From Stage to Screen: Javier Muñoz is Non-Stop
This week on Hard NOC Life, we have the honor to be joined by star of stage and screen, Javier Muñoz.
Continue reading “From Stage to Screen: Javier Muñoz is Non-Stop”
Tag: LGBTQ
Southern Fried Asian: Gina Ortiz Jones
This week on Southern Fried Asian, Keith speaks with Gina Ortiz Jones, a candidate for Congress representing the 23rd District of Texas. And if you happen to live in Texas, early voting for the primary elections has already begun. So get out and vote!
The Asian American ComiCon Presents: A Summit on Art, Action & the Future
In 2009, the Asian American ComiCon was held in New York City, bringing together Asian indie and mainstream comics creators for a historic gathering to celebrate the unique and flourishing graphic storytelling of our community. Now, eight years later, AACC is hosting its second event: a Summit on Art, Action and the Future. In a time where diversity and creativity are both under attack, the Summit will feature diverse creators talking about where we’re going next.
Continue reading “The Asian American ComiCon Presents: A Summit on Art, Action & the Future”
Queer Tropes Redux
As many of you know, June is the month of LGBTQ Pride and I couldn’t think of a better time to call out a few tropes that inundate comics and media when it comes LGBTQ characters/themes.
Tropes that if I never see again for the rest of my existence, I’d be eternally grateful. While this by no means covers every trope/issue/fail, it definitely hits the major ones.
Take thorough notes, I’m gonna move fast, and this will not be pretty. Class in session and you’re about to get schooled by Prof. Upkins himself!!!
Witch Eyes: A Novel Review
Author Scott Tracey recently announced on social media that he is re-releasing his popular Witch Eyes trilogy.
Enter The Midnighter
If you’ve read this excellent site, follow me on social media, or have known me for five minutes, then you probably know that not only am I hopeless comic book geek and Midnighter is my patronus through and through.
Q Is For Queer Speculative Fiction
Originally published on The Future Fire
As a writer, storyteller, and a queer person of color, it goes without saying that diversity and inclusion is very important to me.
Anyone who’s known me for five seconds is aware of the fact that I’m a rabid comic book fan. It’s modern day mythology and as a writer and an artist, this medium especially appeals to me for obvious reasons. Watching beautiful muscular men is a pastime that I can live with.
Sons of Nowhere: Remembering Nicholas Almand
With June being #LGBTQPrideMonth, I would be remiss if I didn’t pay tribute to my brother and comrade, fellow gay Wakandan speculative fiction author, Nicholas Almand.
Continue reading “Sons of Nowhere: Remembering Nicholas Almand”
Sense8 Season2: So Many Questions
I’m really not at all interested in reviewing or analyzing Sense8 again, but I would like to get mah nerds into a discussion about the ENORMOUS plot holes, and the weird turns this in-spite-of-it-all-compelling show has taken. So let’s just launch in, shall we? In no particular, but very SPOILERY, order:
My Steps To Creating Characters And Building Worlds
Originally published at Twinjas Book Reviews
One of the questions I’m constantly asked (which admittedly I never get tired of answering) is what my process in terms of world building and developing complex characters.
My approach to world-building and character development ultimately corresponds to my overall approach to storytelling. As a writer, I personally belong to the school of character = story. What truth do we discover along the character’s journey? More than that, whether it’s fiction, articles or blog posts, I generally have three mandates which I dub E-Cubed: Enlighten, entertain and empower.
Needless to say that E-Cubed has led to other techniques which has only enhanced my storytelling abilities over the years.
Continue reading “My Steps To Creating Characters And Building Worlds”
Announcing New Frontiers Anthology Inspired by the Life of George Takei
The team behind the groundbreaking Asian American superhero anthologies Secret Identities and Shattered, in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum, have issued a Call for Submissions for New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei, an original graphic novel anthology that will serve as a companion volume to JANM’s historic exhibition of the same name (running through August 2017), which showcases Takei’s life and the cultural landscapes through which he has traveled. The anthology’s target publication date is July 2017.
Diverse creators with stories to share that speak to the themes and issues Takei has confronted in his life are encouraged to pitch them at the Submissions Form located at here before the pitch deadline of April 24, 2017. Relevant issues include, but are not limited to: unlawful incarceration, status as an “illegal” alien and the push for LGBTQ equality and civil rights for all, yellowface, whitewashing, media stereotypes, and the rise of digital culture and social media.
Continue reading “Announcing New Frontiers Anthology Inspired by the Life of George Takei”
Power Rangers Shows Superhero Genre How Representation is Done
Originally posted at Just Add Color
If you told anyone that the movie that was going to shake up the superhero genre in the best way would be the film adaptation of Power Rangers, they would be shocked and probably, in some strange, elitist, I’m-too-old-for-Power Rangers way, appalled. But Power Rangers has come out of the blue as the film when it comes to portraying a diverse group of people in a way that is both organic and makes sense for today’s world and today’s multicultural and diverse audience.
Continue reading “Power Rangers Shows Superhero Genre How Representation is Done”
A Tale of Two Daves, Past and Present
When Chappelle’s Show dropped in 2003, never in my history of comedic television viewing had a first episode been so explosive. Clayton Bigsby was the most audacious thing I’ve ever seen. A black white supremacist? I, along with millions of others, was hooked. Until then, Dave Chappelle was a marginal comic presence. He had bit roles in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Blue Streak, Undercover Brother, and other films. Then he became a star with the stoners for the cult classic, 1998’s Half Baked. He was a stand-up whose career consisted of mostly juvenile and scatological humor with flashes of the socially and culturally relevant comedy displayed on the first two seasons of Chappelle’s Show. He was a hard worker. Dude toured and gave it his all. It was fascinating to see him mature from confident performer to a master of crowd control. Continue reading “A Tale of Two Daves, Past and Present”
One-on-One with Shadowhunters’ Harry Shum Jr.
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of Glee alum Harry Shum Jr. here at the NOC. Ever since Mike Chang graduated from McKinley High, he has built quite the career — even though we might be sad that he wasn’t cast as Iron Fist. From starring in Netflix’s Crouching Tiger sequel to headlining YouTube Red’s Single by 30, Shum has gone on to become one of the busiest young Asian American actors in Hollywood. His highest profile role yet has been as Magnus Bane on Shadowhunters, the hit adaptation of The Mortal Instruments book series. The show’s second season winter finale airs tonight at 8pm on FreeForm.
Recently, I had the chance to chat with Harry and talk about what it’s like to represent so many communities — Asian American, LGBTQ, Warlock — on genre television.
Continue reading “One-on-One with Shadowhunters’ Harry Shum Jr.”
Rogue One Subverts Asian Male Stereotypes — and That’s Important
Much has already been written about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — how it has added new context to the existing Star Wars franchise, how it is a movie ultimately about war.
Rogue One is also a movie that features three men of Asian descent — two East Asian and one South Asian — and, far from relying on stereotypes of “Asian Masculinity,” in fact subverts those stereotypes in a way that feels revolutionary for Western media. (Needless to say: spoilers.)
Continue reading “Rogue One Subverts Asian Male Stereotypes — and That’s Important”
Farewell Major Tom
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
Nearly a year ago today the music died.
Actor, rockstar, musician and suspected otherworldly being David Bowie passed away one year ago, three days after his birthday which is today.
As we celebrate Bowie’s life and legacy, I’m reminded of the fact that it was roughly around this time two years ago that we lost Leonard Nimoy.
Much like Nimoy, when I think back on Bowie, I realize that he was an influence on me in ways I never considered.
Q&A with The OA’s Ian Alexander
by Jes Vu | Originally posted at Angry Asian Man
In a time where representation is such a hot topic in Hollywood, Netflix’s The OA does something few have done: cast an actual Asian transgender teenage boy as an Asian transgender teenage boy. Vietnamese-American teen Ian Alexander is one of multiple Asian actors in The OA’s main cast alongside Filipino/Puerto Rican-American Brandon Perea and British Pakistani Riz Ahmed (in a recurring role). Continuing the spotlight from his response to a viral anti-trans photo, Ian makes his on-screen acting debut as Buck Vu in the newly-released show having been cast from an online open casting call in 2015.
Growing up in places including Japan, Hawai’i, and D.C. have helped shape Ian. The fifteen-year-old high school junior has had more experiences than most teenagers his age, and his passion knows no bounds. He’s politically vocal, a huge admirer of actors and filmmakers like Jen Richards (Her Story) and Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) and relentless as a Marvel fanboy (he’s “Team Bucky” for those who are curious). Ian had time to sit down and talk about his upbringing and the show (don’t worry, there are no spoilers here).
The Disappointing Truth About Supergirl’s Maggie Sawyer
Last year Supergirl hit CBS with a splash raking in a whopping 13 million viewers in its pilot episode and while the shows viewership dropped after its premiere, and eventually moved to smaller network The CW to join other DCTV shows, it is still a show that’s proving to be a positive investment for the network.
Two on-going criticisms of the show, however, was the overall lack of women of color in what was supposedly a feminist superhero show, and the usage of coming out metaphors within the show’s narrative. Both criticisms were addressed during the season two promotional tour. The showrunners revealed that there would be an introduction — or rather a coming out — of a major LGBTIQA character on the show, along with the inclusion of Maggie Sawyer (a known lesbian in the DCU) and Sharon Leal as Miss Martian.
Continue reading “The Disappointing Truth About Supergirl’s Maggie Sawyer”
Profound Media Lessons Learned By An Impressionable Mind
When it comes to the media, the Original X-Man, First Class, Brother Malcolm said it best:
Continue reading “Profound Media Lessons Learned By An Impressionable Mind”
What Artists Can Learn from the Trump v. Hamilton “Distraction”
by Timothy Yu
Mike Pence went to see Hamilton. He got booed. The actors read a statement from the stage. And our president-elect tweeted a demand that the cast apologize for their “harassment.” Just another day in the dawning Trump Era.
There was plenty to say. Some pointed out the irony of Donald Trump, scourge of political correctness, complaining that the theater should be a “safe place.” Others pointed to the chilling precedent of our incoming president demanding that artists apologize to an elected official. But what most surprised me was seeing some of my friends — many of whom are themselves artists, writers, literary scholars — repeating the argument that the Hamilton controversy was “just a distraction” from Trump’s other problems.
Continue reading “What Artists Can Learn from the Trump v. Hamilton “Distraction””
Artist Talk: Shawn Taylor in Conversation with Ajuan Mance
If you’re in the Bay Area this week, you should attend this conversation. It is one of our events leading up to 2017’s Black Comix Arts Festival, a Co-Presentation of MoAD, Cartoon Art Museum, and Black Comix Art Festival.
Join the Cartoon Art Museum and Black Comix Art Festival at the Museum of the African Diaspora for, “Ajuan Mance in Conversation with Shawn Taylor,” an evening celebration of current Bay Area cartooning sensation Ajuan Mance as part of the SF Comics Fest. Writer Shawn Taylor from The Nerds of Color will chat with Ajuan about her latest projects in illustration, cartooning and writing, her creative process, her recent rise in popularity, and what she plans to achieve next.
Continue reading “Artist Talk: Shawn Taylor in Conversation with Ajuan Mance”
Moonlight Shines a Light on Black Masculinity and Sexual Identity
Originally published at Just Add Color
The buzz right now is for a film named Moonlight. The film, the second for writer-director Barry Jenkins, tells a haunting tale of a boy named Chiron whose battle throughout life is coming to terms with his identity as a gay black man. That identity is complicated by merciless taunts at school and a home life surrounded by drugs and hard drug dealers.
The film looks like it’ll become one of the most important films of the latter half of 2016 and into 2017, and rightfully so. When popular culture thinks of black men, they often think of them as how they are presented in Moonlight; as gangbangers and drug dealers. But in Moonlight, even those characters — including the main character, who later becomes a drug dealer himself in Atlanta because that’s all he’s known and that’s probably how he feels he can best hide himself and fit in — have a tenderness and humanity that is often denied them by society and, consequently, by other forms of media.
Continue reading “Moonlight Shines a Light on Black Masculinity and Sexual Identity”
National Coming Out Day, Queer Self Love, and Becoming Midnighter
Today is National Coming Out Day. This year I’ve been reflecting on the trending hashtag #QueerSelfLove which emerged in response to the Orlando and LA Pride (attempted) attacks this past summer. It’s an initiative for LGBTQs to reclaim their power and celebrate who they are. It’s a great idea and I’m happy to see so many people have taken to it.
Truth be told, me loving myself has never been the issue when it comes to the systemic oppression I face in my day to day. It also goes without saying that one of the main battlefronts for said oppression is fandom. For me to survive much less thrive, I find myself constantly channeling my patronus. In short, when they come for this Clark Kent, they in turn meet Lucas Trent.
Midnighter Mode in 3…..2……1……..
Continue reading “National Coming Out Day, Queer Self Love, and Becoming Midnighter”