A Conversation with Stephanie Williams, One of Comic Book’s Wittiest Commentators

This week I sat down with X-Men aficionado, comic book culture guru, and Twitter queen Stephanie Williams and talked all things not destroyed by 2020. Williams can be seen on SYFY Fangrrls writing some of pop culture’s most necessary takes: from trope-busting the “tired mom” archetype, to how differently X-Men hits after 20 years, every bit of her commentary brims with exactness.

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Patrick Clanton on Exploring Disney’s Hidden Gems on Behind the Ears YouTube Channel

Behind the Ears is a YouTube channel that explores the histories of Disney’s hidden gems. Since its debut in early June, the series of video essays have taken a deeper dive into some of Disney’s past projects; ranging from Zoog era Disney Channel shows like The Famous Jett Jackson, to short-lived Broadway musicals like Aida, and even made-for-TV events like the Whitney Houston-produced version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

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From Wands to Bending

Anyone who knows me knows I love The Wizarding World. My entire family does. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first ‘big girl book’ my daughter read. Her first serious Halloween costume was that of a Hogwarts’s student — she is a true Gryffindor. My wife loves the films — they are our Christmas tradition. We’ve been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter more than a few times. The books, the world, have been a part of my life since 1998. But like so many others, I am nursing a huge fan-wound because The Wizarding World’s creator, the TERF Who Must Not Be Named, showed their true colors. Those colors have betrayed the very values and ideals The Wizarding World extols. 

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25 Years of Encouraging Dream Pursuits in ‘Whisper of the Heart’

Over the course of Studio Ghibli’s 35 years of movie-making, only seven of its theatrical releases have been directed by people other than the company’s co-founders, Hayao Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata. While the eighth film of its kind, Earwig and the Witch directed by Miyazaki’s son Gorō, will be released later this year, this summer holds significance in the fact that its been 25 years since the first time such a project was released from the studio. That film is Whisper of the Heart. Continue reading “25 Years of Encouraging Dream Pursuits in ‘Whisper of the Heart’”

SYFY Wire’s ‘The Great Debate’ Debuts Tonight

Tune in tonight at 11pm ET on SYFY as The Great Debate makes the transition from Comic-Con staple to full-fledged television show! Hosted by actor/comedian Baron Vaughn, The Great Debate invites a roundtable of celebrity guests to face off over some of the nerdiest topics imaginable.

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We The Fans: How Our Powers Can Change The World

As some of you know, I spent some time with the Pop Culture Collaborative as their Senior Fellow on Fandoms and how Fandom power can be used to add to the social good.  What follows is a distillation of my research and findings. There are hundreds of pages that I’ll do something with at a later date. Also, for those who want it, there will be an audio version coming soon. Here’s the intro:

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Hard NOC Life: This is America

Shawn, Dominic, and Keith discuss the state of the world in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, another unarmed Black man in America killed by the police.

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Hard NOC Life: Zoom NOC Life

This week’s Hard NOC Life is the most ambitious crossover event in history as Dominic, Shawn, and Keith welcome a vast array of friends of the pod for probably the longest episode in the show’s existence.

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The Missing Episodes of Disney’s ‘Andi Mack’

Okay, so… someone’s got to say something.

It’s been three months since the launch of the Disney+ streaming service. Since then, viewers have fallen in love with Baby Yoda on The Mandalorian, shed tears over the new shorts released from Pixar’s SparkShorts program, and of course, revisited and binge watched old favorites.

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All Good Things…

As soon as I was exposed to it, I was a rabid fan of Star Trek. We share a birthday, September 8, and a value system that holds art and science as equals. Trek was more to me than a fandom. It was a vision of our shared future world that was achievable. Maybe not warp drive and phasers, but philosophically and materially achievable. While I loved the Original Series, it was The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine that seemed to realize R. Buckminster Fuller’s (one of my favorite thinkers) dream of universal equity.

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February 2020: Black Wizard History Month

Our mission at Black Girls Create has always been highlighting Black female creators and being a place for discussions of critical fandom, and one way we’ve decided to converge the two themes is with the Critical Companion series.

Inspired by Doctor Who’s plucky sidekicks (most notably, season 10’s Bill Potts), formal literary Critical Companions discussing an author’s breadth of work, as well as our mission to provide a platform for marginalized creators, the Critical Companion series will feature blog posts written by Black writers. We hope those writers are some of you!

In 2018 we had a monthly topic where we accepted two pitches (paid) that represent two aspects of the idea. Now, we are opening up submissions to be a bit less restrictive, but we are still largely looking for pieces that delve into the idea of critical fandom — how do we as fans analyze our favorite things with care and consider the wider world that the fandom either represents or ignores? We always love personal essays about growing up nerdy, early fandom experiences, and pivotal moments in your own nerdy lives.

Pitches are taken on a rolling basis. Posting will typically occur on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month.

Word Count: approx. 700 words

Price: $50 per post

Email: pitches@blackgirlscreate.org

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The Year of Keanu Reeves

If you have been a human being with an internet connection over the last several weeks, you may have noticed Keanu Reeves is kind of everywhere. From John Wick toppling the Avengers at the box office and a scene-stealing turn as Ali Wong’s lover in  Always Be My Maybe, to taking fans’ breaths away at E3, Keanu’s career is hotter than ever. Like a Keannussance, if you will. But why now? I’m going to attempt to retrace each milestone in the timeline of why 2019 is the year of Keanu.

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

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AOC is NOC AF! (Updated)

UPDATED OCTOBER 13, 2019 for Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s birthday. See #12-14 below!

For those visiting our blog for the first time, ‘round these parts “N.O.C.” stands for Nerds Of Color (or Non-Official-Cover if you’ve just rewatched the first Mission: Impossible film).

It’s a term of inclusivity that we wear with pride. And because part of our nerdy duties include ingesting a lot of TV, movies, and Twitter, we feel obligated to note that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is, by her choice of pop-culture references on Twitter and other forums, also a Nerd Of Color. (We’ll update this listicle periodically as Rep. AOC continues to use Twitter to do spectacularly nerdy things.)

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Here’s The ‘Captain Marvel’ Cast’s Karaoke Go-To Playlist, In Case You Were Wondering

According to today’s live Q&A event hosted by Marvel Studios at a re-created Tower Records in West Hollywood, which also featured live sets by Bush and L7.

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Afrofuturism and the Legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: The Black and Brown Comix Arts Festival

Happy New Year to you all. I hope everyone is well and doing what they need and want to do.

I wanted to share a few things with you.

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Hard NOC Life: What’s Nerd Poppin for 2019

Hard NOC Life is all new for 2019!

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Hard NOC Live From Oakland

Recorded live at The Hatch in Downtown Oakland, Hard NOC Life is back! Joining Keith are Robyn from TARBIS and YOMYOMF’s Dominic.

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Mickey: The True Original Exhibition is a Colorful Playground for Disnerds

Have you ever found yourself doodling Mickey ears on pieces of paper? Or find yourself looking for Mouse ears in places outside of a Disney theme park? Then you’re a #TrueOriginal Mickey fan and the Mickey: True Original Exhibition in New York City is for you. The exhibit is also for those who aren’t hip to the power of the Mouse. The exhibit walks visitors through the history of Mickey Mouse — from Steamboat Willie to the latest Mickey x Vans collection (I want those Fantasia hi-tops so badly!) — and his influence on art and popular culture.

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Hard NOC Life: #NOCtheVote

Hard NOC Life will be going on a brief hiatus. But before it does, Keith and Shawn have to break down the election, its relation to Nerd Pop, and a special announcement about the podcast.

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Happy Spoopy Los Angeles Comic Con 2018

Who needs Halloween when you can go to Los Angeles Comic Con for three days in a row and indulge in all the spoopy cosplay goodness surrounded by all the fandoms you know and love? There’s no place like Los Angeles Comic Con (formerly and fondly remembered as Comikaze, may you rest in pieces) during this time of year where people converge to bring out their best to help end the year of conventions. Come join LACC as it celebrates its 8th anniversary!

Curious as to what there is to check out at this ever expanding convention? Here are some highlights that may pique your interest!

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How Much More Will We Put Up With?

Maybe we should let them have it. Why do so many of us expend so much energy to be included in spaces that routinely omit us, populated by people who deny (and are angered by) our existence? Do we even have to go into how the corporations that produce and distribute the things we love are usually silent when the fandamentalists go on their racist, homophobic, misogynist tirades? Oh yeah, and the death threats.

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The Final ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Trailer is Out Now and Action Packed

The trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Crimes of Grindelwald is finally out! Here’s hoping the movie can keep up with all of the plot lines that the trailer packed in. Below is a rundown for a few magical extras in this fantastical sequel. Spoilers start now!

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