours later, Caitlin wakes up as the door gets knocked. Special agent baker of the National Security Committee tells her that she has been accepted into the Gen13 program and her presence is immediately required in order to process her into the program before it begins the next day…

Quality

I enjoyed this comic book the first time I had it in 1994. I can clearly say that it is still fun and engaging to read again today.

This comic book was written with the intention to introduce super-powered teenagers as a new and really distinctive team in one corner of the original WildStorm universe while also expanding the lore by focusing more on International Operations’ unethical covert operations which will easily remind people about government conspiracies, top secret missions and the like. The story has really strong elements about conspiracies, unethical scientific experiments and even human rights violations. The story by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi has a strong structure but what stood out to me was the really creative writing done to bring the characters to life complete with a touch of the 1990s vibe (in reference to comic book trends and real-life society).

John Lynch, a former member of Team 7 and also one of the high-ranking officials of IO who occasionally appeared in prior WildStorm comic books, gets a nice share of the spotlight in the story and indeed he is not full control of his organization. In fact, IO’s execution of a new program about developing people with special abilities or powers (without their knowledge) raises Lynch’s concerns as he himself was a victim of betrayal and exposure to an experimental gas during his time with Team 7. Lynch also appeared in The Kindred mini-series (read my reviews by clicking here, here and here).

When it comes to the characters, Gen13’s members here are introduced with notable differences in terms of personality. The nerdy Caitlin Fairchild is the very promising smart young lady who has the potential to succeed. Bobby (Burnout) is the quiet guy who quickly realizes that true unity is needed in order for a group to succeed under the program they are in. Roxy is the undisciplined and rebellious young lady while Grunge is the loose cannon and has trouble with authorities. While it is clear you won’t see much of their powers yet in this comic book, they turned out to be interesting enough to follow thanks to the strong creative writing by Lee and Choi.

When it comes to the visuals, Jeffrey Scott Campbell’s artworks really stood out mainly due to his distinctive style. If you look closely at how he draws the faces of women – particularly the ones who are young and fit – you will realize the exaggerated look complete with the big eyes and curves seen on females in anime or even manga (Japanese comics). If you are looking visual realism on the characters, you won’t find it here at all. Campbell’s style truly defined the look of the characters and yet he was able to draw armored troops (Black Razors and the armed security guard) with a really high level of details (including their weapons) which really stood out visually. Campbell is also good with superhero spectacle and hard action. Last but not least, there is a deliberate amount of erotic imagery in this comic book which serves as a reminder that this is a story aimed at young adult and adult readers.  

Conclusion

Indeed, Gen13 #1 (1994) remains entertaining to read mainly because of the strong writing. The story moved at a smooth pace, the exposition was done cleverly, and the characters ended up being worthy enough to pay attention to. By the time I reached the end, I am convinced to go on to the next issue and rediscover not only more of the mini-series but also the way it expanded the lore of the WildStorm universe of the 1990s. This comic book alone strongly emphasized the connections with other elements of the WildStorm universe, particularly with Team 7 (its mini-series launched months after this one) and the dark legacy of IO. It is an adulterated superhero comic book that really offered readers something new and intriguing.

Overall, Gen13 #1 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Gen Xers share 17 nostalgic dishes they ate growing up—and still make for dinner

It’s 5:45 p.m. Your feet ache, the kids are hungry, and the idea of making dinner—again—feels like a personal attack. You open the fridg…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #childhoodnostalgia #comfortmeals #foodrecipes #FoodTopics #genx #genxfood #genxnostalgia #GenerationX #nostalgia #Recipes
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2615600/gen-xers-share-17-nostalgic-dishes-they-ate-growing-up-and-still-make-for-dinner/

Gen Xers share 17 nostalgic dishes they ate growing up—and still make for dinner

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/gen-xers-share-nostalgic-home-cooked-dishes-they-ate-growing-up-and-still-make-for-dinner-ex1-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gen-xers-share-nostalgic-home-cooked-dishes-they-ate-growing-up-and-still-make-for-dinner-ex1-2

Wir arbeiten uns in das Wochenende mit @arte und

Étienne de Crécy à la Gare de Strasbourg - L'Ososphère 2026 - ARTE Concert

#generationx #techno #adminlife
https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/131182-000-A/etienne-de-crecy/

🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
📻 Vortex Rewind ⏪ (80s extended versions, maxi singles, long versions)
──────────────
🎵 Generation X - Dancing With Myself (Extended Version)

▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
https://lesonduvortex.net

💬 Join us on Discord:
https://discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

#VortexWave #GenerationX #PostPunk #NewWave #80s

Recorded #OnThisDay 49 years ago:

Generation X - Peel Session 1977

The complete session recorded by Generation X on 12 April 1977 for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and broadcast on the 20th of that month.

Tracklist:

1. Day By Day (0:07)
2. Listen! (2:31)
3. Youth Youth Youth (5:44)
4. Your Generation (9:32)

https://vibracobra23.blogspot.com/2014/07/generation-x-peel-session-1977_11.html

#GenerationX #PeelSessions #Punk #OTD

@blogdiva, that's what's up 🙌🏿! I'll be 49 yo in a few weeks. Just joined the #fediverse, but already lifted up by the richness of diversity. Feeling like I can breathe again! #generationx

The Passenger

We’re all just along for the ride as we hurtle through space on this planet – a spinning rock that (I imagine) is currently shaking its head at us!

The ground keeps shifting, the social fabric is shredding and it feels like we’re sinking faster than the Titanic!

Am I the only one who feels like we’re trapped in a disaster movie?

A bad one.

Where they’ve blown all the budget on the computer generated special effects. The writers are having “creative differences” and the director’s lost the plot!

Now, it’s all starting to go a bit sci-fi…less Towering Inferno, more….Terminator.

It’s not just me that’s feeling overwhelmed…even our planet is struggling to keep up.

Think your life is out of balance? The Earth is, too! Humans have shifted so much water, ice, and soil around that the planet’s axis is wobbling….literally!

We’ve stripped forests and emptied aquifers, moving the Earth’s centre of gravity. And leaving us standing on a planet that’s fighting to find its balance.

Well, I say “we”….but it’s not really “us” that’s done all of that, is it? I don’t remember any referendums asking me to choose between my life or the planet’s…

We do accept it though – it’s just the extortionate high “price of progress”. It’s a great system: where billionaires get to launch themselves into orbit, while we get to keep the ecological fallout! (Finally, something that “trickles down” – just a shame it’s mostly carbon emissions and toxic e-waste!)

While we watch our world wobble, we’re rapidly building a virtual one. But, that’s adding to the problems it’s supposed to be fixing.

A physical weight that’s contributing to the literal and metaphorical imbalance of the planet.

One of the largest contributors to this are data centres – the physical manifestation of our digital lives. Consuming power and water at a rate that’s tilting the scales even faster.

These things are thirsty! A single large data centre can consume up to 5 million gallons of water daily for cooling, frequently drawing from drinking water supplies. 

But, even worse, these centres are often built in water-stressed areas.

In Mesa, Arizona – a region already grappling with severe drought – a single Google data centre campus has a permit to consume up to 5.5 million gallons of water daily. A volume roughly equivalent to the daily needs of 23,000 local residents. 

As AI grows, the data centre industry is expected to more than double its water consumption by 2030, with some estimations reaching 1.2 trillion litres annually.

And then there’s the power consumption….

Data centres consume approximately 2% to 3% of global electricity, a figure projected to rise significantly to 13% by 2030.

The problem is, a lot of it is wasted. A massive chunk of power is eaten up by supporting infrastructure – cooling and power management – rather than the actual computing.

Think of it like having a super-duper-intelligent teenager living in your house…

…90% of the time, they are in their room creating incredible artwork, solving complex maths problems and learning three languages…all at once.

But, 10% of the time, they’re coming downstairs, pulling a fully cooked lasagna out of the fridge, taking one bite and throwing the rest in the bin.

They have every light, TV and computer in the house on…while they take a three-hour shower…with the air-con on and the windows wide open…

I dunno, it all seems a bit reckless doesn’t it?

We’re sacrificing gallons of fresh water (the stuff human beings need to, you know…not die!) just to keep these server farms cool through evaporation. Often, in already water-stressed regions!

A single ChatGPT query requires nearly 10 times more electricity to process than a standard Google search. AI image generation can take 2–5 litres of water for just a few images.

And for what? To prompt AI to generate super-real images of a “cat lawyer” presenting evidence to a jury of other cats?!

We are transforming our shared planet into a giant, expensive toaster. Burning through resources for the sake of more…digital brainrot?

Now, that’s the kind of plot twist that makes me want to shout at the screen!

But, maybe it’s not too late to rewrite the ending…..

We don’t have to be passengers along for the ride as we head for disaster. We can start to steer it in a different direction.

Be the engineers of a more sustainable digital future. The same ingenuity that built these massive models can be redirected toward cooling technology that doesn’t evaporate our shared, limited resources.

We can demand transparency, push for energy-efficient data centres and use these tools for solving critical problems. Not just “creating” more AI “slop”….

Maybe, we don’t have to choose between AI and a habitable planet.

But, we must choose to stop ignoring the cost.

Citizen Jane x ✌️

p.s. What do you think? Is AI going to be the solution or add to the problem? Let’s keep talking in the comments below 👇

https://youtu.be/-fWw7FE9tTo?si=WWxIYdc2J0EUAL34

Rate This