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https://blacknerdproblems.com/the-good-asian-10-review/

Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote / Artist: Alexandre Tefenkgi / Image

It’s been a little less than a year since the first issue of The Good Asian came into the world. It entered the world at an eerily appropriate time, with almost prescient thematics and character. Edison Hark, a Chinese-American detective uncovering a vast conspiracy, has been through quite the gauntlet on behalf of his adoptive family. His surrogate brother, dead. His ex-girlfriend, the mastermind behind the inciting incidents that nearly killed Edison. His adoptive father, somehow implicated in his mother’s murder. We have been through quite the roller coaster, and one way or another, this mystery has to come to an end.

The Good Asian #10, in classic noir form, starts with a flashback that quickly gets the main cast in their places and kicks off the final issue with a kinetic start and emotional jolt. Tefenkgi’s art and Lourghridge’s color do an absolutely spectacular job of staging the non-linear scenes and conveying a full spectrum of expression and shock. There are moments where we are simply observers of the events. Then, there are pages where we get to see the world with Hark’s keen observational skills, spotting key details and making quick connections, and deftly bringing the entire series’ timeline into vivid clarity.

Pichetshote’s ability to weave such a mystery together is nothing short of inspiring. The classic noir monologues and all of the pieces falling into place leave me with a very specific elation because all of the lingering threads are tied with an intense intent. The circumstances involving Ivy Chen’s disappearance manage to dovetail perfectly into the other long-standing question of the series. It all culminates with the imperfect Hark launching into a perfectly justified diatribe against the society that fostered all of this needless death borne of prejudice.

But like other famous film noirs before it, The Good Asian #10 has an ending that is not so perfectly cut and dry. Even though a mystery has been solved, the world is still very much in disarray. However, Pichetshote has manages to bring this chapter of the story to a perfect close.

This is a comic that you’re going to see in classroom’s one day, at least if I had my way. This is a comic that you should buy in singles, and trades, and the fancy hard cover full collections. This is a comic that is so brilliantly executed on a writing and artistic front. Its very core is rooted in the complicated struggle of being an Asian American to the point that even though it’s set in 1936, it speaks to 2022 so perfectly. I love this comic, and I figure I’m going to have to wait a while before I get more, so I’m going to savor this and laud it more in the interim.

10 “Lawful Acts” out of 10

Enjoying The Good Asian? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.

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The post The Good Asian #10 Finale Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

http://www.afronerd.com/2022/04/dr-strange-banned-in-me-mcu-halloween.html

 

Afronerd Radio can now be heard LIVE courtesy of Apple Music/Itunes

Happy Sunday, loyal Afronerd Radio Machine listeners!  Before we get started.....check out this revised/deepfake trailer for The Batman, featuring the late Adam West....simply whoa!

Ok..now that we've gotten the cool kitschy stuff out of the way, welcome to the latest installment of Afronerd Radio's Grindhouse broadcast, airing each and every Sunday at 6 p.m. eastern on BTalk 100.  Listen to your bionically-engineered AFROnerdist hosts unpack the following topics:  It seems like Florida isn't the only place that has a "Don't Say Gay" stance relating to Disney IPs, hence the announcement that the upcoming Dr. Strange sequel will be banned in Saudi Arabia due to the inclusion of the America Chavez character who is canonically LGBTQ....let's discuss; more information and speculation about the MCU's forthcoming Halloween special featuring Werewolf by Night (and other supernatural characters); now we're hearing that a Haley Atwell Captain Carter series may be on the table; now Marvel has a Predator comic to add to their roster and we have to ask-How (or if) does it relate to the recent Alien/Marvel CB connection?; legendary director, Tim Burton might be revisiting his past IPs, Beetlejuice, and Mars Attacks and we have our thoughts; scientists (and "political" scientists like Dburt) are beginning to theorize that extraterrestrial sentient life will probably look a lot like other human beings;  And lastly, Dburt (on his late grind) has to ask what is all the hoopla around Spider-Punk?

One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF

https://blacknerdproblems.com/ice-cream-man-29-review/

Writer: W. Maxwell Prince / Artist: Martín Morazzo / Image

Welcome back to my continual coverage of the weird existential anthology series that is Ice Cream Man. Last time we talked, there was a cockroach that became a human, last issue evolved some etymology, and this time around, we’re attending the funeral of a W.M. Parson (and the fact that the character question shares the initials and physical similarities with the author of the comic is not lost on me in the slightest).

Ice Cream Man #29 starts out eerily normal for the series, as it opens with a man at a bar mourning his friend. It then pivots to a funeral where the eponymous Ice Cream is reading a eulogy that explains the complete normalcy of Parson’s life before casually mentioning a squid living in his sternum with a little too specific details of physical sensations for a metaphor. Then, you remember that this is a comic predicated on the surreal, and that this is only the start of the descent of the madness that is the monthly dose of Ice Cream Man.

And as the story oscillates between the dramatic retelling of Will Parson’s life and his initially unnamed friend processing grief through, and I quote, “a grand and great adventure of loss” as described by a foxy carnival barker, there is a fascinating cadence that develops. Ice Cream Man #29 revolves around the things the dead leave behind, both in the grand senses and the mundane senses. The wishes for our loved ones, the regrets we had, and the weird processing of grief.

And despite the carnival barker fox, this is a surprisingly grounded issue . There are still plenty of bizarre visuals courtesy of Morazzo having a lot of fun with the escalating odd imagery that Prince has stuck into the script, but at its core, it’s not that functionally different than any other story of grief that starts at a bar. Of course, there’s a very unsettling narrator and a slightly untethered sense to it all, but it all works.

Every time I pick up an issue of Ice Cream Man, I garner more and more appreciation for the anthology. I have come to love the loosely connected tales like episodes of The Twilight Zone, and the ability to revel in a weird world and have a small bout of existentialism on a Wednesday. It’s oddly comforting in a way, to be confronted with your own mortality and sense of self.

9.6 “Old DVDs” out of 10

Enjoying Ice Cream Man? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.

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https://blackgirlnerds.com/interview-w-gigi-lucas-shares-lessons-shes-learned-on-and-off-the-surfboard/

Doing what feels natural and trusting your gut are important topics we discussed during BGN’s interview with Gigi Lucas. Surfer, advocate, and founder of SurfearNegra and Surf the Turf.

Take me back to that first surf lesson. What were your feeling?

“To be honest, it felt so natural that it wasn’t even a second thought. I am a very logical person, and since it was second nature, I thought, why am I not doing this? The next thought was, how can I do this more?”

Lucas’s recap of her first surf experience made me reflect on how being in that natural state of flow and ease is something few people experience. Lucas responded by mentioning people, especially Black women, follow preconceived notions from society and do what’s expected of them. Hence, Lucas left her corporate job to surf in Costa Rica.

When you moved and started pursuing surfing, what were people’s reactions?

“I have this counsel of people who all think differently. The only question from my elders was to think about my financial planning. Go where your heart is but be responsible. I didn’t have anyone in my life who told me I shouldn’t do it. I’ve made it a practice to have people who will give it to me straight but not nay-sayers. Everything is possible, but it may not be possible right now. If I have people in my life who say I can’t do something, I ease on out. They don’t have a place in my life.”

We further discussed how to cultivate an environment of people who are supportive. Lucas’s advice was to trust our gut. Our instinct usually tells us when someone is good or bad for us, and it’s our job to listen.

Gigi continued to introduce a different point of view. She shared that an overbearing or negative voice can come from her instead of other people. She combats these moments by checking in with herself often and assessing what she is doing against what she wants the intended outcome to be.

What was it like being the only Black girl in the surf line ups when you started surfing?

“Being the only one wasn’t something new to me. Costa Rica is a diverse country. It wasn’t until years later that I saw African Americans traveling for vacation, and they would never get in the water. Every time people saw me with a surfboard, they were flabbergasted. And I thought why? I started to notice that there aren’t a lot of us doing what I’m doing. We think it’s natural to have no relationship with the water, but it’s not.”

Lucas also reflected on how the segregation in the south has contributed to seeing fewer Black bodies in the water.

What is an average day like for you? Are there any typical days?

I wish there was an average day [laughs]. The day flows based on what projects and events are coming up. I am a recovering type-A personality, and I like order. I try to find balance, but what we’re doing everyday changes.

Could you share some updates on SurfearNEGRA? How is it growing?

“The 100 Girls is cranking along. Even though the program will always be called 100 girls, we will add a zero to that. To get 1,000 girls in the water. We’re not quite there yet, but that’s the goal. As far as our land-based program, Surf the Turf, there are a lot of exciting things happening that will help us optimize our reach. We’re positioning the organization to be future-proof so we can deliver on our mission to make surfing accessible to any child anywhere.”

What transformations have you seen within the girls you’ve sent to surf camps?

“We’re on our fourth summer of sending girls to surf camps, and some of these kids are good and coming into their own. Their only passion is competing. They do it because they love it, and you can see it. They have their own style. They’re learning the tides and ocean safety to become ambassadors for the next girls.”

With this explanation, I imagined surfing as a canvas with endless creation. Lucas replied, “Surfing is a board, a swimsuit, and some wax. Yet there is so much you can do with it both in and out of the water.”

What keeps you going, what keeps you inspired, especially when you encounter setbacks?

“I’m always remembering that it’s bigger than myself. Real entrepreneurs will tell you this. You have more hard days than good. What keeps me going is recognizing that I was called to do this. I’m thankful for my counsel and my circle of people. They help me keep everything in perspective. When I get those glimpses of one of the girls surfing and how it impacts their lives and who they are. It reminds me why I do this. This is more than me taking a pretty picture on the board. This is for our girls and the girls who grow up to be women who look like us and or them to know their power.”

In a segway of this conversation, Lucas referenced the civil rights protest in St. Augustine, Florida. Mentioning how freedom fighters of the past fought for something they knew they weren’t going to see. But they knew that it was bigger than themselves. Although surfing is not quite a civil rights movement, Lucas knows that there is importance in what she is doing.

How have you seen yourself expand over the years? Big and small expansions.

I’ve learned to use my voice and to speak the truth kindly, but not necessarily in a nice way, but in a fair way. I was very conscious of how people viewed me as a tall Black woman with a deep voice. I used to temper it a lot, but now I don’t. I heard a saying that says you don’t always have to be seen to be heard.

What would you say to our reader’s inner child?

With a thoughtful pause, she responded.

Do things that make your heart sing. Laugh often. It’s easy to get caught up in the quest to be perfect. Be present, laugh, and be joyful. When we’re there we are healthier, our minds are clearer. I can’t tell you how many women when they smile, I don’t care if they have one tooth, they are stunning. When they are living in joy and enjoying themselves, that’s when we are living life.