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Ben Coleman

@ohcoleman.bsky.social
687 followers 251 following 4.6K posts

Writer, culture correspondent, and a big fan of sitting at the end of the bar with an old paperback. EaterPDX, Reactor, The Portland Mercury, The Long Con. www.OhColeman.com he/him

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Reposted by Ben Coleman
Tony Cliff @tangocharlie.bsky.social · 9h
NOW we’re getting to the GOOD writing advice
SCREEEN SHOT!

this is in part why I don't understand "never think of the reader when writing" folks, thinking about your reader isn't automatically kowtowing, sometimes it's saying "I will ruin you"

yeah im thinkin about the reader. thinkin about pummeling his ass c
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Erika Moen @erikamoen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
👀
A panel from the Kissing Booth comic on Oh Joy Sex Toy, showing a bunch of people sitting at a table. One man with a beard and mustache, wearing a Newsies cap(? It's not a baseball hat) and a collared shirt is circled in red with the annotation "Grade A Coleman" pointing at it.

Full comic + transcript:
https://www.ohjoysextoy.com/kissing-booth-erika-moen
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hey look at that! I've got a cameo in the latest OJST
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Parker @jeffparker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
good times
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Helioscope @helioscopepdx.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Now accepting applications for the Helioscope mentorship program, January- April 2027. Details at: helioscopepdx.com/mentorship
helioscopepdx.com
Mentorship — Helioscope
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Karli! @karlicartoons.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
THE SEGWICK COUNTY ZOO PRINTED OUT MY DRAWING OF THE BABY TAWNY FROGMOUTH AND GAVE IT TO THE KEEPERS AND SHOWED IT TO THE FROGMOUTH ITSELF!!! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!! 💕💕💕💕
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
(if you were wondering)
Nicki was an Ewok who lived in Bright Tree Village on the forest moon of Endor.[1]
Contents

    1 Biography
    2 Behind the scenes
    3 Appearances
    4 Sources
    5 Notes and references

Biography

Nicki was an Ewok who lived on the forest moon of Endor during the Galactic Civil War. Nicki was part of the tribe of Bright Tree Village and was present when a Rebel strike team led by General Han Solo was brought to the village by members of the tribe. When the protocol droid C-3PO told stories about the Rebels' adventures during the war, Nicki was present to hear the tale. Nicki was later present in the Bright Tree Village celebration commemorating the Rebel victory after the Battle of Endor. During the celebration, Nicki danced with Wicket W. Warrick.[1]
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5uki5en5or @5uki5en5or.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
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Gwen Marshall @drgwenmarshall.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The Onion ran this amazing article and thought, I wanna play this! So I made it! 38 pps, PbtA, plus every mechanic mentioned in the article, and a bunch of Rodrigo song references. And it's free! Enjoy! #OliviaRodrigo @theonion.com #theonion #ttrpg #itch.io drgwenmarshall.itch.io/high-winter-...
drgwenmarshall.itch.io
High Winter Elves of Girlville by Gwen Marshall
A satirical game based on an Onion article about Olivia Rodrigo making a TTRPG!
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jess m. ☕🍂 @jametc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
none of us are free from the patriarchy :(
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
What a time to be alive
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Steve Lieber @stevelieberart.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
@opb.org and @stonthat.bsky.social have made a documentary about Portland, Oregon's comics scene! YEARS of work went into this, and they did a hell of a job. #pdxcomics. It debuted at @rosecitycc.bsky.social, and now everyone can see it. Go, watch! www.opb.org/article/2026...
opb.org
Oregon between panels: How creators built a comics universe in Portland and beyond
Iconic independent publishers like Dark Horse and Oni Press call Oregon their home, but how did Portland become a key player in the rise of the indie comics scene?
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Benjamin Dewey @benjamindewey.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Here's a few more Star Trek fan art pieces. I hand-letter everything because I don't have all the fonts or the knowledge of how to do it another way (that I'm satisfied with.) I've always got time for Odo/Quark/O'Brien tributes.
A mash up illustration of Odo and Columbo labeled as "columbodo"Miles O'brien with his hands on his hips with his sleeves rolled up. Around him is the statement "Endure and Thrive like you are Miles F'n O'Brien" Odo and Quark having a stare-down with each other. Quark is amused. Around them in a circle is the text: Sometimes your nemesis and your best friend are the same weird little goblin.
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Lucy Bellwood @lubellwoo.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I miss my family!!! This is a lovely write-up about what makes Helioscope such a special place.
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Helioscope @helioscopepdx.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Just in time for @rosecitycc.bsky.social, Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social and the good folks at Portland Monthly Magazine have an article about our shared comics studio Helioscope in the latest issue. www.pdxmonthly.com/arts-and-cul... #pdxcomics #rccc
pdxmonthly.com
Comics and Community at Portland's Helioscope Studio
As with many Pacific Northwest endeavors, the creative coworking setup began in a café.
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
What We Do in the Shadows' Matt Berry voices an IKEA Kallax bookcase in a free official Creation for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This book was written in 1989
A section from Ben Bova's Cyberbooks, describing a worker in a supposedly automated book warehouse dodging falling boxes from wobbly conveyor belts
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Benjamin Hunting @huntingbenjamin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Is this the saddest automotive advertising tag line ever?
A picture of a Plymout Arrow against some dunes, with a couple standing beside it. The top says '1976 Plymouth Arrow' 'What More Can A Little Car Give?'
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Ripley's Believe it or Else 🎃 @ripleylacross.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
TOMORROW! Dozens of micro-paintings from my backpacking trips over the years will become available for purchase. Prices will range from $20 to $30, shipping included! Patrons will first pick and 20% off, opening to the public on 9/21. #art Some of the paintings in question can be found here:
patreon.com
Timberline Trail 2025 - Seventh Time | Ripley LaCross
Hey gang! I just got back the other day from yet another trip on the Timberline Trail. Every fall I head out to Mount Hood and spend three t
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Dave @daswickerman.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I always wondered who took this picture.
An old canon advertisement featuring Godzilla using a printer. Godzilla is standing over a large printer with a handful of paper. There is Japanese text and the title Canon NEW BELPIA.
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Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Rough Draft vs Final Draft
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
!!!
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SQUIDDY-DOG @bigsquidman.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Coffee shop
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Now, more than ever
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Portland Mercury @portlandmercury.com · 27/08/2026
The Clinton Street Theater in Portland has been showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show weekly since 1978. Tonight, the theater held a special memorial for Tim Curry.
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Bree Wolf @breewolfstuff.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Play Brutal Legend and get ready for Rocktober 13th!!
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whet moser @whetmoser.com · 26/08/2026
updated link: www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
youtube.com
William Shakespeare - Life & Times - I-II-III - Tim Curry - 1978 - Subtitles - Restored 2026 - 4K
YouTube video by Shakespeare Network
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Boner Vivant @dougtilley.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Rest in peace to one of the best to ever do it.
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I spent several hours today tending to my cable garden. Pruned a USB c, 2 USB Bs, and a Micro B (the devil's connector). Unrooted an old USB c hub and planted two new ones. Trimmed some drivers. Watered the capture card (now it gets S-Video) Drank a very cold beer when everything was working again
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Portland Mercury @portlandmercury.com · 25/08/2026
With the Willamette River running through the city and the mighty Columbia River just to the north, Portland has no shortage of places to play, relax, and eat by the water. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites, so you can dine al fresco with a waterfront view.
everout.com
Where to Eat By the Water in Portland - EverOut Portland
Where to Eat By the Water in Portland - Pal's, Sugarpine Drive-In, and More
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
this is how your email finds me
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Ibrahim Moustafa @ibrahimmoustafa.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Been on a Superman The Animated Series kick recently, so I did some 6x9 illustrations based on different episodes I enjoy. First up is probably my favorite episode of the whole series: THE LATE MR. KENT
Stylized after Bruce Timm's aesthetic. Montage feat. close up of Clark looking skeptical touching his glasses, in the f/g his car on a highway exploding, and in the b/g the Daily Planet building with Superman flying nearby
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
This is the future that I specifically want
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Effin' Birds @effinbirds.com · 21/08/2026
Never let a writer help you move
A cardboard moving box with EPHEMERA written on it in Sharpie
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Parker @jeffparker.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
having this convo again in studio, how often a comics creator decides against attending an easy show to do, saying "I don't have any work out to show right now." Which is really a better rationale for going, if you need readers to be aware of you. Out Of Sight Out Of Mind is a harsh truth.
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Robert Komaniecki @komaniecki.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
How do I explain to small business owners that the menu on the left is one billion times more appealing than the one on the right
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
I picked up The Starcrossed (1979) because the cover is rad and I like Ben Bova. I did not realize it was a thinly veiled satire about his work consulting for Harlan Ellison's ill-fated 1973 Canadian space opera The Starlost in which Keir Dullea explores pocket societies in a decaying colony ship
The cover of The Starcrossed. There's a guy and a gal in fancy duds, a sci fi tv camera, and a cardboard cutout monster behind themOpening crawl for The Starlost. A spaceship that has nothing to do with Silent Running or Battlestar Galactica is in the background.Newspaper ad for the show. "It's the year 2285 AD, the earth is all washed up, and Keir Dullea is adrift in space on an Ark that would have made Noah proud"
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JourneyDude in Scotland @scottishinsider.org · 18/08/2026
Today's young generation no longer remembers how we used to hook up the supply of draft ketchup, tartar sauce, and mustard into our refrigerators... Good old times!
Today's young generation no longer remembers how we used to hook up the supply of draft ketchup, tartar sauce, and mustard into our refrigerators... Good old times!
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Ravenous @weareravenous.com · 13/08/2026
No one gets how strange American food can be more than 'The Simpsons' writer.
buff.ly
Steamed Hams, Nashville Hot Testicles, and Flaming Homer Shots: A Night With Bill Oakley
No one gets how strange American food can be more than 'The Simpsons' writer.
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
That's me behind the post
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Staid @staidindoors.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
they should make a Blade movie where he has to fight mummies and just has no idea what he's doing
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Do you think whoever named them "blood oranges" was having an ok day?
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Chris Person @papapishu.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
When I think of the last six years, and in particular the protests, I remember William Gibson’s 1995 introduction to the book Dhalgren, its place in the 1960s, about how time dissolves entire eras into caricatures to the point that you doubt your memory at all.
I place Dhalgren in this history:
No one under age thirty-five today can remember the singularity that overtook America in the nineteen-sixties, and the generation that experienced it most directly seems largely to have opted for amnesia and denial.
But something did happen: a city came to be, in America. (And I imagine I use America here as shorthand for something else; perhaps for the industrialized nations of the American Century.) This city had no specific locale, and its internal geography was mainly fluid. Its inhabitants nonetheless knew, at any given instant, whether they were in the city or in America. The city was largely invisible to America. If America was about "home" and "work" the city was about neither, and that made the city very difficult for America to see. There may have been those who wished to enter that city, having glimpsed it in the distance, but who found themselves baffled, and turned back. Many others, myself included, rounded a corner one day and found it spread before them, a territory of inexpressible possibilities, a place remembered from no dream at all. We would find that there were rules there as well, but they would be different rules. Down one half-familiar street, and then another, and perhaps we came to a park...
It proved to be possible to die in the city, and no book was ever kept of the names of those dead. Many survived there, but did not return. (Some said that those who did return had never quite been there.) But for those who remained, something else gradually happened: the membrane eroded, America and the city seeping into one another, until there is no America and there is no city, only something born from their intermingling.
I would not suggest that Dhalgren is any sort of map of that city, intentional or otherwise, but that they bear some undeniable relationship. (Those who would prefer to forget the city say that it produced no true literature, but that too is denial.)
In Dhalgren, the unmediated experience of the …monuments were often in decay, and the Circle's tall fountain had stood dry for however many summers, and I suppose trash had accumulated there, mostly paper, crumpled Dixie cups tossed up by children making baskets in imaginary hoops.
I did not hear the bottle shatter, only the explosive intake of gasoline igniting, flames throwing black shadows against the concrete; our shadows, running. We were all running, and in the eyes of a Kennedy-jawed girl from the Virginia suburbs I would see something I had never seen before: a feral shiver, a bright wet shard of ancient light called Panic, where dread and ecstasy commingled utterly. And then the first cannisters fell, trailing gas, and she was off, running, like a deer and in that moment as beautiful. I ran after her, and lost her, and sometimes I imagine she is running still.
Several years later, settling into the long slough of the pre-punk seventies, when Dhalgren was first published, I remember being simply and frequently grateful to Delany for so powerfully confirming that certain states had ever been experienced at all, by anyone.
The flame-lit park already so far behind.
I distrust few things more deeply than acts of literary explication.
Here is a book. Go inside.
It's your turn now.
Circular ruin.
Hall of mirrors.
Ring of flesh.
The smoldering outskirts reconfiguring with each step you take.
Bellona.
Remember me to them.
Vancouver, B.C.
August 23, 1995
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Horrorcore Kool Moe Dee Simpson @luarvik.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
the words "Koyaanisqatsi: Free with ads" are really doing something in my head. nothing particularly good, I think. but it's happening
youtube thumbnail for Koyaanisqatsi with a "free with ads" label under it
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
A truly Hobbesian situation
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Ben Coleman @ohcoleman.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
!!!
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Steve Lieber @stevelieberart.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Had to draw fan art for the new single from @themountaingoats.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjWf...
you-know-who reaching out to the feds
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Chris Brosnahan @chrisbrosnahan.com · 09/08/2026
"You're blocking out the music of humanity"
The Irritating gentleman painting by Berthold Woltze, with a woman in a victorian train, being annoyed by a man leaning over the seat behind her, except she's now wearing headphones.
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✺ 𝕸𝖔𝖙𝖍 ✺ @mothsprout.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Today was the last day the mostly abandoned PDX Lloyd Center Mall was open to public, so hundreds of people just showed up and hung out, no one cared if you drew on the walls since its getting demolished Had fun drawing critters. Tomorrow they’ll stare into an empty building before they’re gone
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William Hughes @plumberduck.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
"It's the world that Nerdist once promised us" hitting me like a sniper's bullet through the heart
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