Say what you will about the film Bring It On, its commentary on cultural appropriation, racism, privilege, white supremacy, and the exploitation of black culture seems to be more relevant now than when the film was released 15 years ago.
Continue reading “I Know You Don’t Think A White Girl Made That Up”
So I thought I’d switch gears here for a second and discuss one of my all time favorite series: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.
Hip hop culture is a long lost love of mine.
This usually shocks people when they learn that I used to be huge fan of vintage hip hop. It’s understandable given my cerebral and uptight demeanor.
As a kid, hip hop culture was starting to gain traction and even then I knew it was something special. It was from the streets, it was humble, it was pure. It was by the people for the people. It was inclusive. Hip hop/rap was for everyone: male, female, black, Asian, Latino, and white.
Continue reading “Throwback Thursday: Why I’m Down with The LXD”
Dedicated to the late Yvonne Craig — who passed away yesterday.
It’s a shame how much Barbara Gordon/Batgirl is perhaps one of the most underrated characters in comics and pop culture. Not surprising that many dismiss her as little more than a “female Robin” or a lesser spinoff character of the caped crusader.
But the astute observer will note that by being tied to the Batman mythos, Barbara Gordon has arguably made more appearances in mainstream media than any other comic book super heroine, including Wonder Woman, thus perhaps making Batgirl the most publicized comic book super heroine to date.
Originally posted on Geeks OUT
So like most geeks, I recently caught the first trailers for the upcoming Jem and the Holograms movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check it out here.
The verdict?
Continue reading “Why It’s Still Showtime Synergy for Jem and the Holograms“
With two novels under my belt, Hollowstone and West of Sunset, one of the things I’m asked the most is advice about getting published. Shifting into writer mode which coincidentally looks a lot like Puppet Angel (hence the above pic).
The following is an email I sent to readers sharing my experiences which I think may serve as a useful resource for other writing aspirants.
Originally published on Black Girl Nerds
When my debut novel, Hollowstone, was released a few years back, I had no idea how far the rabbit hole would go. What began as me publishing a YA novel that I completed during my inaugural NaNoWriMo challenge has resulted in endless opportunities (such as writing for Black Girl Nerds). It’s also sparked some most excellent discussions on diversity: race, LGBTQ, and gender.
I couldn’t be more humbled and honored.
Looking back, there was one thing I found to be a bit unsettling. Whenever white feminists commented on the female players of Hollowstone, they discussed (and praised) Neely at length. Understandable, given that she was a universal fan-favorite. While Abigail and Brianna were examined, I noticed Cassidy and Ruby were ignored. This bothered me. Brianna was only in the first half of the novel as opposed to Cass and Ruby who were main players that appear throughout the entire novel.
The difference is that both Cassidy and Ruby are Black women.
Continue reading “West of Sunset: My Love Letter To Black Women”
Alanis Morissette’s hit track, “All I Really Want,” features one of my all-time favorite lyrics:
And I am fascinated by the spiritual man. I am humbled by his humble nature.
So this weekend I rewatched Man of Steel which still remains one of the most polarizing comic book films to date. The film is essentially a reboot of Superman’s origins much in the spirit of Batman Begins. As Kal-El learns of his origins and his purpose, he soon becomes tasked with protecting the planet from Zod and his invading army.
The verdict?
Originally published on Latin Negro
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
— Toni Morrison
They say necessity is the mother of all invention and by extension, creativity. As a storyteller I’ve certainly found that to be true for the narratives I penned. As a queer geek of color, I’ve learned early on that geek culture is for white people for a number of reasons, and to be a PoC or an LGBTQ means to be treated like a pariah.
More than that, countless marginalized characters are endlessly undercut and buried due to the rampant bigotry that pervades the media. Extraordinary characters such as Storm (the First Lady of Marvel), Renee Montoya, Regina Mills, Freedom Ring, Midnighter, Cassandra Cain and countless others who have been lightning rods for racism, misogyny, and/or homophobia by fandom and the industry alike.
But as any artist will tell you, inspiration can often come in the unlikeliest of forms.
Originally posted on GeeksOut.org
In honor of LGBTQ Pride Month.
The following a reminder why this isn’t the first time DC Comics promised a brand new day with diversity only to pull some of the most bigoted stunts in comics history.
Can you separate the art from the artist?
This is a question that’s often asked when it comes to enjoying the art separately from an artist’s personal (and often bigoted) views.
So in honor of Pride Month and celebrating exceptional LGBTQ characters in speculative fiction, this weekend I did a rewatch of Torchwood: Children of Earth. There’s so much I want to convey and in the hopes of doing this review justice I’m going to break down my review into points and expound upon them in that manner.
Someone else said it best, Children of Earth was the series that should’ve gotten 10 episodes and the subsequent Miracle Day is the series that should’ve been limited to five episodes. Nevertheless, I must say that the Doctor Who spinoff brought its A-game. Not surprising considering that creator Russell T. Davies was at the writing helm.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault and Rape Survivors
When I worked as a reporter for a local paper in East Tennessee some years back, a story arose about a young woman who had been sexually assaulted at her high school. When the issue was brought to the school board’s attention, they moved heaven and earth to shame the young woman and to vilify her and her family.
No one denied the attack happened but nothing was done about it because the attacker was a star athlete and the school’s administration was beyond corrupt. When I tried to follow up and get the family’s side of events, the story was buried due to local politics and my publisher’s wish to stay in good with the Powers That Be in the county.
Continue reading “Rape Culture: From Grimdark Fantasy to Reality”
Originally posted on Geeksout.org
In Honor of LGBTQ Pride Month
I must admit that I didn’t know much about Alexis Arquette. I knew she came from a famous acting family and I believe I had seen more of her brother David’s work than any of the other Arquettes. So my first real introduction to Alexis was when she starred in a season of the VH-1 reality series The Surreal Life.
Nearly two years ago today, Marvel Comics announced its initiative to be more progressive in its comic book lineup. Surprisingly they have stuck with said initiative and it has paid off for them immensely in sales, mainstream interest and general good press. Many of the editorial decisions The House of Ideas have made are commendable.
From introducing Miles Morales, a female Thor, the new Ms. Marvel, to the all female X-Men team, Mighty Avengers, to Storm finally getting her long overdue ongoing solo series, Marvel is renewing its commitment to meet the diverse demographic of its readers. It was this type of initiative that translated into Marvel’s success in the past.
With that being said Marvel has often committed the Cardinal Sin of either shelving or misusing some excellent characters who would definitely result in profitable returns. This might be shocking news for some at Marvel but they do have characters other than Wolverine. Characters, who if given the right opportunity have crossover and mainstream appeal that would result in elevating Marvel’s success to the next level.
The following are five excellent examples of said characters.
Continue reading “Five Marvel Characters Who Deserve Their Own Vehicles”
This I had to share. Sorry/Not Sorry.
So after writing the piece on why the Black Panther is Marvel’s Answer to Batman, a racist troll decided to ice-skate uphill on social media:
As more DC Comics projects are announced, it often leads to the question of who deserves his or her vehicle in the form of a movie, TV series, direct-to-dvd animated film, etc.
Contrary to popular belief, DC does in fact have a rich diverse variety of engaging characters. The (most frustrating) problem is that they refuse to properly utilize them. More than a few of said rich diverse superheroes have amassed mainstream crossover appeal. Yet, DC does not capitalize on these opportunities.
But that’s okay. Help has arrived. Help in the form of yours truly. The following is a list of 10 characters (among countless others) who need their own mainstream project like yesterday.
Continue reading “10 DC Comics Superheroes Who Deserve a Vehicle”
With Batman being the most human of DC’s Trinity, there’s always the looming question of who takes over once Batman either retires or makes his final stand as the Caped Crusader. More than that, who could truly replace the Batman?
Gotham certainly doesn’t lack for champions. From Nightwing to the Robins to the Oracle and Batgirl, the Dark Knight has trained more than capable operatives to continue the good fight in his absence.
But are any of them as driven and intense as the original article?
Continue reading “Why Cassandra Cain is the True Successor to the Bat Mantle”
A great visionary by the name of Cindi Mayweather once said, “Embrace what makes you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable. I didn’t have to become perfect because I’ve learned throughout my journey that perfection is the enemy of greatness.”
My name is Dennis R. Upkins. I’m a speculative fiction author who writes urban fantasy, YA, and superhero fantasy. Storytelling has always been my calling, but sometimes fate has to put you on the path. The key is to be astute when the signs present themselves.
It was two years ago and I had a homecoming of sorts as I was back in Atlanta for Gaylaxicon/Outlantacon. The con was a smashing success but that was to be expected. What wasn’t expected however was the revelation I would receive repeatedly throughout the weekend.
Continue reading “Putting Faith to Purpose: An Origin Story”
With more than a few articles revolving around a certain Scarlet Speedster (I so wouldn’t know anything about that), our fearless leader Keith Chow has deemed this unofficial Flash Week here at the N.O.C.
In keeping with the theme, I wanted to switch gears and review another CW series that featured a few Flash alums, The Tomorrow People.
With over 4.5 million viewers, The Flash has been one of this season’s most definitive breakout hits. Last night, the freshman series delivered a finale that had audiences wanting season two like yesterday.
While many, like myself, were skeptical, The CW drama brought its A-game right out the gates: an impressive affable cast; superb storytelling; and crossovers with its popular sister show, Arrow. Even an overarching mystery that has offered more than a few surprise twists that has left viewers (new casual fans and hardcore comic geeks alike) eager to find out what’s going to happen next.
Another component of The Flash’s success is that show runners haven’t hesitated to utilize the Scarlet Speedster’s rich mythos, be it the comics or CBS’ 1990 series.
While watching a key scene in the season finale of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I quipped, “You can’t take the Skye from me.”
That’s when it clicked. I didn’t see it before during season one, but with enough new players introduced in season two, it now made sense. The spirit of Firefly’s Browncoats lives on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Not convinced? Let’s review:
Continue reading “When Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Became Serenity“
On Friday news broke that after a year of struggling in the ratings, NBC is canceling its freshman comic book series, Constantine. While others took the interwebs and expressed their disappointment, I celebrated in style. Continue reading “Hey Hollywood, How’s That Bigotry Paying Off For You?”
Originally posted on Geeks Out
During a recent episode of The Flash that featured folks crossing over from Arrow, I was more than amused to watch Cisco geek out when he met Laurel, aka Black Canary. Because when it comes to the love of all things Black Canary, I can so relate.
And with good reason. At least eight reasons in fact.
A satirist by the name of Jon Stewart once said, “If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values, they’re hobbies.” I love the work I do. However, in the last year or two I’ve experienced pangs of resentment at the burden of being a gay author of color. I knew what I was signing up for when I entered the industry. Penning stories that features a diverse cast (being a minority writer myself), I was all but committing career Seppuku. No this resentment was something else. Something I couldn’t quite shake. Continue reading “The Double Standard of Diversity”
