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There’s few conventions or expos that have secured my heart in so quick a time as Small Press Expo, and with my second year under my belt I can finally pinpoint why. Let me take you with me. It’s Sunday morning, the second day of SPX 2018, and I’m trying not to sprint from the parking garage to the North Marriott’s White Flint Auditorium. I check the flyer again to see I’m truly on my CPT today, hoping that everyone else is on theirs as well (spoiler: of course we are).
The #drawingwhileblack @SPXcomics meet up is in about half an hour !! Come by and chat with other! Invite friends too! pic.twitter.com/ykO3zN57LA
— Abelle ✨?@ CALA?? (@sparklyfawn) September 16, 2018
I rush in, trying to look around casually before finally spotting the #DrawingWhileBlack hashtag’s founder, Abelle Hayford, who greets me warmly and invites me over (you can read up on the inspiration behind the hashtag in our interview with Abelle from last year’s SPX). There’s a small group gathered already, and in no time laughter rings out as we trade opinions about movies, art schools, and just the realities of being Black creators, making space for more people as they arrive. Nobody acts as gatekeeper, demanding to know what table you came from or what product you brought. When someone does pass out a book, everyone grabs them with joy as if receiving a comic for the first time and before we know it it’s time to take a group photo and disperse to tables and panels.
This gathering, though not necessarily an official part of SPX programming, is every bit what the SPX experience should be for a POC participant, if not more. Last year I mentioned the discussion of a much-needed creators of color directory, and while a document itself doesn’t seem to have been compiled yet, enough careful organization of your Twitter timeline makes it easy enough in a community determined to loudly cheer for one another.
Take for instance this year’s panel selection, an impressive offering of different genres, ages, experiences, and cultural viewpoints from local to international presenters. While the biggest draw Saturday was the “Universes of Rebecca Sugar” panel (click the titles of the panels for my livetweets), Sugar’s big name status in no way overshadowed other panels of the days such as “Feminist Futurism & Fantasy” or “Trans Memoir.” If anything, all three emphasized the importance of resilience in the creative field, the value of one’s unique voice, and remembering one’s roots/forebears in order to open doors for future artists, an inter-panel conversation that could only take place as a result of a thoughtfully curated schedule.
Sunday’s panels were similarly comprised of diverse yet intersecting voices between “Teen Latinx Memoir” hosted by the incredible DC-based organization Latin American Youth Center, the children’s literature panel called “Building the Jungle Gym,” and the “Queer Romance” panel. One pressing criticism I had last year was that I felt that many of the panels failed to include Black or even non-white passing panelists, a lack that felt even more palpable once the #DrawingWhileBlack hashtag was launched and one could see a significant number of posters present throughout the Expo.
This year I was delighted to find that not only did the sampling of panels I attended more visually reflect the diverse experience within the visual arts field, this representation continued for subjects that were not explicitly about race. As an example, I thought that both Shauna J. Grant’s (creator of Princess Love♥Pon and listed as one of the Five Blackest Manga You Should Be Reading Right Now) and Shannon Wright’s (creator of Castor & Carina: Halley’s Cosmic Combo) contributions to their respective panels really helped open up the conversations of nostalgia and childhood to a Black cultural lens. I’m also hoping that the “Teen Latinx Memoir” panel is part of a growing trend to invite non-adult voices to hold spaces of power in the arts community as creators in their own right and not just as audience members.
This brings us at last to the Ignatz Awards Ceremony, a celebration of achievement made even more necessary by controversies which can be best summarized by cartoonist Ben Passmore’s observation that “comics is changing, y’all. There’s some dusty people out here who don’t like it” (Phillip LeBlanc at The Beat has a great breakdown of what lead up to and followed the moment). Personally, I was mostly pleased to see a majority POC judging panel this year, including BNP favorite Taneka Stotts, as well as another longtime BNP favorite, Richie Pope, winning Outstanding Artist for The Box We Sit On.
It’s one thing to observe the shift in comics towards creators of color, LGBTQIA+ creators, and those of us that are both from online sidelines or in small conversations. It’s quite another to see the leaders of this movement, both seasoned veterans and fresh fighters, come together and palpably feel that passion fill Small Press Expo. To laugh through breakfast alongside creators whose work can make you feel seen right to your core or to bond with your new favorite artist through a shared side eye in the Exhibition Hall ’cause white folks be out here tryin’ it sometimes. (Also: the fact that SPX launched a fundraiser to #DefendThe11 indie comics community members facing a defamation lawsuit is wonderful show of support.)
It’s like leaving with a charge that I don’t think I can sum up any better than Rebecca Sugar’s heartfelt quote during her panel: “Failure is not a problem. Stopping is a problem. There will always be bad drawings, but there’s no problem if you kept moving forward. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
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The post Small Press Expo 2018 Round Up: Comics and Community for Creators of Color appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
There’s few conventions or expos that have secured my heart in so quick a time as Small Press Expo, and with my second year under my belt I can finally pinpoint why. Let me take you with me. It’s Sunday morning, the second day of SPX 2018, and I’m trying not to sprint from the parking garage to the North Marriott’s White Flint Auditorium. I check the flyer again to see I’m truly on my CPT today, hoping that everyone else is on theirs as well (spoiler: of course we are).
The #drawingwhileblack @SPXcomics meet up is in about half an hour !! Come by and chat with other! Invite friends too! pic.twitter.com/ykO3zN57LA
— Abelle ✨?@ CALA?? (@sparklyfawn) September 16, 2018
I rush in, trying to look around casually before finally spotting the #DrawingWhileBlack hashtag’s founder, Abelle Hayford, who greets me warmly and invites me over (you can read up on the inspiration behind the hashtag in our interview with Abelle from last year’s SPX). There’s a small group gathered already, and in no time laughter rings out as we trade opinions about movies, art schools, and just the realities of being Black creators, making space for more people as they arrive. Nobody acts as gatekeeper, demanding to know what table you came from or what product you brought. When someone does pass out a book, everyone grabs them with joy as if receiving a comic for the first time and before we know it it’s time to take a group photo and disperse to tables and panels.
This gathering, though not necessarily an official part of SPX programming, is every bit what the SPX experience should be for a POC participant, if not more. Last year I mentioned the discussion of a much-needed creators of color directory, and while a document itself doesn’t seem to have been compiled yet, enough careful organization of your Twitter timeline makes it easy enough in a community determined to loudly cheer for one another.
Take for instance this year’s panel selection, an impressive offering of different genres, ages, experiences, and cultural viewpoints from local to international presenters. While the biggest draw Saturday was the “Universes of Rebecca Sugar” panel (click the titles of the panels for my livetweets), Sugar’s big name status in no way overshadowed other panels of the days such as “Feminist Futurism & Fantasy” or “Trans Memoir.” If anything, all three emphasized the importance of resilience in the creative field, the value of one’s unique voice, and remembering one’s roots/forebears in order to open doors for future artists, an inter-panel conversation that could only take place as a result of a thoughtfully curated schedule.
Sunday’s panels were similarly comprised of diverse yet intersecting voices between “Teen Latinx Memoir” hosted by the incredible DC-based organization Latin American Youth Center, the children’s literature panel called “Building the Jungle Gym,” and the “Queer Romance” panel. One pressing criticism I had last year was that I felt that many of the panels failed to include Black or even non-white passing panelists, a lack that felt even more palpable once the #DrawingWhileBlack hashtag was launched and one could see a significant number of posters present throughout the Expo.
This year I was delighted to find that not only did the sampling of panels I attended more visually reflect the diverse experience within the visual arts field, this representation continued for subjects that were not explicitly about race. As an example, I thought that both Shauna J. Grant’s (creator of Princess Love♥Pon and listed as one of the Five Blackest Manga You Should Be Reading Right Now) and Shannon Wright’s (creator of Castor & Carina: Halley’s Cosmic Combo) contributions to their respective panels really helped open up the conversations of nostalgia and childhood to a Black cultural lens. I’m also hoping that the “Teen Latinx Memoir” panel is part of a growing trend to invite non-adult voices to hold spaces of power in the arts community as creators in their own right and not just as audience members.
This brings us at last to the Ignatz Awards Ceremony, a celebration of achievement made even more necessary by controversies which can be best summarized by cartoonist Ben Passmore’s observation that “comics is changing, y’all. There’s some dusty people out here who don’t like it” (Phillip LeBlanc at The Beat has a great breakdown of what lead up to and followed the moment). Personally, I was mostly pleased to see a majority POC judging panel this year, including BNP favorite Taneka Stotts, as well as another longtime BNP favorite, Richie Pope, winning Outstanding Artist for The Box We Sit On.
It’s one thing to observe the shift in comics towards creators of color, LGBTQIA+ creators, and those of us that are both from online sidelines or in small conversations. It’s quite another to see the leaders of this movement, both seasoned veterans and fresh fighters, come together and palpably feel that passion fill Small Press Expo. To laugh through breakfast alongside creators whose work can make you feel seen right to your core or to bond with your new favorite artist through a shared side eye in the Exhibition Hall ’cause white folks be out here tryin’ it sometimes. (Also: the fact that SPX launched a fundraiser to #DefendThe11 indie comics community members facing a defamation lawsuit is wonderful show of support.)
It’s like leaving with a charge that I don’t think I can sum up any better than Rebecca Sugar’s heartfelt quote during her panel: “Failure is not a problem. Stopping is a problem. There will always be bad drawings, but there’s no problem if you kept moving forward. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
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The post Small Press Expo 2018 Round Up: Comics and Community for Creators of Color appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Funko has started its daily releases of Funko NYCC 2018 exclusives. This year they have posted where the exclusives will be shared so no more waiting for this to be announced. Which ones are you excited for? Let us know in the comments!
2018 NYCC Reveals: DC!
What would New York Comic Con be without
DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains?
Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Superman are here
to save the day as Pop! collectibles, the latter two as a Pop! two-pack.
A 5 Star gold Batman complete with the iconic Bat-Signal
and pink Harley Quinn armed with her mallet and a
Joker card round out the DC exclusives.
Pop! Heroes: Aquaman – Arthur Curry (Hot Topic)
Pop! Heroes: DC – 1st appearance Wonder Woman (Hot Topic)
Pop! Heroes: DC – The Flash & Superman (Racing) (GameStop/EB Games)
Pop! Movies: DC – Superman (Chrome 3-pack) (FYE)
5 Star: DC – Batman (Golden Midas) (GameStop/EB Games)
5 Star: DC – Harley Quinn (Pink) (Hot Topic)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Music!
The latest New York Comic Con Exclusive is Notorious B.I.G., shown blinged out with a crown and chain – fitting for the king of rap.
2018 NYCC Reveals: Games!
The world needs heroes armed with rocket hammers and you need this
super-sized Reinhardt Overwatch New York Comic Con 6” Pop! exclusive.
Pop! Games – Overwatch (GameStop/EB Games)
Celebrate your love for Fallout with this New York Comic Con
Assaultron Pop! exclusive.
Pop! Games – Fallout (GameStop/EB Games)
2018 NYCC Reveals: GPK!
Bring a touch of nuclear nostalgia to your collection with this
Pop! Garbage Pail Kids New York Comic Con exclusive.
Adam Bomb might just be the most recognizable of the
Garbage Pail Kids and he makes an undeniably memorable
impression with this exclusive metallic variant!
Pop! GPK: Garbage Pail Kids – Adam Bomb (Metallic) (Toy Tokyo) (LE 3000)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Star Wars!
Go on an epic journey with Star Wars New York Comic Con exclusives! Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be happy to see a Pop! Captain Rex as they tackle the difficult challenge of choosing between the Republic and the Separatists.
Pop! Star Wars: Clone Wars – Captain Rex (Hot Topic)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Marvel!
There’s no shortage of exciting New York Comic Con
exclusives to be had. The Marvel collection alone is worth
a trip to New York. Marvel exclusives include an Ironheart Dorbz,
Hulkbuster vs. Hulk Movie Moment, Black Panther Okoye Pop!
with removable hair, chrome Black Panther Shuri Pop!, Spider-Woman Pop!, Carnage Pop! and Pop! Korg with Miek from Thor: Ragnarok.
Dorbz: Marvel – Iron Heart (FYE)
Movie Moment: Hulkbuster vs. Hulk (Walgreens)
Pop! Marvel: Black Panther – Okoye with Red Dress (Amazon)
Pop! Marvel: MS 10 – Shuri (Chrome) (GameStop/ EB Games)
Pop! Marvel: Marvel Venom – Carnage with Tendrils (Hot topic)
Pop! Marvel: Classic Spider-Woman (Entertainment Earth)
Pop! Marvel: Thor Ragnarok – Korg & Miek (GameStop/ EB Games)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Hanna-Barbera!
Hanna-Barbera is known for some of the most beloved
characters in pop culture. A Vynl. Huckleberry Hound and Snagglepuss
are must haves and exciting New York Comic Con exclusives.
The New York Comic Con Pop! exclusives include the
titular character from Jabberjaw, Dum Dum from Touché Turtle
and Dum Dum, Baba Looey from Quick Draw McGraw and
a glow in the dark Funky Phantom.
Vynl.: Hanna-Barbera – Huckleberry Hound + Snagglepuss (Funko Shop)
Pop!: Hanna-Barbera – Jabberjaw (Funko Shop)
Pop!: Hanna-Barbera – Dum Dum (Funko Shop)
Pop! Animation: Hanna-Barbera- Baba Looey (Funko Shop)
Pop! Animation: Hanna-Barbera- Funky Phantom (LE 1000)
2018 NYCC Reveals: TV & Animation!
Here’s what we know about Beast Boy from
Teen Titans Go!: He loves to eat. He’s Cyborg’s best friend
and Raven’s unlikely love interest. He’s green, which is pretty cool.
He loves burritos, pie, pizza and video games. He can transform
into the animal of his choice. And now he’s a
New York Comic Con metallic Pop! exclusive.
Pop! TV: Teen Titans Go! – Beast Boy Variant Metallic (Toy Tokyo) (3000LE)
Gearhead from Adult Swim’s critically acclaimed animated
series Rick and Morty joins Pop! as a
New York Comic Con exclusive.
Pop! Animation – Rick and Morty – Gearhead (Target)
2018 NYCC Reveals: TV!
Love and marriage go together like a horse and
carriage, as does this New York Comic Con exclusive
four-pack of Married with Children action figures
depicting Peggy, Al, Kelly and Bud Bundy.
Action Figure: Married with Children (Target)
New Girl but she’s so much more than that. She’s a bartender,
model, owner and manager of Cece’s Boys Model Management
and now a New York Comic Con Pop! exclusive.
Marsha, Marsha, Marsha! The Brady Bunch’s Jan might
have classic middle child syndrome but it’s safe to say that
will all be over when she realizes she’s a New York Comic Con Pop!
exclusive. Better still, Jan and her imaginary boyfriend
George Glass are a Pop! two-pack.
Pop! TV: Brady Bunch – Jan & George Glass (Books-A-Million)
Take a trip in the Tardis to the Tenth Doctor and one of the most terrifying villains in any era. According to the Doctor, Vashta Nerada are behind humanity’s fear of the dark and it’s easy to see why with this New York Comic Con exclusive glow in the dark Pop! of the Vashta Nerada, which translates to “the shadows that melt the flesh.” Because it wasn’t scary enough before we knew that.
Pop! TV: Doctor Who – Vashta Nerada (Hot Topic)
Nobody bobs their heads quite like the The Roxbury Guys—also known as the Butabi brothers. Doug and Steve Butabi are part of Saturday Night Live and pop culture history as the skit that inspired A Night at the Roxbury. And now the duo is a New York Comic Con two-pack Pop! exclusive.
Pop! TV: SNL – Doug & Steve Butabi (Barnes & Noble)
Dr. Caitlin Snow might be a well-intentioned scientist, but
her alter-ego, Killer Frost, has no interest in playing nice. Fortunately,
this glow in the dark Pop! New York Comic Con exclusive, is expecting
anything but a chilly reception from fans of The Flash.
Pop! TV: The Flash – Killer Frost (Hot Topic)
Kara Danvers aka Supergirl— has come to terms with her powers, saved the world and discovered herself along the way. But being a New York Comic Con Pop! Exclusive is one adventure she hopes fans will be “super” excited about!
Pop! TV: Supergirl – Supergirl (Barnes & Noble)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Disney!
Disney New York Comic Con exclusives including a two-pack
of black and white Disney Mickey Mouse vinyl figures
from the Mickey’s 90th celebration series, a Little Whirlwind Mickey Pop!
from the same collection, Sora from Kingdom Hearts in Pop!
guardian form, the cunning Shere Khan from Tailspin and a
truly epic Pop! Rides version of the Pizza Planet Truck driven
by Buzz Lightyear from Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story.
Mini Vinyl Figures: Disney – Mickey Mouse (2-pack) (B&W) (Amazon)
Pop! Disney: Mickey’s 90th – Whirlwind Mickey (Walmart)
Pop! Disney: KH3 – Sora as Guardian (Walmart)
Pop! Disney: TaleSpin – Shere Khan with Hands Together (GameStop/ EB Games)
Pop! Rides: Toy Story – Pizza Planet truck (BoxLunch)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Anime!
Pop! Animation New York Comic Con exclusive figures
include Brook from Shonen Jump’s One Piece.
Pop! Animation: One Piece – Brook (Hot Topic)
Pop! Animation figures include Brook from Shonen
Jump’s One Piece, Eto from Tokyo Ghoul.
Pop! Animation: Tokyo Ghoul – Eto in Bandages (Hot Topic)
Pop! Animation figures include a 6” supersized Great Ape Vegeta
and a blue chrome Super Saiyan Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z.
Pop! Animation: DBZ – 6″ Great Ape Vegeta (Hot Topic)
Pop! Animation: DBZ- Vegeta (Blue Chrome) (Toy Tokyo)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Movies!
Horror fans will scream for this New York Comic Con
exclusive – Rock Candy Grady twins from classic film The Shining.
Rock Candy: The Shining – The Grady Twins (Target)
The secretive Margot Tenebaum of The Royal Tenebaums makes a stylish, if melancholy, Rock Candy figure for New York Comic Con!
Rock Candy: The Royal Tenenbaums – Margot (Funko Shop)
Frenemies Max Fischer and Herman Blume from Wes Anderson’s Rushmore make a compelling Vynl. duo for New York Comic Con!
Vynl.: Rushmore – Max Fischer and Herman Blume (BoxLunch)
Vynl. Prince Akeem and Randy Watson from Coming to America are expecting a royal welcome.
Vynl.: Coming To America – Akeem & Randy (Target)
Gizmo and Stripe from Gremlins are ready to make
some mischief as a Vynl. pair.
Vynl.: Gremlins – Gremlins in 3D Glasses (GameStop/EB Games)
for New York Comic Con 2018!
The Fugitive Predator Pop! from Predator is appropriately terrifying.
Pop! Movies: The Predator – Fugitive Predator (Books-A-Million)
2018 NYCC Reveals: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World!
characters, among them Knives Chau who is available as
a Pocket Pop! and mascot for FunkO’s Cereal.
The Katayanagi twins—Ramona Flowers’ fifth and
sixth evil exes—are ready for battle as a Pop! two-pack.
2018 NYCC Reveals: Harry Potter!
a Professor Quirrell Pop! that might or might not (but probably might)
be harboring He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named beneath
his removable turban. You can also find the cleverest witch
of her age, Hermione Granger getting sorted into Gryffindor!
2018 NYCC Reveals: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald!
a Pop! majestic Augurey inspired by the highly anticipated
upcoming Warner Bros. feature
film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
2018 NYCC Reveals: Game of Thrones!
Winter might not be on its way yet but New York Comic Con
Game of Thrones Pop! exclusives are. Berric Dondarrion is ready
for battle and a Pop! three-pack of The Creators celebrates
George R.R. Martin, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Pop! TV: Game of Thrones – Beric Dondarrion
with Flame Sword (Barnes & Noble)
Beric Dondarrion makes his return to the Seven Kingdoms
in season 7, wielding his flaming sword with fearless prowess.
Now immortalized as a Pop! Funko, he is ready to fight by your side.
Game of Thrones now have their very own Funko 3-pack,
paying homage to their talents behind one of the most widely acclaimed, award-winning shows in HBO® history.
The post Funko 2018 NYCC Reveals appeared first on The Nerd Element.
BY DENNIS R. UPKINS
Chances are you’ve probably seen him while looking up in the sky. You probably thought it was a bird. No… a plane. The uncertainty is understandable. In addition to being more powerful than a locomotive, he’s also faster than a speeding bullet. Make no mistake. Superman’s out there and has been our champion for a long time.
As I’m sure you’ve guessed, I’m referring to Superman. The strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman is out there, protecting the multiverse and fighting the never-ending battle for truth, tolerance, and justice.
I know this firsthand because Supes has saved my bacon more than once. I’m honored to count him as a personal friend. A while back, I was working on an assignment at the Daily Planet in Metropolis. My investigative series on corporate corruption resulted in me following a money trail that landed me in the crosshairs of the infamous Intergang. Thankfully, I had a guardian angel of the Kryptonian kind who allowed me to see the story to print and shine a spotlight on some very corrupt leaders.
However, the biggest story of the century I can never break. For you see, I’m one of the elite few who knows Superman’s secret identity. Ironically, I discovered it by accident. There was this adorkable co-worker at the Planet who I had the biggest crush on. The glasses and nerdy demeanor said mild-mannered. But even the business suit couldn’t hide the corn-fed midwestern hunky physique that was straight out of Smallville. Needless to say, he always caught my attention. One day, en route to lunch with my buddies, Perry, Cat, Lois and Jimmy, the Planet was under siege by Intergang. I spotted my crush racing into a storage closet. And seconds later, the Man of Steel emerged and saved the day. The previous intel may or may not have been misdirected to protect my buddy’s secret identity.
Superman has defeated nearly every evil imaginable. However, a few years back, he faced a threat that proved to be far deadlier than any form of Kryptonite. And this time, Superman’s powers weren’t enough.
DC Comics and parent company Time Warner–who owns the licensing rights to Supes– announced that they would be hiring sci-fi author, racist, homophobe and douchebag Orson Scott Card to pen The Adventures of Superman. To add even further insult to injury, this was after DC Comics had gone on a media blitz for months prior to the announcement trying to establish themselves as an ally to the LGBTQ community.
This was a danger of the insurmountable kind. Superman’s soul was in great peril. Stories have power. They teach us about our history and can help us shape our destinies.
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they can control the minds of the masses.”
-The Original X-Man, First Class, Brother Malcolm
“I believe that magic is art and that art, whether that be music, writing, sculpture, or any other form, is literally magic. Art is, like magic, the science of manipulating symbols, words or images, to achieve changes in consciousness… Indeed, to cast a spell is simply to spell, to manipulate words, to change people’s consciousness, and this is why I believe that an artist or writer is the closest thing in the contemporary world to a shaman.”
-Alan Moore
What sets Superman aside from his peers is that he isn’t merely a superhero. He is the superhero. His greatest power comes not from a reaction to the yellow sun but his indomitable drive to do the right thing. He is one of the most powerful beings in existence and yet he is ruled by his sense of ethics. He inspires others to be the very best possible versions of themselves. Long before social justice was a cute buzzword and hobby for stupid, spoiled, privileged white faux-gressives on Tumblr, Superman was about that life.
“And remember boys and girls, your school, like our country, is made up of Americans of many different races, religions and national origins. So, if you hear anybody talk against a schoolmate or anyone else because of his religion, race or national origin-don’t wait: tell him THAT KIND OF TALK IS UN-AMERICAN.”
-Superman
So, to have a bigot use the world’s most iconic superhero to promote white supremacy flies in the face of everything Superman stands for. Superman’s narrative would be safer in the hands of Lex Luthor. While many thought this was a job for Superman, I realized it was my chance to pay him back for all he’s done for us. Just as the infamous Doomsday attack resulted in the rise of both Steels and Superboy when Superman had briefly “died,” it was time for me to rise up.
It was time to save Superman.
Where I thought I would be standing alone, my voice soon joined others. In fact, I inevitably crossed paths and joined forces with Nicole Gitau, Joey Stern, Aria Baci, and the other superpowered collective, known as Geeks Out.
Where we were once few, we soon became Legion.
When I appeared as a panelist at conventions and conferences, I spoke out against Card and his upcoming film, Ender’s Game. From articles to blog posts, we signal-boosted the boycott against Time Warner/DC Comics. Critics claimed that we were wasting our time. Even gay celebrities like Dustin Lance Black stated our efforts were a waste of energy. They tried to silence us. Nevertheless, we persisted.
And then, the impossible happened.
Card was handed his walking papers by DC Comics and his story was canceled. As for the box office rankings of Ender’s Game? A true bottom.
For all the complaints people may have about social justice and equal rights activism, these topics have been an influence on pop culture and society by extension. Said influence has allowed us to have conversations that wouldn’t have been possible a decade or even five years ago. White privilege, slut shaming, LGBTQ rights, are all topics that are explored in the narratives of mainstream media. This is why it is absolutely important that we speak truth to power and remain vigilant in our never-ending fight for truth, justice, tolerance, and diversity.
While a major victory was achieved with Card’s defeat, I would be repeatedly reminded that many battles lay ahead. Just ask Gail Simone about that time I was on her social media page and went Midnighter in putting the fear of God in that Nazi, Chuck Dixon. Let’s just say it didn’t end well…for him.
Every once in a while, I’ll glance up, see my pal Superman, and we both smile and nod. He knows that if he’s ever in trouble again, he’s got back up at the ready.
The post That Time I Saved ‘Superman’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
On the Patapsco River near where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay is the city Baltimore. This year, we nerds will be begging and bribing our loved ones, friends, and acquaintances to travel to Charm City for this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con (BCC). Staged out of the Baltimore Convention Center, which is conveniently nestled between Orioles Park and the Inner Harbor, the chances are good that fun abounds all around the convention. This will be the 19th year and starting the Thursday before, the organizers will be racing to get the convention center ready.
Last year, the comic book guests included comic icon Frank Miller, along with convention regulars Louise and Walt Simonson, Neal Adams, Tom King, Brian Stelfreeze, and Ken Lashley. Frank Miller returns this year and comic stars Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jenny Frison are in the house this year as well. With all this kind of talent at the convention every year, another aspect of the BCC is a featured up and coming writer/artist. Last year it was Jamar Nicholas, and this year the organizers revealed that the artist featured on our program guide and T-shirt is Sean Chen. Sean’s a long-time friend of the show, and we’re happy to have his fantastic artwork represent the Baltimore Comic-Con this year.” As with most conventions, the focus is not solely on comic books. The BCC has a great focus on children’s activities all convention long, although Sunday is the best day activity-wise. The kiddie cosplay is simply adorable. For non-comic geeks, there is also a myriad of media guests. This year includes Mike Colter, Wil Wheaton, Katrina Law, Tricia Helfer, and Zachary Levi.
Another feature unique to the con is the Yearbook. With the Convention Yearbook, you can spend an entire afternoon wandering the Artist’s Alley meeting independent talent from all over. BGN asked the organizers about the theme of the Yearbook this year and why should someone consider purchasing one.
2018 Yearbook theme is Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise, which actually includes all of Terry’s properties, including Motor Girl, Echo, and Rachel Rising. We have a vast array of contributors this year (actually a few more than last year!) drawing Terry’s characters, sometimes with their creator-owned characters and sometimes by themselves, and they are varied, beautiful, and occasionally hilarious! Every year, we feature a scavenger hunt where guests go and get a number of signatures in their yearbooks and can then choose from a number of bonus art prints in the theme of the Yearbook that are not in the book. Our attendees love it!
Recent unrest on the convention circuit may discourage some from attending. BGN questioned the organizers regarding their efforts to manage any disruptions. The organizers indicated that they’re “learning and improving all the time.” And that “the show will continue to grow and evolve to ensure everyone has a spectacular and safe time at our event!” So, while San Diego and New York vie for the largest convention bragging rights, the BCC consistently works every year to simply be the best. From the great location, unique convention activities, as well as the comic and media guests, this is one convention where everything seems to focus on the experience of the attendees. As such it seems like this will be another banner year for a fun time to be had by all. The convention starts at 1:00 pm on Friday, September 28, 2018, and we here at BGN look forward to seeing you and yours in the gleefully short line!
The post Getting Ready for the Baltimore Comic-Con! appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.