title: Striking Vipers

text: "Striking Vipers" was the third "Black Mirror" episode to be directed by Owen Harris, after series two's "Be Right Back", and series three's "San Junipero". The episode has an all-black main cast, with Anthony Mackie as Danny, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Karl and Nicole Beharie as Theo. Beharie was a big fan of the show prior to her appearance. Within "Striking Vipers X", Danny plays as Lance—portrayed by Ludi Lin—and Karl plays as Roxie—acted by Pom Klementieff. By coincidence, four of the actors played major roles in comic book films—Mackie was Falcon, Klementieff was Mantis, Abdul-Mateen was Black Manta and Lin was the Black Ranger in "Power Rangers". Though the script originally called for a suburban England setting, it is set in America. It was filmed in São Paulo, Brazil, from 18 March to 18 April 2018. The production company registered 19 locations for filming and 150 production staff. For example, the final scene of the episode shows a "Striking Vipers X" scene on top of a skyscraper, shot near the Edifício Copan, with a former Hilton Hotel made to look disused with computer-generated imagery.


title: Striking Vipers

text: Harris found it interesting that the bromance had not been subverted often in fiction, and enjoyed the question of whether society's views on monogamy and marriage might change, like how attitudes to dating changed with the prevalence of dating apps. Harris said that the episode had a dark humour, and one of the lines which helped him understand it was Karl's "I fucked a polar bear and I still couldn't get you out of my mind", which became oft-repeated by fans. Mackie said that the filming of the scene with that line "took probably an hour longer than it was supposed to" because of how amusing the actors found it. When asked about fans, Mackie said that those who approached him would either be interested in a long conversation about the themes of the episode, or make homophobic and uninformed comments about it.


title: Striking Vipers

text: Mackie said that love was the important idea in the episode, and that the crew spoke about "what it means for people to truly care about each other". The script was written without the race of the male characters in mind. Commenting that masculinity in the black community was a contemporary discussion point, Mackie recalled that Harris talked with him very early on about the relevance of race to the characters. In response to whether Karl was gay, Harris said that sexuality is a spectrum "far broader and more complex" than "black and white". Abdul-Mateen thought that Karl felt "understood and... seen by Danny" and that it was this that he found attractive in the relationship. He said that Karl feels loneliness underneath his external personality. Abdul-Mateen made it ambiguous whether Karl was suppressing his sexuality or was simply finding himself in a new situation, and said that they "didn't want to define exactly" what underpinned Danny and Karl's relationship.


title: Striking Vipers

text: Jones said of Danny and Karl's real-life kiss that both actors aimed to be clear that the excitement from "Striking Vipers X" was "not being echoed in the real world", and that the characters were relieved by this. Abdul-Mateen thought the scene was important in its depiction of two black men with "a vessel to explore their sexuality and to understand who they are". Describing the filming, he said that "shooting in the rain is never easy" and estimated it took three to four hours. Harris saw the ending as "pragmatic": they considered showing more details about whether the arrangement was succeeding in practice, but chose to leave the ambiguity. Abdul-Mateen noted that Karl has a cat at the end of the episode, which means "he has something to take care of". He thought it could imply that Karl has matured, but is still lonesome.


title: Striking Vipers

text: The episode is a romance, where Danny, Karl and Theo are in a love triangle. Dan Stubbs of "NME" and Jim Vorel of "Paste" characterised it as a "spiritual sequel" to "San Junipero". Stubbs saw that as in "San Junipero", the episode "finds the beauty and ugliness in a new form of romance". Writing for "Vox", Alex Abad-Santos compared that in "San Junipero", Kelly and Yorkie "play semi-artificial, digital-only versions of themselves", like Danny and Karl. Stubbs and "Wired"s Matt Reynolds found that in "Striking Vipers", the technology is not the focus of the episode—instead its implications and the human stories are. Zack Handlen of "The A.V. Club" analysed that the episode has humour but it is "never designed to undercut the emotional development of the characters". Sexual and gender fluidity, infidelity and love and friendship are major themes, with "The Guardian"s Lucy Mangan writing that "every boundary is porous". Critics identified a large number of questions posed by the episode. Louisa Mellor wrote in "Den of Geek" that the episode initially asks about Danny and Karl's sexual activity: "Is it cheating? Porn? Love?" It also asks if they are gay or bisexual. Commenting in "Wired", Victoria Turk viewed the episode as making a case that engaging in virtual reality porn is infidelity. Tasha Robinson, a reviewer for "The Verge", said that Karl's attempts to persuade Danny to keep the relationship going is "needy and manipulative" and characteristic of an "imbalanced relationship", with Karl going back and forth between "defending their virtual trysts as meaningless fun" and "claiming they mean everything and are worth any risk".


title: Striking Vipers

text: Critics explored the implications of Danny and Karl's relationship. Vorel wondered whether it was a romantic or physical connection, how Karl's choice to play a woman related to his masculinity, and whether there would still be attraction if Danny and Karl swapped characters. He called the pair "two alpha males" who feel "shock and embarrassment" when made to confront their sexualities. Michael Ahr of "Den of Geek" suggested that the pair could be suppressing their homosexuality or "indulging in the objectification of their avatars' hyper-sexualized appearances". "Den of Geek"s Alec Bojalad gave a partial answer that "there is at least some homosexual energy" but "Roxette and Lance's bodies are an essential part of the equation". Bojalad found that despite uncertainty over their sexuality, Danny and Karl "needed each other in ways they didn't fully understand because they didn't have the language for it". Abad-Santos suggested that Karl enjoys "letting Danny take control sexually". He also recalled playing Chun-Li in "Street Fighter II", the only female character, as did lots of gay children because it gave them "the freedom to be someone... who [they] could never be". Handlen said that Karl could be interpreted as a "potentially closeted trans woman... but the text stops short of suggesting he's going to make any steps towards transitioning or understanding himself better". Vorel reviewed that the episode "chooses not to judge its characters", while "The Atlantic"s David Sims said it "withholds answers for most of the questions".


title: Striking Vipers

text: Some reviewers drew meaning from the technological aspect of Danny and Karl's relationship. Sims analysed that the episode raises questions about "how sexuality on the internet is continuing to evolve". Stubbs queried whether the "meat person or the avatar" is the real version of us, when "we spend our leisure time in a virtual world and our real lives wearing our work masks". He also suggested that a "virtual/real life balance" could be as fundamental as a work–life balance. Hugh Montgomery, writing for the BBC, found a "pornographic quality of computer game violence" and Abad-Santos saw "Striking Vipers" as serving to connect "video game addiction and porn addiction" as well as "violence and men's sexuality". Another perspective came from Bojalad, who wrote that the episode sees video games as "a safe, consequence-free simulation space for little boys and eventually little men to work though the complex feelings they've so often ignored". Ahr similarly described that "Striking Vipers X" lets the characters "shed their culturally ingrained male inhibitions and admit their devotion to each other in a way that society discourages in real life".


title: Striking Vipers

text: Critics found that Danny and Karl's sexual activity gave them what they were lacking in their real lives. According to Bojalad, Danny and Karl's younger selves have a "classic and recognizable college student dynamic". Ahr wrote that the "sudden" time skip creates an "atmosphere of disillusionment", with a "contrast between the party atmosphere of the intro and the mundane backyard barbecue". While Danny lives an "idyllic suburban life", as Stubbs put it, Vorel and "Vulture"s Charles Bramesco said he has a mid-life ennui. His sex with Theo is for conception, not enjoyment. In contrast, Stubbs called Karl a "rich executive living the bachelor dream"; he fits the trope of a "ladies' man" and dates younger women. Bojalad believed that Danny and Karl each wanted what the other person had: Karl's freedom or Danny's security. Mellor wrote that Danny gets "energy, abs, joint mobility" and "virility" when playing Lance, which he has been deprived of through ageing and parenthood. Additionally, she wrote that Theo has a "need for excitement in the desert of adult responsibility".


title: Striking Vipers

text: Some critics noted foreshadowing in the initial scenes, eleven years before the main story. Bojalad and Ahr both commented that Theo is aroused by Danny treating her like a stranger, a sign of her later desires to meet strangers at a bar. Reynolds interpreted that the roleplay "sets up this idea that the desire to be someone a little different is a completely human thing". Additionally, Karl's mock-humping of Danny while playing "Striking Vipers" was seen by Bramesco to indicate homoerotic tension. Ahr stated that early on, Theo tells Danny he should talk "more openly and frequently" to Karl, and communication between them is a central tension in the episode. The episode also makes reference to other "Black Mirror" instalments: it shows products made by SaitoGemu, of "Playtest", and TCKR, of "San Junipero"; and Karl's pinball machine has different gameplay modes that can be seen to reference locations from past episodes.


title: Striking Vipers

text: On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode holds an approval rating of 73% based on 37 reviews. The website summarises that critics found it "well-produced and thought-provoking", but that "holding back its emotional punch" makes it less powerful than similar episodes. Out of five stars, the episode received ratings of five stars from the BBC, four stars in "The Independent", two stars in "The Telegraph" and one star in "Vulture". It also attained a graded rating of an A in "The A.V. Club". In positive criticism, Stubbs said it was "one of the most sensitive, emotionally affecting" instalments, with Mangan concurring that it was "one of the most tender", and Vorel opined it to be "among the series' most pitch-perfect achievements". Ahr wrote that it had a great "level of literary merit, allowing for all sorts of analysis for those willing to plumb its depths". However, in "The Telegraph", Ed Power panned the script as "listless".


title: Striking Vipers

text: Critics identified various parts of the plot to be weak. Power criticised the occurrence of virtual reality "as a plot device" as overused in "Black Mirror". While Vorel saw Danny and Karl's reactions to be "profoundly well-earned", and Bojalad saw their sex scenes as "surprisingly raw and powerful", Bramesco did not see a "foundation of desire" leading to the first kiss. Vorel and Robinson wanted further information about how or why people are using "Striking Vipers X" as a sex simulator, or why it was designed to have this functionality. Contrastingly, Stubbs opined that the initial in-game scenes were "incredibly funny" and the rest were "brilliant". Turk criticised Roxette's description of sex as "the full orchestra" for women to be "awful" and "corny", and Bramesco and the "Digital Spy" critics Ali Griffiths and Morgan Jeffery disliked Lance's "don't feel like a gay thing" line. Sims said that the ending was "odd" and "slightly melancholy". Turk thought Danny, Karl and Theo's once-a-year arrangement is a dated solution because it maintains Danny and Theo's "traditional hetero monogamous marriage with two kids and an annual family barbecue", rather than meaningfully integrating any change into it. Similarly, Bramesco thought that the supposedly happy ending works by "gracefully eliding" every day of the year but one.


title: Striking Vipers

text: Comparisons to "San Junipero" based on quality were largely unfavourable, such as that of "The Guardian"s Guy Lodge, who saw "Striking Vipers" as "hollow by comparison". Reynolds thought that the episode's themes were "explored in a more gripping way" in "San Junipero". Similarly, Bramesco reviewed the episode as a "dunderheaded thought experiment" which was like "San Junipero" but where "everything that could have gone wrong... does so". Sims found it "nervier" and "less swooning" than the other romance episodes, lacking the "rebellious fun" of "San Junipero" but also the "tragic tinge" of "Be Right Back" and "Hang the DJ". Similarly, Power critiqued that "San Junipero" and "Hang the DJ" had "something genuinely profound" to say about love, but "Striking Vipers" does not. As such, only the former two episodes "earned" their happy ending. Griffiths and Jeffery criticised that "queerness is always neatly hidden away in virtual worlds" in "Black Mirror", both in "San Junipero" and "Striking Vipers". They stated that "Striking Vipers" did not address its themes deeply enough, such as by not showing on-screen the conversation Danny has where he confesses the situation to Theo. However, Montgomery dissented, writing that "Striking Vipers" was similar to "Be Right Back" and "San Junipero" as three of "the finest and most soulful" episodes.


title: Striking Vipers

text: Critics were divided on whether the episode addressed the questions it raises to a sufficient degree. Griffiths and Jeffery said that it "never really gets to the crux of what it means for Danny to be attracted to Karl" as Roxette, and does not show enough of Karl's perspective. Lodge argued that there is a "frustratingly regressive tone" as the episode is "embarrassed and coy about its subject matter". However, Turk said that "enough was shown... to raise the most interesting theme": that Danny and Karl are attracted to each other only when Karl is a woman. Vorel, Mellor and Robinson commented that the episode was surprisingly mature, with Bojalad summarising that it "presents a stunning example of reckoning with technology and one's own wants and desires in a mature, adult fashion". Montgomery thought it was a good premise for the show as it is "both technologically plausible and richly philosophical". Jon Paul of "Syfy Wire" found the topic of how black men "struggle with the energy that comes with exploring intimacy" and "suppress themselves" interesting, along with how men behave "relatively distant and neutral". He linked this to toxic masculinity. Lodge criticised that "queer desire is treated... as a disorienting byproduct of alien technology rather than a matter of the heart" and that the implications of Karl enjoying sexual experiences in a woman's body are "glibly grazed over".


title: Striking Vipers

text: Some reviewers found the characterisation to be lacking. Reynolds wanted to "understand the characters a little more" and Handlen said the episode "never quite gets under the surface" of them. Abad-Santos went further, saying that Danny and Karl seem to "exist just to raise points and get us to the end of a thought-provoking argument, rather than as people in a meaningful story". Bramesco and Power said that, respectively, the pair had "zero demonstrated chemistry", and are not convincing with their "supposed transcendent charge". In contrast, Fiona Sturges of "The Independent" praised the "nuanced depiction of marriage, parenthood" and their consequent "erosion of spontaneity", and Handlen saw Danny, Karl and Theo as being given "a measure of dignity and compassion they might not have found on other shows".


title: Striking Vipers

text: Critical comments about the acting and directing were positive. Stubbs reviewed the all-black cast as further establishing "Black Mirror" as "a bastion of diversity... not as a box-ticking exercise". Handlen and Mellor found the performances "solid" and "strong", respectively, with Mellor praising Danny and Roxie in particular. Handlen wrote that Abdul-Mateen "is terrific as Karl, selling the character's charm and enthusiasm and just absolutely landing the heartbreak". Ahr said that Beharie's acting was "as expressive as they come". Vorel also praised Mackie, Abdul-Mateen and Beharie. Handlen praised Harris's direction, analysing that the shots often position Danny and Karl in "traditional fighting game poses". Mellor and Sims praised the filming style and scenery of the in-game scenes, with the former commenting that Harris "successfully created two totally different textures for each world".


title: Striking Vipers

text: "Striking Vipers" ranked as follows on critics' lists of the 23 instalments of "Black Mirror", from best to worst:


title: Striking Vipers

text: "IndieWire" authors ranked the 22 "Black Mirror" instalments excluding "Bandersnatch" by quality, giving "Striking Vipers" a position of 14th. Instead of by quality, Proma Khosla of "Mashable" ranked the episodes by tone, concluding that "Striking Vipers" was the third-least pessimistic episode of the show.


title: Striking Vipers

text: "Striking Vipers" was nominated for three awards: an ADG Excellence in Production Design Award, a Golden Reel Award and a Producers Guild of America Award.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane (), commonly referred to as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital/prison, named after the city of Arkham which appeared first in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and later appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring the superhero Batman. It first appeared in "Batman" #258 (October 1974), written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv Novick. The asylum serves as a psychiatric hospital for the Gotham City area, housing patients who are criminally insane, as well as select prisoners with unusual medical requirements that are beyond a conventional prison's ability to accommodate. Its high-profile patients are often members of Batman's rogues gallery.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Located in Gotham City, Arkham Asylum is where Batman's foes who are considered to be mentally ill are brought as patients (other foes are incarcerated at Blackgate Penitentiary). Although it has had numerous administrators, some comic books have featured Jeremiah Arkham. Inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, and in particular his fictional city of Arkham, Massachusetts, the asylum was introduced by Dennis O'Neil and Irv Novick and first appeared in "Batman" #258 (October 1974); much of its back-story was created by Len Wein during the 1980s.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Arkham Asylum has a poor security record and high recidivism rate, at least with regard to the high-profile cases—patients, such as the Joker, are frequently shown escaping at will—and those who are considered to no longer be mentally unwell and discharged tend to re-offend. Furthermore, several staff members, including its founder, Dr. Amadeus Arkham, and his nephew, director Dr. Jeremiah Arkham, as well as medical staff Dr. Harleen Quinzel, and, in some incarnations, Dr. Jonathan Crane, security chief Lyle Bolton and Professor Hugo Strange, have become mentally unwell.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In addition, prisoners with unusual medical conditions that prevent them from staying in a regular prison are housed in Arkham. For example, Mr. Freeze is not always depicted as mentally ill, but he requires a strongly refrigerated environment to stay alive; Arkham, with special conditions required for certain patients or inmates being a regularity rather than an exception, is seen by authorities to be an ideal location under certain circumstances.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Gotham criminals deemed "criminally insane" or "mentally unfit" by the court of law generally are treated at Williams Medical Center before being deemed dangerous enough to be sent to Arkham Asylum.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Serving as a Gotham City psychiatric hospital, Arkham Asylum has a long and brutal history, beginning when its own architect became mentally unwell and hacked his workers to death with an axe. He was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the same asylum he had been building. The one-shot graphic novel "" establishes that the asylum was named after Elizabeth Arkham, the mother of founder Amadeus Arkham. The original name of the asylum was "Arkham Hospital". Its dark history began in the early 1900s when Arkham's mother, having suffered from mental illness most of her life, committed suicide. However, it was later revealed that her son had actually euthanized her and repressed the memory. Amadeus then decided, as the sole heir to the Arkham estate, to remodel his family home in order to properly treat the mentally ill, so others might not suffer the same fate as his mother.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Prior to the period of the hospital's remodeling, Amadeus Arkham treated patients at the State Psychiatric Hospital in Metropolis, where he, his wife Constance and his daughter Harriet had been living for quite some time. Upon his telling his family of his plans, they moved back to his family home to oversee the remodeling. While there, Amadeus Arkham received a call from the police notifying him that Martin "Mad Dog" Hawkins, a serial killer, referred to Amadeus Arkham by Metropolis Penitentiary while at State Psychiatric Hospital, had escaped from prison and sought his considered opinion on the murderer's state of mind. Shortly afterward, Amadeus Arkham returned to his home to find his front door wide open. Inside, he discovered the raped and mutilated corpses of his wife and daughter in an upstairs room, with Mad Dog's alias carved on Harriet's body. Despite this family tragedy, the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane officially opened that November.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: With his sanity in tatters, Dr. Arkham designed a floor plan that evoked occult runes, he believed that the pattern would drive away the mysterious bat that haunted his dreams. One of its first patients was Mad Dog, whom Amadeus Arkham insisted on treating personally. After treating Mad Dog for six months, Amadeus Arkham strapped him to an electroshock couch, then deliberately and purposefully electrocuted him. The staff treated the death as an accident, but it contributed to Amadeus Arkham's gradual descent into mental illness, which he began to believe was his birthright. Eventually, Amadeus Arkham was a patient in his own asylum after he tried to kill his stockbroker in 1929, where he died scratching the words of a binding spell into the walls and floor of his cell with his fingernails and belting out "The Star-Spangled Banner" in a loud voice.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Arkham Asylum first appeared in October 1974 in "Batman" #258, written by Dennis O'Neil and drawn by Irv Novick. In this story, it is named as "Arkham Hospital", although it is not clear what kind of hospital it is. "Arkham Asylum" first appeared in another O'Neil story the following year, but it was not until 1979 that "Arkham Asylum" completely replaced "Arkham Hospital", and the occasional "Arkham Sanitarium", as the institution's name. Also in 1979, the move to have the asylum closer to Gotham had begun; that was completed in 1980, when "Batman" #326 by Len Wein described the asylum's location "deep in the suburbs of Gotham City". It is perhaps for this reason that "Batman" #326 is listed in some histories as the first appearance of Arkham Asylum. It was also Wein who, in 1985's "Who's Who: The Definitive Dictionary of the DC Universe" #1, created its current backstory.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Arkham Asylum has been demolished or destroyed several times in its history, notably during the events of "Batman: The Last Arkham" (see below). It is also seriously damaged at the beginning of the "" storyline, when Bane uses stolen munitions to blow up the facility and release all the patients. After these events, the asylum is relocated to a large mansion known as "Mercey Mansion". At the beginning of the "No Man's Land" storyline, the asylum is closed down and all its patients discharged. In this instance, a timer was used to open the doors two minutes before the city is sealed. This is orchestrated by the administrator himself, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham, the nephew of Amadeus Arkham, who had the choice of discharging the patients or watching them all starve or kill each other. In the middle of the story, it is revealed during the "Prodigal" storyline that Batman has established a hidden base within the sub-basement of the asylum known as the "Northwest Batcave" but it was blown up by Black Mask during the "Battle for the Cowl" story arc.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In the "Battle for the Cowl" one-shot, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham wanders among the remains of the asylum as he muses on his life. He reveals that he has discovered blueprints created by his uncle, Dr. Amadeus Arkham, for a new Arkham Asylum. He also contemplates the fates of his own nonviolent "special" patients: an artist with almost no facial features who must paint facial expressions onto his almost blank face to express himself; a man obsessed with his own reflection in a series of mirrors in his room; and a woman supposedly so ugly, one glance at her face would cause anyone to become mentally ill. Upon discovering his "special" patients (unharmed from the destruction thanks to their secluded cells), Arkham resolves to rebuild the facility according to his ancestor's vision, but to serve as a literal asylum for mentally ill patients in order to shelter them from the outside world. However, when told to be happy with the new development, the artist secretly paints his face white with a hideous grin, reminiscent of the Joker; it is implied that the "special" patients, as well as Arkham himself, have given in to mental illness.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In the "Arkham Reborn" miniseries, Arkham Asylum is rebuilt and financed by Dr. Arkham. But in "Batman" #697, Dr. Arkham is revealed to be the new Black Mask and is a patient in his own asylum. It was also revealed during "Arkham Reborn," that as both Dr. Arkham and Black Mask, he had begun to manipulate patients, a plotline that culminated in "Detective Comics" with Alyce Sinner becoming the new head of the facility, but secretly working with Arkham/Black Mask. It was also revealed that the "special" patients were figments of Arkham's imagination.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: During "Batman Eternal", Arkham Asylum is destroyed as part of the villains' assault on Batman, with Bruce Wayne also being declared bankrupt after Wayne Enterprises loses most of its assets following Hush detonating some of Batman's hidden weapons caches around the city. As a result, Wayne Manor is repossessed by the city and turned into the new Arkham Asylum, but Bruce decides to accept the situation on the grounds that he can now keep a closer eye on his foes in the asylum due to his intimate knowledge of the manor's entrances and exits (after sealing off the entrance to the Batcave from the manor).


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Originally, Arkham Asylum was used only to house genuinely mentally ill patients having no connection to Batman, but over the course of the 1980s, a trend was established in having the majority of Batman's adversaries end up at Arkham.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Arkham Asylum is also featured in other DC Comics publications, apart from the Batman comic book titles. In Alan Moore's run in "Swamp Thing" the Floronic Man is detained there and in "The Sandman" by Neil Gaiman, Doctor Destiny escapes the asylum to wreak havoc on both the real and dream worlds. It has also been featured in varying capacities in a number of DC miniseries events, such as "Crisis on Infinite Earths", "Identity Crisis", "Day of Vengeance" and "Countdown to Final Crisis", among others.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth" is a graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and painted by Dave McKean. It was published by DC in 1989. It made reference to the treatment of several of the patients, such as the attempt to wean Two-Face away from dependence on his coin for decision making, first with a die and then a deck of cards. It once again portrays the asylum as having been taken over by its patients.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "A Serious House on Serious Earth" has been critically acclaimed, having been called "one of the finest superhero books to ever grace a bookshelf." IGN ranked it as number four in a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, behind "", "", and "", whilst Forbidden Planet named it number eight in their "50 Best of the Best Graphic Novels" list.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "Batman: The Last Arkham" was written by Alan Grant; pencils by Norm Breyfogle, originally a four-issue storyline that kicked off the "" series. In it, the old Arkham Asylum is destroyed, to be replaced by a new and more modern facility. The story introduces Jeremiah Arkham, the asylum's director and nephew of Amadeus Arkham. In an attempt to discover how criminals, specifically Zsasz, keep escaping, Batman has himself committed to the asylum. Jeremiah uses various methods, such as unleashing many patients on Batman at once, in an attempt to gain psychological insight on the vigilante.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: This story makes a few passing references to the events of "A Serious House on Serious Earth", such as Amadeus Arkham taping over the mirror, and his journal is shown early in the story. Jeremiah also mentions his relative's descent into mental illness.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: An episode of "" titled "Dreams in Darkness", also about Batman in Arkham, portrays a similar theme, with the Scarecrow as the chief villain, also replacing Jeremiah Arkham with a more nondescript administrator, Dr. Bartholemew who is portrayed as naïve rather than sinister.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "Arkham Asylum: Living Hell" was written by Dan Slott, penciled by Ryan Sook with inks by Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger and Jim Royal. The series was edited by Valerie D'Orazio. Eric Powell created the painted cover art which appeared on both the original series and graphic novel compilation.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: This six-issue miniseries and the subsequent trade paperback provided an intricate and multi-layered look at Arkham Asylum from several points of view: director Dr. Jeremiah Arkham; psychiatrist Dr. Anne Carver; the guards, chiefly one Aaron Cash; and the patients. There is a particular focus on previously unknown residents: Jane Doe, a cypher who assumes the identities of those she kills; Junkyard Dog, a man obsessed with trash; Doodlebug, an artist who uses blood in his paintings; the hulking bruiser Lunkhead; Death Rattle, a cult leader who speaks to the dead; and Humpty Dumpty, an obese idiot savant obsessed with taking apart and repairing various objects. The driving force is the recent admission of a ruthless investor, Warren "The Great White Shark" White, as well as the demonic element suggested by the title. White, facing charges of massive fraud, pleads insanity to avoid being sent to prison, knowing he can bribe a Gotham jury. The judge sees through White's attempt to avoid prison and has White admitted to Arkham, which White himself had never even heard of up until that point. He soon realizes the horrors of the place and tries to survive. Ultimately, he is locked in Mr. Freeze's cell and loses his nose and his lips to frostbite while trapped in there, coming to resemble his nickname. He was originally referred to as 'Fish' as new inmates commonly are, but is re-dubbed 'The Great White Shark' by himself. The demonic threat is nullified after the sacrifice of several patients, thanks to the joint effort of Etrigan the Demon and White tricking the demons into sending themselves back to the Underworld.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "Black Orchid", written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean, also featured Arkham Asylum. The award-winning graphic novel introduced an updated version of the crimefighter Black Orchid, who dies, is reborn and starts a quest to find her identity. During this she encounters Batman, who directs her to Arkham Asylum, where she meets the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and the Joker. Arkham is viewed as a desperate place where patients dwell in terror, much in the same fashion as in "A Serious House on Serious Earth", which was also illustrated by McKean.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "Arkham Reborn" is a three-part miniseries written by David Hine and illustrated by Jeremy Haun. It tells the story of the rebuilding of the Asylum after having been destroyed by Black Mask during the events of "Battle for the Cowl".


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In "Batman" #697, it is revealed that Dr. Jeremiah Arkham is the new Black Mask. More is revealed about Dr. Jeremiah Arkham in "Detective Comics" #864 and #865.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "The Man Who Laughs" is a one-shot prestige format comic book written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Doug Mahnke and Patrick Zircher, released in February 2005. The comic reveals some of the asylum's dark history. As a reporter reports on the asylum's renovation, the Joker poisons her and the crew, stealing the news van to broadcast whenever he wants. He later releases criminally insane patients at Williams Medical Center, who, in a short number of weeks, would have been transferred to Arkham Asylum. In the end, Joker is defeated and he himself is locked behind bars, in a straitjacket at Arkham.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: The graphic novel was reprinted with "Detective Comics" #784-786–a storyline entitled "Made of Wood," also written by Brubaker with art by Zircher. In the storyline, Batman and Green Lantern track the "Made of Wood" serial killer, whose killing spree was cut short when he was admitted to Arkham Asylum. Ex-Commissioner James Gordon is also pursuing the killer and he narrows the search down to the two men admitted to Arkham in December 1948, the only living one hardly able to walk and ignorant of the killings. Gordon reaches the grandson of the other, who has taken up the "Made of Wood" killer's mantle.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: "The Dark Knight Returns", written by Frank Miller, takes place about 10 years after Batman "retires." It depicts an "Arkham Home for the Emotionally Troubled", presumably a renaming of the asylum which occurs as a result of changing attitudes towards mental health. The Joker is housed there, catatonic since Batman's disappearance, but awakens when the vigilante resumes action. Under the employ of the home is Bartholemew Wolper, a condescending psychologist who treats the Joker humanely, even going so far to arrange for him to appear on a late night talk show, while arguing that Batman himself is responsible for the crimes his enemies commit by encouraging their existence; Wolper is killed when the Joker uses his lethal gas on the talk show audience.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In the sequel "The Dark Knight Strikes Again", it is revealed that the patients have taken over and have resorted to cannibalism. Plastic Man is one of the more notable patients in this version of Arkham Asylum.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In "", the Joker-using Kryptonian gauntlets provided by a genetically augmented Jimmy Olsen-breaks into the Asylum, erecting a forcefield around it that prevents anyone but Batman, Robin and Batgirl from entering, while forcing the rest of the patients to fight each other for a chance to live as his slave when only one is left standing. Catwoman wins the resulting conflict shortly before Batman breaks into the asylum, but the Joker's gauntlets allow him to capture Batman, forcing him to watch as the Joker brutally tears Robin and Batgirl apart in front of him. Although Catwoman manages to distract the Joker long enough for Batman to escape and damage his gauntlets, the grief-maddened Batman subsequently beats the Joker to death on the asylum roof before the entire building collapses, apparently killing most of the current patients (although he and Catwoman manage to escape, Batman is only tried for the Joker's death once the immediate crisis is resolved, and the sequel confirms that at least Poison Ivy survived the collapse).


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In "Batman: Crimson Mist", the third part of the trilogy that began with "", the now-vampiric Batman, corrupted by his thirst for blood, breaks into the asylum and murders all the homicidal patients-including Amygdala, Victor Zsasz and the Mad Hatter-drinking their blood and chopping off their heads to prevent them coming back as vampires (it is unclear if he did this while reveling in his new power or to try and provoke his old allies into destroying what he had become).


title: Arkham Asylum

text: As an integral part of the Batman franchise, Arkham Asylum has been featured in other media besides the print comics, including the following:


title: Arkham Asylum

text: In "Batman Begins", Arkham plays a much larger role than the previous films, with Jonathan Crane (also known as the Scarecrow) being either the administrator or a high-ranking doctor at the asylum and using it to conduct sadistic experiments with his fear gas, with his own patients as guinea pigs. He also uses the pipes under the asylum to empty his toxin into the Gotham water supply. Though still on an island separate from Gotham City's mainland, it is surrounded by a slum region known as the Narrows, instead of the dense forestry of the comics. When it came to a diversion for the fear gas to infect Gotham's water supply, Ra's al Ghul had his men discharge all the patients at Arkham Asylum to keep the police busy. By the end of the film, it is implied that the Narrows has been rendered uninhabitable. Notably, Victor Zsasz is shown as a high-profile criminal being held in the asylum. The National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London was used as Arkham in the film.


title: Arkham Asylum

text: Arkham Asylum, renamed Arkham State Hospital, appears in "Joker" where Arthur Fleck steals a document about his mother, revealing a history of mental instabilities.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: Psilocybe semilanceata, commonly known as the liberty cap, is a species of fungus which produces the psychoactive compounds psilocybin, psilocin and baeocystin. It is both one of the most widely distributed psilocybin mushrooms in nature, and one of the most potent. The mushrooms have a distinctive conical to bell-shaped cap, up to in diameter, with a small nipple-like protrusion on the top. They are yellow to brown, covered with radial grooves when moist, and fade to a lighter color as they mature. Their stipes tend to be slender and long, and the same color or slightly lighter than the cap. The gill attachment to the stipe is adnexed (narrowly attached), and they are initially cream-colored before tinting purple to black as the spores mature. The spores are dark purplish-brown in mass, ellipsoid in shape, and measure 10.5–15 by 6.5–8.5 micrometres.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The mushroom grows in grassland habitats, especially wetter areas. But unlike "P. cubensis", the fungus does not grow directly on dung; rather, it is a saprobic species that feeds off decaying grass roots. It is widely distributed in the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in Europe, and has been reported occasionally in temperate areas of the Southern Hemisphere as well. The earliest reliable history of "P. semilanceata" intoxication dates back to 1799 in London, and in the 1960s the mushroom was the first European species confirmed to contain psilocybin.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The species was first described by Elias Magnus Fries as "Agaricus semilanceatus" in his 1838 work "Epicrisis Systematis Mycologici". Paul Kummer transferred it to "Psilocybe" in 1871 when he raised many of Fries's sub-groupings of "Agaricus" to the level of genus. "Panaeolus semilanceatus", named by Jakob Emanuel Lange in both 1936 and 1939 publications, is a synonym. According to the taxonomical database MycoBank, several taxa once considered varieties of "P. semilanceata" are synonymous with the species now known as "Psilocybe strictipes": the "caerulescens" variety described by Pier Andrea Saccardo in 1887 (originally named "Agaricus semilanceatus" var. "coerulescens" by Mordecai Cubitt Cooke in 1881), the "microspora" variety described by Rolf Singer in 1969, and the "obtusata" variety described by Marcel Bon in 1985.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: Several molecular studies published in the 2000s demonstrated that "Psilocybe", as it was defined then, was polyphyletic. The studies supported the idea of dividing the genus into two clades, one consisting of the bluing, hallucinogenic species in the family Hymenogastraceae, and the other the non-bluing, non-hallucinogenic species in the family Strophariaceae. However, the generally accepted lectotype (a specimen later selected when the original author of a taxon name did not designate a type) of the genus as a whole was "Psilocybe montana", which is a non-bluing, non-hallucinogenic species. If the non-bluing, non-hallucinogenic species in the study were to be segregated, it would have left the hallucinogenic clade without a valid name. To resolve this dilemma, several mycologists proposed in a 2005 publication to conserve the name "Psilocybe", with "P. semilanceata" as the type. As they explained, conserving the name "Psilocybe" in this way would prevent nomenclatural changes to a well-known group of fungi, many species of which are "linked to archaeology, anthropology, religion, alternate life styles, forensic science, law enforcement, laws and regulation". Further, the name "P. semilanceata" had historically been accepted as the lectotype by many authors in the period 1938–68. The proposal to conserve the name "Psilocybe", with "P. semilanceata" as the type was accepted unanimously by the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi in 2009.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The mushroom takes its common name from the Phrygian cap, also known as the "liberty cap", which it resembles; "P. semilanceata" shares its common name with "P. pelliculosa", a species from which it is more or less indistinguishable in appearance. The Latin word for Phrygian cap is "pileus", nowadays the technical name for what is commonly known as the "cap" of a fungal fruit body. In the 18th century, Phrygian caps were placed on Liberty poles, which resemble the stipe of the mushroom. The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek "psilos" (ψιλός) 'smooth, bare' and Byzantine Greek "kubê" (κύβη) 'head'. The specific epithet comes from Latin "semi" 'half, somewhat' and "lanceata", from "lanceolatus" 'spear-shaped'.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: In deposit, the spores are a deep reddish purple-brown color. The use of an optical microscope can reveal further details: the spores are oblong when seen in side view, and oblong to oval in frontal view, with dimensions of 10.5–15 by 6.5–8.5 μm. The basidia (spore bearing cells of the hymenium), are 20–31 by 5–9 μm, four-spored, and have clamps at their bases; there are no basidia found on the sterile gill edge. The cheilocystidia (cystidia on the gill edge) measure 15–30 by 4–7 μm, and are flask-shaped with long thin necks that are 1–3.5 μm wide. "P. semilanceata" does not have pleurocystidia (cystidia on the gill face). The cap cuticle is up to 90 μm thick, and is made of a tissue layer called an ixocutis—a gelatinized layer of hyphae lying parallel to the cap surface. The hyphae comprising the ixocutis are cylindrical, hyaline, and 1–3.5 μm wide. Immediately under the cap cuticle is the "subpellis", made of hyphae that are 4–12 μm wide with yellowish-brown encrusted walls. There are clamp connections present in the hyphae of all tissues.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The anamorphic form of "P. semilanceata" is an asexual stage in the fungus's life cycle involved in the development of mitotic diaspores (conidia). In culture, grown in a petri dish, the fungus forms a white to pale orange cottony or felt-like mat of mycelia. The conidia formed are straight to curved, measuring 2.0–8.0 by 1.1–2.0 μm, and may contain one to several small intracellular droplets. Although little is known of the anamorphic stage of "P. semilanceata" beyond the confines of laboratory culture, in general, the morphology of the asexual structures may be used as classical characters in phylogenetic analyses to help understand the evolutionary relationships between related groups of fungi.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: Scottish mycologist Roy Watling described sequestrate (truffle-like) or secotioid versions of "P. semilanceata" he found growing in association with regular fruit bodies. These versions had elongated caps, long and wide at the base, with the inward curved margins closely hugging the stipe from the development of membranous flanges. Their gills were narrow, closely crowded together, and anastomosed (fused together in a vein-like network). The color of the gills was sepia with a brownish vinaceous (red wine-colored) cast, and a white margin. The stipes of the fruit bodies were long by thick, with about of stipe length covered by the extended cap. The thick-walled ellipsoid spores were 12.5–13.5 by 6.5–7 μm. Despite the significant differences in morphology, molecular analysis showed the secotioid version to be the same species as the typical morphotype.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: There are several other "Psilocybe" species that may be confused with "P. semilanceata" due to similarities in physical appearance. "P. strictipes" is a slender grassland species that is differentiated macroscopically from "P. semilanceata" by the lack of a prominent papilla. "P. mexicana", commonly known as the "Mexican liberty cap", is also similar in appearance, but is found in manure-rich soil in subtropical grasslands in Mexico. It has somewhat smaller spores than "P. semilanceata", typically 8–9.9 by 5.5–7.7 μm. Another lookalike species is "P. samuiensis", found in Thailand, where it grows in well-manured clay-like soils or among paddy fields. This mushroom can be distinguished from "P. semilanceata" by its smaller cap, up to in diameter, and its rhomboid-shaped spores. "P. pelliculosa" is physically similar to such a degree that it may be indistinguishable in the field. It differs from "P. semilanceata" by virtue of its smaller spores, measuring 9–13 by 5–7 μm.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: "P. semilanceata" has also been confused with the toxic muscarine-containing species "Inocybe geophylla", a whitish mushroom with a silky cap, yellowish-brown to pale grayish gills, and a dull yellowish-brown spore print. Other similar species include "P. cubensis", "P. cyanescens", and "Deconica coprophila".


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: "Psilocybe semilanceata" fruits solitarily or in groups on rich and acidic soil, typically in grasslands, such as meadows, pastures, or lawns. It is often found in pastures that have been fertilized with sheep or cow dung, although it does not typically grow directly on the dung.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: "P. semilanceata", like all others species of the genus "Psilocybe", is a saprobic fungus, meaning it obtains nutrients by breaking down organic matter. The mushroom is also associated with sedges in moist areas of fields, and it is thought to live on the decaying root remains.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: Like some other grassland psilocybin mushroom species such as "P. mexicana", "P. tampanensis" and "Conocybe cyanopus", "P. semilanceata" may form sclerotia, a dormant form of the fungus, which affords it some protection from wildfires and other natural disasters.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: Laboratory tests have shown "P. semilanceata" to suppress the growth of the soil-borne water mold "Phytophthora cinnamomi", a virulent plant pathogen that causes the disease root rot. When grown in dual culture with other saprobic fungi isolated from the rhizosphere of grasses from its habitat, "P. semilanceata" significantly suppresses their growth. This antifungal activity, which can be traced at least partly to two phenolic compounds it secretes, helps it compete successfully with other fungal species in the intense competition for nutrients provided by decaying plant matter. Using standard antimicrobial susceptibility tests, "Psilocybe semilanceata" was shown to strongly inhibit the growth of the human pathogen methicillin-resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA). The source of the antimicrobial activity is unknown.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: "Psilocybe" authority Gastón Guzmán, in his 1983 monograph on psilocybin mushrooms, considered "Psilocybe semilanceata" the world's most widespread psilocybin mushroom species, as it has been reported on 18 countries.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: In Europe, "P. semilanceata" has a widespread distribution, and is found in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Channel Islands, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Pakistan. It is generally agreed that the species is native to Europe; Watling has demonstrated that there exists little difference between specimens collected from Spain and Scotland, at both the morphological and genetic level.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The mushroom also has a widespread distribution in North America. In Canada it has been collected from British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Quebec. In the United States, it is most common in the Pacific Northwest, west of the Cascade Mountains, where it fruits abundantly in autumn and early winter; fruiting has also been reported to occur infrequently during spring months. Charles Horton Peck reported the mushroom to occur in New York in the early 20th century, and consequently, much literature published since then has reported the species to be present in the eastern United States. Gaston Guzman later examined Peck's herbarium specimen, and in his comprehensive 1983 monograph on "Psilocybe", concluded that Peck had misidentified it with the species now known as "Panaeolina foenisecii". "P. semilanceata" is much less common in South America, where it has been recorded in Chile. It is also known in Australia (where it may be an introduced species) and New Zealand, where it grows in high-altitude grasslands. In 2000, it was reported from Golaghat, in the Indian state of Assam.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The first reliably documented report of "Psilocybe semilanceata" intoxication involved a British family in 1799, who prepared a meal with mushrooms they had picked in London's Green Park. According to the chemist Augustus Everard Brande, the father and his four children experienced typical symptoms associated with ingestion, including pupil dilation, spontaneous laughter and delirium. The identification of the species responsible was made possible by James Sowerby's 1803 book "Coloured Figures of English Fungi or Mushrooms", which included a description of the fungus, then known as "Agaricus glutinosus" (originally described by Moses Ashley Curtis in 1780). According to German mycologist Jochen Gartz, the description of the species is "fully compatible with current knowledge about "Psilocybe semilanceata"."


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: In the early 1960s, the Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann—known for the synthesis of the psychedelic drug LSD—chemically analyzed "P. semilanceata" fruit bodies collected in Switzerland and France by the botanist Roger Heim. Using the technique of paper chromatography, Hofmann confirmed the presence of 0.25% (by weight) psilocybin in dried samples. Their 1963 publication was the first report of psilocybin in a European mushroom species; previously, it had been known only in "Psilocybe" species native to Mexico, Asia and North America. This finding was confirmed in the late 1960s with specimens from Scotland and England, Czechoslovakia (1973), Germany (1977), Norway (1978), and Belgium and Finland (1984). In 1965, forensic characterization of psilocybin-containing mushrooms seized from college students in British Columbia identified "P. semilanceata"—the first recorded case of intentional recreational use of the mushroom in Canada. The presence of the psilocybin analog baeocystin was confirmed in 1977. Several studies published since then support the idea that the variability of psilocybin content in "P. semilanceata" is low, regardless of country of origin.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: Several studies have quantified the amounts of hallucinogenic compounds found in the fruit bodies of "Psilocybe semilanceata". In 1993, Gartz reported an average of 1% psilocybin (expressed as a percentage of the dry weight of the fruit bodies), ranging from a minimum of 0.2% to a maximum of 2.37% making it one of the most potent species (but significantly less potent than panaeolus cyanescens). In an earlier analysis, Tjakko Stijve and Thom Kuyper (1985) found a high concentration in a single specimen (1.7%) in addition to a relatively high concentration of baeocystin (0.36%). Smaller specimens tend to have the highest percent concentrations of psilocybin, but the absolute amount is highest in larger mushrooms. A Finnish study assayed psilocybin concentrations in old herbarium specimens, and concluded that although psilocybin concentration decreased linearly over time, it was relatively stable. They were able to detect the chemical in specimens that were 115 years old. Michael Beug and Jeremy Bigwood, analyzing specimens from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, reported psilocybin concentrations ranging from 0.62% to 1.28%, averaging 1.0 ±0.2%. They concluded that the species was one of the most potent, as well as the most constant in psilocybin levels. In a 1996 publication, Paul Stamets defined a "potency rating scale" based on the total content of psychoactive compounds (including psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin) in 12 species of "Psilocybe" mushrooms. Although there are certain caveats with this technique—such as the erroneous assumption that these compounds contribute equally to psychoactive properties—it serves as a rough comparison of potency between species. Despite its small size, "Psilocybe semilanceata" is considered a "moderately active to extremely potent" hallucinogenic mushroom (meaning the combined percentage of psychoactive compounds is typically between 0.25% to greater than 2%), and of the 12 mushrooms they compared, only 3 were more potent: "P. azurescens", "P. baeocystis", and "P. bohemica". however this data has become obsolete over the years as more potent cultivars have been discovered for numerous species, especially panaeolus cyanescens which holds the current world record for most potent mushrooms described in published research. According to Gartz (1995), "P. semilanceata" is Europe's most popular psychoactive species.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: Several reports have been published in the literature documenting the effects of consumption of "P. semilanceata". Typical symptoms include visual distortions of color, depth and form, progressing to visual hallucinations. The effects are similar to the experience following consumption of LSD, although milder. Common side effects of mushroom ingestion include pupil dilation, increased heart rate, unpleasant mood, and overresponsive reflexes. As is typical of the symptoms associated with psilocybin mushroom ingestion, "the effect on mood in particular is dependent on the subject's pre-exposure personality traits", and "identical doses of psilocybin may have widely differing effects in different individuals." Although most cases of intoxication resolve without incident, there have been isolated cases with severe consequences, especially after higher dosages or persistent use. In one case reported in Poland in 1998, an 18-year-old man developed Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, arrhythmia, and suffered myocardial infarction after ingesting "P. semilanceata" frequently over the period of a month. The cardiac damage and myocardial infarction was suggested to be a result of either coronary vasoconstriction, or because of platelet hyperaggregation and occlusion of small coronary arteries.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: One danger of attempting to consume hallucinogenic or other wild mushrooms, especially for novice mushroom hunters, is the possibility of misidentification with toxic species. In one noted case, an otherwise healthy young Austrian man mistook the poisonous "Cortinarius rubellus" for "P. semilanceata". As a result, he suffered end-stage kidney failure, and required a kidney transplant. In another instance, a young man developed cardiac abnormalities similar to those seen in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, characterized by a sudden temporary weakening of the myocardium. A polymerase chain reaction-based test to specifically identity "P. semilanceata" was reported by Polish scientists in 2007. Poisonous Psathyrella species can easily be misidentified as liberty caps.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The legal status of psilocybin mushrooms varies worldwide. Psilocybin and psilocin are listed as Class A (United Kingdom) or Schedule I (US) drugs under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms, including "P. semilanceata", is therefore prohibited by extension. Although many European countries remained open to the use and possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms after the US ban, starting in the 2000s (decade) there has been a tightening of laws and enforcements. In the Netherlands, where the drug was once routinely sold in licensed cannabis coffee shops and smart shops, laws were instituted in October 2008 to prohibit the possession or sale of psychedelic mushrooms—the final European country to do so.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: They are legal in Jamaica and Brazil and decriminalised in Portugal. In the United States, the city of Denver, Colorado, voted in May 2019 to decriminalize the use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms. In November 2020, voters passed Oregon Ballot Measure 109, making Oregon the first state to both decriminalize psilocybin and also legalize it for therapeutic use. Ann Arbor Michigan, and the county it resides in have decriminalized magic mushrooms, possession, sale and use are now legal within the county. In 2021, the City Councils of Somerville, Northampton, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Seattle, Washington, voted for decriminalization.


title: Psilocybe semilanceata

text: The Riksdag added "Psilocybe semilanceata" to under "Swedish schedule I" (""substances, plant materials and fungi which normally do not have medical use"") as of 1 October 1997, published by Medical Products Agency (MPA) in regulation "LVFS 1997:12" listed as "Psilocybe semilanceata (toppslätskivling)".


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Gina Marie Raimondo (; born May 17, 1971) is an American politician, lawyer, and venture capitalist who has served as the 40th United States Secretary of Commerce since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the 75th governor of Rhode Island from 2015 to 2021, and is the first woman to serve in the role.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Born and raised in Rhode Island, Raimondo began her career in venture capital following law school. In 2000, Raimondo co-founded Point Judith Capital, Rhode Island's first venture capital firm. She entered politics in 2010, when she successfully ran for the position of general treasurer of Rhode Island. During her first year in office, Raimondo prioritized reforming Rhode Island's public employee pension system.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In 2014, Raimondo was elected Governor in a three-way contest with 41% of the vote. While in office, Raimondo was elected to serve as vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) for the 2018 election cycle. Reelected in 2018, Raimondo was tasked with overseeing the state's initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2020 presidential election, Raimondo served as co-chair of Michael Bloomberg's 2020 presidential campaign.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Described as a "moderate technocrat" by "The Washington Post", Raimondo is often characterized as a centrist within her party. Chosen to serve as Secretary of Commerce by President Joe Biden, Raimondo played a leading role in negotiations for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Gina Marie Raimondo was born in 1971 in Smithfield, Rhode Island, where she later grew up. Of Italian descent, she is the youngest of Josephine (Piro) and Joseph Raimondo's three children. Her father, Joseph (1926–2014), made his career at the Bulova watch factory in Providence, Rhode Island. He became unemployed at 56 when the Bulova company decamped operations to China, shuttering the factory in Providence. Raimondo was a childhood friend of U.S. Senator Jack Reed.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo graduated from LaSalle Academy in Providence. She was one of the first girls allowed to attend the Catholic school, where she graduated as valedictorian. She went on to Harvard College, graduating "magna cum laude" in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. While at Harvard, Raimondo resided in Quincy House and served on the staff of "The Harvard Crimson". Raimondo played rugby at the Radcliffe Rugby Club, and joked that this experience "was good training for a career in politics".


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo attended New College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, where she received a Bachelor of Arts (later promoted to Master of Arts by seniority) and Doctor of Philosophy in 2002 in sociology. Her thesis was on single motherhood and supervised by Stephen Nickell and Anne H. Gauthier while she was a postgraduate student of New College, Oxford. Raimondo received her Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1998. Raimondo has stated that her experience working at housing and poverty clinics inspired her to attend law school.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Following her graduation from law school, Raimondo served as a law clerk to federal judge Kimba Wood of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Later, Raimondo acted as senior vice president for fund development at the Manhattan offices of Village Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and backed by Bain Capital and Highland Capital Groups.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo returned to Rhode Island in 2000 to co-found the state's first venture capital firm, Point Judith Capital. Point Judith subsequently relocated its offices to Boston, Massachusetts. At Point Judith, Raimondo served as a general partner covering health care investments; she retains some executive duties with the firm. Under Raimondo's leadership, Point Judith grew to over $100 million in assets and reportedly helped grow over twenty businesses.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In 2010, incumbent general treasurer Frank T. Caprio chose to run for governor rather than seek a second consecutive term in office. Describing the position of general treasurer as “a professional job, not a political job", Raimondo announced her candidacy for the position, her first campaign for elected office. In April 2010, former Democratic primary opponent Tom Sgouros dropped out of the race and endorsed Raimondo, leaving her as the only Democratic candidate.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Running a candidacy that emphasized her business credentials, Raimondo pledged to "use the power as the chief investment officer to lean on banks to invest again". Raimondo's platform called for financial empowerment programs at senior centers and schools, and for protecting consumers from predatory lending and mortgages. On November 2, 2010, Raimondo was elected general treasurer, defeating Republican nominee Kernan F. King by a margin of 62% to 38%.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: During her first year as general treasurer, she prioritized reforming Rhode Island's public employee pension system, which was 48% funded in 2010. In April 2011, Raimondo led the state retirement board to reduce the state's assumed rate of return on pension investments from 8.25 percent to 7.5 percent.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In May 2011, Raimondo released "Truth in Numbers", a report that advocated for benefit cuts as the solution to Rhode Island's pension problems, and she helped lead the effort to cut pensions, along with then-Speaker of the House Gordon Fox. The Rhode Island Retirement Security Act (RIRSA) was enacted by the General Assembly on November 17, 2012, with bipartisan support in both chambers. The next day, then-Governor Lincoln Chafee signed RIRSA into law. The legality of RIRSA was challenged in court by the public employee unions, but a settlement was reached in June 2015.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Under Raimondo's tenure, the pension fund was criticized for underperforming when compared with its peers. Raimondo's critics attributed the underperformance to a sharp increase in fees paid to hedge fund managers while her supporters argued investments in hedge funds stabilize investments during market downturns for more consistent returns over time.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo created the Ocean State Investment Pool (OSIP), designed as a low-cost investment vehicle intended to help the state and municipalities better manage and improve the investment performance of their liquid assets, which are used for day-to-day operations including payroll and operating expenses. $500 million in funds could be eligible for the program, which would enable Treasury "to extend its expertise to municipalities and improve investment returns by creating economies of scale". The program officially launched on April 23, 2012. As of November 2021, the OSIP program is currently managed by Fidelity Investments.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: During the Rhode Island General Assembly's 2012 session, Raimondo advocated for a decrease in the maximum allowable interest rate on payday loans in Rhode Island. She hosted a roundtable discussion with then-Providence mayor Angel Taveras and members of the Rhode Island Payday Reform Coalition.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo submitted letters to the Senate and House Corporations Committees in support of payday reform legislation. She wrote "Far too many families are facing financial challenges that might be mitigated or avoided through a greater understanding of personal finance," and "payday loans exploit that lack of understanding... With numerous economic challenges, Rhode Island should not permit the sale of a financial product that traps so many customers in a cycle of debt." Raimondo wrote an op-ed in the edition of May 29, 2012 of "The Providence Journal" in support of payday lending reform.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In 2014, Raimondo ran for governor of Rhode Island, and won a contested Democratic primary against Providence mayor Angel Taveras and former Department of Education official Clay Pell. On November 4, 2014, Raimondo won the general election with 41% of the vote in a three-way race versus Republican Allan Fung and Moderate Party nominee Robert J. Healey.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo was elected to serve as the vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) for the 2018 election cycle. She was subsequently elected as chair of the DGA in 2019. In 2018, Raimondo ran for reelection, defeating former secretary of state Matt Brown in the Democratic primary and Republican nominee Fung in the general election. Raimondo's reelection made her the first candidate to secure a majority of votes for that office since 2006.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo was the first female governor of Rhode Island, and was one of nine incumbent female governors in the United States at time of her resignation. During her tenure, Raimondo was credited with cutting taxes every year and removed eight thousand pages of regulationsthirty percent of the state's regulations. She raised the state minimum wage to $11.50, created a sick-leave entitlement, financed the largest infrastructure program in the state's history, and made community colleges tuition-free. Raimondo appointed more judges of color than any of her predecessors, including Melissa A. Long, the first Black woman to serve on the Rhode Island Supreme Court.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: As Governor, Raimondo presided over Rhode Island's initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 28, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo threatened Raimondo with a lawsuit over a new state quarantine policy, which would make sure people from New York, which had been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, would self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Rhode Island. On March 29, Raimondo repealed the order that specifically referred to New Yorkers, and broadened it to include any out-of-state traveler entering Rhode Island with intent to stay. Partnering with CVS, the nation's largest pharmacy chain, her state has achieved one of the nation's highest per capita levels of testing for COVID-19.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Between assuming office and the end of 2019, Raimondo consistently ranked towards the bottom of approval ratings for all governors in the United States. However, Raimondo's approvals saw a significant rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. State-by-state polling by Microsoft News in April 2020 found that 76% of Rhode Islanders said they approved of the work done by Raimondo and her administration "to keep people safe" during the ongoing crisis. This result meant that Raimondo was tied with the governors of North Dakota and Utah for the 12th-highest rating.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: A widely criticized rollout of a new computer network system for the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services dubbed the "Unified Health Infrastructure Project" (UHIP) in September 2016 saw scores of people without access to government programs such as food stamps and child care due to glitches in the software, designed by Deloitte. This computer crash created a backlog of more than 20,000 cases. The Raimondo Administration received several letters from the federal government in August and September 2016 warning that UHIP was not ready to be launched. On the orders of Raimondo, the UHIP launch occurred as planned despite these federal warnings.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In response, U.S. Food and Nutrition Service's Northeast Regional Administrator, Kurt Messner, urged Raimondo to postpone the launch because it would interrupt or interfere with benefits the agency oversees. Messner said in the letter which local news outlets described as "strongly-worded" that "the transition plan remains inadequate and unacceptable." Messner also pointed out that the state had failed to gradually launch UHIP in phases or administer a live pilot test of UHIP. Messner opined that "Launching a system without having conducted a live pilot is against the intent of the regulations and against our best advice." The Raimondo Administration ultimately ignored the federal warnings resulting in benefit delays, system downtime, and benefit loss caused in error.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In December 2016, the federal government gave the state Department of Human Services less than a month to fix the UHIP computer system or risk losing $13million in federal funding. Federal officials judged that the state was not compliant in lowering a significant case backlog, starting a sufficient call-center, adequate staff training, and improving wait times at Health and Human Services field offices. In February 2017, Executive Secretary of Health and Human Services Elizabeth H. Roberts resigned from her cabinet post in the Raimondo Administration due to the failed roll-out of the UHIP.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In March 2017, "Rhode Island Monthly" reported that the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into UHIP, specifically false claims and statements made about the Health and Human Services computer network rollout. The investigation was still underway as of summer 2017. In an interview, House Oversight Chair Patricia Serpa (D-West Warwick) said, "There's plenty of blame to go around. The auditor's report found that [the contract with Deloitte] was poorly written, poorly overseen and poorly executed. They were warned against the implementation because the system was not ready. Not only did they implement it, they displaced all of the most senior workers with the wealth of experience. We pulled all the plugs to make sure this was a failure."


title: Gina Raimondo

text: According to documents submitted to the federal government, the cost estimate for UHIP through 2021 is $656million. State taxpayers will pay $154million of this amount while the federal government will pay the remainder. In January 2020, State Senator Sam Bell said a Rhode Island Senate Fiscal Report on Raimondo's budget proved that "a single UHIP update kicked 5,500 Rhode Islanders off their Medicaid" in November 2019 without due process and the decisions were based on a computer update. Bell went on: "Medicaid terminations need to be done with some due process. They should not come from a notoriously glitchy computer system. You should have a chance to fight the decision to rip away your health insurance. When you lose your Medicaid with no warning and no effort to transition you onto the exchange, the consequences can be deadly."


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Under Raimondo, the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) had come under fire for the rate of deaths and near-deaths of children in its care. In a period between January 2016 and December 2017, there were 31 fatalities or near fatalities of children in its care, with eight being confirmed fatal. Raimondo appointed Trista Piccola as her new DCYF director in January 2017. Piccola's term was marked by the death and near-deaths of children, high staff turnover, votes of no confidence, and high budget deficits. Rep. Patricia Serpa and Rep. Charlene Lima called for Piccola's resignation, which finally occurred in July 2019.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In October 2018, the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families ordered the Raimondo Administration DCYF to improve in 33 of 36 areas assessed. The federal report noted that DCYF services were "inadequate, not developed when needed, or lacked consistent monitoring". Harvard Kennedy School professor and former Obama Administration official Jeffrey Liebman agreed with the recommendations and analysis of the report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and claimed that the DCYF is "the most messed-up agency ever".


title: Gina Raimondo

text: With Piccola's departure, the interim director is DCYF executive legal counsel Kevin Aucoin. Aucoin has served in an interim director capacity twice before when DCYF was without a permanent director. Secretary of the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services and Raimondo cabinet member Womazetta Jones said in December 2019 that she was "very determined to stay the course of not hiring anybody unless it's the right person". As of December 2020 DCYF does not have a permanent director.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: During Raimondo's tenure as governor, the DCYF) has focused on shifting children from congregate settings to licensed foster homes. DCYF has increased its capacity and utilization of licensed foster homes, including an increase in the number of licensed kinship families, from 280 in October 2019 to 576 in June 2020. As of December 2020, 83% of all children placed in out-of-home care are placed in a foster home. Since 2015, the department's intensive reforms have resulted in a 43% reduction in the number of youth placed in congregate care and a 39% reduction in the number of youth placed in out-of-state congregate care. At the same time, the department has increased the number of children placed in licensed foster family homes.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In early February 2020, Raimondo appeared alongside former Republican New York City Mayor and Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg at the Wexford Innovation Center in Providence to endorse his candidacy, a move she described as "an easy call". Raimondo was named a national co-chair for the Bloomberg campaign.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Press secretary Jennifer Bogdan Jones of the Governor's Office told "The Providence Journal" "[Raimondo] is prepared to do whatever it takes to support Mike and defeat President Trump." As campaign co-chair, Raimondo would have "provided advice and attended events". Less than a month later, however, Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden. On the same day, Raimondo also endorsed Biden. She said Bloomberg "obviously" performed poorly on the debate stage but supporting his candidacy "was an easy decision for me at the beginning. But [supporting Biden] is an easy decision, too." Raimondo concluded that it was now time "to unify behind Joe Biden".


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In May 2020, writer George Will wrote in favor of Raimondo being chosen as Biden's running mate in the 2020 election. However, Senator from California Kamala Harris was chosen as Biden's running mate instead.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Following the 2020 United States presidential election, Raimondo was routinely mentioned as a possible cabinet secretary in the incoming Biden Administration. Though first seen as a likely Secretary of Health and Human Services, Raimondo announced on December 3, 2020, that she would not be taking that role. She was also considered for Secretary of the Treasury.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: On January 7, 2021, Biden announced he would nominate Raimondo to serve as his Secretary of Commerce. She appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on January 26. On March 1, the Senate voted 84–15 in favor of cloture on the nomination, and confirmed Raimondo to the position the following day by a vote of 84–15.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo was duly sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on March 3, 2021. In August 2021, "Politico" reported that Raimondo has become one of the "administration's secret weapons on the Hill" due to her role in negotiating the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo was the only Cabinet member not to attend Joe Biden's first State of the Union address on March 1, 2022, since she was chosen as the designated survivor. In April 2022, Raimondo contracted COVID-19 during the Gridiron Club and Foundation Dinner.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: During Raimondo's tenure, the Department of Commerce sanctioned NSO Group for selling spyware technology. As Secretary of Commerce, Raimondo has worked with other administration officials, such as Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, on coordinating cybersecurity policy. In March 2021, Raimondo issued subpoenas for multiple China-based telecommunications firms owing to concerns, arguing that "unrestricted use of untrusted ICTS poses a national security risk".


title: Gina Raimondo

text: As Secretary of Commerce, Raimondo has been a co-chair of the Trade and Technology Council since its creation in 2021.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: According to "Axios", "Raimondo has become the [tech] industry's key advocate within the Biden administration" during her tenure. Raimondo has faced criticism from some progressives for her opposition to the European Commission's Digital Markets Act (DMA) proposal. Raimondo voiced concern in December 2021 that the DMA would unfairly impact U.S.-based tech companies such as Google and Apple. Raimondo received criticism from Senator Elizabeth Warren, who argued that her comments contradicted the Biden Administration's efforts "to protect consumers and workers from Big Tech monopolies". In March 2022, Warren accused Raimondo "lobbying on behalf of Big Tech".


title: Gina Raimondo

text: As Secretary of Commerce, Raimondo has helped lead the U.S. response to the global chip shortage, and has urged Congress to pass legislation that would boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Raimondo has argued that the chip shortage presents a national and economic security threat to U.S. interests.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: In September 2021, Raimondo accused China of violating the intellectual property (IP) rights of U.S. companies, and stated that the Chinese government has put in place "all kinds of different barriers for American companies to do business in China." In October 2021, Raimondo was criticized for stating "there's no point in talking about decoupling our economy from China's" by Republican Senator Tom Cotton.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Department of Commerce under Raimondo implemented export controls in order to restrict Russia's access to military technology. In March 2022, Raimondo stated that Chinese companies attempting to sell semiconductor technology to Russia in violation of U.S. sanctions would face repercussions.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: On December 1, 2001, Raimondo married Andrew Kind Moffit, in Providence. The couple has two children, Cecilia and Thompson Raimondo Moffit. The family resides on the east side of Providence. Raimondo is a practicing Roman Catholic and was one of the first girls to graduate from the La Salle Academy, a Catholic school in Providence.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an Aspen Institute Rodel fellow. She was awarded an honorary degree from Bryant University, in 2012; and has received awards from the northern Rhode Island chamber of commerce and the YWCA of northern Rhode Island. Raimondo was elected alumni fellow at Yale, in 2014.


title: Gina Raimondo

text: Raimondo serves as vice chair of the board of directors of Crossroads Rhode Island, the state's largest homeless services organization. Until 2011, she was an administrator of Women and Infants Hospital and chair of its Quality Committee. She has served on the boards of La Salle Academy and Family Service of Rhode Island.


title: La Tomatina

text: La Tomatina () is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, in the east of Spain from the Mediterranean, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in a tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes. Since 1945 it has been held on the last Wednesday of August, during a week of festivities in Buñol.


title: La Tomatina

text: La Tomatina Festival started the last Wednesday of August in 1945 when some young people spent time in the town square to attend the Giants and Big-Heads figures parade. The young people decided to take part in a parade with musicians, Giants and Big-Heads figures. One participant's Big-head fell off, as a result of the festivities. The participant flew into a fit of rage, and began hitting everything in their path. There was a market stall of vegetables that fell victim to the fury of the crowd, as people started to pelt each other with tomatoes until the local forces ended the fruit battle.


title: La Tomatina

text: The following year, some young people engaged in a pre-planned quarrel and brought their own tomatoes from home. Although the local forces broke it up, this began the yearly tradition. In the following years, the boys' example was followed by thousands of people.


title: La Tomatina

text: La Tomatina was banned in the early 1950s by Francisco Franco due to the festival's lack of religious importance, however, this did not stop the participants, who were arrested. The people protested the prohibition and the festival was again allowed with more participants. The festivity was again canceled until 1957 when, as a sign of protest, a tomato burial was held. It was a demonstration in which the residents carried a coffin with a huge tomato inside. The parade was accompanied by a music band that played funeral marches. The protest was successful, and La Tomatina Festival was finally permitted and became an official festival.


title: La Tomatina

text: As a result of the report of Javier Basilio, a broadcaster from the Spanish television program called "Informe Semanal", the festival started to be known throughout the rest of Spain. Since then, the number of participants increased year after year as well as the excitement about La Tomatina Festival. In 2002, La Tomatina of Buñol was declared a Festivity of International Tourist Interest by the Secretary Department of Tourism due to its popularity.


title: La Tomatina

text: The 2020 event, which was to be its 75th anniversary, was cancelled in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. It had only been cancelled once before, in 1957, for political reasons. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 event was also cancelled.


title: La Tomatina

text: Events during the days before the fight include a paella contest near the town’s square, tomato fireworks, and different music bands and parades around the medieval city center. On Wednesday morning, the first event before the tomato battle is the “Palo Jabón”, centered on a long greased pole with a piece of ham at its top. The goal is for participants to climb the pole and make the ham drop, which requires them to climb on each other. During this effort, other celebrants sing and dance in circles, and all participants are doused with water from hoses. Once the ham falls, the tomato battle commences.


title: La Tomatina

text: Usually, the fight lasts for about one hour, after which the town square is covered with tomato debris. Fire trucks then hose down the streets and participants often use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomatoes from their bodies. Some participants go to the Los Peñones pool to wash. The citric acid in the tomatoes leads to the washed surfaces in the town becoming very clean.


title: La Tomatina

text: Since 2013 participation in the event has been restricted to the 20,000 holders of paid tickets. In 2015, it was estimated that almost of tomatoes were thrown.


title: La Tomatina

text: The city council prescribes a short list of instructions for the safety of the participants and the festival:


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Manfred Thierry Mugler (; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the following decades for his avant-garde, architectural, hyperfeminine and theatrical approach to haute couture. He was one of the first designers to champion diversity in his runway shows, which often tackled racism and ageism, and incorporated non-traditional models such as drag queens, pornstars, and transgender women. In 2002, he retired from the brand, and returned in 2013 as the creative adviser.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: At the beginning of his career he designed signature looks for Michael Jackson, Madonna, Grace Jones, David Bowie and Diana Ross; most notably Demi Moore's dress from the 1993 movie "Indecent Proposal", which was once coined "the most famous dress of the 1990s". In 1992, he directed and designed the outfits for George Michael's "Too Funky" music video; also that year he launched the perfume Angel, which became one of the best-selling perfumes of the 20th century. Mugler's fall 1995 haute couture collection, marking the 20th anniversary of his brand, was staged at the Cirque d’Hiver venue in Paris; and has been referred to as the "Woodstock of Fashion", for having over 300 designed looks, an elaborate set design, dozens of high-profile supermodels and a performance from James Brown.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: He also designed costumes for Beyoncé's "I Am... World Tour", and created a one-off design for Kim Kardashian to wear to the 2019 Met Gala.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Thierry Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France. At the age of 9, he began to study classical dance. By 14, he joined the ballet corps for the Rhin Opera (Opéra national du Rhin). As a teenager, he also began formal interior design training at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Mugler designed for the London boutiques Mr. Freedom and Mother Wouldn't Like It in the 1960s. In 1971, he began designing clothes for Karim, already showing the broad-shouldered, 1940s-derived looks he would become famous for in later years. In 1972, his full-skirted raincoat became a hit. At the age of 24, Mugler moved to Paris. He began designing clothes for Gudule, a Parisian boutique. At 26, he began to design for a variety of large ready-to-wear fashion houses in Paris, Milan, London and Barcelona.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 1973, Mugler created his first personal collection called "Café de Paris". The style of the collection was both sophisticated and urban. Melka Tréanton, a powerful fashion editor, helped to launch his career. In 1976, she asked him to show his work in Tokyo for an event organized by Shiseido. The 1977 showing of his spring 1978 line displayed a punk influence. In 1978, he opened his first Paris boutique at the Place des Victoires in the 1er Arrondissement and rapidly gained attention as among the most extreme of the Fall 1978 broad-shoulder brigade of designers, with a penchant for mid-20th-century sci-fi themes and exaggerated 1940s-50s-style glamour marked by sharply constructed tailoring. He used exclusively Maud Frizon footwear in his late seventies-early eighties women's collections, the most influential shoe designer of the period. At the same time, Mugler launched a fashion collection for men. He would continue into the following decade with his 1940s-style shoulders on 1950s-tailored suits amid retrograde Wagnerian showmanship.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: During the 1980s and 1990s Mugler became an internationally recognized designer, often grouped with his friends Claude Montana and Azzedine Alaïa but known especially for his shapely suits, and his collections garnered much commercial success. Except for a couple of sedate salon presentations in 1986 and 1987 (when he also reduced his shoulder padding), his fashion shows were extravagant affairs held in arena-like environments and the collections associated with them had themes, sci-fi themes in the late seventies, celestial themes later, a 60s theme one season, an Africa theme another, a vampire-devil theme the next, and an aquatic theme the next, with ongoing creative motifs that would span multiple collections, like his late-eighties inclusion of garments and accessories modeled after the tailfins and chrome trim of 1950s US automobiles, most recognizably 1959 Cadillacs.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: At the request of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, he completed his first haute couture collection in 1992.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Mugler published his first photography book in 1988, "Thierry Mugler: Photographer". This was followed by a monograph in 1999, titled "Fashion Fetish Fantasy", which assembles photos of his creations.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Mugler also directed short films, advertising films and video clips. He regularly designed costumes for musical comedies, concerts, operas and the theatre (including Macbeth for the Comédie Française). He worked with Robert Altman and George Michael (he directed the video for Michael's "Too Funky" in 1992). He also directed the first advertising film for one of his fragrances, Alien.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Clarins shuttered the ready-to-wear component of Mugler's brand in 2003, due to financial losses. It kept the perfume division open as it was profitable. Mugler left fashion in 2002. When asked about the subject, he said: "Fashion is beautiful, 3-D art on a human being. But it wasn't enough, which is why I went on to create in other ways. For me, it wasn't the right tool anymore. But perfume still interests me".


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 2002, Mugler collaborated with the Cirque du Soleil. He directed "Extravaganza", one of the scenes of Zumanity, and also created all of the costumes and the identity of the characters in the show.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 2009, Mugler worked as artistic advisor to singer Beyoncé. He created the costumes for her "I Am... World Tour".


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In September 2010, Nicola Formichetti was announced to be the Creative Director of the Thierry Mugler brand. He changed the brand name to MUGLER, removing the first name, and in January 2011, he launched the revival of the brand's menswear collection in collaboration with Romain Kremer.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: An April 2010 "New York Times" story discussed Mugler's cosmetic transformation. "[Mugler has] taken to calling himself Manfred and transformed his body...into what is apparently a 240-pound spectacle of muscle and nipple and tattoo..."


title: Thierry Mugler

text: With over two years of being the creative director of MUGLER, Formichetti announced in April 2013 that he and the fashion house would be parting ways. Formichetti left MUGLER to work for the Italian brand Diesel.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 2016, Mugler created and directed the music video and staging for San Marino's Eurovision Song Contest entry "I Didn't Know" performed by Turkish singer Serhat.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Despite retiring from his brand in 2003, he made the exception to design under his name "House of Mugler" for the Met Gala in 2019 and for Kim Kardashian. Getting his inspiration from Sophia Loren in the film "Boy on a Dolphin", Mugler envisioned a wet California girl; hence the creation of the "wet couture dress".


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Mugler's first perfume appeared in 1992 and was called "Angel". It contains a combination of praline and chocolate mixed with a strong accord of patchouli. It would be a part of a new fragrance type called gourmand. The Angel bottle, in the shape of a faceted star, was created by the Brosse Master Glassmakers. Fans of the fragrance include Diana Ross, Barbara Walters, Eva Mendes and Hillary Clinton.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 1996, Mugler followed up Angel with a male version named Angel Men or A*Men. This fragrance includes notes of caramel, coffee, vanilla, patchouli and honey.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 2005, Alien was created, the second major Thierry Mugler fragrance. Also in 2005, Mugler launched the "Thierry Mugler Perfume Workshops", which are open to the general public and led by specialists of the perfumery and oenology world.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 2006, Mugler completed a project for the launch of Tom Tykwer's film "Perfume". In collaboration with the IFF company, Mugler created a box set of fifteen compositions.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: During 2007, still following the metamorphosis theme, Mugler launched Mirror, Mirror, a collection of five fragrances, created as "perfume-trickery" to "enhance one's presence".


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In later years, Mugler's vintage designs saw a significant resurgence among celebrities, including Lady Gaga in the music video for "Telephone", and Cardi B who worked with Mugler, often wearing his vintage designs on red carpets and music videos, as well as mentioning the brand in the song "Wild Side". His vintage designs are among the most coveted luxury vintage brands for Generation Z consumers, according to "Teen Vogue".


title: Thierry Mugler

text: In 2019, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts launched the 'Thierry Mugler: Couturissime' exhibition dedicated to him.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Mugler was openly gay and a longtime bodybuilder. Following his departure from fashion he became reclusive, went by his first name (Manfred) and began extensive bodybuilding. In 2019, he said "Thierry Mugler" was a label and a brand, and as such he wanted to move on to other things.


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Mugler had several accidents that changed his appearance. His nose was destroyed in a jeep crash. A motorcycle accident involved steel cables which saw Mugler have a piece of metal removed from his leg. In an interview with "Interview" magazine, Mugler stated, "I asked another surgeon if he could do some things to my chin, and then I was happy to get the bloody anesthesia. He actually took a piece of bone from my hip and put it on my chin, so I don't have any plastic or silicone. It's all bones. I wanted my face to represent progress, because after years of being a thin, charming dancer, I wanted to be a warrior. I've done so much in my life. I've fought so much. I'm a superhero, so it's normal to have the face of one."


title: Thierry Mugler

text: Mugler died of natural causes at his residence in Vincennes, Paris, on 23 January 2022, at the age of 73.


title: The Garden of Sinners

text: The Garden of Sinners, known in Japan as sometimes referred to as , is a Japanese light novel series, written by Kinoko Nasu and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. Originally released as a series of chapters released independently online or at Comiket between October 1998 and August 1999, the chapters were later republished by Kodansha into two volumes in 2004, and again in three volumes between 2007 and 2008.


title: The Garden of Sinners

text: Ufotable produced a series of seven anime films based on the series between 2007 and 2009 and also produced an original video animation episode in 2011. A final anime film was produced and released in 2013. A manga adaptation illustrated by Sphere Tenku started serialization in September 2010 in Seikaisha's online magazine "Saizensen".


title: The Garden of Sinners

text: Set in Japan predominantly during the late 1990s, "The Garden of Sinners" follows the story of , a teenage girl raised as a demon hunter who acquired the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" after .