San Diego Comic Con 2009 was a huge success and 153 lucky people walked away with their newly purchased copies of Secret Identities.
With each signing we had everyday, an artist sketched either an existing Asian Superhero or one in "Secret Identities" as a part of a collage/jam piece to be raffled off to one lucky winner at the end of the convention (although Snake Eyes gets a pass on the Asian theme since hey, it's a Larry Hama original and "Asian Hulk" in the b.g. by Bernard Chang as well -- unless Hulk scribe Greg Pak writes it into reality at Marvel?).
However in order to get an entry, folks needed to first show us at least 10 collected signatures in their copy of "SI" from the 22+ contributors spread throughout the convention.
In the end, 30 folks had collectively compiled over 300 signatures/sketches and the winner is... Cecil DeClaro or Orange, CA. So thanks to everyone for playing along and great meeting you all!
Thanks to all the artists who jammed on this: Bernard Chang, Jimmy Aquino, Benton Jew, Tiffanie Hwang, Jerry Ma, Ming Doyle, Larry Hama, Gene Yang, Walden Wong and Sonny Liew.
Thank you to everyone who has entered the Secret Identities Asian American superhero contest thus far. We got a handful of really strong submissions within the first twenty-four hours, and have a picked a winner for the San Diego Comic-Con guest pass giveaway portion of the contest. The winner is...
WILDSTYLE by Tiffany Namwong. A really cool, creative and thoughtful character. Here's a (slightly edited) description of Tiffany's winning hero:
Ratana Nantakarn is a teenaged Thai American girl, born into a struggling immigrant family, raised by television and saved from drug addiction by the only adult who's been able to win over her trust: A Buddhist monk who encourages her nascent artistic skills, and helps her gain admission to a prestigious art academy. But after her mentor's work with at-risk youth leads to run-ins with the "connected" local drug syndicate, an anonymous tip leads INS to revoke the monk's visa and deport him back to Thailand. An enraged Ratana drops out of school, returning to the streets to try to find the thugs responsible for her mentor's plight. In doing so, she finds another outlet for her artistic sensibilities, becoming the queen of the Los Angeles tagging scene. Ratana with a spray can on a dimly lit street is like a tiger in the jungle; she uses her artistic skills to feed her ego, but to feed herself she turns to petty crime, and soon falls back into the rabbit-hole of addiction.
Meanwhile, realizing that Ratana is on their trail, the same gangsters who arranged for her mentor's disappearance decide to remove her from the equation as well. She escapes to Thailand after scamming an elderly man looking for a young escort for his summer vacation. She succeeds in locating her old teacher, too late to reconnect with him: He'd been working with a local charity continuing his work with troubled youth, but recently passed away of cancer.
Arjun Gautama, a young Indian American man who has spent the summer volunteering for the charity, tells her that the monk asked for her in his final moments, and gives her his ashes. Ratana takes them to the monk's ancestral village hoping to find a suitable resting place for his remains. Instead, she finds a wrecked and empty hamlet, destroyed by drug lords, whose only surviving structure is the old, abandoned temple in which the monk once served.
In a fit of self-hatred and a desire to vent her frustrations over the fact that her mentor died without anyone to care for him or provide for his final respects, she impulsively pulls out her spray can and desecrates the shrine.
But the temple is not entirely empty: The holy place's long-forgotten guardian spirit rises up out of its altar, calling forth a curse on the blaspheming human invader. Her life and soul are forfeit for her crime, and all seems lost - until the spirit of the old monk rises out of his ashes, and bids the guardian to hold.
The sin Ratana has committed cannot simply be forgiven. But the monk asks that she be given the opportunity - and the power - to earn that forgiveness, using her talent to redeem the crime she committed with that talent.
A great evil, the demon Maya, is attempting to build a dominion on Earth, having taken human form as a pop idol on the verge of superstardom, and enslaving youths with the addictive combination of her music and a devastating new drug.
To defeat Maya and her army of followers, Ratana is given the ability to bring her art to life...using human canvases: She must seek out and befriend a series of youths who are ripe to become "vessels" for Ratana's power. Once these men and women have willingly made the decision to accept the burden, Ratana tattoos their backs the image of a creature and a holy mantra that transforms them into that creature - irrevocably, until Maya is destroyed.
Ratana's mission takes her and Arjun - whose friendship she increasingly grows to depend on, until it evolves into something more - to Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, and finally back to Los Angeles, seeking out new allies, while pursuing Maya and battling her host of demons, hoping to simultaneously save the world and put her own personal demons to rest.
Nice work, Tiffany. She has scored herself a guest pass to next week's completely sold-out 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. Here's a note from the Secret Identities editors explaining why they chose Wildstyle:
Tiffany's entry impressed us on a number of levels. Her protagonist's story was gritty and believable, and there was an authenticity to Wildstyle's origin and powers - what they were and how she received them made sense, given her identity and cultural background. The story also scales up nicely, from the streets of L.A. to a globe-trotting quest to, well, a cosmic battle between ultimate good and ultimate evil; this narrative has a lot of texture and momentum, and could move forward in so many different ways. We also liked that Tiffany chose to include some personal relationships for her heroine - a mentor, who can continue to advise her from beyond the grave, and a love interest, or at least potential love interest, whom she grows to depend on but is afraid she's putting into mortal danger. There's a Whedonesque feel to Wildstyle, and we mean that as a huge compliment!
We liked the two runner-up hero submissions as well: Kevin Cheung's "The Sneak," a b-boy who gains powers after discovering a mysterious pair of kicks, and "Hapa," a half-Korean intelligence agent (calling Daniel Henney!) with the chameleonlike ability to transform his features. But the hero we felt had the most interesting combination of originality and future potential was Tiffany's, and we look forward to seeing her at Comic-Con next week... look us up at booth 1735, Tiffany!
Again, thank you to everyone who entered. Tiffany won the Comic-Con pass, but everyone is still eligible for the main contest, which runs through the end of the month.
Again, we're challenging you to submit your own idea for a unique and original Asian American superhero. I'll pick the ten coolest submissions, then the Secret Identities editors will choose their three favorite heroes, each of whom will get their superhero idea rendered by a Secret Identities artist, and also receive a signed copy of the book.
Be creative, and have fun with this! To enter, please include a description of the hero (physical description, origin, powers, background, goals and nemesis) in 500 words or less. Thumbnail sketch optional. Email your entry, along with your contact info, to secretidentities@angryasianman.com by July 31. Winners will be announced on August 1.
So... here's the part where we give away cool stuff. But you have to earn it. I've partnered up with Secret Identities to launch a very special contest. You've read the comics -- can you dream up your very own superhero?
We're challenging you to submit your own idea for a unique and original Asian American superhero. I'll pick the ten coolest submissions, then the Secret Identities editors will choose their three favorite heroes, each of whom will get their superhero idea rendered by a Secret Identities artist, and also receive a signed copy of the book.
Be creative, and have fun with this! To enter, please include a description of the hero (physical description, origin, powers, background, goals and nemesis) in 500 words or less. Thumbnail sketch optional. Email your entry, along with your contact info, to secretidentities@angryasianman.com by July 31. Winners will be announced on August 1.
In preparation for Secret Identities’ San Diego debut, anthology contributors will be out in full force on both coasts this weekend. First up, Jeff Yang will be joined by Walden Wong, Jimmy J. Aquino, Alexander Shen, Tanuj Chopra and Tiffanie Hwang for a book release party and signing at Giant Robot – San Francisco at 6pm on Thursday, July 16. Then, on Friday, July 17 at 7pm, Yang, Wong and other guests will be at the Salinas Public Library in Salinas, California for a special signing event.
On Saturday, July 18 in Baltimore, Maryland, Keith Chow, Jerry Ma, Alex Tarampi, John Franzese and Larry Hama will be hosted by Geppi’s Entertainment Museum beginning at 12:30pm. The museum presentation will be followed by a special signing event at Ukazoo Books in Towson, Maryland at 6pm that same day. Finally on Sunday, July 19 at 1pm, veteran DC and Marvel artist Greg LaRocque will be joining Hama and the Secret Identities team for a meet & greet and signing event at The Avenue’s Barnes & Noble in White Marsh, Maryland.
At our events in Baltimore, anyone who purchases a copy of SECRET IDENTITIES will automatically be entered into a contest to win a FREE PASS to an advanced screening of Paramount's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra!
Last weekend at the Asian American ComiCon, folks from MTV Iggy stopped by to film some "drawing battles" between some of the industry's best artists. We had no idea what they were talking about. Of course, this is why they're professionals because what they got on film was awesome! First up is round one between BLVD studio mates Bernard Chang and Sean Chen:
Scheduled Appearances by Kelly Hu, Keiko Agena, Sonny Liew, Ming Doyle, Bernard Chang and More; also Offering an Exclusive, Limited Edition Litho by Cliff Chiang; and Jeff Yang Moderates a Panel featuring Dwayne McDuffie, Gail Simone, Jai Nitz, Stuart Moore and Gene Yang.
July 15, 2009—With Comic-Con International: San Diego just around the corner, the editors of Secret Identities, the groundbreaking Asian American superhero anthology, have announced a full schedule of signings at Epic Proportions’ Booth #1735.
Featuring some of the creative talent behind the stories in Secret Identities, these appearances give fans the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in comics, television and film!
Leading off the signing schedule at 12:30pm on Thursday, July 23 is the team behind “The Blue Scorpion & Chung,” Gene Yang (The Eternal Smile) and Sonny Liew (Liquid City). On Friday, July 24, the “Learn to Share” creative team of actress Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls) and artist Ming Doyle(Comic Book Tattoo) will be signing from 2pm to 4pm. Superstar actress Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United) and superstar artist Cliff Chiang(Green Arrow & Black Canary) are scheduled for Saturday, July 25 at 2pm. In addition, SIUniverse Media will be offering a convention exclusive lithograph of the Kelly Hu-created character JIA,featuring art by Cliff Chiang. Finally, “The Citizen”artist extraordinaire Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman) and "Agent Orange" artist Dustin Nguyen (Detective Comics) wrap up the show on Sunday, July 26 at 2pm.
The editors of Secret Identities—Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow and Jerry Ma—will also be available at Booth #1735 for the duration of the convention. However, the Secret Identities presence at Comic-Con extends well beyond a single booth. The following SI-affiliated artists and creators will be at their own booths throughout the convention center:
Bernard Chang (#1821)
Cliff Chiang (#1322)
Martin Hsu (#G-02)
Benton Jew (#EE-02)
Kazu Kibuishi (#2329)
Sonny Liew (#2329)
Dustin Nguyen (#FF-04)
Vince Sunico (#GG-18)
Francis Tsai (#2629 & #1415)
Anthony Wu (#2329)
Gene Yang (#AA-4)
To celebrate the gathering of so many contributors in one place, fans can participate in a special Secret Identities Scavenger Hunt! Anyone who has purchased a copy of Secret Identities and is able to collect verifiable signatures/sketches from each of the listed contributors will be entitled to a special prize at the Secret Identities booth!
In addition to celebrity signings and scavenger hunts, Secret Identities Editor-in-Chief Jeff Yang will be moderating a unique panel titled Four Color Reality: Making Comics Relevant to Readers Across Cultures in Room 3 on Friday, July 24 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Panelists include Dwayne McDuffie (Milestone Comics, Justice League), Gail Simone (Wonder Woman), Gene Yang (American Born Chinese), Stuart Moore (Wolverine: Noir, The 99) and Jai Nitz (Blue Beetle, El Diablo).
Panel Description:
Four Color Reality: Making Comics Relevant to Readers Across Cultures. Comic book stories have become the core of American pop culture—is there a big-budget spectacular that doesn’t in some fashion owe its existence to comic book roots these days? But sales of traditional-format comic books themselves have been in decline for years. This panel explores one reason for this shrinking market: the divergence between the identities of mainstream comic icons—who are typically straight, white, male and American—and the demographic makeup of a new generation of readers. How can the comic book industry connect with changing audiences—not just of diverse races and backgrounds, but of different cultural and national origins as well?
Have to start first by giving props to all the volunteers, MoCA staff, panelists, artists and visitors to the show. It would not have been as great as it was if it weren't for any of you. Thanks!
From what I hear, a good time was had by all at the Asian American ComiCon. I wouldn't know since I was running around all day. When I did get a chance to sneak into a panel room, I saw SRO crowds and really interesting panelists having a good time together. Artists' Alley seemed like it had a good vibe and looked like it had a nice flow of traffic. Not sure what the final tally was at the silent auction, but there were a bunch of knockout pieces donated that fetched some good prices--with all proceeds going back to the Museum. A more thorough recap is forthcoming (with photos!). Until then, check out Jerry's AACC recap at his blog.
I think Larry Hama summed it up best during his Kiyama Award acceptance speech when he talked about the importance of "community." Whether it's the Asian American community or the community of comic creators and fans, without a community, we are nothing. And ultimately, that's what the AACC was all about, celebrating the vibrancy of our community.
Hey everyone. It's been awhile since I last posted anything. As most of you hopefully know, I'll be taking part at the AACC on July 11 along with a lot of other Secret Identities contributors.
Anyway, I was asked to donate a drawing to the show, which will hopefully help raise some money for the museum itself.
So I first did a drawing of Bruce Lee...and it really just didn't come out too well. I mean...maybe it's because I've just drawn the guy too much these past few months or something.
So I decided to draw The Monkey King instead. Who...was just one of my favorite characters growing up.
Anyway...here are both drawings. Hope everybody likes the Monkey King...and come to the show next week! Hope to see you guys all there.
So, if you've been following the updates across the comics world (say, at Heidi McDonald's essential "The Beat" column), you know that the first-ever Asian American ComiCon is giving out its first-ever installment of an annual award, which organizers have dubbed the Kiyama Award—after Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama, a Japanese American artist and cartoonist who lived and worked in San Francisco in the late Twenties and early Thirties.
Now why should that matter? Well, in 1931, Kiyama published his breakthrough book The Four Immigrants. A poignant collection of cartoon stories about life as a Japanese student expatriate in early 20th century San Francisco, the book explores the issues these early immigrants faced in a world whose language, culture and traditions were new, strange and confusing.
What makes The Four Immigrants special—and what makes Kiyama a verifiable pioneer, if somewhat by accident—is that, despite being originally intended for newspaper serialization, Kiyama’s stories were never published in that form. Which means that the first time they saw print was in this single, bound-and-collected book. This publication format, along with the fact that the stories in Four Immigrants featured a group of semiautobiographical characters (based on Kiyama and his friends) who grew, evolved and contended with real historical issues and events, has led some to advocate that it be recognized as the first original graphic novelpublished in America (arriving a decade before Virginia Lee Burton’s Calico the Wonder Horse in 1941 and nearly two decades before Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller’s It Rhymes with Lust in 1950).
As Heidi notes, that's a controversial stance to take—but it's one that the book's translator, the always sagacious Fred Schodt, has defended persuasively in this essay. Fred notes that the characters in Four Immigrants have a definitive and rather sophisticated narrative; even though many strips in the book have the look and beats of gag comics, the characters are richer and more organic than those found in, say, "Nancy" or "Bazooka Joe." They encounter and react to real-life events; they grow and change; they have actual arcs–for instance, two of the four immigrants end up returning to Japan, frustrated by the restrictive government policies of the era.
Schodt notes: “[Four Immigrants] visual style resembles that of U.S. gag newspaper strips...but its content– a serious story of an autobiographical nature, using apparently ‘real’ characters, who mature and develop over time– is closer to a modern ‘graphic novel’ than it is to early comic strips or comic books.”
Works for me! Anyway, regardless of where you stand on this somewhat academic argument, Kiyama's status as a unique and pioneering graphic fictionalist is not in question; his role in bridging two worlds, and his use of sequential art to tell quintessentially Asian American stories—all of these underscore his worthiness to serve as the namesake for an award honoring later creators who've done the same.
For this inaugural year, we're delighted to present this award to Larry Hama, the masterful writer who created the G.I. Joe universe, edited and scribed dozens of other titles (including Nth Man, Wolverine, Generation X, and Batman), and has just completed work on the first issue in a much-anticipated limited series featuring another real American hero—Barack the Barbarian.
The award itself is in the process of being created: Benton Jew, artist for "Driving Steel" in Secret Identities, has done a wonderful sketch of Henry Kiyama (with his omnipresent pet parrot!) that we'll be engraving on a glass tablet in Larry's honor. We did want to reassure Larry that this is not meant to be a "lifetime achievement award": Something tells us that much of Larry's best work still lies ahead...and as always, we'll be looking forward to reading it!
SIUniverse Media, the company behind the groundbreaking graphic novel Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, in association with the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), the Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW), Asian CineVision, AsianAmericanComics.com and Diamond Comic Distributors have joined forces to organize the First Annual Asian American ComiCon (AACC), a celebration of the unique contemporaryrole and historical legacy of Asians and Asian Americans in the world of graphic fiction.
The event will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the brand-new, Maya Lin-designed home of the Museum of Chinese in America. The Asian American ComiCon—the first of its kind—will be the first major event to take place at MOCA’s new two-level, 14,000 square-foot facility at 215 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan.
The day-long event will bring together leading Asian and Asian American creators, fans and readers of mainstream and alternative graphic fiction, and creative leaders of the larger Asian American community for a one-of-a-kind gathering, incorporating education, dialogue, spontaneous creativity, intergenerational outreach and the chance for established and emerging talent to show off their work. Tickets for the nonprofit event 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 (courtesy of Diamond Comic Distributors), and an original sketch from one of the artists participating in the event's Artists Alley.
Note: All passes may sell out before the day of the event.
"The thing that makes this different from traditional cons is that it's designed to bring down boundaries," says Jeff Yang, co-chair of the event and Editor-in-Chief of Secret Identities. "We're bringing together creators from inside and outside of the comics world; exploring how film, literature, and history interact with graphic fiction; looking at the connections between Asia and Asian America, and we're giving attendees ways to meet, interact and engage with creators as they never have before. For this event, 'con' doesn't stand for 'convention'—we like to think it's short for 'conversation.'"
“Central to the Museum of Chinese in America’s mission is its goal to promote dialogue that transcends generational, geographical and cultural boundaries,” adds AACC co-chair Beatrice Chen,MOCA’s Director of Education. “The Asian American ComiCon, with its focus on exploring culture, identity and history through the world of comics, offers a compelling and accessible way to foster that dialogue.”
In addition to an exhibition room and an Artists' Alley, the Asian American ComiCon will feature three concurrent programming tracks:
·The SPOTLIGHT features high-profile comic creators in one-on-one settings discussing some of the ways in which the comics and non-comics worlds are overlapping and interleaving. Scheduled to participate in these sessions are Derek Kirk Kim (The Eternal Smile, Same Difference & Other Stories) and Larry Hama (G.I. Joe: Origins, Barack the Barbarian).
·READING COMICS, curated by AAWW Executive Director Ken Chen, explores comics as literature, as texts, and as cultural artifacts, with speakers including non-comics creators and critics as well as comics artists and writers.
·Finally, MAKING COMICS, programmed by Marvel writer Greg Pak, allows creators to share their insights on the industry and profession with those wanting a behind-the-scenes look at comics or advice on how to pursue a career in the field.
"Everyone knows that Asian Americans love comics, but no one's ever asked why” says Ken Chen. “That's why we organized the First Annual Asian American ComiCon as a mash-up of a fan convention, an Asian American Studies conference and a literary festival. The ComiCon will be a one-of-a-kind event that'll put superhero comic artists, professors, and novelists at the same table to discuss how we read comics today."
"I love the fact that Asian Americans are doing amazing work in every corner of the comics industry," says Incredible Hulk writer Greg Pak. "The Asian American ComiCon will give fans the chance to hear from indie superstars and superhero fan faves alike about creative choices and the practical reality of building a career. We're also hooking in a few behind-the-scenes comics executives who'll provide unique perspectives that I can't wait to hear!"
Among some of the top comics industry professionals scheduled to attend the First Annual Asian American ComiCon include:
The officials behind the launch of the AACC feel that the time is ripe to celebrate the contributions of the Asian American community to the comic book industry. To that end, the event will climax with the presentation to G.I. Joe creator Larry Hama ofa special award recognizing his incredible career and the influence he's been on his peers and a generation of rising creators. “I’m honored,” says Hama, “as long as you don’t call it a ‘lifetime achievement’ award. I’ve still got a lot to do!”
Ticket Information:
VIP Pass: $75*
Adult: $25
MOCA or AAWW Member: $15
Student (with a valid ID) and Senior (65 and over): $15
Child (age 10 and under): Free with Adult
*The tax-deductible VIP Pass not only helps to support MOCA, it also guarantees the richest possible experience at this event! Including:
·Priority reserved seating at all panels and workshops
·One Original Sketch drawn by an artist from the AACC Artists Alley—artist availability based on first-come, first-serve basis
·One Asian American graphic novel, signed by its creators—choose from:
Secret Identities: The Asian American Anthology (The New Press), Good As Lily (DC Comics),or Johnny HiroVolume 1(AdHouse Books)
·Admission to the invitation-only, post-Con VIP Reception
The First Annual Asian American ComiCon is presented by:
The Museum of Chinese in America (www.mocanyc.org): Founded in 1980, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States. Through innovative exhibitions as well as educational and public programs, MOCA promotes dialogue and understanding among people of all cultural backgrounds.
SIUniverse Media (www.secretidentities.org): SIUniverse Media is the editorial and production team behind the pioneering Asian American superhero anthology Secret Identities, as well as its affiliated video, online and educational resources. Committed to raising up new voices from the Asian American community and creating original, authentic and engaging stories with an organically multicultural perspective, we strive to create work that pops eyes, drops jaws and opens minds, all at the same time.
The Asian American Writers' Workshop (www.aaww.org): Founded in 1991, the Workshop is the largest non-profit devoted to the creating, publishing, developing and disseminating of creative writing by Asian Americans. A community of readers and writers and the country’s preeminent authority on Asian American writing, the Workshop dedicates itself to empowering emerging writers of great promise to make the transition to a career in the literary arts.
Asian CineVision (www.asiancinevision.org): Asian CineVision is a nonprofit media arts organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Asian and Asian American media expressions by helping to develop and support both emerging and experienced Asian American film and video makers and other media artists working in a range of genres and styles; and helping to ensure that the full spectrum of Asian and Asian American media works reach diverse audiences in Asian American communities and beyond.
Asian American Comics (www.asianamericancomics.com): Edited by Greg Pak, writer of Incredible Hulk and creator of the Marvel superhero Amadeus Cho, AsianAmericanComics.com is devoted to spreading the word about Asian American comic books, comic book characters and comic book creators. We hope AsianAmericanComics.com will help neophytes find interesting reading material, point existing readers towards new creators and books and provide fans and pros a place to read all the latest news. For more about Pak's work, visit Pakbuzz.com.
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (www.diamondcomics.com): The world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and related merchandise, Diamond Comic Distributors is based in Timonium, MD, with strategically located Distribution Centers servicing more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide.
San Diego Comic Con 2009 was a huge success and 153 lucky people walked away with their newly purchased copies of Secret Identities.
