Sean Chen and Bernard Chang strike a pose at their Artists Alley table at the New York Comic-Con. For more about Chen and Chang, visit www.theblvdstudio.com.
"Incredible Hercules" #116, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, hits comic book stores today. The book features the adventures of Hercules, the Lion of Olympus, and Amadeus Cho, incorrigible teen genius. Click here for an advance review and click here for a six page preview.
"Warbound" #5, another book written by Greg Pak, also hits stores today. Click here for a six page preview.
From Newsarama:
Best known recently for his work on Spawn and Spawn: Godslayer, DC Comics has confirmed for Newsarama that artist Philip Tan has signed an exclusive contract with the company. The length of the contract was undisclosed.Click here for the full article.
Asian American comic book creators have been nominated in multiple categories for this year's Eisner Awards. Click here to see all the nominees; see below for a list of the Asian American nominees. (Full disclosure: Ann Marie Fleming is Asian Canadian and Shaun Tan is Asian Australian, but we'll take 'em!)
Congrats to all!
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Johnny Hiro #1, by Fred Chao (AdHouse)Best New Series
Johnny Hiro, by Fred Chao (AdHouse)Best Humor Publication
Johnny Hiro, by Fred Chao (AdHouse)Best Reality-Based Work
The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, by Ann Marie Fleming (Riverhead Books/Penguin Group)Best Graphic Album-New
The Arrival, by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)
Bookhunter, by Jason Shiga (Sparkplug Books)Best U.S. Edition of International Material
The Arrival, by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)Best Writer/Artist
Shaun Tan, The Arrival (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)Best Writer/Artist-Humor
Fred Chao, Johnny Hiro (AdHouse)Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Jae Lee, Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born (Marvel)Best Painter or Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Ann-Marie Fleming, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam (Riverhead Books/Penguin Group)Best Cover Artist
James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse); Process Recess 2; Superior Showcase 2 (AdHouse)
Jae Lee, Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born (Marvel)
Jim Lee, All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (DC); World of Warcraft (WildStorm/DC)Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Comic Foundry, edited by Tim Leong (Comic Foundry)Best Publication Design
Process Recess 2, designed by James Jean and Chris Pitzer (AdHouse)
Tak Toyoshima is running a fill-in-the-thought-balloon contest at SecretAsianMan.com -- check it out! The winner gets a big 8" vinyl die cut sticker.
A total newbie reviews Stan Sakai's "Usagi Yojimbo" #110 and comes away impressed. Here's an excerpt:
Although this my first Usagi Yojimbo comic I ever read, I've known of the character from his cameos on Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles TV series back in the early '90s (which I imagine was a lot of people's introduction to the rabbit ronin). That said the comic surpassed my expectations. I anticipated a cutesy cartoon with outlandish plots and soon-to-be action-figure characters.Click here for the full review.Instead, Usagi Yojimbo is a samurai adventure akin to Samurai Executioner and Lone Wolf and Cub, geared for all ages. There isn't bloody splattering violence or lewd sexual behavior, but the morality tale set around the noble bushido bunny is no less moving than its Japanese roots. The completeness of issue's story follows the hallmark of the genre while letting new readers to pick it up easily. Usagi Yojimbo #110 is accessible and enjoyable without requiring knowledge of earlier issues or a degree in Japanese culture. Or anthropomorphic physiology.
"Incredible Hercules" #115, the climactic end of the first story arc featuring the Greek god and boy genius Amadeus Cho and written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, has nabbed a slew of rave reviews from ComicsBulletin.com, ComicsNewsI.com, PopCultureShock.com, and Newsarama.com. Here's an excerpt from the Newsarama review:
If it were just big, action-packed, melodramatic, funny fun The Incredible Hercules would still be well worth a reader's time, but co-writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente don't just stop there. This concludes the opening story arc of the Herc-hijacked book, and it does an incisive, even touching job of defining the characters of Hercules and Amadeus Cho. That it happens to also be a blast to read is just a bonus. This has very quickly become my favorite Marvel comic."Incredible Hercules" #115 hit stores on March 26. Tell your retailer to hold a copy for you today -- and preorder next month's "Incredible Hercules" #116!
Kazu Kibuishi, the editor of the acclaimed "Flight" comic anthologies, has been interviewed by Comic Book Resources about his new project, "Amulet." Here's an excerpt:
What was it about "Nausicaa" and "Bone" that really spoke to you?Click here to read the whole thing.I actually came across the books pretty late in my life. I discovered "Nausicaa," along with the other works of Hayao Miyazaki, while at the end of my college years. It was when I started looking into inspirational storytelling in animation that I went to a screening of "Princess Mononoke" and fell in love with his work. "Bone" was something I was familiar with for a long time, beginning in high school, but it wasn't until after graduating college that I really gave it a strong look, and was blown away by Jeff Smith's amazing comic. I keep both of these books very close to me while I work on "Amulet."
In other news, Will Smith's kids have been tapped to star in the feature film adaptation of "Amulet." VFXWorld.com has more.
Acclaimed comic book artist and illustrator James Jean has entered the fashion world, contributing art to Prada clothes and bags. Comics212.net has the scoop -- along with lots of pretty pictures!
The current AsianWeek cover story features three Asian American cartoonists who have been published by the paper over the years, including Tak Toyoshima, creator of the syndicated strip "Secret Asian Man." Here's an excerpt:
Secret Asian Man has appeared in AsianWeek since 2002, and since July 2007, the mouthless, bushy-eyebrowed Asian American cartoon has been syndicated in daily newspapers nationwide, challenging stereotypes and provoking thoughts about race while making readers laugh. The series is based on Toyoshima's life and regularly deals with Asian American issues in a hip, refined manga style.Click here to read the whole thing.Before it became syndicated and read by a mainstream audience, the strip dealt mainly with Asian American issues. Early strips were angrier in tone, but as time went on and Toyoshima matured as an artist, the tone lightened. He raised questions in his strips for readers to ponder rather than merely venting. But he's not afraid to still tackle heavy subjects like Vincent Chin, the Chinese American who was beaten to death in 1982 by two white autoworkers who believed they had lost their jobs to the Japanese.
Funny excerpt:
... it was surprising when Gene Yang's graphic novel, "American Born Chinese" was nominated for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2006.And not-so-funny excerpt:And nobody was more surprised than Yang.
"When I first started publishing 'American Born Chinese,' it was a mini comic," he said. "I would finish a chapter, take it to Kinko's and Xerox it and sell it at different comic book conventions. My big plan was to just get it collected as a graphic novel and that would be it."
Click here to read the whole thing.
"I do get some reactions to the Cousin Chin-Kee that worry me a little bit," said Yang, who will be discussing and signing "American Born Chinese" and his other books at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda on Wednesday. "There's some people that come up and tell me, 'He's so cute, so funny, endearing.' That's definitely not what I was going for,"Yang believes that most people understood the purpose of a character like Chin-Kee -- acting as the juxtaposition against his popular, assimilated cousin.
"I think the vast majority of the responses are positive, but I have had some Asian-Americans and come up and tell me I was perpetuating the stereotype by explicitly showing it," he said.
I nearly busted a gut laughing when I read Adrian Tomine's one-page comic "The Donger and Me" in an anthology book a few years back. So I'm thrilled to report that the comic can be read online at NPR.org -- and it's not to be missed by anyone who's ever trembled with rage over the Long Duk Dong character from "Sixteen Candles."
Via the Beat.
From the official announcement:
Boston Comic Spectacular Welcomes DC Artist Cliff Chiang April 13thBOSTON - The Boston Comic Book, CD/Record & Pop Culture Spectacular returns with its next big show on Sunday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, located at 200 Stuart St. in the 6th floor Convention Center.
Artist Cliff Chiang tops the show's guest list, which also features a large sampling of talented locals.
Bernard Chang is pencilling two issues of Gail Simone's "Wonder Woman" series for DC Comics. The first issue hit stores last Wednesday and features an alien race called the Khunds, whom Chang redesigned to give an Asian look.
Newsarama's Best Shots crew had this to say about Chang's art in "Wonder Woman" #18:
The art by Bernard Chang is utterly fantastic! Exciting, energetic and able to capture and enliven the private, quiet scenes of this issue, I couldn't be more pleased with his work. It sure is nice having one artist handling the entire story. For me the art really took hold in Chang's stunning ability to capture so much beauty and true humanity in Diana's eyes. Her eyes look soft, real and feminine in the scenes with Nemesis, while also portraying strength and power in the action sequences with the Khunds. I don't think it's possible for me to enjoy the art in the book anymore; Changs's take on Wonder Woman is a marvel.Ask your local retailer to hold a copy for you today!
DonorsChoose.org is an awesome charity that allows you to contribute directly to public school teachers and programs. And now an awesome proposal at the site is requested funding to teach Gene Yang's "American Born Chinese" to public school students in Tonawanda, New York. Here's an excerpt from the proposal:
Although my students live in a city, the student body is primarily Caucasian. Recently, there has been an influx of new students moving to the district from other parts of the United States or other countries all together (i.e. Chechnya, Bosnia, Kenya, Vietnam). The Caucasian students don't understand the cultures of the new students, and often times this ignorance causes them to discriminate against these other kids and mistreat them. When I read the graphic novel "American Born Chinese" by Gene Yang, I saw it as a golden opportunity to spark their interest in reading and teach tolerance of other cultures at the same time. The problem is, graphic novels tend to be more expensive than a typical paperback novel, and my school district does not have the funds for me to purchase a class set of these novels for use in my classroom.The teacher's just looking for $700. If you have the inclination, visit DonorsChoose.org and drop a few bucks.
Tons of Asian American (and Canadian and Australian) creators cited in Bookslut's Best of 2007 lists
Two Asian Canadians, an Asian American, and an Asian Australian dominate the "Best of 2007" lists posted by last year's Eisner judges at Bookslut.com.
Shaun Tan's "The Arrival" makes two lists -- here's an excerpt from Chris Reilly's blurb:
Sublime and visually stunning, this book tells the wordless story of an immigrants "arrival." The imagery is abstract and beautiful and refreshingly not Photoshopped. The images are alien and so perfectly depict how frightening it is to be a stranger in a strange land, with little more than the clothes on his back and lint in your pockets.... The landscapes, language (there is an unreadable alphabet) and even animals/monster/creatures here are so strange that you really become this guy.For more about Tan, who grew up in Australia and won the World Fantasy Award for Best Artist, visit www.shauntan.net.
Anne Marie Fleming's "Magical Life of Long Tack Sam" makes Robin Brenner's list. Here's a bit of the blurb:
This book shines for its sense of humor and the way it conveys the grand adventure of digging through your ancestors pasts and discovering how learning a little bit here and a little bit there may uncover a treasure trove of history.Brenner also cites Jason Shiga's "Bookhunter":
This book is fantastic in the way it takes a look at crimes very close to reality (the most famous book thieves are intriguingly odd characters, and often quite genius in how they commit their crimes) and then cranks it up into a great procedural drama everyone can enjoy. And... there's a climactic chase scene with book carts!And James Sime cites Bryan Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4":
If you like rock and roll, half-ninjas, battling ex-boyfriends, rail-slides, failed job interviews, leveling up, and the endless laughs that boy-meets-girl creates, this is a must-read series for you to sink your teeth into.As an extra bonus, former Eisner judge Whitney Matheson cites both "Magical Life of Long Tack Sam" and Adrian Tomine's "Shortcomings" on her Best of 2007 list at usatoday.com.
Via ComicMix.com.
Jae Lee tells a funny story about how the chance to illustrate the comic book adaptation of Stephen King's "Dark Tower" novels helped him kick video games. Check it out:
Newsarama interviews Rick Remender about "All-New Atom" #21, starring Ryan Choi as the title character, which hits stores on March 5. An excerpt:
Ryan Choi is a scientific genius and a straight shooter with a strong moral compass who wants nothing more than to live up to the heroic legacy of his idol Ray Palmer the original Atom. Even though Ryan's been through some hard times he's still idealistic and positive about the future.That's all going to change though.
When we first see Ryan in issue 21 he's just discovered something horrible is living inside his blood... a disease caused by the Atom belt. What it is could be the origin of his powers or it could be the first sighting of an alien plague holding catastrophic repercussions for the future of the DCU.
Tak Toyoshima, the cartoonist behind "Secret Asian Man," went to the Adrian Tomine presentation in Boston -- and wrote about it in his blog! Here's an excerpt:
The best thing I walked away from the presentation (besides a signed copy!) was a better insight into Tomine's views on being Asian American. Artistically he doesn't make it a mission to infuse every story with typical AA issues. Characters may be AA but that does not define them. It may add depth to his characters but beyond that, it's not an issue. He spoke a bit about the expectancies that many AAs had of his work and how he felt pressured to represent the community, like it was his duty.Click here to read the whole thing.Shortcomings, as the graphic of a ruler under the book jacket implies, does have some AA themes in it and it seems these themes are increasing. It's like he's going through the opposite experience as me. I started off out of the gate spewing out strips about lack of AA media representation, kung-fu stereotypes and xenophobia. Now I've come to embrace a far wider range of topics which I aim at a broader audience. It'll be interesting to see how Tomine's work progresses in terms of subject matter. All that being said, he has a new fan.
(And many thanks to Toyoshima for adding AsianAmericanComics.com to his links page!)
From the Fall 2006 issue of de Maisonneuve Magazine, via CitizenShift, here's an excerpt from an awesome conversation between filmmaker Anne Marie Nakagawa and cartoonist Bryan Lee O'Malley ("Scott Pilgrim") about growing up half-Asian:
BLO: To me, growing up as a nerd was the big thing. It was only as a kid that I was ostracized for being Asian. I was ostracized 'cuz I was a loser. Being of an unusual race just augmented my ostracism.Read the whole thing. It's awesome. Click here for the pdf.AMN: [Laughs] They just thought you were a loser. You were really a winner!
BLO: [Laughs] This is probably too nerdy for you to recognize but... When I was a kid, I read these fantasy novels -- this is kinda how i fell on the road to nerdism -- these Dragonlance books. The main character is this guy named Tanis Half-Elven, and he's half elf. He's this guy who wanders the Earth because he doesn't fit in with the elves or the humans. Then he becomes the leader of this ragtag group. That was a big deal when I was a kid, because I identified with him and... I can't really explain. You're probably just rolling your eyes.
AMN: For the record, I'm not rolling my eyes.
Rod Espinosa, the Philippines-born, Texas-based creator of the Eisner-nominated "Courageous Princess" graphic novel, has a new project called "Prince of Heroes." And he's posted the first chapter online! Click here to start reading.
For more about Espinosa, visit his myspace page and check out his profile at the Texas Teens Read project website.
Rick Remender takes over writing duties of the "All-New Atom" beginning with issue #21, which hits comic book stores on March 5. The book still stars Ryan Choi as the title character -- check out the five page preview at Newsarama for more.
If you love the environment and Lela Lee's "Angry Little Girls" comic, today's your day. Patina is selling a reusable canvas shopping bag featuring Lela Lee's signature character making a friendly point.
Click here to buy the bag and click here for the "Angry Little Girls" website.
[via run4istrun]
James Jean picked up the Gold Award in Comics for the cover to FABLES #66 and the Best in Show award for the cover to FABLES #67 at the recent Spectrum competition for fantastic art.
Click here for the full list of winners.
For more about the Taiwanese born, New Jersey raised, Eisner winning SVA grad visit JamesJean.com and his art blog, processrecess.com. And Theme Magazine has a nice profile from 2007.
Heidi MacDonald at the Beat clues us in again, this time with a link to Ming Doyle, a hapa illustrator and cartoonist who's produced a number of comics (readable online) exploring superhero icons from funky perspectives (the latest is "Making Bizarros"). Doyle also has a sketch blog at livejournal.com.
