Derek Kirk Kim on "The Last Airbender" Casting

Cartoonist Derek Kirk Kim (who isn't in Secret Identities, though we wanted him badly--there's always a chance for Volume 2!) has a brilliant post on his blog about the casting of M. Night Shyamalan's live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

While this post isn't necessarily about the book, it does indirectly illustrate why Secret Identities is so important.

Quick primer if you're unfamiliar: Paramount is producing a live action adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon; however, it is populating the film with Caucasian actors. Why is this problematic? Well, anyone familiar with the show knows that the setting, characters, and mythology are heavily influenced by Asian cultures. Needless to say, there are a lot of people who are not happy with these developments.

Read Derek's post, and make sure to leave your name in his comment thread.

UPDATE: Our very own Jeff Yang chimes in on "Avatar-gate" at his "Asian Pop" column over at SFGate.com. Award-winning cartoonist, and Secret Identities contributor, Gene Yang shares his thoughts on his blog as well.

Our PREVIEWS Listing

If you recently cracked open a recent copy of the January PREVIEWS, you might have seen a familiar entry under their "Books" section. Moreover, Secret Identities (item code: JAN094645) is a "Featured Item" in the January PREVIEWS, and you can see our listing online here. So make sure to visit your local area comic shop and have them order you a copy today.

Check out the solicitation text below:

Secret Identities: The Asian-American Superhero Anthology
by Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow, & Jerry Ma

This groundbreaking anthology brings together top Asian American creators in the comics industry — including Gene Yang (American Born Chinese), Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman), Greg Pak (The Hulk), Sonny Liew (the upcoming Liquid City; Vertigo's My Faith in Frankie), Greg LaRocque (The Flash), Christine Norrie (Black Canary Wedding Special), and Francis Tsai (Heroes for Hire) — as well as new and established creators from film, television, and literature, to craft original graphical short stories set in a compelling "shadow history" of our country: from the building of the railroads to the Japanese American internment, atomic bombings, the Vietnam airlifts, the murder of Vincent Chin, and the groundless incarceration of Dr. Wen Ho Lee.

SC, 8x10, 200pgs, b&w with FC pages* SRP: $21.95
Item Code: JAN094645

*some of the specs in the original solicit text were incorrect and have been fixed here.

NYCC Announces Panel Lineup

Happy New Year everyone! Now that it's 2009, let the Secret Identities hype commence.

The fine folks at New York Comic Con have just announced the majority of their panels at this year's con. And guess who got invited to the party.

For those of you planning to attend NYCC, make sure you're there on Saturday, February 7 at 1:30PM, and make sure you stop by Room 1A18 to check out a panel called ASIAN AMERICANS & SUPER HEROES: SECRET IDENTITIES featuring the fine editors and contributors to the groundbreaking anthology.

And if you stick around through the weekend, Secret Identities Editor-in-Chief Jeff Yang will be moderating a panel called THE MULTICULTURAL MASK on Sunday, February 8 at 11:15AM in Room 1A17. This panel will bring together creators who stand out as pioneers of the new inclusiveness in comics to talk about what works, what doesn't, and why it matters -- from both a cultural and economic perspective.

UPDATED!