Comics


The latest news about comic books by, about, or of interest to Asian Americans. For articles about specific comics, click on the titles in the "Categories" column on the left of this page.

On Sunday, October 12, at 2:30 pm, writer Greg Pak and artist Jim Lee will be on a panel about comics at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Click here for more details.

Ron Lim signs at the Marvel booth.

Eisner-nominated Fred Chao shows off his Eisner-nominated "Johnny Hiro."

Hope Larsen and Bryan Lee O'Malley near the Oni booth.

The 2008 San Diego Comic-Con is underway even as we speak at the San Diego Convention Center, and Asian and Asian American comic book creators are everywhere. Just a few items to note on the schedule over the next few days:

Friday, July 25

12:30-1:30 Spotlight on Jim Lee: The Art of DC Universe Online (DCUO)
Jim Lee (All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, Batman: Hush, Superman: For Tomorrow) and Carlos D'Anda (Brass, WildC.A.T.S, Bionicle, The Outsiders, JLA: Classified, Deathblow) of WildStorm Productions fame join with Chris Cao, Jared Carr and Jason Smith of Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe Online game development team to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities faced in adapting the rich comic book art of the DC Universe to a 3D game world and delivering the same emotional impact online as the brand evokes in its other mediums; moderated by Mat Broome (Batman: No Man's Land, WildC.A.T.S) Room 6B

3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Lynda Barry
Iconic alt-cartoonist and Comic-Con special guest Lynda Barry is the author of the recently released -- to much acclaim -- graphic-how-to-memoir, What It Is. Barry has been at the forefront of alternative comics since Matt Groening published her first comics while they were both students in college. This presentation takes an inside look at Barry's creative energy, genius, and approach to making art. "The ordinary is extraordinary" in Barry's world, and everyone can write and be creative -- we just have to ask ourselves the right questions. Have your pencils ready and your mind prepared to be blown with this once in a lifetime chance to meet the! Lynda! Barry!, creator of Ernie Pook's Comeek, One! Hundred! Demons! and The! Greatest! of! Marlys!. Room 7AB

8:30 pm - Eisner Awards ceremony.
Click here for a list of Asian American nominees.

Saturday, July 26

1:15-2:00 Spotlight on Tite Kubo
VIZ Media welcomes prolific manga (graphic novel) creator Tite Kubo for a series of rare in-person appearance. Mr. Kubo is the creator of the wildly successful manga series Bleach and ZOMBIEPOWDER. Both series are published domestically by VIZ Media, and Bleach is currently serialized in Shonen Jump. This is the first time the artist will appear at a North American convention. Mr. Kubo, along with his editor, Mr. Atsushi Nakasaki, will provide insight regarding his past, current, and future projects. Room 7AB
Tomine Saturday 5:30

5:30-6:30 Spotlight on Adrian Tomine
New Yorker illustrator and Optic Nerve cartoonist Adrian Tomine is the author of one of 2007's most critically lauded graphic novels, Shortcomings. For this Spotlight, Tomine will be interviewed by the first editor ever to give him an actual paying gig, Marc Weidenbaum, editor-in-chief of magazines at VIZ Media. The two will discuss what it was about the then UC Berkeley student's comic that attracted Weidenbaum to offer him a regular spot in Tower Records' Pulse magazine and how Tomine has matured over the last decade to become one of North America's leading literary cartoonists. Room 10

Sunday, July 27

2:45-3:45 Virgin Comics: Grant Morrison and Deepak Chopra: The Spirit of the Superhero
The tradition continues! As Virgin Comics gears up to launch the new animated on-line series MBX, series writer Grant Morrison (New X-Men, Superman, Final Crisis) once again teams with best-selling author and Virgin Comics co-founder Deepak Chopra (The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment) to talk...superheroes! Join the ongoing conversation investigating the id, ego, superego, and spirituality of the superhero -- we're talking social theory with sound effects, four colors fused with existentialism. Two of the greatest minds of comics and culture talking comics and culture -- this is not to be missed! Ballroom 20

Also, check out the list of Artists Alley participants -- including Jim Lee, Ron Lim, David Nakayama, Dustin Nguyen, Christina Strain, and many others!

And click here for Greg Pak's panel and signing schedule.

All Comics Entries

10.11.082008.10.12 - Greg Pak and Jim Lee panel at the San Diego Asian Film Festival
07.27.08Just a few photos from the San Diego Comic-Con 2008
07.25.082008.07.24 - 07.27 - San Diego Comic-Con
07.25.08Interview with Eisner-nominated graphic novelist Ann Marie Fleming
07.11.08Vote for "Secret Asian Man"!
06.02.08Newsarama interviews Ming Doyle
05.27.08Cartoonist Lela Lee on the radio
04.22.08Sean Chen and Bernard Chang at the New York Comic-Con
04.16.082008.04.16 - "Incredible Hercules" (with Amadeus Cho)
04.16.08Philip Tan signs exclusive with DC
04.15.08Asian Americans score approximately one billion Eisner nominations
04.07.08"Secret Asian Man" contest!
03.30.08ComicsBulletin.com loves "Usagi Yojimbo" #110
03.30.08"Incredible Hercules" #115 -- and Amadeus Cho -- score rave reviews
03.30.08AsianWeek cover story on Asian American cartoonists
03.30.08ReadExpress.com interviews Gene Yang
03.25.08Tomine's "The Donger and Me"
03.23.082008.04.13 - Cliff Chiang at the Boston Comic Book, CD/Record & Pop Culture Spectacular
03.19.08Bernard Chang pencils "Wonder Woman" #18 and #19
03.10.08Teacher seeks funding to teach "American Born Chinese"
03.06.08Tons of Asian American (and Canadian and Australian) creators cited in Bookslut's Best of 2007 lists
03.06.08Jae Lee talks about "Dark Tower"
03.03.08Toyoshima on Tomine
03.03.08Bryan Lee O'Malley on the multiracial thing
03.02.08Rod Espinosa posts first chapter of "Prince of Heroes" online
03.01.08"Shop with a reusable bag, b*tch!"
03.01.08Meet Ming Doyle
02.29.08Manga Batman! Yoshinori Natsume discusses "Batman: Death Mask"
02.28.082008.02.29 - Adrian Tomine at RISD
02.27.08Pat Lee draws on Hong Kong street
02.23.08Gene Yang interview at Asia Pacific Arts
02.22.08Randy Chang interview, part two
02.22.08SF Examiner interviews "Bumperboy" creator Debbie Huey
02.22.082008.02.23 - Debbie Huey in "Spotlight on Local Cartoonists" event - SF
02.21.082008.02.26 - Adrian Tomine hits Montreal
02.21.08"The Asian American Comic Book," illustrated by Wen-ti Tsen, viewable online
02.20.082008.02.27 - Gene Yang in Milpitas, CA
02.20.082008.02.28 - Adrian Tomine at the Brattle Theatre, Cambridge, MA
02.19.08New interview with "Secret Asian Man" creator Tak Toyoshima
02.19.082008.03.19 - Pak, Pham, Van Lente sign "Incredible Hercules" #115 in NYC
02.18.08Comixology interviews Bodega's Randy Chang
02.18.08R. Kikuo Johnson turns poem into comix for PoetryFoundation.org
02.18.08Hama's "Spooks" scares up rave reviews
02.17.082008.02.22 - 02.24 - WonderCon 2008 in SF - Mike Choi, Jim Lee, Steve Leialoha, Gene Yang appearances
02.17.08Shiga, Tomine, and Pak make the Comics Journal's Best of 2007 lists
02.15.08"Usagi Yojimbo" wallpaper!
02.15.082008.03.26 - "Usagi Yojimbo" #110
02.14.08Fred Chao's "Johnny Hiro" nabs rave reviews, interview
02.14.08"Secret Identities" shifts publication date to April 2009
02.14.08"Tai Chi Comics" online and at STAPLE! in Austin in March
02.13.08Nifty Asian American comic book resources
02.09.08Shen talks "Secret Identities"
02.09.08Adrian Tomine talks "Shortcomings" on NPR
02.09.08NPR posts "American Born Chinese" audio slide show with commentary by Gene Yang
02.09.082008.02.16 - Gene Yang talks "American Born Chinese" in SF
02.09.08BoingBoing digs "Good As Lily"
02.09.08Ann Marie Fleming talks about the "Long Tack Sam" graphic novel