Pango

Pango (stylized as Παν語) is a text layout engine library which works with HarfBuzz shaping engine for displaying multi-language text. Full-function rendering of text and cross-platform support is had when Pango is used with platform APIs or 3rd party libraries, such as Uniscribe and FreeType, as text rendering backends. Pango-processed text will appear similar under different operating systems.

Pango is a special-purpose library for text and not a general-purpose graphics rendering library such as Cairo, with which Pango can be used. Indeed, the Cairo documentation recommends Pango be used to "render" text rather than Cairo for all but the simplest text "rendering".

The name pango comes from Greek pan (παν, "all") and Japanese go (語, "language").

Support for OpenType features

Pango 1.17 and newer support the locl feature tag that allows alternate glyphs to be used for the same Unicode code point. Assuming you have Verdana version 5.01 installed, which supports the locl feature for the latn/ROM (Romanian) script, a quick demonstration (on Linux) is:

What The--?!

What The--?! was a Marvel Comics comic book series self-parodying the Marvel Universe, similar in vein to the 1960s series Not Brand Echh. It was billed as "The Marvel mag of mirth and mayhem!" The series ran for 26 issues from August 1988 through Winter 1993, with issue #26 being a "Fall Special". It typically contained a series of short stories with comedic takes on Marvel heroes and villains, such as having Spider-Ham substitute for Spider-Man.

Concept

What The--?! spotlighted some of the top artists and writers at the time. Many, such as Stan Lee and John Byrne, contributed works that spoof some of their all-time greatest successes. For example, in issue #2, Byrne creates a tale pitting his work on the Fantastic Four franchise against his work with Superman. The issue goes so far as to have the Lex Luthor character complain about the changes Byrne made to the Superman legend after DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Though it carried the Marvel Comics label on the front left corner, What The--?! touted itself as being published by "Marble Comics". What The--?! parodied Marvel institutions such as the legendary Marvel Comics fan mail page, with staged articles called "The Marble Mailbag" and the "What The... Mail". The title also did not contain any "true" advertisements. Instead, What The--?! hosted a number of fake advertisements that made fun of classic comic book advertisements such as Charles Atlas, novelty by-mail companies, and the Hostess snack food ads of the 1970s and 1980s.

What the Duck

What the Duck is a comic strip by Aaron Johnson. It started as a webcomic, with the first strip posted in July 2006. The strip has appeared as print in numerous photography magazines including Amateur Photographer. It was picked up for syndication in 2008 by Universal Press Syndicate under the name W. T. Duck.

The main character of the comic strip is a professional photographer who is a duck. The witty humor and smart observations about photography have made the comic a favorite among many amateur and professional photographers.

The name of each strip is picked by the author from those suggested by the readers in the comment section of the comic. The author approves of and even encourages people spreading the strips on the web.

The comic strips have also been published in two books, What the Duck, Rule of Nerds and What the Duck: A W.T. Duck Collection.

What the Duck merchandise is available through the official website.

References