Derek Kirk Kim's Bloggery

This and that

2012-01-26T16:37:00.001-08:00

A few news items today:

Check out this music video I shot for the band Kissing School. Cinematography and editing by me, story and direction by Gary Schaaf, the lead singer.

I gave a couple interviews recently regarding TUNE and Mythomania:
-An interview for Comic Book Resources.
-An article over at Televisual.

And lastly, just wanted to remind you that the title contest is wrapping up on Monday. There have been a lot of awesome entries so far, but you still have time. Enter away!

Big thank you to everyone that's entered so far.

TUNE TITLE CONTEST

Hey, TUNE readers, I need your help!

TUNE, Book 1 will be published by First Second Books in the fall later this year, and they want a secondary title for each volume. For example, "BONE, Book 1: Out of Boneville" or "Lord of the Rings, Book 2: The Two Towers," etc. I suggested "Praxis and Allies" for the first book, but my editor didn't like it. So I've been racking my brains for a better title, but it's been really difficult. This is where you come in. You may have a chance to title the book and see it emblazoned on the cover of every single copy of TUNE, Book 1 for the rest of eternity!

UPDATE: So many fantastic entries already. Big thank you to those that have entered so far! Keep ‘em coming!

Book 1 covers chapters 1-10, so the title should be appropriate for that span in the story. Good luck!

RULES: Enter via tunebook1title(at)yahoo(dot)com. You can enter as many titles as you like. If the winning title is entered by multiple contestants, the earliest received entry will be selected as the winner. And feel free to post your entries in the comments section below for discussion!

PRIZES:
Winner: A signed copy of TUNE, Book 1: "Insert You Awesome Title Here", an original drawing by Derek Kirk Kim of any 2 characters of the winner's choosing, and a special thank you credit in the book.
Two runner ups: A signed copy of TUNE, Book 1: "Insert You Awesome Title Here."

DEADLINE: January 30, 2011

DISCLAIMER: There's no guarantee of a winner as none of the entries might be appropriate, but I have faith in the whip-smart TUNE community to come up with something awesome and clever! But even if I end up using a title of my own, the prizes will still be awarded to my top three favorite entries.

TUNE, Book 1 Title Contest

2012-01-16T00:59:00.000-08:00

TUNE TITLE CONTEST

Hey, TUNE readers, I need your help!

TUNE, Book 1 will be published by First Second Books in the fall later this year, and they want a secondary title for each volume. For example, "BONE, Book 1: Out of Boneville" or "Lord of the Rings, Book 2: The Two Towers," etc. I suggested "Praxis and Allies" for the first book, but my editor didn't like it. So I've been racking my brains for a better title, but it's been really difficult. This is where you come in. You may have a chance to title the book and see it emblazoned on the cover of every single copy of TUNE, Book 1 for the rest of eternity!

Book 1 covers chapters 1-10, so the title should be appropriate for that span in the story. Good luck!

RULES: Enter via tunebook1title(at)yahoo(dot)com. You can enter as many titles as you like. If the winning title is entered by multiple contestants, the earliest received entry will be selected as the winner. And feel free to post your entries in the comments section below for discussion!

PRIZES:
Winner: A signed copy of TUNE, Book 1: "Insert You Awesome Title Here", an original drawing by Derek Kirk Kim of any 2 characters of the winner's choosing, and a special thank you credit in the book.
Two runner ups: A signed copy of TUNE, Book 1: "Insert You Awesome Title Here."

DEADLINE: January 30, 2011

DISCLAIMER: There's no guarantee of a winner as none of the entries might be appropriate, but I have faith in the whip-smart TUNE community to come up with something awesome and clever! But even if I end up using a title of my own, the prizes will still be awarded to my top three favorite entries.

Why Are There So Many Good Asian American Cartoonists?

2011-12-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

KoreAm magazine asks, "Why Are There So Many Good Asian American Cartoonists?" in the December issue, and gets lots of interesting answers from from Gene Luen Yang, Jason Shiga, Hellen Jo, Jen Wang, Douglas Wolk, and Shaenon K. Garrity.
Check it out, it's a great article!

MYTHOMANIA - Season 1

2011-12-07T07:26:00.001-08:00

In case you didn't know, I also write and direct an online show called, Mythomania. It's my newest project and I'm really proud of it. We just wrapped the first story arc, and I think it's the best thing I've written since "Same Difference." And like "Same Difference," and most of my stories, it has a slow, realistic build. So I promise it's going somewhere. If you only watch the 1st video, you'll miss out on one of my best stories. If you like "Same Difference," there's a good chance you'll like this one too.

Sorry for the hard sell, but it really bums me out that no one's giving this series a chance. You have to watch the whole 9-part "season" (which is really just an hour episode broken up into 9 parts) to see the breadth of the story. It's about being young and stupid and ambitious and trying to figure out what's really important in life. With lots of laughs along the way. And from the little feedback I've gotten, it seems like most everyone that has actually watched 'til the end of the season really likes it.

"The show is an honest and personal (perhaps too personal, in the case of episode seven) window into what life can be like for cartoonists, and how easy it can be to face not only rejection but also opportunity." - Comics Alliance

"SUPER AMAZING...it’s sharp, funny and looks great" - The Beat

"Check this out if you like heartfelt dramas that show people striving to create and find joy in what they do while the world tries to tear them down." - Cinema Cafe Podcast

"Mythomania hits me right in my nostalgic sweet spot." - Gene Luen Yang

So anyway, I hope you'll give the show a chance!

TUNE, Chapter 14

2011-12-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't been reading TUNE, we're wrapping up the 14th chapter on Friday. Things are going terribly wrong for Andy... even more than usual. ;)

SAME DIFFERENCE in stores today

2011-12-07T07:20:00.001-08:00

Same Difference is now on sale in bookstores and Amazon.

Speaking of D&D...

2010-03-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

Apparently even porn stars are into D&D these days...

(companion video to this wacky blog: http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/)

Is it just me, or does table-top seem to be making a come back these days? I haven't played any role-playing games since high school (which is ice ages ago) and I've never gotten into the video game rpgs, so I'm really out of the loop.

When I did play in my misspent youth, my favorite was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles role-playing game! You may laugh, but I tell you, it was way more fun than D&D. Instead of the same 'ol faux medieval setting with the same 'ol creatures that populate every trapper keeper and fantasy novel since Lord of the Rings, you get to become an anthropomorphic animal of your choosing (my favorite character that I created was a Teenage Mutant Ninja BAT*) and do things you've always wanted to do as a kid but can't like driving a car or going to a bar. I think that's why D&D appeals to older folks and people who have already Done It All in real life, like these porn stars. D&D is a whole separate world you could never simulate in real life. (Unlike the TMNT game which you could kind of simulate by going to a bar in a bat costume.**) But when we were kids, D&D was sort of like the Old Guy in the corner of the room at a teenage party that no one knows or how he got there. Sure, you'd tap him every few hours to get you beer, but no one really wants to hang out with him.

Basically D&D was the granddaddy of all rpgs, so we just took it for granted. Among the kids I played with, it was our least favorite rpg. TMNT, the Marvel Superheroes rpg, the DC Superheroes rpg, Gamma World, Shadowrun, and rpgs we actually made up ourselves (I still have binders and binders filled with rules and crap for made up rpgs) took precedence over D&D in our nerdy hearts. I think it was just that D&D had such an impenetrable wall of rules that tended to suck the joy and spontaneity out of, well, imagination.

That said, I have lots of fond memories of playing D&D. I really feel like it fueled my obsession with story-telling and honed my ability to read the interest level of the audience. Being a Dungeon Master, or Game Master, is sort of like doing a stand-up routine at an open-mic. You have to be brave and you have to be good.

The strange thing is, I don't have any lingering hankering to revisit D&D the way I do with other childhood obsessions. I guess I still haven't lived enough life yet.

I don't know where I'm going with this... Just rambling I guess.

(* Oh, for the love of God, don't let me be a closet furry!)
(** I don't recommend it though, unless you want to get your underwear pulled over your bat-ears.)

I love you, Internet

2010-03-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

TUNE: Praxis and Allies - Chapter 6

2010-02-23T02:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

Click the photo above for the most genuinely romantic story I've heard in a long while. I love me some Sagan.

On the flipside...

(click the image for more)
If you know about Cerebus and Dave Sim's infamous misogyny, you'll laugh your ass off.

Fever and Sailor Twain

2010-02-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I was bedridden from Wednesday to Sunday this past week with the severest fever/chills of my life! I thought I might have swine flu, but when I finally saw a doctor on Sunday, it turned out I had a bacterial infection in my throat. I'm taking antibiotics now and finally up and about. Anyway, that's a long way of saying I couldn't work last week so there won't be an update for the next couple days. But stay tuned, there should be new panels as soon as Wednesday or maybe even tomorrow if I get lucky.

But in the meantime, here's some great reading for you!

It's "Sailor Twain" from Mark Siegel, my editor at First Second Books. When people ask me about Mark as an editor, I always says, "He's a good comics editor because he's a good cartoonist." Now everyone can see what I mean. Check it out!

The Fifth Ninja Turtle

2009-12-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

This is an oldie, but just in case everyone hasn't see this little gem:

Star Trek: The Mad Generation

2009-12-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

So I've been obsessed with Mad Men as I recently went through all three seasons in the last month. If you've seen it, I'm sure I won't have to bore you with how great it is. It's my favorite show at the moment.

It also got me thinking about one of my other favorite shows of all time, Star Trek, The Next Generation. I was thinking what an awesome crew the characters on Mad Men would make for Star Trek! So in some crazy flight of obsession (and non-stop giggling), I photoshopped this together when I should've been working on TUNE:

From L to R:
Ensign Pete Campbell (the kid), Lieutenant Peggy Olson (Chief of Security), Lieutenant Commander Harry Crane (Chief Engineer), Commander Roger Sterling (First Officer), Captain Don Draper (Commanding Officer), Commander Betty Draper (Chief Medical Officer), Lieutenant Salvatore Romano (Conn Officer; homosexual Klingon), Lieutenant Commander Joan Holloway (Ship's Counselor), Lieutenant Commander Ken C.O.S.G.R.O.V.E (Cybernetic Organism Simulating Great Repertoire Of Volatile Emotions; Second Officer)

Tell me this wouldn't be the greatest Star Trek ever!

TUNE: Praxis and Allies - Chapter 5

2009-12-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

This makes me love Pokemon

2009-12-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

I'll have whatever this writer's having

2009-12-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

I have absolutely no idea what this book is and I never want to. I want to live the rest of my life loving this book just based on this cover.

(source)

"Meanwhile" is coming!

2009-12-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

Jason Shiga @ APE 2009 from Doctor Popular on Vimeo.

Here's an interview with Jason Shiga, one of my oldest and most beloved friends in this wacky world of comics, talking about his next book, Meanwhile. It will be unleashed this coming spring by Abrams Books! This is a book like no other and you really need to get it.

The great thing about Meanwhile is that it's not just an amazing feat of engineering (which you can see a sample of in the video), it's also a great story which inspires laughs, existential musings, head scratching, and awe in equal amounts. Look for it this coming spring!

(Jason, why are you so damn close to the camera? I feel like you're talking to me across a pillow...)

TUNE: Praxis and Allies - Chapter 4

2009-12-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T01:45:00.000-08:00

Apparently the Muppets like their turkey alive and inebriated. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! TUNE will be taking a break for the Thanksgiving weekend, but it'll be right back on schedule Monday afternoon. Have a good one!

TUNE: Praxis and Allies - Chapter 3

2009-11-10T11:13:00.001-08:00

Only in Japan...

2009-10-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

You haven't been "punk'd" until you've been "punk'd" in Japan. Must be seen to be believed...

(Thanks to the great Alex Robinson for the link!)

TUNE: Praxis and Allies - Chapter 2

2009-10-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

"Uncle" Walt

2009-09-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

This is probably old hat to a lot of you (especially those of you who are animation majors/buffs) but I just saw this great '95 BBC doc on Walt Disney. I knew he was a cut-throat businessman, but I had no idea he was such a world class asshole. Racist, sexist, anti-semitic, ultra conservative... you name it. He even hired the mob to threaten union leaders, and helped McCarthy blacklist "communists"... Jesus, what a douche!!!

Tamna Island

2009-09-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Korean pop culture -- remember when I made a post about my cousin Hena Jung in Korea who's also a professional cartoonist? I mentioned that her comic, Tamna Island, was being adapted into a Korean drama. Well, now it's airing!

K.G.B.

2009-09-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Are you a K-pop fan? Are you a comics fan? Well, then you'll want to check out this new webcomic by Becky Cloonan and Hwan Cho:

I believe K.G.B. stands for Koreans Gone Bad. Incidentally, David Choe was in a real life band called K.G.B. that stood for the same thing.

TUNE: Praxis and Allies - Chapter 1

2009-08-31T01:07:00.000-07:00

Hey friends -- droppin' some big news this morning. Starting today, I'll be serializing my next story, TUNE: Praxis and Allies, right here at lowbright.com! I'll be adding 2 new panel to the story each and every weekday. You can either follow along panel by panel daily on my livejournal blog feed, or if you'd prefer to wait and read in bigger chunks, you can always bookmark the latest chapter and come back whenever.

Hope you enjoy!

Facebooked

2009-08-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

Resistance really is futile it seems. Anyway, after everyone else on the planet Earth, I'm finally on facebook. So if you'd rather keep up with my doings there, feel free to add me and I'll add you back!

TUNE Book 1 sneak peak

2009-08-14T23:50:00.000-07:00

Whoo, long time no update. That's because I'm totally absorbed in working on my next book for First Second Books, TUNE (Book 1): Praxis and Allies. The thumbs have been completed and now I'm knee-deep (well, ankle-deep at this point) in the final art stage. Here's a sample of what the line art will look like:

I have to say, I'm really happy with the way the artwork is coming out on this one. Can't wait to finish this book!!

Tigard Public Library appearance 8/6, 6pm

2009-08-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

I'll be speaking the Tigard Public Library tomorrow. I'll be doing a reading and talking about the creative process on The Eternal Smile and my other books. (If you came out to see me at Powell's a couple months ago, it'll be a repeat.) Here's the pertinent info.

San Diego Comic-Con 2009

2009-07-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I'll be at the San Diego Comic-Con international this year with my buddy and collaborator Gene Yang at table #AA-04 in the Artist Alley. Here's the map of the exhibit hall floor. The Artist Alley is on the top left corner of the map there. We'll have books, mini-comics, posters, and original art for you to peruse, or even purchase if you feel so inclined.

I'll also be on a couple panels (and moderating Gene Yang's spotlight panel) and doing signings and stuff throughout the 4-day period. Here's my complete schedule:

Thursday, July 23

2:30 - 3:30pm - Spotlight on Gene Yang: Only three years ago, Comic-Con special guest Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) was making his reputation on minicomics. Now he's an award-winning graphic novelist. Hear him in conversation with fellow comic artist and collaborator Derek Kirk Kim (The Eternal Smile). Room 4

Friday, July 24

1:00 – 2:00pm - Signing at the First Second Booth, #1323

4:00 - 5:00pm - Graphic Novels: Moderator Tom Spurgeon (ComicsReporter.com) talks to some of the superstars of graphic novels in this lively panel discussion. Joining Tom are Lewis Trondheim (Kaput and Zosky), Bryan Lee O'Malley (Scott Pilgrim), Seth (George Sprott 1894–1975), Gene Yang (American Born Chinese), Jason Lutes (Berlin), and Derek Kirk Kim (Eternal Smile). Room 8

Saturday, July 25

1:00 - 2:00pm - Skech-A-Thon at the Cartoon Art Museum booth, #1930

Sunday, July 26

10:00-11:00pm - Kids' Graphic Novels: What's new and wonderful in the world of comics and graphic novels for kids in 2009? Moderator Robin Brenner, creator and editor-in-chief of NoFlyingNoTights.com, highlights the works of panelists Lewis Trondheim (Tiny Tyrant), Gene Yang (American Born Chinese), Derek Kirk Kim (The Eternal Smile), Eric Wight (Frankie Pickle and The Closet of Doom), Chris Schweizer (Crogan's Vengeance), Jennifer Holm (Babymouse), and Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Lunch Lady), who all recommend other great titles. Room 3

For complete info on the show, click here.

If anything, you should come to see Hayao Miyazaki speak! How often does that happen in America?

Eternal Smile iGoogle Theme!

2009-07-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hey, check it out! My publisher, First Second Books and Google teamed up to bring you an iGoogle Theme based on The Eternal Smile! How cool is that?

(Note: The theme changes on multiple clicks to showcase all three stories in the book!)

First AACC Recap

2009-07-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Jeremy Arambulo)

The first Asian American Comicon was a great success. I had no idea what to expect, so I can safely say it easily surpassed my expectations? There was lots of constant traffic and everyone seemed very energized and engaged. I left feeling very inspired. This show had a very different vibe than any other comics show I've been to. As advertised (how often does that happen?), this show was more about conversation and an exchanged of ideas and information than a glorified flea market. It was more about the panels and discussions than an "exhibit hall," which is rare in comics. Overall, one of my favorite convention experiences ever.

So a great big pat on the back to Jeff Yang, Greg Pak, Keith Chow, Jerry Ma, and all the other organizers and volunteers for putting on such a great show. And thank you again for having me!

And of course, big thanks to everyone that came out! It was awesome to meet all of you guys at the signing. So many awesome Asian American in the world... It does my heart good.

Jeremy Arambulo has a great recap of the show here with lots of photos.

The Wall Street Journal even covered it with a great video. (Thanks, Christina!)

Lastly, just wanted to leave you with my favorite highlight:

(photo by Jeremy Arambulo)

Keith Chow exploding on stage with "Mama Said Knock You Out!" Totally stole an already awesome karaoke bonanza! God, that was fun. (Seriously, an Asian American anything wouldn't be complete without a drunken karaoke party, folks.) Please note the stone-faced KJ. This was his face, I swear to god, for the entire 3 or 4 hours we were there. Totally cracked me up. Love him!

In TUNE

2009-07-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

If you're a regular visitor here to ye olde site, you may have noticed a dearth of comics or art, or any kind of posts for that matter, of late. That's because I'm in a creative fever and I don't really have the time or the space in my head for anything else at the moment. I feel like I've been in a bubble; I don't know what's going on in the outside world, I'm just living in my head.

Anyway, the above pics are snapshots of the progress on my next book for First Second, TUNE (Book 1): Praxis and Allies. I've finished the writing (took me almost a year) and now I'm knee-deep in the thumbnail stage. I've completed about 120 pages of thumbnails, and I've got 4 more chapters worth to do (10 chapters thumbnailed so far). Then I'll be ready to jump into the final art stage. I can't wait!

As much fun and rewarding as it was to work on Good As Lily and The Eternal Smile, there's an intimacy to doing everything yourself that defies description. And lately, I've been thinking back, and it's been 6 whopping years since I last released a book that I wrote and drew. (That would be Same Difference and Other Stories.) By the time TUNE hits the shelves, it will have been almost a decade! As much as I love comics, it's so frustrating how much time it takes to give birth to one, especially one where everything is done by one person. But mostly, I've been sidetracked by so much freelance work since Same Difference was released. Regrets, regrets, moan, whine.

But anyway, back to TUNE! I'm super excited about it. I think it's some of the best writing I've ever done. I crack myself up on a regular basis while I'm working on it. (Okay, so it could just be that I'm going crazy and has nothing to do with the writing.) Do any of you remember Half Empty? It was the other story that was being serialized simultaneously with Same Difference here on the website almost 10 years ago. Well, eventually, I had to drop Half Empty to focus on Same Difference. It was too distracting and taxing to work on both stories at once. Well, Half Empty is finally going to be completed in TUNE. TUNE is a reworking of Half Empty. It ended up being vastly different than the way it started, so I thought a new title and all new artwork was appropriate. If you remember the pages of Half Empty that were put up years ago, you'll recognize some of the sequences in TUNE. The path of the story has been changed drastically, but I retained the best sequences from the original pages.

Another thing that makes TUNE exciting for me is that it's my first series! Book 1 will be the start of the continuing adventures (misadventures?) of Andy Go and his (reluctant) friends.

It feels so good to be finally wrapping up an unfinished story. Somewhere down the line, I hope to finally wrap up Healing Hands too. It needs some seriously rewriting, but I think it can be salvaged with a restart. I think the rest of my career is going be just going back and pinching off all the crap I've left dangling.

It's all weird and unpredictable and wondrous how this whole "creative process" thing works...

AACC in NYC July 11th!

2009-07-03T09:37:00.001-07:00

Hey, y'all, just wanted to let you know that I'll be a guest at the very first Asian American ComiCon. It's really rare for me to make it out to NYC, so I'm excited to meet some new faces. I'll be on 3 whopping panels: a spotlight panel, a panel on nerd culture, and one on visual storytelling and collaboration. Hope to see ya!

Here's the official run-down:

The organizers of the First Annual Asian American ComiCon (AACC) have announced the complete Featured Guest list and final Schedule of Events for this celebration of the unique contemporary role and historical legacy of Asians and Asian Americans in the world of graphic fiction, which will take place Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Museum of Chinese in America (215 Centre Street in New York).

Confirmed Special Guests Include:
• Larry Hama (writer, G.I. Joe)
• Bernard Chang (artist, Wonder Woman)
• Cliff Chiang (artist, Green Arrow)
• Derek Kirk Kim (artist, The Eternal Smile)
• Greg Pak (writer, Incredible Hulk)
• Khoi Pham (artist, Mighty Avengers)
• Sean Chen (artist, Iron Man)
• Christina Strain (colorist, Runaways)
• Fred Chao (writer/artist, Johnny Hiro)
• Christine Norrie (artist, Breaking Up)
• Tak Toyoshima (writer/artist, Secret Asian Man)
• Misako Rocks! (writer/artist, Biker Girl)
• Kuo-Yu Liang (VP Sales & Marketing, Diamond Book Distributors)
• Sharad Devarajan (CEO, Liquid Comics)
• William F. Wu (writer, Hong on the Range)
• The Editors of Secret Identities (www.secretidentities.org)

(forthcoming); Vyshali Manivannan, author, Other special guests of the con will include: Ben Nugent, author, American Nerd; Hua Hsu, professor, Vassar College; Ed Lin, author of Waylaid and This Is a Bust; Monica Ferrell, author, The Answer Is Always Yes; Monica Youn, author, IgnatzInvictus; Paolo Javier, author, 60 lv Bo(e)mbs; Jennifer Lee, former editor, Marvel Comics and DC Comics; Kai-Ming Cha, comics and manga reporter, Publishers Weekly; Aimee Bahng, assistant professor, English, Dartmouth College; Ken Okabayashi, founder of Piggy Back Studios; Tyler Chin-Tanner, artist/writer, American Terrorist; Daniel Ketchum, editor, Marvel Comics; Karl Taro Greenfield, author, Speed Tribes; and Arune Singh, sales coordinator, Marvel Comics.

In addition, the following creators will be participating in the AACC’s Artists Alley, and will conduct signing and sketch sessions throughout the day. Each artist will also donate an original sketch for AACC’s silent auction, proceeds to benefit the nonprofit Museum of Chinese in America.

• Jimmy J. Aquino (writer, “Sampler,” SECRET IDENTITIES)
• Jeremy Arambulo (writer/artist, ROGUE SOUP & BUG)
• Bernard Chang (artist, WONDER WOMAN)
• Sean Chen (artist, IRON MAN)
• Tyler Chin-Tanner (writer/artist, AMERICAN TERRORIST)
• Robin Ha (writer/artist, THE MAGIC 8-BALL)
• Dongyun Lee (writer/artist, ZOOM)
• Yali Lin (writer/artist, SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO & JULIET)
• Jerry Ma (art director, SECRET IDENTITIES)
• Allan Norico (writer/artist, THINGS I’VE SEEN AT SHOWS)
• Khoi Pham (artist, MIGHTY AVENGERS)
• Misako Rocks! (writer/artist, BIKER GIRL)
• Sarah Sapang (artist, “16 Miles,” SECRET IDENTITIES)
• Christina Strain (colorist, RUNAWAYS)
• Alex Tarampi (artist, “Gaman,” SECRET IDENTITIES)
• Tak Toyoshima (writer/artist, SECRET ASIAN MAN)
• Paul Wei (writer/artist, THE ADVENTURES OF MAXWELL & GRANDMA)
• Ken Wong (writer/artist, SCHRODINGER’S CAT)

COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The event will be divided into three tracks: Reading Comics, Making Comics, and Creator Spotlight. Each track includes a diverse range of interactive and immersive panels and workshops, featuring leading Asian and Asian American figures from comics, literature and academia.

Reading Comics

How do we read comic books today? This track answers this question by putting comic book artists at the same table with novelists, professors and industry professionals. A mash-up of fan convention, Asian American studies conference and literary festival, this one-of-a-kind series of panels and readings confronts pressing issues, such as the globalization of pop culture, the representation of Asian Americans in comics, and, of course, the nature of nerdiness.

Sessions Include:

· Nerdpop: The Rise of the Nerds!: Asian Americans have long been stereotyped as “nerds,” but nerdiness has become something to celebrate. With the rise of digital culture and the mainstreaming of comic books and other once nerdy genres, nerds have gone from persecuted minority to masters of the universe. This panel examines the historical development of nerd identity, particularly among Asian Americans, and the aesthetics of nerd pride. Moderated by Hua Hsu, professor, English, Vassar College, featuring panelists Ben Nugent, author, American Nerd; Derek Kirk Kim, artist/writer, Same Difference & Other Stories; and Keith Chow, senior editor, Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology

(forthcoming); Vyshali Manivannan, author, · Every Comic Is Asian American: The most prominent Asian American comic characters have typically been slanty-eyed sidekicks and supervillains, speaking in broken English and colored the shade of school buses. This panel starts with an all-star line-up of novelists and poets re-imagining their favorite comic book characters as Asian American and continues with a panel of professors, artists, and journalists discussing how Asian Americans have been represented in graphic novels. Moderated by Ken Chen, executive director of The Asian American Writers’ Workshop, featuring panelists like Ed Lin, author, Waylaid and This Is a Bust; Monica Ferrell, author, The Answer Is Always Yes; Monica Youn, author, IgnatzInvictus; Paolo Javier, author, 60 lv Bo(e)mbs; and Karl Taro Greenfeld, author, Speed Tribes

· The Asianization of Pop Culture: The rise of the graphic novel could really be described as the Asianization of American pop culture. In fact, the graphic novel renaissance has in many ways been powered by the popularity of manga, Japanese comics that still account for half of the new comics released in the America today. Panelists discuss the influence of manga, manhwa, and anime on American comics and American pop culture more generally. Moderated by Kai-Ming Cha, comics and manga reporter, Publishers Weekly, featuring panelists Aimee Bahng, assistant professor, English, Dartmouth College; Kuo-Yu Liang, VP, Sales & Marketing, Diamond Book Distributors; Ken Okabayashi, founder of Piggy Back Studios; and Misako Rocks!, artist/writer, Biker Girl

· The New Villains: Muslim insurgents. Chinese spies. North Korean dictators. Is it just us, or are Asians increasingly being cast in the role of the global evildoer? What’s the history of the portrayal of villainous Asians in comics and cartoon art, how does that history shape what we’re seeing in those fields today, and what does this mean for Asians and Asian Americans in the real world? Moderated by Jeff Yang, editor-in-chief, Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, featuring panelists Larry Hama, creator, G.I. Joe mythology; William F. Wu, author, Hong on the Range and The Yellow Peril; Tyler Chin-Tanner, artist/writer, American Terrorist; and Sharad Devarajan, CEO, Liquid Comics

Track Two: Making Comics
This track focuses on the art and business of making comics— from alt-comics and literary graphic fiction to mainstream superhero books and syndicated strips. Featured workshops will include a hands-on demonstration by leading creators; explorations of the business side of comics; and other sessions highlighting comics as a profession, a discipline, an art form and a commercial landscape.

Sessions include:

· Writers’ Bloc: Writers of indie and superhero comics and a syndicated comic strip discuss the craft of scripting sequential art and their strategies for tackling everyday creative challenges. Moderated by Greg Pak, writer, The Incredible Hulk and War Machine, featuring panelists Fred Chao, artist/writer, Johnny Hiro; Larry Hama, creator, G.I. Joe mythology; Christine Norrie, artist/writer, Cheat; and Tak Toyoshima, artist/writer, Secret Asian Man

· Visual Storytelling—The Art of Collaboration: Top graphical storytellers share their experiences and tips for making the most of the challenges and opportunities of collaboration between pencillers, inkers, colorists, and writers. Moderated by Greg Pak, writer, The Incredible Hulk and War Machine, featuring panelists Sean Chen, artist, Iron Man; Daniel Ketchum, editor, Marvel Comics; Derek Kirk Kim, artist/writer, Same Difference & Other Stories; Khoi Pham, artist, Mighty Avengers; and Christina Strain, colorist, Runaways

· Visual Storytelling—Hands On: A diverse group of acclaimed artists sketch in real time as they discuss their different approaches in making creative choices. Moderated by Greg Pak, writer, The Incredible Hulk and War Machine, featuring panelists Bernard Chang, artist, Wonder Woman; Fred Chao, artist/writer, Johnny Hiro; Cliff Chiang, artist, Green Arrow/Black Canary; and Misako Rocks!, artist/writer, Biker Girl

· The Business of Comics: For anyone who’s ever dreamed of joining the comics world, here’s your chance to get an insider’s look at the commercial side of graphical storytelling. Comic book pros from every corner of the biz introduce their fields and discuss breaking in, maintaining a career, and keeping up with what the future has in store. Moderated by Jennifer Lee, former editor, Marvel and DC Comics, featuring panelists Bernard Chang, artist, Wonder Woman; Fletcher Chu-Fong, manager, Events & Retail, DC Comics; Kuo-Yu Liang, VP, Sales & Marketing, Diamond Book Distributors; Arune Singh, sales coordinator, Marvel Comics; Tak Toyoshima, artist/writer, Secret Asian Man; and Sharad Devarajan, CEO, Liquid Comics

Track Three: CREATOR SPOTLIGHT Sessions
In this track top comics creators paired with interesting counterparts (outside of comics) for one-on-one discussions covering craft, inspirations and influences, shared themes and future collaborations.

Sessions Include:

· Similar Differences—SPOTLIGHT on Derek Kirk Kim: A candid discussion with the brilliant author and artist of Same Difference and Other Stories and co-creator, with Gene Yang, of the new graphic novel The Eternal Smile. Moderated by Jeff Yang, editor-in-chief, Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology

· From Chop-Chop to Silver Samurai—SPOTLIGHT ON: William F. Wu: A guided tour with science fiction legend William F. Wu, as he shares samples from his collection of thousands of comics depicting Asian images…good, bad, and definitely ugly. Moderated by Jeff Yang, editor-in-chief, Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology

· Hama Time!—SPOTLIGHT on Larry Hama: Catching up with comics pioneer Larry Hama, creator of the G.I. Joe universe and winner of this year’s KIYAMA AWARD! Moderated by Keith Chow, senior editor, Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology

All tracks are open to all AACC registrants; however, to manage traffic flow and seating, we will ask registrants to tentatively identify which sessions they intend to join upon receiving confirmation of their attendance. Space for some sessions is limited, and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, with VIP Pass holders receiving priority.

Tickets for the nonprofit Asian American ComiCon are $15 for students, $25 for adults (18 and older), and $75 for a special VIP Pass, entitling the bearer to priority reserved seating at all panels and workshops, a complimentary Asian American graphic novel, signed by its creators, and an original sketch from one of the artists participating in the event’s Artists Alley. Registration will be limited to 250 attendees, and is available in advance through the following link: https://www.nycharities.org/event/event.asp?CE_ID=4187

In addition, DISCOUNTED ADMISSIONS are available through the following sponsoring organizations. TO REGISTER AT DISCOUNTED RATES, CALL BEATRICE CHEN at the Museum of Chinese in America, 212.619.4785 x104 and provide an authorized discount code. Note: All passes may sell out before the day of the event.

For more information, please visit www.aacomicon.com

Underground

2009-06-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late to the draw on this, but my good friend Steve Lieber (artist extraordinaire of Whiteout) of Periscope Studios was recently burgled! Among other things, laptops with work files were taken. (One of my worst nightmares!) If you wanna support Steve, check out his latest project, Underground, written by the equally talented Jeff Parker (creator of The Interman and a million wildly popular Marvel comics)!

Olympia Comics Fest Photo Parade

2009-06-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here's some photos from the Olympia Comics Festival which Gene and I attended a couple weeks ago.

First of all, let me just say a big THANK YOU to Chelsea Baker and all the other wonderful organizers and volunteers of the show for having us. Gene and I really enjoyed our time!

Somehow I ended up in a room with a jacuzzi! Right next to the bed no less! You can bet there were hookers and champagne flowing that night.

Here's Gene taking it for a spin, and looking insane.

The show itself took place in a bar(club?) called the Vault.

All the panels took place in a movie theater next door! So whenever a speaker needed to show something it was projected on the giant screen behind him or her. Here's Gene and I on our joint panel.
This photo was taken by the great David Lasky (of Kramer's Ergot fame and many other great works).

Here's Gene on his panel about using comics for education. If you've never read his comic on factoring, you're really missing out. It actually taught me factoring which is like teaching a blind man to play darts!

Gene and I also did a signing at Danger Room, an awesome comic book store in Olympia. Chelsea did this hilarious drawing of us.

After the show the organizers invited us to relax at a really swell after party. We talked long into the night about comics and previous guests of the show.

And to finish this off, my favorite photo from the show, also taken by David Lasky.
I really like this photo because it reminds me of the very last shot in Pirates of Silicon Valley where a giant, projected Bill Gates looms over a small, pitifully impotent Steve Jobs. When Jason Shiga takes over the world (and he will, believe me--wait 'til you see his Meanwhile from Abrams coming out next year) you'll know how prophetic this photo was.
Also, someone really needs to put Jason into a movie.

Gene Yang Superstar

2009-06-06T02:54:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Gene...

One of my favorite Americans.

via america.gov.

Olympia Comics Festival

2009-06-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, next Saturday, June 13th, Gene Yang and I will be at the Olympia Comics Festival! Gene rarely makes it up here to the great North West, so if you're local and you've always wanted tell Gene that you were offended by Chinkee in person, here's your chance! Oh, and did I mention that the show is FREE? Yes, FREE. I can't think of any other comic show in the U.S. with free admission. (Please, correct me if I'm not remembering correctly.)

It should be a great little show. Hope to see ya!
For more info, go to olympiacomicsfestival.org

(oh, and in case you're wondering, the lovely art for the flyer above is by Chris Baldwin.)

It can't seriously be translated to "Dead Snow", could it?

2009-05-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of the funniest trailers I've seen in a while. Someone please tell me this is a comedy.

New cover for Lowbright #1

2009-05-20T14:07:00.001-07:00

Want

2009-05-20T13:57:00.001-07:00

TCAF 09

2009-05-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival '09 was so much fun! Met tons of awesome cartoonists I'd never met before, (like dance master Dustin Harbin, who took the photo above) partook in an epic session of karaoke, partook in an even more epic session of foosball, and sold a box of Eternal Smiles. What more could one nerdy cartoonist ask for? My big thanks to Chris Butcher for having me and the wonderful folks at First Second Books for sending me. Seriously, I can't thank you guys enough. What an awesome con experience that was.

If you need more photographic documentation (and there's more than anyone could possibly need), you can start with the massive TCAF flickr pool.

But the highlight of the show for me was getting this footage of The Two Jasons (Shiga and Thompson) measuring their manhoods.

Eternal Smile in stores!

2009-05-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

Oh, happy day! The Eternal Smile is now on sale at book stores and fine comic shops everywhere! I hope you'll check it out.

Gene, I can't wait for our wedding. Love you, dude!

It's all about the hot wings

2009-05-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to see this:

Go Charlyne Go!

Reading at Powell's Books, Monday, April 27th

2009-04-24T01:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, "The Eternal Smile" will officially go on sale next Monday at a reading at Powell's Books! It's a group reading with the crazy talented Jesse Reklaw and Sarah Oleksyk!

Here's the official lowdown:

An Evening with Derek Kirk Kim, Sarah Oleksyk and Jesse Reklaw at Powell's Books.

Derek Kirk Kim, Sarah Oleksyk, and Jesse Reklaw read from their latest works at Powell's Books this coming Monday, April 27th. Kim will debut his latest graphic novel, "The Eternal Smile" (in collaboration with writer Gene Luen Yang) from First Second Books, Oleksyk will read from a brand new chapter in her "Ivy" series, and Reklaw will read from his recently released "The Night of Your Life" from Dark Horse Comics. A Q+A and signing will follow the reading.

Monday, April 27th, 2009
7:30pm
Powell's Books
1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209

Hope to see you there!

Stumptown Goneth

2009-04-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Stumptown was great as always. Met lots of great new people, caught up with old friends, and discovered lots of great comics I've never seen before. What more could you ask for?

Because I wasn't allowed to actually sell "The Eternal Smile" at the show (the official release date isn't until next week), I decided to give away some copies as prizes to a bingo/scavenger hunt game I constructed. A bingo chart was given to anyone interested in playing, and if someone managed to successfully get a straight line, he or she was awarded with a free copy! There were five winners in total! Here they are:

Congrats to all of you!

Stumptown Coming

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

As mentioned before Stumptown is only a week away. (April 18th and 19th) The guest of honor this is year is none other than Jeff Smith. How cool is that?

I'll be at table 117, and I'll also be on a panel on Saturday, in the Idaho Room:

3:00-3:45pm Writing for Comics A panel discussion exposing and exploring the different approaches—from "thumbnails" to full scripts—of writing comics. With Trevor Alixopulos, T Edward Bak, Vanessa Davis, Derek Kirk Kim, and Joey Sayers. Moderated by Jesse Reklaw.

Anyway, remember when I said I'd have Lowbright #2 ready for Stumptown? Sadly, it's just not going to happen. I've been working my ass off on it, but it's just too labor intensive to finish in the small amount time I allotted myself for it. Now I'm shooting for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival in May. If I don't have it for sale at that show, you can personally give me a wet willy.

Here's a sneak peak of what you'll find in Lowbright #2:

Arrrrrrgh

2009-04-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Michio Kaku is making an appearance at Powell's tomorrow, but my taiko class is at the same time. Noooooooooooo! Why is life so unfair? Sigh.

For those of you in the Portland area who can go, here's the lowdown:

Michio Kaku
Physics of the Impossible (Anchor) explores to what extent technologies and devices deemed impossible today might become commonplace in the future. From teleportation to force fields, renowned physicist Michio Kaku uses the world of science fiction to explore the fundamentals -- and the limits -- of the laws of physics.

Preorder a signed edition of Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration Into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel.

Monday, April 13th @ 7:30pm Powell's City of Books on Burnside
1005 W Burnside (800) 878-7323

Let me know how it goes... *SOB*

Graphic Novel Reporter Interview

2009-04-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

Here's another interview with me and Gene, this time via the fine folks at Graphic Novel Reporter. This one's a bit more indepth than the previous one, and most importantly, we put to rest the age old question of which universe would win in an all out war -- Star Wars or Star Trek. You guys agree with me, right?

Stumptown/CBLDF fundraising dinner, April 17th

2009-04-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

On April 17, the day before Stumptown, there's a fundraising benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Stumptown Comics Foundation. The details are below, but basically, it's $100 for a dinner with Jeff Smith, Craig Thompson, Farel Dalrymple, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Dringenberg, and um, me. I know it's pricey, but it's for a good cause.

On Friday April 17 2009, the Stumptown Comics Foundation is proud to present a chance-of-a-lifetime dinner event at which we would be honored to have you join us. Tailored for the discerning connoisseur of comic books, today's most vibrant artistic and cultural movement, this is a relaxing evening of food, drink and conversation with an intimate grouping of the medium's most respected and innovative storytellers. Held in the ArtBar & Bistro of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, located across the street from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, this is a joint fundraising benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Portland, Oregon's own Stumptown Comics Foundation.

Guests include: Jeff Smith; creator of Bone and Rasl and STCF09 special guest of honor, Craig Thompson; creator of Blankets, GoodBye Chunky Rice and the forthcoming Habibi, Farel Dalrymple; creator of Pop Gun War and illustrator of best-selling author Jonathan Lethem's Omega the Unknown, Matt Wagner; creator of Mage and Grendel; Gail Simone; creator of Unhinged and author of Wonder Woman, Brian Michael Bendis; author of Powers, Alias, The New Avengers and many more, Derek Kirk Kim; creator of Same Difference and Other Stories as well as Lowbright, and Mike Dringenberg; co-creator of Sandman and contributor to the Tori Amos comics anthology Comic Book Tattoo. Directors of the Foundation and Fund will also be in attendance.

Attendance to this excellently prepared traditional three course meal - salad, entree and dessert - is $100.00 per patron, and offers intimate seating at a table with one of our honored guests. Seating is assigned, and based on first-come, first served reservation by emailing to sts@stumptowncomics.com for an invoice. A vegan option is available upon request, evening casual attire or finer is requested of you. No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a ticketed adult companion, and proper identification will be necessary in order to imbibe spirits. Thank you for your understanding.

Prior to the dinner and beginning 5:30PM, an open attendance cocktail hour will take place in the Rotunda lobby of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, during which Portland Mayor Sam Adams will read a proclamation declaring Portland the City of Comics for the month of April 2009 and during which ticketed guests will enjoy hosted appetizers, beer and wine. At 6:30PM only ticketed guests will retire to the dining room for seating, and dinner will be served shortly afterward.

This gala evening gives you the opportunity mix and mingle with the creators of the works you love, to ask the questions you've always wanted answered, and get some of the inside stories beyond the comics page, as well as insights into the careers and lives of the incredibly talented men and women who create them. Wine, dine, meet and greet; all to celebrate comics and kick off the sixth annual Stumptown Comics Fest held April 18 & 19 at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel, as well as add your strength to two organizations dedicated to the support of comic books.

Calm after the storm

2009-04-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

The Texas Library Association conference and the Emerald City ComiCon were damn good times. Very different but both rewarding and fun in their own ways. It was a whirlwind week though because I did them back to back. I got home from Texas around midnight, then went straight to bed so I could drive to Seattle early next morning. It was totally worth it though.

(photo by geeky artist librarian)

This was probably the funniest moment from the graphic novel panel I was part of at TLA. We were speaking in this really dark, cavenous hall, and due to some technical difficulties, we had to start the panel without any lights on us. Then suddenly during the middle of the panel, this super bright spotlight snapped on and glowered down upon us like the Eye of Sauron. Svetlana, who was speaking at the time, blurted, "It's the truth! I swear!" and Kean and I reeled back like the Moleman's henchmen thrust out into the sun. But Terry Moore, without missing a beat, pulled out his Hollywood shades and bathed in the spotlight. It pretty much brought the house down. And this was at 8 in the godforsaken morning!

Afterwards, the super cute librarian who was moderating gave me and Kean a big, enthusiastic hug. You know, sometimes I have to wonder if I ever have the right to complain about my life.

There were too many highlights from the conference to list, but suffice to say, I had a wonderful experience. Every librarian I met was so friendly and open to comics. It was very encouraging -- and inspiring. It was particularly cool for me to meet all these awesome librarians because I've always kinda wanted to be one. Perhaps in some parallel dimension... My big thanks to everyone at First Second/Roaring Brook for sending me to TLA and a special thank you to Roaring Brook's amazing marketing guru, Kathryn Sibiski, for taking such good care of me.

Emerald City ComiCon was fun in a much more familiar way of course, and it was relatively stress free, which is always good news. Sharing the table with Greg was awesome, as was hanging out with Kaz Strzepek--one of my favorite cartoonists, by the way--over the weekend. My one slight regret is getting embarrassingly plastered at a karaoke bar with Kaz and some other cartoonist friends Saturday night.

Here's some pics from Greg's flickr stream with comments also by Greg:

"Our table at the Emerald City Comic Con was right next to Stan Sakai. We nerded out all weekend as he signed Usagi Yojimbo books for his long line of fans. Here, Derek Kirk Kim and Kazimir Strzepek pose with Stan before we worked up the courage to talk to him."

"Once we worked up the nerve to talk him, he turned out to be the nicest guy in the world. Derek exchanged sketches with him at the end of the day. It was very sweet."

"The booth next to us put up this huge display board that hid us from the rest of the exhibition hall. People kept saying they couldn't find us. Not only that but our neighbors also hung their art (including this strange Microsoft anti-piracy poster) on the back side of the display board making it look like it was our art. Derek took this picture of me, so I would always remember it."

"Derek and Kaz drink Sparks out of a paper bag in an alley, next to some dumpsters. The glamourous life of cartoonists!"

I have no idea why I'm throwing an East coast sign when I'm on and of the West coast. Must be the Sparks talking...

Anyway, there was one point at the bar where Kaz was supposed to sing Ghostbusters (YES!), but the KJ gave the song to some other dude because Kaz couldn't get to the stage fast enough. Kaz, who was even more drunk than me, kinda went nuts. During his protest he pulled the fire extinguisher off the wall and started swinging it around with the nozzle pointed at everyone. A bunch of us jumped on him and pulled it out of his hands. It somehow culminated with me and Kaz wrestling on the ground, but damned if I remember why or how. Long story short, it was a blast! Unfortunately, not so much for the sober participants in the group...

I met tons of nice people as usual at the table. My thanks to everyone that swung by!

Next up, Stumptown!

PS: JiEun - it was wonderful to meet you! Thank you again for the crepe! You gotta be one of the sweetest people ever.

"And I thought they smelled bad . . . on the outside."

2009-04-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Jason Shiga just emailed me this link.

Now you too can cut into your very own tauntaun and sleep in it. This has got to be one of the best SW products I've ever seen.

Now if they would only make a Jar Jar shaped urinal...

TLA and Emerald City ComiCon

2009-04-01T22:42:00.001-07:00

Okay, for real this time -- I'll be at the Emerald City ComiCon this weekend in Seattle. I'll be at table I-05 in Artist Alley. I won't have anything new for sale unfortunately, but I'll be sharing the table with the mighty Greg Means of Tugboat Press and he'll have plenty of awesome merch to spend your hard-earned cabbage on. Come on by!

Right now I'm writing this from a hotel room while attending the Texas Library Association Conference. This is my first time attending a convention for librarians and I'm having a great experience so far. Having been a library aide years ago, I feel right at home. And Gloria Steinem is speaking tomorrow! Anyway, I dunno if anyone reading this is attending, but just in case here's my schedule:

THURSDAY, 4/2
Texas Teens 4 Libraries
10:00-10:25 am
Hilton Americas Grand Ballroom, section D&E
Description: Kean Soo and I will be talking to teens about making comics.

FRIDAY, 4/3
Mavericks of YA Graphic Novels program
Convention Center, 3rd level, General Assembly
Description:
Libraries serving teens cannot keep graphic novels on the shelves! Authors and artists will discuss creating graphic novels for teens and share information about current projects.
Participants:
Svetlana Chmakova, author/ artist, Yen Press; Derek Kirk Kim, cartoonist, First Second Books; Terry Moore, author/ artist, Abstract Studio, Inc.; and Kean Soo, author/ artist, Hyperion Books for Children.

Autographing
10:00-11:00 am
Convention center, Autographing Area

"The Eternal Smile" Optioned

2009-04-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, buckle your seat belts, I have some crazy news. Well, actually, I don't know how crazy this is these days considering everyone and their grandmother is being optioned for a film in the comics world. But anyway, following just about every other comic, "The Eternal Smile" has just been optioned for a film!

Apparently Gene's agent had been shopping the book around Hollywood and the rights were snapped up by Blinding Edge Pictures. Ready for the twist? Blinding Edge Pictures is the production company of none other than... M. Night Shyamalan!! Life is funny sometimes. Now before you start bitching, I just want to say I have great faith in Mr. Shyamalan. Despite my disappointment in his casting decisions (if they were his decisions) on "The Last Airbender," I have faith in his considerable directional skills, and I actually think he's well suited for "The Eternal Smile." Needless to say, Gene and I are nervous, but we're really excited at the same time.

As for casting, nothing has been confirmed yet, but apparently Kevin Jonas, (yes, one of the Jonas Brothers) is leading the running to play Duncan from "Duncan's Kingdom." I guess he looks the part, but I have to admit, I have no idea regarding his acting chops as I've never seen "Hannah Montana." I guess I shouldn't judge before I see him in the part?

What do you guys think? Any casting suggestions?

NOTE: In case it wasn't obvious, this was an April Fool's Day joke. I've had multiple interviewers ask me about this as if it was real. Sigh.

Umma!

2009-03-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite photos from last year:

In this July 24, 2008 photo, South Korean elementary school students shout the word "mother" as they lay in the water during an exercise at a marine boot camp for students on Daebu Island, in Ansan, South Korea. Some 70 students took part in the three-day camp as a way to mentally and physically strengthen themselves. AP / Ahn Young-joon

What up

2009-03-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Just a little update on some goings on at lowbright headquarters. First of all, for those of you wondering what happened to the diary comics -- don't worry, I haven't abandoned it. I just had to put it aside for the time being while I scramble to finish my next issue of Lowbright for the upcoming summer convention season. I was hoping to get issue 2 done for Emerald City ComiCon coming up in a week and half, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. And since The Eternal Smile doesn't go on sale for another month, I'll have nothing new for Emerald City. Arrghh... But I should have the new Lowbright ready for Stumptown, fingers crossed. Anyway, once I'm done putting that together, I'll be going back to doing some more diary comics for the blog here.

Speaking of conventions, here's a quick run-down of all the appearances I'm slated to make this year so far:

+Texas Library Association Conference: April 1st - 3rd
+Emerald City Con: April 4th - 5th
+Stumptown Comics Fest: April 18th - 19th
+Reading at Powell's Books: April 27th 7:30pm
+Erika Moen Show: May 5th
+Toronto Comic Arts Festival: May 9th - 10th
+Olympia Comics Festival: (sometime in June; exact date TBA)
+Korean Heritage Camp: June 17th - 21st (I'll be there 19th - 21st)
+San Diego Comic-Con: July 23-26
+Tigard Public Library: August 6th, 6-7 p.m.
+Oregon Association of School Libraries Fall Conference: Oct 9 & 10

Whew. I'll put up more detailed info as each one draws closer.

Oh, and just for shits and giggles:

LOVE IT.

Pshoo

2009-03-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

As an avid Jenga fan, I find this both appalling and thrilling.

Newsarama Interview

2009-03-12T12:05:00.001-07:00

There's an interview with Gene and me up at Newsarama.com in case you wanted to read a little more about The Eternal Smile and how we ended up working together on it. As usual, Gene has some great, insightful answers about the stories.

Yes

2009-03-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

Well, damn if this didn't totally make my week.

Betcha can't guess who this is

2009-03-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

It's the mighty Scott McCloud circa 1981! Handsome devil, ain't he? He just put up a facebook page with pictures of himself through the years. If no one had told me this was Scott, I would've never guessed. Scott, if you ever make "Understanding Porn," you should totally use this version of yourself as your avatar.

Survival is a Shrink Wrap Machine

2009-02-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

I used to see this guy all the time at Dr. Comics and Mr. Games when I used to live in the Piedmont area of Oakland. Nice dude.

Anyway, I know this article has been spreading like wild fire all across the internet, but it made me think of the days back in high school when someone I knew used to work at a local comic book store. Let's call this guy "Bob." Bob used to tell me the craziest stories. See, this was during the late 90's when the comics industry was at it's worst. When comic shops were closing left and right. The ones that were clinging on were doing anything they could to stay open which meant opening the stores up to all kinds of things that weren't even comics-related. The one Bob worked at was no exception. I remember they were even renting out straight-up porn behind the counter at one point just to stay afloat. Incidentally, Bob told me the biggest clientele for their porn were the local cops.

Anyway, my all time favorite tactic Bob told me about was the store's video game rental system. The owner of the store would buy a video game from Toy'R'Us or some other big chain, take out the cartridge to rent, but keep the box. Then he would stuff the box with scrap paper or something of equal weight to the cartridge (a copy of Deathmate would be my guess) and using their in-store shrink wrap machine, reseal the box with clear plastic. Then he would go back to Toy'R'Us or wherever he bought it from and return it, pretending he changed his mind before opening it. Then he would rent out the game at his store cost-free! Diabolical. He was also only one of 2 comic stores in town that survived through that time.

My favorite part of this story is imagining some kid at Christmas excitedly opening his box of Mega Man III and finding a crinkled copy of Deathmate. Oh, the humanity.

He's got MY vote.

2009-02-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

Russian Love

2009-02-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows about the brown ball of pure wonderment and awesomeness that is Cheburashka, but the Russian Winnie The Pooh is new to me. I can't get over how beautiful it is. Everything from the way the characters are drawn to the amazing backgrounds to the voices to the actual animation. I love how Winnie's feet actually detach from his body as he walks. (Hey, like Oliver Pikk now that I think about it!) And Piglet is just too cute. And I can't get over the backgrounds. I love that it throws perspective out the door and uses what looks like crayons of every color in every object. It almost looks like it was done by a Russian Eric Carle!

As much as I admire old school Disney, it's frustrating how most mainstream American animation can't escape the heritage of ol' Uncle Walt. Just like Kirby on American comics, or Tezuka on manga. It's so refreshing to see something completely outside of the visual language I'm used to.

Thank You - Avatar-gate Update

2009-02-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say a great big THANK YOU to all the professionals who put their good names down on the petition to protest the discriminatory casting of The Last Airbender. There were over 125 professionals from all across the arts and entertainment fields who pledged to boycott this movie unless the casting of the lead characters were properly rectified. I just wanted to let all the supporters know that the petition was mailed out early last week.

If you need a reminder as to why this fight is worth fighting, simply take a look at this. When viewed in one gulp like this, it's just overwhelming and terribly disturbing. Asians have been constantly maligned and forcibly excluded from the screen--and thus from the fabric of America--since the beginning of cinema to this very day. This Airbender casting is just further insurance that it never ends. Whether you signed a petition, wrote in a letter, or just made your disappointment known publicly, thank you for doing your small part to fight this.

I want to end this with this fantastic YouTube video from Chris Rock in celebration of Black History Month, starting from 4:36:

Chris Rock, I could kiss you. He so succinctly and pointedly gets to the heart of the inequality at work here. One of the most prevalent defense of the white lead casting of The Last Airbender is the "they just found the most talented actors, race doesn't matter/it's just as racist to exclude white actors" argument. The saddest part is I've actually heard this argument from Asian Americans who don't see the greater picture of equality. When Chris Rock says, "True equality is the equality to suck like the white man," he really shines a light on the misdirection in that line of thinking. Rock continues, "When I watch the Oscars--okay, these are the people that made the good movies. What about the people that made the bad movies? That's most of the industry. I wanna be like that! Not that I want to be bad, but that I wanna have the license to be bad."

White roles go to white actors who are phenomenal, mediocre, and shitty without condition. Why shouldn't that be the case for Asian actors going after roles of Asian characters? The argument that only extraordinary Asians should be allowed to be on the screen is completely unfair and, if you're Asian yourself making this argument, self-defeating. When they go to cast "Rob Roy," are they really trying to find the most talented actor? No, they are trying to find the most talented white actor. As it should be--that role is for a white Anglo-Saxon character. As such, a role for an Asian character like that in Avatar MUST go to an Asian actor, even if the best one they can find is simply mediocre. (You know, like a million kids' movies like "The Chronicles of Narnia" starring mediocre white actors.) Or else we don't have true equality.

This kind of exclusion also makes it very difficult for that phenomenal Asian American actor to emerge. Were the first 10 white actors in cinema history the best white actors ever? Well, then you can't have those kind of expectations of Asian Americans either. We need to be able to grow too. Just pointing fingers at some mediocre Asian American actors that are around today when there are so few opportunities for Asian Americans to begin with doesn't mean anything. Maybe if every one of those leading roles that should have gone to an Asian American in that first link actually had gone to one, maybe we would have had that great actor by now! You can't find gold if you're not even allowed to dig or approach the river.

(I'm not saying there aren't great Asian American actors already. Just pointing this out to the people who don't like the current crop.)

Thank you again to all the supporters and human beings of simple empathy out there!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T14:04:00.001-08:00

A look inside "The Eternal Smile"

2009-02-10T22:40:00.001-08:00

The new catalog for First Second's spring releases has hit the web! Among the releases this spring, of course, is The Eternal Smile, the book I illustrated, written by Gene Yang. And along with the online catalog comes a look inside. First of all, here are the interior covers to the three stories that make up the book:

There are also excerpts from Duncan's Kingdom here, and Gran'pa Greenbax and The Eternal Smile here. An online excerpt for Urgent Request is also available but I'm not gonna link it because it contains some major spoilers. Seriously, if you want a complete reading experience the way Gene intended, you won't want to read it. If you don't care about spoilers though, feel free, I guess.

And just to remind you, The Eternal Smile will be in stores April 27th. If you're local to Portland, OR, I'll be doing a reading and signing at Powell's (on Burnside) on the release date with a couple other cartoonists. I'll release more info on that when it draws nearer though.

Well, I hope you enjoy this look inside the book. If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to post in the comments. Thanks!

wtf?

2009-02-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Why, Internet? Why?

Christmas Eve Skype

2009-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Boy, these look crappy scanned. It doesn't look anything like this in real life.

It's in the blood

2009-02-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

So I have this cousin named, Hena Jung, who lives in Korea. She painted that gorgeous image above. Not only is she a sparkling individual, she's also a professional cartoonist, like me! She's only in her early 20's and her comic is serialized in one of Korea's most popular girls' comics anthologies, Wink. (It's like one of those phone book sized bi-weekly periodicals I'm sure you're familiar with from manga.)

Her comic, which roughly translates into "A Desirable Place" or "A Desirable Island" (I'm sure I'm totally butchering it with my preschool level Korean), is a shojo-style historical romance. When I was in Korea last year she tried to explain that there was a double meaning to the title, but my Korean is so limited, I couldn't really understand. I believe it had something to do with what Jeju Island (sort of like the Hawaii of South Korea) was originally called back in early Korean history. Anyway, the story (which I'm sure I'm butchering as well because I could only understand snippets of what she said) is about a girl diver living on Jeju Island whose life becomes entangled with the first European explorers to come to Korea. Among other things, I believe a romantic triangle forms between one of the European explorers (I believe he's British), the girl, and a Korean dude. As I said though, don't quote me as this is being filtered through my pathetic level of Korean.

I told Gene about the story and asked him what he thought, and his response was, "It depends on who she ends up with! It better be the Korean dude!" Haha...

Well, guess what, this spring her comic is being adapted into a Korean Drama!! Here's the cast below and a pic from the set:

Update: I just found a bunch more stills here, as well as a poster. (Man, it is so annoying how Korean websites don't let you link images.)

You can find more info (if you can read Korean) at her blog.
And here's an online listings of her books.

I've known Hena since she was a baby, so you can imagine my immense pride. It's so awesome to have another professional cartoonist in the family. It also makes me bemoan my loss of the Korean language more than ever. Sigh.

Love you, Hena!

(The photo of Hena above was taken by another awesome Korean cousin of mine, GyungJin, who takes great photos.)

PS: I know I'm coming off like a Mom bragging about her kids, but well, what can I say, I love my family.

This is how I feel on a daily basis

2009-02-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

via typefiend.

Advice Wanted

2009-02-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

So Sunday night, the day before I was going to mail out the pro petition against The Last Airbender casting, I got a message alerting me to this article. I'm sure most of you already know about this incredible twist in the Avatar casting story.

Now first of all, this is certainly a step in the right direction--something to be celebrated. Although it's an odd choice in light of the source material (the Fire Nation is mostly based around ancient Japanese culture in the show), it's a delight to have an actual -- and yes, talented -- minority playing the richest, most compelling character in the story. (In case you don't know, Zuko, the character Patel is playing, is not just a "bad guy" -- he's the most morally complex character and goes through an epic transformation in the course of the series.)

And then of course I couldn't help but wonder if all the internet outrage actually had an effect on Shyamalan's decision to cast Patel in place of McCarthy. He could have simply hired another white actor to replace him. The fact that he specifically chose an Asian when the original casting call was for a "Caucasian" (let's not forget, whoever is responsible for the casting specifically wanted a white actor in the beginning) seems to point to a deliberate and conscious sway in direction.

But here's where a right change of heart leads to further moral entanglements. Having Patel in the role of Zuko sends all kinds of ripples through the movie for further casting. Now all the secondary characters from the Fire Nation also have to be Indian ethnically because they're all related to Zuko. (I guess they don't have to be, but it certainly would be nonsensical at the very least to have his sister, mother, and father be of a different ethnicity.) This is both good and bad -- it means more roles for minorities and Indian Americans in particular, but it also means Zuko's father, the main villain of the story would be an evil ethnic dude going up against a pack of white heroes. AGAIN. You can't win.

I'm assuming Mr. Shyamalan (or whoever is responsible for the casting) gave Patel the role of Zuko to placate those us concerned with the unfortunate casting choices -- and I applaud him for that, whatever his reason for it may be -- but in a way, he's dug himself into a deeper hole because of the inevitable outcome I stated in the previous paragraph. Now it seems IMPERATIVE, even more than before ironically, that AT LEAST Aang, the central hero, be cast with an Asian actor if the movie wants to remain in any way faithful to the ethnically groundbreaking spirit of the show.

Okay, now, this is where things get a little conflicted for me. I read this other article the same day. In calling for extras of EVERY ethnic culture -- not just Asian -- it seems clear that Mr. Shyamalan is revamping the entire world of Avatar to the point where it no longer resembles the show. Apparently in the movie, each nation is going to be a fantastical mish mash of every ancient culture -- Asian, European, African, etc -- and not just an "Asian world." Now, in making this change, it creates the perfect excuse for the creators of the movie to cast whichever ethnicity they want for the heroes -- which of course is going to mean white. This is deplorable, of course, if that is indeed the reason they decided to make this change to the world of Avatar. But regardless, it also makes it so the central characters don't HAVE to be Asian, unlike if they had followed the template of the show. If the world of the movie was simply going to mirror that of the show and they had casted all white actors (as I originally thought they had done) then it's just yellowface and discriminatory, no two ways about it. But in the way in which they've changed the "world"...I have to wonder if this outcry/petition devolves into "fan entitlement" which is the LAST thing I want. I have no intention or desire to join the ranks of people who would boycott an X-Men movie because they made Wolverine too tall or something stupid like that, you know? I got involved in this because I believed there was a clear cut breach in ethics, not because I want a movie interpretation of a show I like to be a perfect replica.

Now of course, the counter argument that constantly runs though my head to my conflicted thoughts outlined in the previous paragraph is that it seems even WORSE to have an all white hero cast if the world is supposed to be even MORE diverse than the Avatar of the show. But at the same time, because of this change in the world of Avatar in the movie, the argument to try and FORCE them to recast seems much weaker. Granted, the change to the world itself seems anti-Asian, but as I said, I'm hoping that complaint doesn't simply fall into the "fan entitlement" category.

Having said all that, when it comes down to it, I still think this is a just cause due to this one simple reason: if they had casted the four heroes as Asian, Latino, Black, AS WELL as White, in this supposed multi-ethnic world, I don't think there would have been a single complaint even though the movie didn't stick to the Asian-centric nature of the show. In fact, I bet everyone would have thought that was pretty cool.

I know I wouldn't be complaining. (I wouldn't be happy of course since I love the world of the show, but I could tolerate it in that context.)

-----------------------------------------------

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, particularly from those of you who support the letter writing campaign and the various petitions. Don't get me wrong, I'm still fully in support of this. But if we go on with the petition, I just want to make sure we're doing the right thing for the right reasons. I would love to have you guys, especially those pros who signed the petition, dispel some of my doubts and make me see things in an angle I haven't considered. Comments from trolls will simply be ignored so don't even bother.

Gene Yang tells it like it is

2009-01-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

Gene Yang throws his hat in the ring with the above illustration and his insightful thoughts at his blog.

He pretty much sums up this whole sad affair with this paragraph:

"To be clear, I don't believe that director M. Night Shyamalan and the other creators of Paramount Pictures’ The Last Airbender movie are motivated by intentional racism. They probably just want to make the most entertaining (and profitable) summer blockbuster they can, the best way they know how. But intentionally or not, they are adding another chapter to Hollywood’s long, sordid history of Yellowface. By giving white actors roles that are so obviously Asian - and by stating from the get-go their preference for Caucasians - they tell Asian-Americans that who we are and how we look make us inherently inadequate for American audiences, even in a movie that celebrates our culture. Like the schoolboy who pulls up the corners of his eyes at his "Oriental" classmate, they highlight our otherness."

Read the entire post here.

UPDATE: Gene and I were also interviewed for this article on the subject for SFGate (The San Francisco Chronicle's online home.) The writer of the piece, Jeff Yang, makes some great points of his own and poises some interesting questions. I'd like to make one small correction to the article though -- I've never called myself an "Avatard", nor am I fan of the label. I've never heard Gene use the term either.

The Agony of Defeat

2009-01-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

Presidents Show Opening @ Guapo

2009-01-28T06:07:00.000-08:00

Hey, if you live in or around the Portland, OR area, you should check out this show this Saturday. Lots of great artists are in it. It also takes place in one of my favorite comic book stores in Portland, Guapo Comics and Coffee. Guapo holds a special place in my cold dead heart because of their immense mini-comics section. It's rare to find a comic book store that supports mini-comics to this degree. Not only that, but it's also a coffee shop. Seriously what more do you need? Anyway, check out the show!

Whoa

2009-01-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Gah.

2009-01-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most distressing things I've ever seen.

Update: Gene told me I had to remove this image out his sight or he wouldn't come back to my blog.

Diggin'

2009-01-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some digging the last few days, and it all seems to point to what we suspected. I don't think there was ever any real intention of casting Asians for the lead roles in this movie to begin with. (I know, shocking.) These were the original casting calls:

AANG: 12-15 years-old, Male, Caucasian or any other ethnicity. We are looking for a young man to play the lead role in a motion picture franchise. He must be athletic and graceful with an ability in Martial Arts (not necessarily extensive experience, but at least an aptitude for it). Kids with experience in gymnastics, dance, or sports could also be good. He is a young adventurer and should seem like the type of young man who will grow up to be heroic.

KATARA: 14-17 years-old, Female, Caucasian or any other ethnicity. She is Sokka’s younger sister. She is a headstrong and determined girl with a real sense of idealism. She believes in herself and feels that she can play on the same team as the boys. She is beautiful, intelligent, passionate, feisty, and has a real sense of adventure.

SOKKA: 16-20 years-old, Male, Caucasian or any other ethnicity. He is Katara¹s older brother. He is intelligent but awkward, and very funny (although not necessarily intentionally so). He aspires to greatness, but he tends to doubt himself. He is always one to be swayed by a pretty girl.

ZUKO: 16-20 years-old, Male, Caucasian or any other ethnicity. He is a brooding, intense young man who wrestles - not always successfully - with being good. Regaining his honor is a driving impetus for him. He is extremely handsome and is the type of dangerous boy every girl falls in love with. Athletic and/or martial arts experience is a plus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzx3SkvqSok&feature=related

I wonder how many Asian Americans even showed up for the casting call. I'd be willing to bet there would have been many, many more if the casting call had been "Asian or any other ethnicity." It's just mathematically improbable: Even Paris -- seen in my previous post -- a starting actor, seems almost there, and he's just one kid on YouTube. Among the millions of other Asian Americans, they really couldn't have found 4 of them just as talented as those white actors to play these roles?

I think the following is just as telling. Here's a recent casting call for extras that's happening today (in bold is what I'm focusing on):

Casting folks are looking for extras to play soldiers, martial artists, dancers, gymnasts, athletes and families - specifically physically fit people from 18 to 65 years old. The open call will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Bullies restaurant at the Wachovia Spectrum. You're asked to dress casually or in the traditional costume of your family's ethnic background. Info: lastairbendercasting@gmail.com or 215-574-7878.

Hm. That's interesting. I wonder why they didn't include that bit in the casting calls for the four main characters. I wonder why they didn't include "Caucasian or any other ethnicity" for this extras call. Everybody, together now!

And for those of you who keep harping on about how the decision wasn't based on race but about making money and thus not racist, here, I'll let the always articulate Mr. Neil Babra explain it to you: "I wish that Hollywood would be a meritocracy for actors, but unfortunately, it views Asian faces as less attractive and less marketable, and that often trumps acting prowess. That's fundamentally racist, because evolutionary biology shows that their human consumers don't actually find people in other races less attractive without social dissuasion, which the studios are responsible for exacerbating."

Just because your intentions aren't racist, it doesn't mean you can use racist practices to achieve your goal. Some of you seem to be really misreading this part -- I didn't call the ones responsible for this casting racists in my essay, I called their actions racist and discriminatory.

Furthermore, even if they had no racist intentions, the end result ("Yellow Face" in this case) is racist. Among other things, it implies that white people are better at playing Asians than Asians.

Also, and most importantly, if the movie's great, it'll be a hit whether the cast is Asian or not. So why not do what's right and cast Asians in Asian roles?

The unending cycle

2009-01-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

It's a shame Paris' didn't have time to get more acting training, because boy, I think he would've been PERFECT for Aang. He even kind of sounds like him. His mom says he only had one small acting class. Imagine how great he's gonna be when his acting chops catches up with his kung-fu! Don't give up, Paris!

But this part really gutted me -- from his mom:

"Here's the kicker: my son now thinks Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko are supposed to be White since that's what has been casted. You should hear us debate... Me and my husband debating our child who auditioned for Aang about how the cast is offensive to us and should be to him. Yes, some kids don't know any better. It sucks. Luckily, we sorta got to him and he "kinda" gets it. Our fault for being white-washed 2nd/3rd generation Filipino's I guess. We still watch Avatar every night. But the proposed current main cast still hurts."

I'm don't know whether to cry or knash through my teeth.

Her entire comment is here.

New day in politics, same old racist world on the silver screen

2009-01-20T22:39:00.000-08:00

This past Monday, on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, on the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration, I discovered that the casting of the four leading characters for the upcoming live-action movie, "The Last Airbender" (based on the TV show, “Avatar: The Last Airbender”) had gone entirely to white actors. I want—no, need—to say something about this.

I'm going to take a tip from President Barack Obama, and begin this with a little personal story.

When my brother and I were in high school, our favorite class was Drama. While we were rehearsing for the next day's class or participating in a school play or dancing it up at the after party, I don't think there was anything we liked more. During such times, it even surpassed our love of—dare I say it—comics. But we never even entertained the notion of actually pursuing it as a career. Not because we didn't want to, but because we had too much pride to spend our entire lives pretending to be Long Duk Dong, or a Chinese food delivery boy with one line, or a Kato to some Green Hornet. Or even worse, having our hearts broken over and over going after roles that specifically call for Asian Americans like "Avatar, The Last Airbender" only to see them go to white actors. Back in my Drama days in high school, I used to dream of being white so I could pursue acting.

With discrimination like this "Avatar" casting continuing to happen uncontested in Hollywood, my future kids will nurse the same pitiful wish.

And it infuriates me.

If my future kids feel a passion for acting, I want them to be able to pursue it just like any other American. If they're forced to give up that passion due to a genuine lack of talent or hard work, fine. But I don't want their dreams to be clipped at the bud by some unassailable, universally accepted dismissal of their existence on the face this country.

It's not fair. It's not right.

Before I go any further, it behooves me to spill some information on "Avatar, the Last Airbender" for those people who have no idea what it is. 1) It's the greatest, most ambitious animated action adventure TV series ever hatched in the U.S. A cartoon series for kids in which one epic story actually spans 3 entire seasons. A kid's show in which the characters actually grow and change and evolve! A cartoon which actually respects a kid's intelligence and vast imagination. Imagine that! 2) It's wholly and inarguably built around Asian (and Inuit) culture. Everything from to the costume designs, to the written language, to the landscapes, to martial arts, to philosophy, to spirituality, to eating utensils!—it's all an evocative, but thinly veiled, re-imagining of ancient Asia. (In one episode, a region is shown where everyone is garbed in Korean hanboks—traditional Korean clothing—the design of which wasn't even altered at all.) It would take a willful disregard of the show's intentions and origins to think this wouldn't extend to the race of the characters as well. You certainly don't see any blonde people running around in "Avatar." (I'm not saying that would have necessarily been a bad thing, I'm just stating the facts of the show and the world in which it is set.)

Just take a look for yourself.

I was speaking with Gene Yang (author of "American Born Chinese" and National Book Award nominee) about the casting and he said it best: "It's like a white Asian fetishist's wet dream. All the Asian culture they want, without any of the Asian people."

J.R.R. Tolkien never specifically described his central human, and human-like, characters as being "Caucasian" or "European" (as far as I know) in "The Lord of the Rings", but it would be pretty stupid to think they weren't when the entire story and the world in which it was set came from an obvious extrapolation of medieval Europe. Why should it be any different for Avatar?

Or let me draw a closer parallel—imagine if someone had made a “fantasy” movie in which the entire world was built around African culture. Everyone is wearing ancient African clothes, African hats, eating traditional African food, writing in an African language, living in African homes, all encompassed in an African landscape...

...but everyone is white.

How offensive, insulting, and disrespectful would that be toward Africans and African Americans? How much more offensive would it be if only the heroes were white and all the villians and background characters were African American? (I wince in fear thinking about "The Last Airbender" suffering from the latter dynamic—which it probably will.)

Or imagine if they remade "Shaft" or "Zorro", but cast white actors to play the lead roles. It would be outrageous, right? Well, this Avatar casting is no different. But curiously, when similiar offenses are committed at the expense of Asian Americans, and Asian American men in particular, this sort of behavior goes mostly ignored by the press and the people involved.

To show you what I mean, here's a snippet from a recent article on MTV.com:

Due in theaters in summer 2010, "Airbender" has already begun to face a bit of controversy over the casting of white actors like Rathbone, Ringer and McCartney to play Asian characters — a concern the actor was quick to dismiss. "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan," he said of the transformation he'll go through to look more like Sokka. "It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit."

If Rathbone had gotten the role of "Shaft," and got a perm and a "tan" to play that character (and I don't mean in a self-conscious, subversive way like Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder"), there would be a shit storm of outrage from all sectors of America, not just the African American community. It would be a headline across every newspaper, and I highly doubt that production would make it to filming. But when Joel Grey taped his eyes "slanty" and colored his skin to play a Korean man in "Remo Williams" (in 1985! we're not talking ancient history here), it went virtually unnoticed. How was that even allowed to happen? How is it continuing to happen, here in 2009, at the eve of Obama's inauguration (as I type this.) Why this double standard?

Now if you're a progressive Asian American you might be saying that I'm barking up the wrong tree. That perhaps it's better not to perpetuate the stereotype of Asians being nothing but karate-chopping, fortune cookie wisdom spouting monks. But the fact of the matter is these kinds of films are going to be made whether we like them or not. It's a genre, like “Lord of the Rings” and its ilk—the western counterpart to films like “The Last Airbender” or “Forbidden Kingdom”, that's way too popular to ever go away. Almost everyone craves adventure and mythic grandeur. Films like “Avatar”, just in terms of genre, are dime a dozen in Asia itself after all. So since Hollywood is never going to stop making these kinds of films, I think we should protect them and make sure they're done respectfully, as well as pursuing intelligent independent movies that are reflective of Asian Americans in real life.*

And the reason this miscasting is particularly stinging when it comes to “Avatar” is because of the high quality of the source material. "The Last Airbender" has the potential to be something like "Star Wars"—something with lasting value that could give new heroes to your average household in America. And to have something for Asian American kids, and ethnic kids in general, to look up to. To let them know heroes can also look like them and speak fluent English like them. I think it could give immeasurable confidence and pride to these under-represented kids to have something like "Avatar" if it turns out to be as good as I hope. There's no reason Asian Americans should have to forsake "Star Wars" for "Citizen Kane." Both kinds of films have their merits and places in culture and it would be healthy to strive for both--to have Asian Americans and all minority Americans be a part of the entire spectrum

And many non-Asian Americans might be saying, "Relax! Things are getting better—hey, look at 'Harold and Kumar'!" But what they may be overlooking is that for every "Harold and Kumar" (as in 2), there are hundreds of "Avatar, The Last Airbender"s and "21"s.

The movie "21" (released last year!) was supposed to be based on the real life exploits of some Asian American MIT students. But of course, a Hollywood studio just couldn't bear to put an Asian American in the leading role. Instead the role was given to Jim Sturgess. To add insult to injury, Sturgess' sidekick friends were played by Aaron Yoo and Liza Lapira. They're both perfectly capable actors who could've pulled off the role just as well as Sturgess. But Yoo and Lapira were obviously just tossed in as a lame attempt to deflect accusations of discrimination which were sure to follow.

Again, let me repeat that this movie was made last year, in 2008. You may think it unbelievable, but things really haven't changed at all since the time Bruce Lee was tossed aside for David Carradine in "Kung Fu." How could this much time have passed and so little progress been made?

How? Because Asian Americans don't have the support of liberal Americans at large the way some other minorities do. The reason Barack Obama won the presidency, when so many African American politicians before him couldn't get a foothold, is because a candidate finally came along that garnered the support of everyone in America, not just his community (and deservedly so). Now I'm not equating the presidency with something as trivial as a movie role, but this issue is still something deserving of support from outside the Asian American community, as well as within, to help fight discrimination for everyone.

So if you're someone who believes in equality—if you want to see all of America reflected in our world's most popular and influential narrative art form—I implore you, particularly if you aren't Asian yourself, to write a letter of complaint to Paramount or show your displeasure in some form. If you have a blog, please post something to shame the producers of this film or feel free to distribute my little essay here. Especially if you're a professional in the arts or entertainment industry. With a strong enough voice, perhaps we can force them do what's right by recasting this movie. And lastly, if this effort fails, please boycott this film when it's released in the summer of 2010. Let Paramount and the rest of Hollywood know that this kind of blatant discrimination isn't acceptable to us. Not just for Asian Americans, but for all minorities in our country who never see themselves reflected in our country's media.

African Americans kids can finally, realistically dream of being president one day. Can't Asian American kids—perhaps my kids—at least dream of being something as relatively insignificant as central characters in some escapist Hollywood movie where everything is stolen from their heritage?

Can't they be a part of America too?

Derek Kirk Kim
01-19-09

-------------------------------------------------

Since the outraged fans seem to be getting ignored by Paramount, I am starting a petition for professionals in the arts and entertainment industry who want to condemn this move and boycott this discriminatory film if it isn't recast. If you're involved in the Film/TV/Animation/Comics/Literary fields in any way and you find Paramount's racist actions even the least bit reprehensible, please leave your name and occupation in the comments. Or email it to me if you know me personally. If you're a media or political figure who could also make a strong statement by adding your name to the list (Mr. President?), please do so. I will continue to collect the names as long as they come in and eventually make a comprehensive list to distribute publicly and send to Paramount. Hopefully this will pressure them to recast the movie or at least send a strong enough message so something like this doesn't happen again.

Here, Gene and I will be the first to throw in our names:
Derek Kirk Kim - writer, illustrator, cartoonist
Gene Yang - writer, illustrator, cartoonist, teacher

If Paramount won't listen to the fans, perhaps they'll listen to the professionals that actually make so many films today possible.

Letters of complaint should be sent here:

Mr Mark Bakshi
President Features Production
5555 Melrose Avenue
Shulberg Building
Suite 211
Room 115
Los Angeles, CA 90038-3197

and

Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall
Kennedy/Marshall Company
619 Arizona Avenue, Fl. 2
Santa Monica, California 90401

For more information on a letter writing campaign, please visit:
http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/

PS: I'd like to thank the wonderful people at aang-aint-white.livejournal.com for all their efforts and for providing me with such a handy source of screencaps.

*This paragraph was edited on 01-22-09 to clarify my points.

Soap

2009-01-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Another sneak peak at The Eternal Smile

2009-01-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

First Second has been using this full-page panel as a promotional piece for The Eternal Smile, so I thought I'd post it here too. I personally wouldn't have picked this panel to use as publicity since it's a spoiler, but these things aren't up to me. First Second is a great publisher though, so I'm sure they know what they're doing.

I can't get over this kid's face

2009-01-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

This cracks me up no matter how many times I see it.

It's a joke, ladies, relax

2009-01-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

EDIT: Be sure to note that Alena and Elena are two different people. I'm pointing it out because I've heard confusion from friends who've read this strip. Believe me, it's ten times more confusing in real life!

Death Follows Me

2009-01-08T05:27:00.001-08:00

I miss you, Loki

2009-01-07T04:02:00.000-08:00

The Eternal Smile cover debut

2009-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

Here's the cover for The Eternal Smile. It's now available for pre-order on Amazon. It'll be in stores April 27. Hope you check it out.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

Favorite gift I got for Christmas this year:

Mini-comics from Gene Yang's son, Kolbe!!

Favorite card recieved:

From one of my favorite cartoonists, Martin Cendreda, of Dang!, Mome, and Kramer's Ergot fame.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you're having a great start to the new year. I can't believe it's 2009 already... Wow.

Delays

2008-12-27T04:14:00.000-08:00

With all the vacationing I'm doing right now, I'm finding it hard to update on a daily basis. Things will be back to normal once I've banished myself back to Portland. In the meantime, here's a lovely holiday image for you. Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Does not do whatever a spider can

2008-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

To those of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas!

Blokus

2008-12-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Dang, I just realized I totally screwed up the coloring. Each person should only have pieces of one color. I don't know what I was thinking...

Pile of Words

2008-12-23T00:44:00.000-08:00

Home for the Holidays

2008-12-22T03:39:00.000-08:00

This is why my updates have been erratic lately. I actually have a life again.

Bowl Haircut Days

2008-12-18T02:16:00.000-08:00

As If I Didn't Know

2008-12-17T02:22:00.000-08:00

This or That

2008-12-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

Takka Takka Takka

2008-12-14T12:42:00.000-08:00

I hope there's ramen on Mars

2008-12-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

Another Day

2008-12-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

TransforMing

2008-12-12T03:43:00.000-08:00

What are two things Asians like best? Why, Yao Ming and Transformers, of course. It had to happen...I guess?

Ow

2008-12-12T02:00:00.000-08:00

You think you had a bad day?