It’s that time again, Nerds of Color! Con-Season is upon us! And on the first day of WonderCon, Fox gave unto us an awesome Dark Phoenix panel with Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Evan Peters (Quicksilver), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), and writer/director Simon Kinberg.
Continue reading “‘Dark Phoenix’ WonderCon Footage Description”
20th Century Fox just dropped the new trailer and poster for Dark Phoenix!
I can’t believe I live in a world where I was able to see both Black Panther and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in the same year. Just as the warmth of the Wakandan sun was beginning to fade, I’m swinging through Brooklyn (my birthplace) with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore is Miles; an amazing performance) the Spider-Man of Earth-1610. And I couldn’t be more elated.
Hello NOCers, Here is a conversation I had on KQED’s Forum, remembering the maestro, Stan Lee. Click on the image below to listen to the episode. Excelsior! Writer, editor, and comics icon Stan Lee died at the age of 95 … Continue reading Remembering Stan Lee
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.
Hard NOC Life with Shawn Keith return from a brief hiatus to share what’s Nerd Poppin’ this week.
Continue reading “Hard NOC Life: A New Era of Representation”
This week on Hard NOC Life, Peabody-winning journalist, poet, and podcaster extraordinaire Al Letson joins the pod!
Late last year, TEDxMidAtlantic held an event in Washington, D.C. themed around the “unique insights and talents,” both discovered and undiscovered, that are possessed by everyone. Titled “SUPERPOWERS,” the TED event featured politicians, activists, scientists, journalists, and more as speakers during the two-day event. Of course, what would a Superpowers-themed TED Talk be without a contribution from a comic book creator? Fortunately, D.C.-based artist, and Official Friend of the NOC, Shawn Martinbrough was on hand to tell his story of becoming an artist and the importance of media representation through his work. See the talk in its entirety below!
Continue reading “Shawn Martinbrough’s TED Talk on Superpowers”
Did your browser crash when trying to buy early tickets for Black Panther? Is the movie sold out opening day at your local cinema? Well, if you’re in the DMV (D.C./Maryland/Virginia), we’re teaming up with Fantom Comics to offer a lucky NOC follower two first class tickets to Wakanda!
Continue reading “DMV Nerds: Win Tickets to a Screening of ‘Black Panther’”
This weekend news broke that after two issues, Marvel’s Black Panther & the Crew has been canceled.
The series revolved around Black Panther, Storm, Luke Cage, Misty Knight, and Manifold who band together to take on a dangerous wave of street-level threats in this new ongoing series by co-writers Ta-Nehisi Coates (New York Times best-selling author of Between the World and Me and Marvel’s Black Panther) and Yona Harvey (Black Panther: World of Wakanda) and legendary artist Butch Guice!
Continue reading “The Cause of Black Panther & The Crew’s Cancellation”
A few weeks back, we posted about Greg Pak teasing the cover of Totally Awesome Hulk #15, in which Amadeus Cho — aka The Hulk — was joined by Ms. Marvel, Shang Chi, and Silk. Never before had so many Asian American superheroes been gathered on the cover of a mainstream comic book. I recently had a chance to preview the issue — which hits stands this Wednesday, January 25 — and I was actually moved to tears at how resonant it was to see these characters embody being unapologetically Asian American.
Continue reading “Asian American Superheroes Come Alive in Totally Awesome Hulk #15″
For the last eight years, my president was Black. More than that, he was a Black Nerd, a Nerd of Color, the Head Nerd in Charge. After today, we aren’t going to see the likes of someone sit in the Oval Office as intelligent or intellectually curious as Barack Obama. His record in office speaks for itself. Because of President Obama’s leadership, 20 million more Americans have health insurance, marriage equality is the law of the land, and nerds of color were finally represented in the White House.
Continue reading “8 Times President Obama Proved He Was Our NOC-in-Chief”
by Phil Yu | Originally posted at Angry Asian Man
Ms. Marvel! Shang Chi! Silk! Amadeus Cho! Has there ever been such an awesome assemblage of Asian American superheroes under the banner of Marvel Comics? Possibly probably not… until now.
Writer Greg Pak recently teased the upcoming cover of Totally Awesome Hulk #15, suggesting that this is the most significant grouping of Asian American superheroes that has ever starred in a mainstream comic book.
In Totally Awesome Hulk #15, kid genius Amadeus Cho — aka The Hulk — is slowly learning how to become a team player, but has to learn fast when Ms. Marvel, Shang Chi, Silk and a host of other heroes come to town.
Continue reading “Marvel’s Most Epic Asian American Superhero Team-Up Ever”
Today is Election Day in the United States. And the choice couldn’t be clearer for the millions of voters heading out to the polls. We’re either going to wake up tomorrow playing R.E.M. or Beyoncé. Later this month, Marvel Comics will be releasing Ms. Marvel #13 in which the book’s titular hero will be urging the citizens of the Marvel Universe to similarly exercise their inalienable rights to vote.
[Note: minor spoilers throughout.]
Let me be upfront and get this out of the way, I love Marvel and Netflix’s Luke Cage. I love it for the way it is shot. I love it for the unparalleled beauty of the soundtrack. I love it for its color palette. I love it for its hesitancy and awkwardness. I love it for some of the struggle-performances. But what I love the most about it is how black it is.
Continue reading “Luke Cage on Netflix: Sweet Christmas in Autumn”
On the heels of Marvel’s first Mosaic story recently released at Barnes & Noble stores, here’s our exclusive conversation with writer Geoffrey Thorne from the (second) floor of San Diego Comic-Con 2016!
Continue reading “Hard NOC Live from SDCC 2016: Geoffrey Thorne”
The San Diego Comic-Con 2016 interviews continue with a chat with Marvel Comics writer extraordinaire (and occasional NOC contributor) David Walker!
Continue reading “Hard NOC Live from SDCC 2016: David Walker”
So recently Marvel released Captain America: Steve Rogers. At the conclusion of the comic, Rogers reveals he’s a double agent and utters two magic words that would become the shots fired around the world:
Last week, we had the opportunity to be a part of CrossLines, a pop-up culture lab on intersectionality presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. In addition to hosting a Reading Lounge/Book Swap and live mural by artist Matt Huyhn, The Nerds of Color was invited to conduct live recordings of Hard NOC Life. The first of these live podcasts featured comic book artist Shawn Martinbrough.
Continue reading “Hard NOC Live at the Smithsonian #CrossLines: Shawn Martinbrough”
Captain America has been revealed to be a HYDRA agent all along and doesn’t this emphasize everything wrong with superhero comics today?
When The Outhousers released the spoilers for Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 the night before its release last week, fans clamored to discredit the website citing it as “unreliable,” “the comic version of The Onion,” and “satire” in an effort to brush aside the original spoiler panel of Steve in full Captain American uniform saying, “Hail HYDRA.” Understandable, this is a huge retcon of Steve Roger’s overall character and the name of Captain America. A legacy of a name built up over 75 years — in fact, Captain America just celebrated his 75th anniversary recently — and fans feel rightly protective.
Continue reading “Captain America is HYDRA and Everything Wrong with Big Two Comics”
The Doctor Strange controversy — combined with the push to cast an Asian American actor as the title character Danny Rand aka Iron Fist — has been buzzing for the last couple months. With the release of the first official trailer for Doctor Strange, Marvel’s next would-be blockbuster movie after Captain America: Civil War, the controversy has reached an all time high. So much so that a Marvel spokesperson gave this statement to Mashable regarding the casting of Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange:
Marvel has a very strong record of diversity in its casting of films and regularly departs from stereotypes and source material to bring its MCU to life. The Ancient One is a title that is not exclusively held by any one character, but rather a moniker passed down through time, and in this particular film the embodiment is Celtic. We are very proud to have the enormously talented Tilda Swinton portray this unique and complex character alongside our richly diverse cast.
Is this statement true though? Has Marvel Studios really pushed diversity in their movies? Have they increased the visibility of marginalized peoples in their film franchise or television properties? Has Marvel Studios subverted stereotypes? Enough to supposedly excuse recent controversies surrounding Doctor Strange and Iron Fist?
Continue reading “How Diverse is the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The Movies: Phase One”
2016 marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic characters in comics, The Black Panther.
Springing to life in the pages of Fantastic Four #52, the Panther’s comic journey has been one fraught with fits and starts. Some people look at Christopher Priest’s run as the definitive arc. Other’s look at Reginald Hudlin’s take as the best representation of the character. One guy at Dr. Comics and Mr. Games comic shop in Oakland felt Jonathan Hickman’s version in Secret Wars was, “The best look for the Panther. No one else got it right.” I’m going to have to refute that and argue that Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brian Stelfreeze, and Laura Martin’s Black Panther relaunch will be the definitive version of T’Challa, King of the Wakanda, for a long while to come. Instead of gold, the Panther received the gift of a fantastic creative team.
I feel the need to make this important public service announcement:
Dear Comic Book Fandom,
On behalf of Wakandans everywhere, X-MEN IS STILL OUR STORY!!!!
It is our legacy, our triumph, our love letter to one another.
