The SIU Invades Comic-Con. Again.

Well, it's that time of year when all of fandom descends on sunny southern California for a sensory overload of lights, sound and sweat. Yes, people, it's Comic-Con time. And just like last year, you can find the diverse members of the SECRET IDENTITIES fam throughout the San Diego Convention Center.

In addition to Jerry Ma and Parry Shen (Fri. and Sat.) at the Epic Props booth #1737, be sure to seek out the rest of the SIUniverse

Bernard Chang: booth #1223
Cliff Chiang: booth #1320
Ming Doyle: booth #N11 & DD10
Larry Hama: booth #2307
Erwin Haya: booth #D06
Martin Hsu: booth #G02
Benton Jew: booth #DD-23
Kazu Kibuishi: booth #2235
Dustin Nguyen: booth #FF-04
Jonathan Tsuei: booth #DD-10
Blacklava: booth #4929

SI at the SI! Talkstory at the 2010 Folklife Fest

This past Sunday, the SI crew (Secret Identities, that is) got a chance to talk about the book and "build a hero" with a volunteer from the audience at the Smithsonian Institute's (the other SI, natch) 2010 Folklife Festival.

It was definitely an awesome experience to get a chance to be a part of such a great tradition. Big thanks to Phil Nash, Terry Hong, Chloe Ith, Kozue Tsunoda, and the rest of the Smithsonian staff and volunteers that made this happen!

To read more about our adventures in the D.C. heat, read Jerry's recap For What It's Worth and the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Program's official blog.

SIUniverse Ballers Crowned a Champ... Like, Two Monrhs Ago

So, the NBA Finals are about to begin tomorrow night, and once again it's the Lakers vs. Celtics (which, I think would make an awesome name for a basketball video game. Get on that EA Sports.) And I was reminded that we sponsored a fantasy NBA league full of SI fam, fans, and friends.

Well, we can report that L.A.-based musician/sound engineer Ethan Chu walked away as the league champ, but the real winner was Dream League. The Asian American community basketball organization received a cool $100 donated from the various SIUniverse Ballers! So congrats Dream League! And go Lakers (for those of you reppin' the Westside) and go Celtics (for our Beantown fam)!

Bid on Items from the SI Crew to Benefit ImaginAsian

We've mentioned the ImaginAsian fundraiser to benefit the APA programs in Indiana before, but now the gallery is finally on exhibit at Purdue University and now, some of the items on display are now up for auction here.

Among the plethora of cool items up for sale include some nifty contributions from members of the SI fam. Check out the SI-related items and bid on 'em to help out a great cause!

• Bid on a signed mixed media collage featuring art from Better Luck Tomorrow and Secret Identities from our very own Parry Shen;
  
• Our Art Director Jerry Ma, along with the Angry Asian Man himself Phil Yu, has a signed ink sketch of Bruce Lee for bid;
• G.I. Joe godfather Larry Hama has a signed pencil sketch of the Baroness available;
• Rock star artist Cliff Chiang contributed an original, signed Gatchaman pencil sketch;
• Cliff's DC Comics brother-in-arms Bernard Chang also contributed an ink drawing of Supergirl for auction;
• Finally, you can bid on an original Secret Asian Man strip entitled "Lil Kim" by Tak Toyoshima.

Of course, there are tons of other really cool items from every corner of Asian America available, including some more SI-related swag. Stay tuned and get involved!

SI DAILY DEAL today on BLACKLAVA.NET!!!

Valentine's Day = A box of chocolates.

Chinese New Year's = A Red Envelope.

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month = a copy of SECRET IDENTITIES: The Asian American Superhero Anthology.

Do you have your copy yet?

If not, you're in luck because SECRET IDENTITIES is teaming up with BLACKLAVA for today's Daily Deal! And to celebrate, a lot of green screen was used for the Hot Minute Video (as seen below).

Orders received within the first 24 hours will receive a BOOKPLATE(drawn by Art Director, Jerry Ma) AND a SIGNED LITHOGRAPH of Kelly Hu and Cliff Chiang's creation, "JIA" -- free!

There are two editions to select from: An Unsigned Book for $20 OR a Signed Book for $35 (autographs and artwork on inside cover from Keiko Agena, Sung Kang, Lynn Chen, Benton Jew, A.L. Baroza, Martin Hsu, Bernard Chang and Parry Shen ).

This is a deal you can't get on Amazon. Shipping is free so don't delay as once this deal is gone -- it's gone!

Check out the deal at: www.blacklava.net

C2E2 Chicago Comic Con Badge Giveaway!

In just a couple of weeks, I’ll be attending the C2E2 Comic Con in Chicago, April 16-18 at my usual Epic Proportions Booth(729). Unfortunately I'll be the only Secret Identities Editor there, but hopefully you can join me!
This is the first year for this show, but I have no doubt in my mind that it’s going to be a great show.
I’m in my apartment right now preparing for it.
I can’t wait to get there, as Geof Darrow will be sitting at my booth each day signing autographs and promoting the new shirt he’s done with me. Which is based off of his Shaolin Cowboy comic. You can see the shirt here.

Anyway, in part of my excitement for the con, I’d like to give out one free badge to someone for the weekend. Meaning, whoever gets this badge will not have to pay to enter the show, but will have to find their own way to Chicago.
All you have to do to be considered for the badge is just write me an email at:
info@epicprops.com

Let me know how why you want to come. And then after you’ve won, come hang out with me and the crew in Chicago.

-jerry
www.epicprops.com

More...

Parry Shen is The Man of Tomorrow

Facebook and Twitter followers are already aware, but if you're not one of them (and why aren't you?!) make sure you check out this exclusive PopCultureShock interview with the one and only Parry Shen!

In the link, Parry and I talk about how he got the part in Better Luck Tomorrow, how we suckered him into joining the Secret Identities crew, being on Team Coco (that's Parry with his stuntman on Hatchet, the Asian Conan himself, Steven Ho in the photo) and what it feels like to be a video game character. There's a lot more in the link, so if you haven't read the interview, what are ya waiting for?!

Follow the SI Crew on Twitter!

After a few months of prodding, the whole S.I. editorial crew is now on Twitter. While you've been able to follow us as a collective (@SIUniverse) for several months now, Jerry Ma (@epicprops) and Parry Shen (@parryshen) have joined fellow tweeters Jeff Yang (@originalspin) and me, Keith (@the_real_chow) on the mirco-blogging phenomenon. So if you were ever interested in the mundane we do on a daily basis, give us a follow.

And we aren't the only SI alums on Twitter. You can also find the likes of Keiko Agena, Greg Pak, Jamie Ford, Martin Hsu, and more! Just check out this list of everyone in the Secret Identities fam.

ImaginAsian: Identity and Experience in Contemporary Asian Pacific America

Thought I'd take a break from the 2009 retrospectives (What? We're already two weeks into 2010?!) to give a shout out to Secret Identities superfan (and former Angry Asian Man Reader of the Week) Kate Agathon and her call for contributions to her pet project, the ImaginAsian exhibition, to raise funds for materials and resources for Asian American Studies collections at the libraries of Purdue and Indiana University.

Several members of the S.I. crew have donated submissions for the installation. Parry Shen contributed a collage of his work on S.I. and Better Luck Tomorrow; Jerry Ma collaborated with the Angry Asian Man himself, Phil Yu, on a pair of sketches featuring Bruce Lee and Quick Kick; I submitted signed copies of a poem about Bruce Lee called "Like Water" and a script page from "Peril"; and Larry Hama turned in a couple original G.I. Joe sketches.

So as you can see, it's a fun and worthy cause. Check out the official announcement below, and get involved!

ImaginAsian: Identity and Experience in Contemporary Asian Pacific America
Fundraising Exhibition April 2- May 9, 2010

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2010 and to generate funding for materials and sources for Asian American Studies collections at the Purdue University and Indiana University libraries, Kate Agathon, the Council on Asian American Studies, the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, and the Asian American Network of Indiana (AANI) are sponsoring a fundraising installation/exhibition of donated art addressing identity and experience within contemporary Asian Pacific America. The exhibition is intended to raise awareness and understanding of the Asian American community as articulated through a variety of art including photography, visual, and literary.

Open to everyone, submissions are being solicited nation-wide. Celebrity contributors include writer Maxine Hong Kingston, director Michael Kang, actor Parry Shen, hip hop group Far East Movement, Congressman Mike Honda, artist Stella Lai, illustrator/graphic designer Jerry Ma, poet Bao Phi, writer Tao Lin, comic legend Larry Hama, and many other prominent stakeholders within the Asian American community. Contributors do not need to be of Asian descent to participate!

For a donation of $5 or more, contributors are asked to fill an 8.5 x 11” space with creative art, writing, photography or any other artistic medium that addresses contemporary Asian Pacific American identity or the Asian Pacific American experience. Each submission will be vetted by a team for common themes and appropriateness.

Inspired by the Greater Lafayette Art Museum’s Mosaic, ImaginAsian will comprise of a display of 8.5 x 11” creative gifts celebrating the contemporary Asian Pacific American experience. The exhibit will be displayed April 2- May 9, 2010 at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation located at 638 North Street, Lafayette, IN 47901.

Bidders can bid on their favorite pieces of work by taking part in a silent auction that will take place throughout the duration of the exhibit. Submissions must be received by February 28, 2010 and can be sent to:

Kate Agathon
1809 Bengal Place
Lafayette, IN 47909

Checks made payable to the Asian American Network of Indiana are welcome. The Asian American Network of Indiana is a not-for- profit organization. All gifts are tax exempt. For more information, contact Kate Agathon at kate.agathon@gmail.com.

2009 Rewind: The Year of Secret Identities, Part Four

Happy New Decade, loyal SI blog readers! While I had intended to finish these look-backs before the end of the year (they are "end-of-year" recaps after all), it seems I've let these 2009 rewinds slip into 2010. Ah well, it is what it is. Anyway, Part four brings us to the summertime which featured two major events.

Of course, the big one was San Diego Comic-Con in July, but we kicked off the season with a little convention of our own: the Asian American ComiCon at the brand new Museum of Chinese in America in New York.

What initially supposed to be an event to showcase Secret Identities quickly morphed into a full-on comic convention--with an artist alley, a bevy of panels, special guests, a performance by the awesome band Paperdoll, and even an award ceremony for the Man himself, Larry Hama! The whole thing came together in, like, five weeks and fortunately went off (mostly) without a hitch! One of the day's special guests, Derek Kirk Kim, had a nice write-up on his blog, and the event itself got nice reviews by Publishers Weekly and Comic Book Resources. Even the Wall Street Journal got in on the act!

Some other highlights from the AACC include Bernard Chang and Sean Chen facing off in a real time comic battle, as captured by MTV:

Comic Artists Face-Off: Bernard Chang vs. Sean Chen
Quicky

And an epic night of karaoke, as captured by SI contrib Jeremy Arambulo. Our friends at TurtlistMedia also have an excellent recap of the Asian American ComiCon, as well as an in-depth interview with me, Parry and Jeff (from our appearance at Northwestern University). Needless to say, the AACC was an example of the community (both comics and Asian American) coming together to celebrate art and good times!

To keep up with what went down at AACC, and if and when there'll be another, become a fan of the Asian American ComiCon on Facebook!

But our summer was not over. In fact, it was just beginning. After a brief stop in Baltimore to visit the Geppi Entertainment Museum with Larry Hama, we were off to San Diego for the mother of all comic conventions: Comic-Con International! And this was a big deal for us, because, as in Los Angeles at JANM, SDCC meant a huge Secret Identities family reunion.

And thanks to our awesome Art Director Jerry Ma, we had (mostly) free reign of the Epic Proportions booth. We took advantage of our awesome booth space by hosting a bunch of celebrity signings. Kicking it off with the "Blue Scorpion" of Gene Yang and Sonny Liew, with a surprise appearance by Larry Hama. We also had Gilmore Girls star Keiko Agena stop by with her "Learn to Share" artist Ming Doyle and star Kelly Hu and DC artists Cliff Chiang and Bernard Chang. Jeff even had time to moderate a panel with Gail Simone, Dwayne McDuffie, Jai Nitz, Stuart Moore and Gene Yang.

Be sure to check our Facebook page to see more photos from our exploits in San Diego!

Come back next time to see the last of our 2009 Rewind posts in which we'll go over the events of the fall, including our first ever Baltimore Comic-Con and a swing through New England. And I promise to get it posted before another year is over.

2009 Rewind: The Year of Secret Identities, Part Three

As promised, we're continuing our end-of-the-year recap focusing on Springtime in the SI Universe. After spending a good portion of April doing media appearances, including events at NYU and Williams College--and, as documented yesterday, a swing through some awesome schools in Illinois and Indiana--the month of May was one major event after another. I think it had something to do with May being Asian American Heritage Month.

I don't think having the book published close to APA month was a coincidence. I mean, what better time to showcase Asian American superheroes than Asian American Heritage Month, right? The month included a slew of press, including an extensive feature on the State Department's official website America.gov! We also launched the first of six special Teacher Guides (the rest of which will be released throughout 2010).

We also kicked off the month-long festivities attending Free Comic Book Day in Baltimore with Greg LaRocque and on a wet, wet Sunday in New York City for the 30th annual A/PA Heritage Festival. Despite the torrential downpour, we had the opportunity to meet a ton of people and make new fans. The CAPA fest wasn't our only major appearance in New York, however. For the entire month, original artwork was on display in the Time Life building on Sixth Avenue. The gallery was meant to promote a special reception and panel held on May 21 and presented by Time Inc's Asian American Association. In addition to myself, Jeff & Jerry, we were joined on the panel by SI Senior Artist Jef Castro, and comic superstar artists Christine Norrie and Cliff Chiang. The whole thing was expertly moderated by DC/Vertigo editor Pornsak Pichetshote.

Check out photos from the panel on Facebook.

A few days later, the six of us were joined by the Man himself, G.I. Joe creator and living legend Larry Hama, for a special signing at the world famous Midtown Comics in Times Square. Facebook photos available here. The website Pop Culture Shock was there to capture the whole thing on video:


A week later, we capped off APA month with a whirlwind weekend of events in and around Los Angeles. Basically, if you were a bookstore or library in Southern California, chances are, somebody from Secret Identities was there! Outside of San Diego Comic-Con, I'm pretty sure our main event at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo was the biggest gathering of Secret Identities contributors ever. Jerry's excellent recap -- with some great candid photos -- of the weekend can be read at his blog here.

And that does it for April and May. But we weren't finished quite yet because Summer = Convention season! And not only did we have a presence at the trifecta of Comic-Cons (i.e., New York, San Diego, and Baltimore), we decided to throw our own Asian American ComiCon too! Read all about it next time!