Happy almost-end-of-July!
It's debut day for Mark Valdez over at the Universal Crossword, and we're celebrating here too with a happy midi for your enjoyment. Keep an eye out for more from Mark to come!
Happy solving,
Matthew
From Mark: "Today's Universal puzzle is actually my second puzzle I've co-constructed with the incredible Brooke Husic. We created it for this year's Pride series, but when we missed the deadline, we could wait till next year or publish it sooner. Since everyday should be Pride, here it is in all its glory. I'm thrilled at having my favorite movies clued in 48-Across and 4-Down, and I had a nice chuckle cluing 42-Across and 53-Across. Thank you to Erik Agard for setting me up with Brooke, which was a match made in heaven! I've made a great friend who can go from hearing me babble about boys to telling me I need to limit my pop culture references. I can't wait to meet her in person this fall!
Midi: After we completed two puzzles, I asked how I can continue to practice, and Brooke suggested a mini built around one of my interests. Based on the answer to 34-Across in the Universal, it was easy to choose one of the show's iconic phrases. I'm excited to put my song of the summer in 28-Across. Thanks, Matthew, for having this run alongside my debut! "
Follow Mark on Twitter @mark_a_valdez.