https://www.brainwavez.org/ Recent updates on brainwavez.org Thu, 2 Apr 2026 14:50:00 +0200 en-uk https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/reviews/2026/20260402001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/reviews/2026/20260402001-01.html Thu, 2 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0200 Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of South Africa's internationally renowned botanical gardens but the service - and the cappuccinos - at the privately run Moyo restaurant do not meet those standards.

This review was made possible due to subscriber support via Ko-fi, which reached the cumulative $20 tier (a Cappuccino Quest review) in March. You can support brainwavez.org's independent journalism with a one-off contribution or become a monthly subscriber, which will help to unlock further tiers and guarantee additional articles and reviews every month.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2026/20260123001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2026/20260123001-01.html Fri, 23 Jan 2026 18:20:00 +0200 Nia DaCosta directs this continuation of the story of the Rage Virus that ravaged the United Kingdom and how the resulting zombie apocalypse has shaped the island and its people 28 years later.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2025/20251118001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2025/20251201001-01.html Mon, 1 Dec 2025 15:20:00 +0200 The South African comics calendar for 2025 wraps up in December with a selection of strong events to see out the year, mainly centred in Cape Town, that include a medieval fair, book and zine launches, and the monthly all-ages, no-experience-necessary comic jam.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2025/20251118001-01.html 20251118001u Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:57:00 +0200 November 2025's South African comics event calendar has suddenly ballooned, with both Johannesburg and Cape Town hosting a number of events over the next few weeks. Some of what's coming up includes book launches, sales, a geek market, and a celebration of local comic shops.

This was updated on 26 and 28 November 2025 to add detailed information about the Local Comic Shop Day events taking place at both Readers Den Comic Shop stores in Cape Town, as well as the Mini Geek Market that will be taking place at Readers Den Comic Shop Wynberg, which will heavily feature comics and zines!]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2025/20251118001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2025/20251118001-01.html Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:20:00 +0200 November 2025's South African comics event calendar has suddenly ballooned, with both Johannesburg and Cape Town hosting a number of events over the next few weeks. Some of what's coming up includes book launches, sales, a geek market, and a celebration of local comic shops.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2025/20251110001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2025/20251110001-01.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:20:00 +0200 The horror that lay at the heart of the Predator franchise has been tempered to generic feel-good family friendly fare that takes the form of a light-hearted, almost bloodless, action adventure that we've seen thematically dozens of times before. It also sets the story on a distant planet, which conveniently avoids any uncomfortable philosophical dilemmas that might arise if the story had been set on Earth.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2025/20251015001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2025/20251015001-01.html Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:15:00 +0200 The filmmakers of the third movie in the Tron franchise have opted for a new narrative direction - and they're bringing someone no one wants to see on screen along for the ride.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2025/20250812001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2025/20250812001-01.html Tue, 12 Aug 2025 21:30:00 +0200 After numerous missteps, going back 20 years, we have another rebooted attempt to bring the superhero team the Fantastic Four to film, this time as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/features/2025/20250611001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/features/2025/20250611001-01.html Wed, 11 Jun 2025 22:40:00 +0200 Joe Vaz is best known for his roles as antagonists who frequently meet a deadly end but for decades his work in the arts encompassed so much more, including providing a publishing outlet for South African speculative-fiction authors and a musical career.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/games/features/2025/20250331001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/games/features/2025/20250331001-01.html Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:00:00 +0200 The Japan-focussed fourteenth major instalment in Ubisoft's long-running video-game franchise was launched in Cape Town, South Africa, as part of the game's international launch celebrations. The event included a demonstration of Japanese calligraphy and exclusive early peek at an Ubisoft commissioned piece of art by South African artist Mr Pencils, which is now being promoted globally to highlight the game.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2024/20240906001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2024/20240906001-01.html_2 Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0200 The September roundup of South African comics-related events has been updated: there's been a change to Readers Den Comic Shop's Batman Day events, which have been postponed (Batman Day goes ahead internationally, however), and this year's Ons Klyntji zine is being launched on Saturday, 14 September 2024.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2024/20240906001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2024/20240906001-01.html Fri, 6 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0200 September will be a busy month in South Africa for comics fans: the Open Book Festival, UCON, South Afrifur Furry Convention, and Comic Con Africa are all featuring South African comics creators or comics-adjacent events, plus it's Batman Day and he's turning 85.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/books/features/2024/20240513001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/books/features/2024/20240513001-01.html Mon, 13 May 2024 18:00:00 +0200 A week of celebrating comics and pop culture in Cape Town, South Africa, closed off with small Free Comic Book Day events at both Readers Den Comic Shop stores, where anyone could get a brand new comic for free, no strings attached.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/books/features/2024/20240415001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/books/features/2024/20240415001-01.html Mon, 15 Apr 2024 20:30:00 +0200 A high-quality copy of the comic that featured the first appearance of Superman has sold for US$6 million during an auction of comics, comic art, and comics memorabilia, setting a new record in the process.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/features/2014/20140114001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/features/2014/20140114001-01.html Anniversary #SundayRead from the archives: A mysterious forcefield ("rules") prevented the zombies of the 2013 Cape Town Zombie Walk from continuing their adventure into, or past, the South African Museum so the mangled group mingled before U-turning to follow the path back through the city to the starting point.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/features/2014/20140107001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/features/2014/20140107001-01.html Anniversary #SundayRead from the archives: Now an annual Halloween tradition in its fourth year, the 2013 Cape Town Zombie Walk gathered the likeminded soulless from all over the city who shuffled and moaned their way through some of the most picturesque parts of Cape Town.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/newsletter/202308.html https://www.brainwavez.org/newsletter/202308.html Thu, 31 Aug 2023 17:30:00 +0200 August newsletter has just been sent. Read it online or subscribe here.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2023/20230830001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2023/20230830001-01.html Wed, 30 Aug 2023 20:05:00 +0200 While there are no official comics events scheduled for the 2023 Open Book Festival in Cape Town, South Africa, this September there will still be three comics creators on the programme and at least one of the discussions is likely to talk a little bit about zines.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/books/features/2023/20230815001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/books/features/2023/20230815001-01.html Tue, 15 Aug 2023 08:45:00 +0200 In 2022 Blank Books Woodstock, an independent book store in Cape Town, closed down. This is a story that we didn't get to at the time but we didn't want it to be forgotten due to its role in the South African comics scene as the store was an important hub for finding rare and older items, plus it hosted its share of fun local comics events over the roughly 10 years that it operated.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2023/20230228001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2023/20230228001-01.html Tue, 28 Feb 2023 16:30:00 +0200 South African whisky retailer WhiskyBrother&Co is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a special single-cask release of an unpeated 12-year-old Bruichladdich single-malt Scotch whisky. The limited-edition offering is also a tongue-in-cheek nod to a very South African problem - a massive disruption known as loadshedding.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2023/20230120001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2023/20230120001-01.html Fri, 20 Jan 2023 17:30:00 +0200 South African comics creator Clyde Beech has been working on a STEAM outreach and awareness initiative that profiles local scientists through various mediums, including a comic and an exhibition.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2023/20230111001-01.html https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/reviews/2023/20230111001-01.html Wed, 11 Jan 2023 12:45:00 +0200 Marcel is an anthropomorphic sea shell with a largely untainted sense of wonder and joy whose family members are accidentally removed from their home in an unfortunate incident. Will he be able to find them in a human world that is incomprehensibly big? A documentary film-maker chronicles his attempts.

(If you're in Cape Town the film is screening at The Labia for the next few weeks. It is available via video on demand in some other territories. See the review for links.)]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2022/20221124001-01.html 20221124001 Thu, 24 Nov 2022 14:15:00 +0200 South African cartoonist Gavin Thomson is showcasing some of his work at two exhibitions being hosted in the Southern Peninsula suburbs of Cape Town, including ocean- and big-wave-inspired art and a selection of his endearing cartoons.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2022/20221118001-01.html 20221118001 Fri, 18 Nov 2022 21:00:00 +0200 South Africa's most prominent cartoonist, Zapiro, will be visiting book stores in Gauteng and the Western Cape over the coming weeks to promote his 2022 annual.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2022/20221013001-01.html 20221013001 Thu, 13 Oct 2022 20:00:00 +0200 A crowdfunding campaign for the third issue of Defenders Of Eden is currently running on Kickstarter. The issue is complete and is looking for funds to be printed and shipped. The team behind the series comprises creators from the USA and South Africa and the rewards include both physical printed comics and PDFs.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/reviews/2022/20221010001-01.html 20221010001 Mon, 10 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0200 This 80-brick LEGO set, which is suitable for builders aged six and up, features a bear with a balloon and a present who is ready for a snazzy birthday party.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/books/reviews/2022/20221006001-01.html 20221006001 Thu, 6 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0200 Canadian-South African comics creator Maya LeMaitre has published a book of comics about a teenager from Earth named Mimi who moves to Mars with her family. The book, which is suitable for all ages, explores how Mimi adapts to her new home and features LeMaitre's signature watercolour art and sense of whimsy.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2022/20220901001-01.html 20220901001 Thu, 1 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0200 There are no official comics events at this year's Open Book Festival, which is taking place in Cape Town from tomorrow until Sunday, and no artists' alley but two comics creators will still be on the programme.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2022/20220831001-01.html 20220831001 Wed, 31 Aug 2022 21:00:00 +0200 Readers Den Comic Shop is celebrating its 30th anniversary this Saturday, 3 September 2022, at both its stores in Cape Town, South Africa. The event will be a mini comics convention and celebration, with special guests at the Claremont flagship store, while both stores will be offering great deals and gifts and will be running a cosplay competition.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/books/reviews/2021/20211125001-01.html 20211125001 Thu, 25 Nov 2021 20:00:00 +0200 Charlie Human's latest speculative fiction novel features a female protagonist who finds herself having to navigate a very dangerous part of Cape Town as she looks for her missing son. She's got the combat experience to make it through... but not everything she's going to have to face might be human.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2020/20200828001-01.html 20200828001 Fri, 28 Aug 2020 23:30:00 +0200 This is a monster catchup roundup to highlight what South African comics creators have been doing for international publishers, as an introduction to what will be a more frequent and regular series of articles with more timely information on releases so you know what to order from your local comics shop and what to look out for at book stores.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/books/features/2020/20200813001-01.html 20200813001 Thu, 13 Aug 2020 22:30:00 +0200 brainwavez.org is proud to present another South African comics exclusive: a preview of some of the pages in the Teenage Blob zine, which is a special piece of merchandise, limited to 100 physical copies, being made available with the video game/EP split release.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/features/2020/20200709001-01.html 20200709001 Thu, 9 Jul 2020 22:00:00 +0200 An animated map with a gut-wrenching accompanying soundscape tallies the worldwide deaths caused by COVID-19, beginning in January 2020 and continuing until the end of June 2020. It's an exemplary example of how multimedia can be used to communicate information in a more visceral way than plain statistics.]]> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXkDMV7XqII 20200705001y Sun, 5 Jul 2020 16:00:00 +0200 #CelebrateFanCon2020 we posted a never before seen video from the inaugural FanCon Cape Town Cmic Con in 2016 that features Louanne van Riet talking to Jason Aaron about his creator-owned comic series The Goddamned.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2020/20200703001-01.html 20200703001 Fri, 3 Jul 2020 23:59:00 +0200 In a long overdue roundup, learn how local event organisers are not letting the pandemic stop celebrations of comics and geek culture, see the last Dr Jack & Curtis cartoon for EWN, see who got Nommo nominations, and find out how local comics creators have helped to raise funds for struggling comic shops.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/features/2020/20200622001-01.html 20200622001 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 22:30:00 +0200 Since the COVID-19 pandemic threw a spanner in the works of the College Of Magic's fundraising plans for 2020, which included a magic and comedy variety show at the Artscape theatre in Cape Town in May, it is experimenting with an online fundraiser that anyone in the world will be able to watch.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/screen/film/features/2020/20200506001-01.html 20200506001 Wed, 6 May 2020 22:30:00 +0200 Sometime in the future - a future that won't be nearly distant enough - from Hollywood shall emerge a deluge of movies inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, although we won't be able to avoid the marketing, we can always choose not to go to the cinema.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/features/2020/20200504001-01.html 20200504001 Mon, 4 May 2020 23:59:59 +0200 The Original Stormtrooper Decanter is an eye-catching home-bar accessory for wine or spirits that's also suitable as a stylish, yet suitably geeky, gift for fans of Star Wars.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2020/20200416002-01.html 20200416002 Thu, 16 Apr 2020 22:00:00 +0200 The ninth zine in the Werewolves Versus series is open for submissions of art, comics, and prose. Creators from around the world are invited to send in their previously unpublished work for consideration.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/games/reviews/2020/20200416001-01.html 20200416001 Thu, 16 Apr 2020 22:00:00 +0200 Heartreasure is a delightful treasure-hunt puzzle for people who don't like to be rushed when they play games. There's no timer so you can work at your own pace as you try to discover 50 hearts hidden in a busy scene populated by wondrous animals and creatures.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/games/reviews/2020/20200410001-01.html 20200410001 Fri, 10 Apr 2020 22:00:00 +0200 Bunnie's carrot has been stolen! In this quick puzzle-platformer game you'll have to think out of the box to get it back because the dungeon is filled with zombies that think Bunnie is a really attractive snack.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2020/20200305002-01.html 20200305002 Thu, 5 Mar 2020 14:00:00 +0200 Card mechanic Richard Turner was celebrated and honoured by members of the Cape Magicians Circle for the incredible skills that he has perfected that allow him to manipulate a deck of cards and deal whatever hand he wants to deal whenever he wants to deal it.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/reviews/2020/20200305001-01.html 20200305001 Thu, 5 Mar 2020 14:00:00 +0200 Why should you never play cards with strangers? In his one man show Dealt, card mechanic Richard Turner demonstrates some of the precision techniques and skills that cheaters use to fix card games and win high stakes bets in everything from poker and blackjack to Three-Card Monte.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/games/reviews/2020/20200228001-01.html 20200228001 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 22:00:00 +0200 Zip through a quick list of simple DIY tasks, then enjoy the thank you bottle of wine... what could go wrong in this Global Game Jam 2020 entry from four developers in Prague?]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2020/20200128001-01.html 20200128001 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 22:35:00 +0200 If you're interested in video-game development, whether or not you've ever made a game before, you're invited to participate in this year's Global Game Jam, a free 48-hour worldwide event that encourages everyone to jump in and make a game.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/culture/features/2020/20200108001-01.html 20200108001 Wed, 8 Jan 2020 18:15:00 +0200 The cast and some of the crew of the musical The Rocky Horror Show visited the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, to perform the "Time Warp" and promote the show, which is in the middle of its 2019-2020 South African run.]]> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXkDMV7XqII 20200108001y Wed, 8 Jan 2020 18:15:00 +0200 The Rocky Horror Show perform in the cable car with staff members from the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company.]]> https://www.brainwavez.org/news/2020/20200103001-01.html 20200103001 Fri, 3 Jan 2020 20:10:00 +0200 Visitors to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town are in for a treat as the College Of Magic is performing a holiday version of one of its popular magic spectaculars every day until 7 January 2020 - and, best of all, it's free.]]>