The “Goddesses” of Black Speculative Fiction
One of the best creators working in comics, John Jennings, interviews three of the leading lights of speculative fiction: Jewelle Gomez, Nalo Hopkinson, and Nnedi Okorafor.
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Brotherman Returns!
Hello Fam,
It is the morning after the 2nd Annual Black Comix Arts Festival. I’m exhausted, elated, and profoundly humbled by the outpouring of love and support we received. One of my highlights? Right here.
The other is my powerful interview with Dawud Anyabwile and Brian McGee. The artist and colorist of Brotherman: Revelation.
Five Potential Superhero Roles For Jennifer Lopez
Although American Idol is coming to a close, host, singer, actress, and entertainment icon Jennifer Lopez isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Last year she co-starred with Viola Davis in the critically acclaimed thriller, Lila & Eve. Currently she can also be seen on the NBC police drama, Shades of Blue.
It was around this time last year when Lopez made it known that she’d be interested in landing a superhero role.
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My Top 15 Television Series of 2015
They say there’s nothing good on television. Clearly, more than a few shows were trying to disprove that saying. 2015 kept me busy in terms of reviewing shows but more than a few proved to be well worth it.
As is the standard, for a series to be reviewed (much less nominated), it must meet the guidelines of my Media Litmus Test.
So without further adieu, the following are my Top 15 Television Series of 2015:
My Top 15 Films of 2015
Much like 2014, I did not expect 2015 to offer a str0ng selection of cinematic gems, but offer it did.
Quite an impressive feat considering that the general law for media I consume is that it must pass My Media Litmus Test.
Without further adieu, the winners are:
Secret Asian Man’s Tak Toyoshima Featured on Public Television
At the end of December, Central Florida’s public television’s Global Perspectives program featured a 30-minute interview with cartoonist and Secret Asian Man creator Tak Toyoshima. On the show, Tak is interviewed by Pulitzer Prize-winning John Bersia and they discuss everything from comics to education to diversity. Check out the full interview after the jump.
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Farewell to the Star Man
David Bowie was one of the first white musicians ever played in my home. My aunt, who was a musician and music aficionado, argued, “All those white people steal their styles from us. Why not just listen to the originators and leave the copycats alone?” One day, I’m home early from school and I heard:
Why Comix? Drawing the World You Want to See
If you’re in the Boston area on Thursday, January 14, then I hope you have a chance to stop by Northeastern University. Starting from 9:30am, fellow NOC and celebrated artist and scholar John Jennings will be kicking off a day-long conversation about the politics of race and identity representation in comics.
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NOC Recaps Supergirl: Blood is Thicker Than Kryptonite
Am I the only one who thinks Supergirl came back sooner than expected? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that one of my favorite shows is back on the air, but since the other DC shows — namely Flash, Arrow, and Legends — don’t return until the week of January 19 I assumed Supergirl would be joining them then. Also doesn’t help that there isn’t a new episode next week either. Still, Supergirl is back — for this week, at least — and they pick up right where they left off before Christmas.
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Why is the Kubo and the Two Strings Cast So White?
by Phil Yu | Originally posted at Angry Asian Man
LAIKA, the acclaimed stop-motion animation studio that brought you Coraline and ParaNorman, recently released the trailer for its latest feature Kubo and the Two Strings, an epic adventure set in fantastical Japan.
The story centers on a young boy named Kubo who lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down. On the run from gods and monsters, Kubo must find a magical suit of armor once worn by his father, the greatest samurai the world has ever known.
The movie looks incredible. Check out this trailer:
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Of Fear and Fake Diversity
by Lexi Alexander | Originally posted at Lexi-Alexander.com
2015 was an interesting year for me. After finally getting back behind the camera at the end of the summer to shoot The CW’s Arrow, I found myself a couple of months later in a Federal building in downtown Los Angeles, trying to convince half a dozen security guards to let me make my EEOC appointment despite my expired driver’s license.
Luckily ACLU lawyer Melissa Goodman, the patron saint of women directors, was with me and was able to convince the no-nonsense guards that I wasn’t a threat.
The Psychology of Star Wars: The Force Awakens — Could a Stormtrooper Become a Hero?
by Ali Mattu, Ph.D | Originally posted at Brain Knows Better
Note: No big spoilers here, at least nothing beyond what’s shown in the trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and what occurs in the first 15 minutes of the film.
The essential psychology of the Star Wars saga is mindfulness. “Using the force” is all about embracing the present moment. That’s what Yoda taught Luke and it’s something Anakin never picked up from Obi-Wan.
Mindfulness continues to be a part of J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I can’t get into specifics because things would get spoilery, but it’s safe to say the climax of the film is a moment of mindfulness. We also see new characters develop meaning in their lives, just like Han Solo did in the original trilogy. The way The Force Awakens honors the past mythology (and psychology) of Star Wars while also refreshing it for a new generation is a big reason why I’m a fan of the film.
The ‘Asian Superhero’ is Not an Oxymoron
Originally published at NBC News Asian America
In a New York Times op-ed over the weekend, Malaysian talk radio host Umapagan Ampikaipakan called into question the entire concept of an “Asian superhero.” As an Asian person who has invested quite a lot in the idea of Asian superheroes, you can imagine seeing such a piece in the paper of record left me a bit bewildered — especially because this was the year that comics featuring Asian and Asian-American heroes had finally broken through.
NOC Recaps Into the Badlands: Bloody Barons
After last week’s episode ramped up the stakes for our heroes, we headed into the first season finale with a lot of questions that needed answers. Who poisoned Jade? Will Quinn take advantage of M.K.’s gifts? Will Sunny turn on his young apprentice to secure passage on the River King’s ship? Did the Widow survive her duel with Sunny? Will Veil blame Sunny for the death of her parents? Will the show come back for a second season? And why are there only six episodes for the season?
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Five Movies To Watch On Christmas
Finding something decent to watch on Christmas can often be a challenge. Reruns have no appeal, neither do cheesy holiday specials, and you probably couldn’t care less about sports.
Fear not. The following are five film suggestions that are appropriate not only for Christmas but basically any day ending in ‘y.’
For the Love of FN-2187: Why John Boyega as Finn is One of the Best New Characters in Star Wars
by Jamal Igle
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a juggernaut. Critically acclaimed and the current holder of the title of “biggest film opening of all time.” It’s an engaging film that engrosses the viewer and harkens back to the early days of franchise. As it is with all things pop culture, particularly in the age of internet piety, the film also has its detractors. The complaints range across the spectrum but one of the most pointed complaints have been towards Finn, the character portrayed by British actor John Boyega. Two writers whom I’m good friends with — Hannibal Tabu and Joe Illidge — have both written pieces complaining about the character for similar reasons, calling him inept, and even neutered.
I love you guys, you know I do, but I couldn’t disagree with you more. Now this is going to be a rather spoiler filled piece, so if you haven’t seen the movie, now’s your time to hit the eject button and go look at Buzzfeed.
NOC Recaps Supergirl: Family Matters
Still playing catch up on our recaps, but I didn’t want to go into the holiday break without talking about what was easily the best episode of Supergirl to date. And that’s saying a lot considering how much I enjoyed the last episode. But the mid-season finale — called “Hostile Takeover” — took things to a whole new level and I can’t wait to see what they have in store once 2016 rolls around! Not to mention the fact that NOC-favorite Lexi Alexander will be helming an ep in the new year.
Harry Potter and the Fact That Hermione is Black
Hermione Granger means so much to so many girls, myself included. She’s smart and brave — the smartest witch of her age — and saved the world. She’s someone who prefers books to people (except a select few) and can be brass and bold at times when girls are usually told not to be. She’s a role model and a mirror. And because her race is never specified in the Harry Potter series, many girls around the world can picture someone who looks like them as her character. She was of course, cast as white in the Hollywood adaptations of the books — because Hollywood gonna Hollywood — but that doesn’t mean that she has to be white in all adaptations of the series. Buzzfeed already showed us the mounds of Hermione-as-black fanart that exists in the world. And now that dream that so many of us had is coming true.
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NOCs of the Roundtable: Hot Star Wars Takes Awaken
You might not have known, but a little movie opens this weekend. It’s called Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Heard of it? Well, it’s already shattering box office records worldwide, and it’ll probably be the highest grossing movie of the year. And there’s only two more weeks left in the year.
Anyway, a bunch of the NOCs have already seen the movie and want to share their thoughts. We’ll be updating this Roundtable throughout the weekend as more of us head out to the multiplex. In the meantime, know that anything and everything after the jump are massive Star Wars spoilers. Be warned.
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Cole Horibe and Charles Pulliam Talk #AAIronFist
The #AAIronFist train continues! For the latest edition of Hard NOC Life, we welcome journalist Charles Pulliam-Moore and actor/dancer Cole Horibe stop by to talk about why having Iron Fist be an Asian American character makes the most sense. We should also point out that this episode was recorded the day before Scott Buck was announced as the showrunner of the forthcoming Netflix series.
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NOC Recaps Into the Badlands: The Butterfly Effect
Continuing our recap catch up, the penultimate episode of Into the Badlands was clearly the most interesting of the season. And that’s too bad because after this weekend’s season finale, we don’t know if AMC will be bringing the show back for a second one. We hope so since all the pieces are finally in place for an epic showdown between good, evil, and everything in between.
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NOC Recaps Arrow: Sinking ‘Ships
Because this recap is a week late (sorry, got distracted writing on twitter about a different rich, blonde, white guy who learns the ways of the Orient and returns a superhero) and because I’m just filling in, my recap of the Arrow winter finale, titled “Dark Waters,” will follow a different format. Rather than just giving a play-by-play of what happened in the ep, I wanna spend extra time on two aspects of the show and its fandom that needs to be discussed. And of course we will talk about that ending.
January Brings Four Straight Days of Greg Berlanti’s DC Universe
It’s no secret we’re big fans of The CW’s shared universe of DC superheroes. Arrow and Flash are two of the only shows we still livetweet and recap on a regular basis (shout out Connie and Christelle!) and this season — though it’s on CBS and not (yet) connected — we’ve thrown Supergirl into the mix as well. Of course all of these shows are now on their annual holiday break and won’t return until January. But when they do, they’ll be joined by a new kid on the block, Legends of Tomorrow.
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