Reflections on Watching Shorts at the Hawai’i International Film Festival as a New Filmmaker

October 24, 2025October 22, 2025 Lauren Lola

I’ve been covering the Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF) for several years for The Nerds of Color, yet haven’t attended its festival in-person since 2019. When I obtained many ticket vouchers from serving on the screening committee for its 45^th iteration, I realized before me I had a really good excuse to actually travel back to Honolulu this year to attend it. Little did I expect at the time of starting in the committee back in March that by the time I flew out to O’ahu, I would also be attending this year’s festival as a new filmmaker.

Interview, Star Trek

‘Star Trek’ Actor Bruce Horak on His New Crowdfunded Documentary, ‘Boldly Going’

May 28, 2025May 28, 2025 Swara Salih

We speak with actor and artist Bruce Horak, who played Hemmer on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, on his new crowdfunded documentary Boldly Going.

DC Comics, Podcasts

DC Multicast: Greg Burnham Shares His Love for the Lakers and Shaq’s Turn as ‘Steel’

February 12, 2025February 12, 2025 Hard NOC Media

On the latest editon of DC Multicast, comic book writer and lifelong Lakers fan Greg Burnham joins Keith as they hack-a-Shaq the 1997 classic non-Superman movie, Steel!

Crowdfunding, Interview, Toys

The Legendary Todd McFarlane Kickstarts Medieval Spawn Action Figure

August 29, 2024November 25, 2024 Mike Manalo

In the 1990s, the comic book industry was changed forever. Emerging young talent such as Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Jeph Loeb, and many more brought superheroes into a modern era of gorgeous, iconic splash pages, and reinvented storylines that popularized characters like the X-Men, and introduced amazing antiheroes like Deadpool. However, if there’s one name that stands out as one of the greatest pioneers in comics during this, or any era, it’s legendary Spawn creator, Todd McFarlane!

Podcasts, Toys

‘Retro Freaks’ with NARC and Cincy Nerd

November 14, 2022November 21, 2022 Shelf Conscious

Shelf Conscious returns with a special episode with the stars of the upcoming indie horror comedy, Retro Freaks — Craig from NotAnotherRetroChannel and Cincy Nerd, who makes his triumphant return to the show!

Comics, DC Comics, Interview1 Comment

Comic Book Writer and Social Media Icon Stephanie Williams Talks ‘Nubia & the Amazons’

November 18, 2021 Jamal Michel

The Nerds of Color recently caught up with dear friend and comic book writer Stephanie Williams to talk about the work that went into bringing Nubia & the Amazons to life. Williams, a former guest to The NOC, spoke about the journey she’s been on and the importance of finally seeing Nubia fully realized as her own heroine.

Art, Crowdfunding, Interview

Kickstart This: Robert Liu-Trujillo Discusses His New Art Book

October 31, 2021November 2, 2021 Swara Salih

Robert Liu-Trujillo is an artist looking to craft change.

He knows how powerful art can be to inspire and make social change, especially for younger consumers of his and others’ work. With a new Kickstarter project out now, we sat down with Robert to talk about his art, how social justice informs his work, navigating the picture book industry, and so much more.

Crowdfunding, Interview1 Comment

Why this ‘American Sikh’ Cosplays as Captain America

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 Swara Salih

Animator and cosplayer Vishavjit Singh has experienced tremendous trauma in his life. He survived a genocide against Sikh people in India as a young boy, and after he and his family fled to the US, he’s constantly experienced racism and Islamophobia (despite not being Muslim) in the pre- and post-9/11 era. Despite all of this, he remains an optimist for people to treat each other better, and found through his regular cosplaying as Captain America that he could somehow achieve that. But what drew him to this initially?

Comics, Crowdfunding, Interview

‘Joystick Angels’ Comics Creator, TJ Sterling

June 11, 2021June 11, 2021 Patrick Strange

Hoyyy! It’s Kuya P back again with another interview for the people! I recently sat down for a conversation with comics creator, TJ Sterling to discuss his latest comics project for RAE Comics’ Joystick Angels! Check out our conversation and then head over to Kickstarter to support and secure your copy of Joystick Angels!

Crowdfunding, Movies

Kickstart This: Marc Bernardin’s Directorial Debut, ‘Splinter’

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 Keith Chow

Writer, and Friend of the NOC, Marc Bernardin had always hoped to direct a movie by the time he turned 50. Well, now he’s gone and done it!

Though he has already exceeded his original Kickstarter goal in less than 12 hours, Bernardin’s directorial debut, the short film Splinter, still has a month to go to raise even more money!

Comics, Crowdfunding1 Comment

Kickstart This: ‘The Monkey King’ Graphic Novel by Jerry Ma

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 Keith Chow

What better way to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month than to help fund a new graphic novel project by one of Secret Identities partners, Jerry Ma?

Fandom, Interview

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

September 17, 2020November 5, 2021 Jamal Michel

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.

Crowdfunding, Music

Kickstart This: ‘Radical: The Savior Faire of French Hip-Hop’

March 27, 2020March 28, 2020 Shawn Taylor

First, I’m hoping that all you NOCers (and your loved ones) are as safe and as healthy as you can be. We are in some strange and uncharted territories, but hopefully this little slice of community can keep us connected.

I am fully aware that many of us are in dire financial straits. Many of us have lost jobs, lost other sources of income — many of us may find ourselves in new and unfamiliar caretaking roles. #LifeInTheTimeOfCOVID19

Continue reading “Kickstart This: ‘Radical: The Savior Faire of French Hip-Hop’”

Art, Crowdfunding

Kickstart This: Jamie Noguchi’s Kitsune Hoodie

February 3, 2015June 24, 2022 Jamie

The Kitsune Hoodie is a zip-up hoodie featuring an all-over printed fox spirit design.

Like many web cartoonists, I occasionally design shirts to supplement my income. But I’ve never been very good at coming up with the clever designs or mashups that you might see on popular t-shirt sites. My shirt designs tend to feature strange creatures.