How not to confront your own privilege - by Karen El

1. So your complaint is that there is not nearly enough visual information in the simply drawn characters to immediately convey their ethnicity, except for when there is an element, but that is far too stereotyped so you don't like it.

I am all over greater cultural diversity in comics, and it's something I struggle with, myself. But if I introduced a character with a different ethnic background from my own and immediately got shouted at for not making it obvious enough without including stereotyped traits, or thinking through every aspect of their background, you know what? I might end up doing what most everyone else does, and avoid all the grief by making everyone white.

I agree, the Asian and Latina Janes weren't obvious to me, either. But their backgrounds weren't as relevent to the story as, say, The Re-Gifters.

It would be wonderful if I had people of differing ethnic background that I could call on to help me give depth to characters. You know where I could find anyone like that?

2. Is it over-simplistic of me to suggest that you go after the writers and artists that are making no effort towards cultural diversity, rather than advocating dogpiling on those that try, but don't succeed as well as you'd like?


3. Willow, yes. I agree it could have been better. In fact I think I already said that.

I'm not defending the author's comments. I don't speak for her.

And I totally knew you were going to throw white privilege at me. Of course anyone who actually gives a damn about being more culturally diverse in their work, but admits she doesn't have the experience to do a good job on her own must be absolutely brimming with white privilege, so let's make sarky comments and shoot her down for even daring to ask for help.

My mistake. I thought you were about promoting cultural diversity. You're quite good at the opposite.

I just want you to know that if you ever see some of my work that includes culturally diverse characters, it will be despite you, rather than because of you.

4. Well I can see where it's more satisfying to sneer at me than explain what I am missing.

Congratulations. You have achieved the irony of shutting out someone in a thread where you write about how bad someone else was for shutting you out.

---

***

Don't anyone ever tell me I should give GirlWonder* the Organization the Boards a pass or more understanding or any shit like that ever again. Because as you can plainly see, with this brimming example of one of their own - they want someone to hand feed them Racism 101.

And I quite plainly am not having conversations anymore with people who aren't at least at Racism 205.

I am not your magical negro. If I take the time to point out to you that you still need work to do re: your inner institutional racism, that's me being kind.

We cannot have a conversation when I'm working on a level you (the racist you) is not. Because I am fed up and refuse to spoon feed strangers the work, definitions and self-examination of Racism 101. I am fed up with having to point out your strawman arguments and twisted thinking. I am not your mammy or your maid. And I am not obligated to explain shit to you, politely and nicely. That's your privilege right there. Along with the bullshit "Well I'm going to be culturally diverse despite you not holding my hand, you mean black woman!"

To which my response is: [Redacted] take your [redacted] white [redacted] out of my blog and don't ever bring yourself or your friends around here again until you pull your collective [redacted] out of your [redacted].

ETA: And my other response is now at the top of my sidebar with an official graphic.

ETA: * Correction made between the GW boards and those who use their domain and the GW Organization (spokes people, chairperson and other members of the board). As much as I might want to throw them all together, it is not factual or accurate and Karen El does not have the power to represent them, only to besmirch them by association.

** Also I know and am friends with Karen Healy - she who writes Girls Read Comics & They're Pissed and who is also President of the GW Organization. And whom despite some prior cluelessness is someone I hope others will also call an ally.

Also About Plain Janes

It's come to my attention that Ms. Castellucci is on the boards at GirlWonder but that no one there has called her on her claim that the PLAIN JANES are multi-ethnic.

For personal reasons I don't go near the GW boards. That might have changed if health and RL current situations weren't at somewhat critical stages and I'd become more involved with the organization GW.

Still, the boards leave a lot to be desired. I hesitate to make the total claim that there's a lot of navel gazing there from all but a few and it's filled with white feminists being pro woman power. But that's how it felt to me the last time I was there and I will likely never get over being shut down on issues of race and called homophobic at the same time. Oh yes, and also called on my tone.

That said, if anyone reading this has an account on the boards there and wants to discuss this with her, vs being bewildered and aggravated (and not a little offended) here in my blog - feel free.

Am I advocating a dogpile on her.

Well, yes, yes I am. I admit it.

But it should be a POLITE dogpile.

Seriously though, I'm not expecting any work on her privilege will actually be accomplished over there. But if you do want to say something to one of the creators expressly, that might be a good place to do it.

Why I Don't Like Photorealism - An Essay By Willow

It sucks.

What? You were expecting some sort of well detailed, neutral, example filled assembly of words? Ahh did the title fake you out? Awwh, poor baby.

Seriously though, photorealism sucks. I can appreciate the technique and artistry that goes into it. But I don't want it in my comics. And not just because photorealism often relies on photo referencing and leads to my favourite characters looking like whomever is hot this week in porn, celebrity news or occasionally that really cool movie that came on near midnight that inspired the artist to hunt down some picture archives online otherwise they wouldn't know how to draw a black person.

Photorealism sucks because I don't want to see some real person's face on the page, I want to see the character's face.

Photorealism sucks because comics are fantasy to me; super heroes, flying horses, ancient gods long deemed mythology, immortal weak hearted 80yr old women. Fantasy and reality shouldn't mesh except in terms of context.

Photorealism sucks because Gothom as a city is a place of shadows and tone, not Seattle at night; not Chicago, not NYC. Once you start making the characters look like flesh and blood people I can recognize, the cityscapes in the background would be jarring in what used to be their hyper-realized glory.

I have to give credit where credit is due but it's sad to realize that Manga artists seem to realize and proudly promote a style (within individual expression) that says THIS HERE BE YAR FANTASY.

BLEACH for example is easily recognized as fantasy compared with the pseudo historical realism of Lady Snow Blood.

But the link previous, to the Harry Osborn 'I was in Europe' on Scans_Daily, take a panel from any of those scanned scenes and show it to someone who doesn't know or read Super Hero fantasy and aside from Harry's distinctive hair it could be from any graphic story telling medium.

Aside:By the way, does anyone know if Harry's bi-racial? Because I've always wondered about his hair and in photorealism it looks distinctive for a whole host of other reasons and makes me curious to see him rocking the redhaired afro. Though not when he's being photorealized as Adam Sandler. I don't need to see Adam Sandler in much of anything.

How did this photorealism trend start? When did comic readers decide it was a good thing and they wanted more of it? Why do they want more of it?

If I want to see wonderful stills, I'll go to a museum, or art gallery or somewhere a wonderful artist is willing to paint on commission. If I want to see a movie, I'll watch a damn movie.

What I don't want is to pick up a comic book and instead of finding myself thinking the artist did a good job with their own interpretation of Superman's strong jaw, or Batman's eyes in Bruce Wayne's face - find myself going 'Oh, so I guess he sees Scarlet Witch as Angelina Jolie doing cosplay' or in the case of Greg Land 'And another random porn actress'.

When did doing comics as comics begin to go out of favour?

Is it that the newer crop of artists don't know how to show motion when characters are standing still? Is it that they don't know how to make their creations leap off the page, so instead they do movie still after stagnant movie still? A collection of screen caps done with ink and colours and set with speech bubbles?

Cause note to them, DM of the Rings did it better and Darths & Droids isn't letting there be any slack.

Aside: And how much do you wish IWC was doing Wands & Warts for real? Just raise your hands. Mine's up already.

Comics informed how I read. In fact I think comics might be responsible for the fact that I think in pictures.

- Regular baby book: This is an apple [ picture of an apple ]

- Comic book: This is an apple [ picture of Wolverine giving a smack down one handed while eating an apple ]

Any wonder why the image with action stuck with me? Any wonder why I find this change over infuriating ? Any wonder why this is all important to me?

Right then.

Conclusion; photorealism sucks. It might be pretty, but it's lifeless with a focus on slick over active story telling and is an avenue easily abused by lazy and or overworked artists.

And if I think of more reasons why, I'll be sure to let the world know.

On Batman (and then some other things)

I need to get my hands on JLA: Divided We Fall. I've seen scans of it, and read fic of it (Jen-in-Japan). I know I'll enjoy it.

But I need to get my hands on it and own it for the simple reason that I think it likely canonizes My Batman.

Separated (due to shenanigans from 6th dimensional aliens) it's Bruce who has all the rage and passion, frustration, fear and more and it's Batman who is an empty shell.

I've role-played Batman in RPG's and I've ended up defending my choice to make Batman the outfit that hides the identity within Bruce himself. I've defended my decision to make Bruce the Playboy the mask, but only because underneath it was Bruce the Champion of Justice and Batman was merely a costume, a way of protecting his identity.

I don't know where it came from, this concept of Batman, cloak and ears and skills being the true persona, the real thing. - that Batman overwhelmed Bruce himself. Maybe it was Dark Knight with its comparisons to Harvey Dent.

But I always thought that it was Bruce's pain and Bruce's loss , therefore Bruce was the one with the passion and that his true self had been born the night his parents died; with the decision that this was unjust, unfair and unneeded and he would find a way to make sure no other child ever felt the loss and despair he was feeling.

Maybe that's why it's always been easy for me to see Bruce in AU's, as a government agent or in some RPG's where he was a Presidential candidate. All that changes for me, when it comes to Bruce in these alternate universes, are his tools and his teachers.

Perhaps that's also why I could so readily call Terry McGinnis Batman and not feel like I was cheering on a replacement; because to me, Terry was seeded with the same loss, the same crack across the face from and about bullies, and might equals right and horrendous loss and he used Batman to try to balance the scales. More-over he used Batman as a way to make-up for the little losses and little pains he'd caused others in his mindless trip down 'the wrong path'.

Maybe Amanda Waller had it right, Batman is formed by pain but more- over he's formed by the decision to protect rather than avenge. And so the minute Terry made that turn over, he stopped being a wanna-be-Jason in a possible future.

And I think that's why I also cherish good Batman - Jim Gordon interaction. Because between the two of them, there's a whole hefty weight of 'To Protect & Serve'.

*blinks*

Batman, Wolverine, Smax - To Protect & Serve.

Oh yes, Wolverine's a savage, ravage son of a b*tch etc - secret agent blah blah blah. But even look at the movies, when did Hugh Jackson become the Wolverine for you? For me it was the moment he let Rogue into the cab.

Why do I like him in the comics? When do I like him in the comics? When he protects, when he continually faces the choice to destroy and avenge or to protect and serve and he chooses to protect.

Yes, I need to own JLA: Divided We Fall and I probably need to give the new Wolverine animated series a chance too.

No, try not, do or do not...there is no try

This link leads to an essay to which I just want to say WORD.

I rarely mention politics in this particular blog aside from how it impacts the plot and setting of the comics (or animated series) I may be watching.

But I just want it out there, that this blog is me mentioning tropes and fighting against oppression and racism enabled invisibility on TWO fronts.

TWO.

And yes, my feelings on several feminist blog movements is that NO - You don't get my allegiance for free. You don't know me just because we both have innies, tattas and wombs. Do not count on me to back you up unless you have a cause I've already stated is worth my strength, my voice and my energy.

On that note....

Does this look like a multi-ethnic group of girls to you?

The author claims that Theater Jane, aka Fat Jane is Asian and that Sporty Spice is Latina.

Now that she's said who is supposed to be what, I can kind of see some corralations. But I'm not supposed to be putting a book up to my eyeball, and then eyeballing well known art of a public latina figure to figure out that's a brown skinned young woman who happens to be athletic.

I also shouldn't be trying to figure out if one girl's eyes have the requsite eyefolds or if she's just so chubby, her eye shape has changed.

What does this have to do with assumed alligance? Well I've found myself wondering in the past two days since that interview went up, if the interviewer would even have said anything if I hadn't brought it up first - if she wasn't already aware that I as a WoC had issues with the book and we happen to speak about race SF/F + Comic genre semi frequently.

More over the author's response leaves me cold. She's rambling on and on about diversity and how important it is to her and yet her initial response?

That’s a total bummer! Not white at all.

No, Ms.Castellucci, when (young) women of colour look at your book and don't immediately see themselves it is more than just a bummer. It's yet another book, yet another aspect of fiction and entertainment and the world where we're invisible, were we don't count, where we're not important enough for someone to tell the artist to do more than add some bushy eyebrows and give another girl a short straight haired bob.

Ms Castellucci again says While it’s true that my main characters are white, their worlds are not.

And I call foul.

Don't tell me I have to read book two to see more of the diverse world when book one didn't hold my interest.

Also, why the hell is the book called THE PLAIN JANES if the Latina and Asian Janes don't count as main characters?

Are the main characters only; once upon a blonde Jane, now totally dark haired and emo + her white crush + her white sort of nemisis + the other white Jane + her white parents?

And as for "And Theater Jane, totally Asian"

Just which Asian culture does this Jane call her own? Is she Japanese, Korean, Taiwainse, Chinese, Chinese - Mongolian, or from the Philippines? Do you even know?

Do you even know why it might matter that in a book where the town calls for a curfew on teenagers and start to restrict their freedoms why in the first book there should have been parents of one of those minority students feeling uneasy about that?

Do you even know why that might matter if Theater Jane was Japanese? Or Taiwanese or Chinese-Mongolian?

For that matter, was anyone in that book Jewish? I honestly can't remember, that's how much of an impact your characters failed to make.

Just making it clear, you can be all for diversity as much as you want. You can claim to be trying to walk the walk, but nothing's showing.

And the minorities very likely aren't supporting you in email.

Speaking of familiar things heard over and over again

You always catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Also known as:

"Listen n*****, watch your manners now boy. You be nice to me, and I won't put you in your darkie place like you should be. Why do you presume to attack me. If I want to call your worthless sp** or P*** ass a sp** or p*** I can. It's been used before and it'll be used again. If you want me to change, get down on your knees and suck my big white cock and make me feel good about adjusting my attitude. After all, everyone agrees with me and you're the minority after all.

Yes, that's it... more tongue... now SUCK MY BALLS BITCH, that's putting honey on it. That's sucking away the liberal guilt... now stay still while I come down your throat..

Yes... yes...

There, last drops in your eyes.

Now kiss it and zip me up."

FOR THE RECORD: I am against non-con white privilege fellatio.

Two Questions

1. Stephanie. Memorial Case. Bat Cave - Is it true that one's there now?

2. Is it also true that it's a pathetic appeasement that says nothing about why it wasn't there or why it should be there?

Bonus: Do they really thing that after all this time, a case now will a) shut fans up, b) shut girl wonder up or c) shut up any bloggers or organizations that were created due to the outrage and conversation?

Extra: Can someone draw me a Mary Jane Memorial Case? ETA: And maybe one for Tigra?

Dear Brian Michael Bendis & Calo Pagulayan - You Fail.

I'm not going to list all the crap, cause you likely know it. And you can scroll through my entries and find it. But Tigra getting pimp smacked, while naked in her own bed, while a gang of eager leering thugs watch her be man handled and threatened...

I'm going to my animation place now. It's happy making. And there's less spermy spooge.

7th PoC Carnival

ENOUGH
<sub>The Anti-Street / Urban Anti - Exotic / Lit Carnival
+ FUBU</sub>

We need more science fiction writers of the African and African American perspectives. I am sick and tired of all of the gangsta, baby mama drama, and minstrel literature that is out there. Black people do and can think. There needs to be stories that reflect that.

- Anonymous on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 10:05 am

I started collecting links for this carnival wanting to find us; wanting to find sites that uplifted and gave hope and were examples of what we're doing in in the SciFi & Fantasy world, how we're creating and making a place for ourselves. We meaning People of Colour.

Maybe I'm on the wrong mental frequency, maybe I found what I was feeling - which was frustration and anger. Because I started out thinking I was collecting links of hope but by the end as I started writing this up, the hopeful section seemed smaller and smaller. And then as I found more links, the cock-eyed wrongness, the sheer 'oh no they didn't' kept popping up neon red and singing.

So I'm going to say something long and loud, a heavy slice of this Carnival is about the harm of Street/ Urban Lit. And then I'm going to cheer myself and hopefully the rest of you up, by posting some FUBU links - For Us By Us.

_____________________

Urban Lit has done for black folk what Manga has done for Asians. And I'm talking about the negatives here, not any positives. Anime and Manga has resulted in one aspect of Asian culture being up on a menu at the restaurant fast food joint of Cultural Appropriation (A limited liability company).

Is the general public aware that there exists more than manga in the Asian indie comic circuit? No, not usually. Heck a lot of the times there'll be a blank look if you mention a country that's not China or Japan. A few of them might nod to Korea, with Manhwa, but mention the Philippines and there's confusion. Say Sri Lanka and you could get a 'Huh?'. Remind them that the peoples of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are Asian peoples too, South Asian peoples and you might get someone asking if Pakistan isn't part of Korea. It might be enough to stop you pointing out instances of South Asian Fiction, far less with magical realism or fantasy elements.

Anime? There's Indian Animation?

Insert your head-thunk here. It's one thing not to know about it specifically it's another to feel as if it's impossible for countries that are not Y to have anything to do with Z.

As an aside, if you read The Green Turban at Desilit Magazine (the above link) tell me the story doesn't remind you of possible circumstances in many a movie involving white characters - except they got to be the hero in the end.

So Urban Lit, Street Lit; I get on the bus and I see women in their forties and fifties, reading books called 'Pappa Don't Preach' and 'My Daddy Pimp'. This is what the teenagers on the bus see them reading. This is the example being set. And not just by black folk, oh no. This stuff comes in spanish too.

There's usually a Black or Asian or Latina woman on the cover, wearing something too short and holding a wad of money, or being groped by some guy or wearing far too much jewelry. And if the woman on the cover is Asian, the title will mention something about 'Exotic'; His Little Slice of China or what the eff ever.

The cover on the book that lit the match to the explosion of my loathing for things Street Lit, has a woman leaning on a motorbike with DC behind her and a cigar in her hand. The picture's a little blurry, a little 'inexpensive' but the story was supposed to be about an African American woman who turns Vigilante; A Super Hero; Martial arts and maybe a little bit of gadgetry. A female semi Batman. My kind of thing.

But I Didn't Get A Heroine .

Ocyter's plea for recommendations of YA fic , with a strict 'No Gangs Please', let me know I'm not alone in being tired of this. In fact, I really like her phrasing:

"I am tired of scanning summaries of books about POC and going gang, unwanted pregnancy, gang, violence, gang, OPPRESSION, gang, racism, gang, abusive boyfriend, gang, historical oppression, gang."

We are more than fighting injustice over and over again. We are more than tales of "URBAN" life and how much do I loathe that word and how it's come to mean 'Black - Gangs, Drugs, Ho's. Film at 11'.

We have stories to tell about ourselves, about love and loss and family and adventure. We are more than colourful backdrops for whites to have an adventure against.

Why is it all only books where adventure is running from the cops? Why is it all; Blacks In The Hood, Latinos in Gangs, and South Asians, Asians and Middle Eastern/Saudi/Persian Descended Peoples all adjusting from their exotic life to a big complex majority white world? Usually Women of Colour fighting to fit their 'exotic' selves into a white world?

I don't know where to start, but I know something has to be done to counter-act this flood of - Street Lit Is The New Money! - stories that go around us and through us and discuss us, like we're bizarre animals in a zoo but aren't stories about us.

There is bank and flow and prosperity exchanges happening that focuses on our lives as OTHER. It's a situation where we're living in a Science Fiction reality and we're the aliens.

But I wrote a separate essay for that (linked above)

Moving on to yet another example of Us as OTHER ...

Cassie Edwards.

What a hot mess.

She's a prime example of what happens (regularly) when whites try to tell their version of a "positive portrayal"; Fetish dressed up with leather fringe thong and feathers in the hair. Delux-Vivens raises some of the same points that have had me fretting recently. It's all in her essay here:

What I find most interesting about the premise of these books, and the way in which it seemingly goes utterly unquestioned, is how, exactly, its supposed to be deeply OK for native men to be the targets of such a disturbing sexual fetish and everyone (esp native people) is supposed to be fine with that.

DV's article ties in nicely with this one about Dawnstar, a superheroine member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Cassie Edwards might have tried for specific tribal customs and geography, but Rob Schmidt points out the other side of the Noble Indian Savage is The Generic Indian Princess.

And then I found this in the blog, American Indians in Children's Literature, the write up is also about Cassie Edward; how she's not the first to steal the words of native writers and also how her stereotyped filled books misinform the readers, who may be parents. These parents then go on to buy books for their children based on what they think is solid research from a beloved author, only to end up buying and promoting more stereotypes.

Yeah, they're not any happier about The Savage Indian series than Delux-Vivens

Question - What is generic earth based spirituality and buckskin with fringes? A fetish? A box? (type?) A Disney movie?

Either way, it's all making money on OTHER.

It always seems to come back to other. Metempsychosis of the Machine: Science Fiction in the Halls of Karma.is a rich text about the cultural appropriation of the Third World for OTHER (the aliens, the strange culture that's so unlike 'our own' where our stands for definitions of whiteness and imperialism) Read it. Please just read it. I did, even though it hurt me to admit a harsh truth about my beloved DUNE (Frank Herbert)

What happens in Dune (amidst a wealth of future-Byzantine court intrigue) is that a rich white boy in a clearly recognisable fictional Middle East is adopted by some quasi-Islamic tribesfolk and becomes a version of Mohammed.

And actually I need to re-read it, slower and more thoughtfully because as a writer I don't want to get caught up in the conceit that all things not Eurocentric can serve as alien. I haven't really thought before of what it might mean to represent the culture of my birth as other to be read about by non-Caribbean peoples. I don't want to partake in the continual 'rape/mugging of the Third world'.

John Jenning's (link is his myspace, but don't hate the man for that - his art is beautiful) put some of his thoughts about that mugging of culture into "The Hole". A graphic novel, it places emphasis on African Americans in the US and is described as " a science fiction horror story depicting the buying and selling of race in America"; Race as a commodity even today in the form of hiphop culture. It's something I was personally aware of but hadn't thought about as closely as I should. I mean I hear all the time that it's white teenagers buying up the albums but hiphop isn't so much my thing, so I don't know like I should know.

There are sample pages up at the link. And if you can figure out how to buy the book or support him (because I'm too old to make sense of myspace) then I'd appreciate a comment or link back.

But speaking of hiphop culture and who buys into it the most and combine that with the seeming birds eye voyuerstic view on us that Street Lit would have buyers believe they have and suddenly certain attitudes make a whole lot more sense.

Attitudes like this:

From Girl Gamers, let me introduce you to i_am_pellucid involving him or herself in this thread.

i_am_pellucid:

on 2008-01-21 11:59 am - Racial bigotry will always exist as long as it is OK for one race to use a word, but not OK for another one to.

2008-01-21 12:07 pm - It's always annoyed me how the people who seem to most loudly claim they want equality in this country never think twice about shitting on a white person for saying or doing something that they encourage among non-white people all the time.

on 2008-01-21 02:39 pm - No, I'm sick of learning made-up laws about how I'm supposed to interact with people based on this, that, or the other superficial detail. I'm going to treat everyone in the exact same manner and I'm not going to let anyone to tell me to do otherwise under the banner of race relations, gender relations, or anything else.

on 2008-01-21 02:46 pm - If you want to be bound by every taboo that offends someone, be my guest, but I hope you're prepared to wear a burkha and not speak unless spoken to. Those of us who think that some social taboos were meant to be broken in half will continue to do as we please, however.

on 2008-01-21 02:55 pm - Of course it does. Affirmative action is racism. Some social organizations are still racist. Many scholarship programs are racist. Racism is all around us, and always will be unless people are willing to start treating everyone the same way. I know I'm basically hitting my head against the wall by doing it, but I'd rather hit my head against the wall doing what I think is right than sell my morals to make people feel better about themselves.

B. I. N. G. OMG! O! BINGO!

The muffler and blinders of institutional racism protecting institutional racism with a side order of "I know how you people think/are/whatever".

And if you want to further raise your pressure, check out the gift of words one comics fan left for author Dwayne Mcduffie, on MLK's birthday no less.

I quote:

I can read about it, even talk about it hours on end with the elder black lady that walks the halls in the nursing home where I did security, and hold her as she would occasionally cry about it. I did not experience these problems, I can't know what it was like, I will never feel what they felt as they went through it.
Now, WENT through is the operative term to me. Past. The 30 year old black man barely went through anything as difficult as their previous generation, and NOW the teens can't even begin to know what their fathers and grandfathers went through, and they are still the "angry black man". Angry about what? your IPOD doesn't work??? Your gold is fake??? What?

Street Lit - Negative Expectations and Perceptions. It is its own very bad successful PR campaign about the people it claims to represent as it claims to give them opportunities.

---

FUBU LINKS

COMICS / ANIMATION

1. Dread Society X by Chuck Collins
   
   
   • The Trailer.
   
   
   
   • The Preview.
   
   
   
   • Episode 1.
   
   
   
   Yes there's a touch of Wild Black Man in there. But I saw it more as 'Lion of Judah'. And when's the last time outside of Deep Space Nine, a black man was the head of a team to do right?
   
   Taken off the project's MySpace Page.
   
   " DSX (Dread Society X) is the last group of Rebels left in a chaotic, post-apocolyptic world. Using the weapons of their ancestors from all cultures, they defend themselves from the Demonic Regime of the GRI (Global Reconstruction Initiative). Aza Khan leads a group of outlaws and rebels to return to the place of his father's birth. Upon returning he learns many truths about the world and his role in a prophecy foretold by elders of his father's tribe. Aza now faces his destiny...Will the GRI fall before Aza Khan.... " ©2003-2006 Dread Society X.
   
   
   
2. Secret Identities
   Way back in September of 07, Sigelphoenix was promoting this Anthology of Asian American Super Heroes due out this (2008) fall.
   
   So was Jeff Yang and his article also turned me onto Larry Hama.



3. Did you know the man who put the blood, sweat and tears into the G.I. Joe Comics Franchise was Asian? Larry Hama. I didn't until now. When I was a kid, I ate up G.I.Joe. I watched the movies. I read the comics. I had the action figures. Larry Hama was responsible for the character bios on the backing of the toys I so coveted. Larry Hama is responsible for my hard crush on Lady Jaye and Cover Girl. His female characters rocked hard core, and strong with the ass kicking.
   
   And he's over at Devil's Due Publishing right now with G.I.Joe Declassified and a spin off for Storm Shadow.



4. Also check out these Asian Indie Comic Creators: Bryan Lee O'Malley, Kean Soo, E.J. Su, Amy Kim Ganter, Kazu Kabuishi, Gene Yang



5. Earlier I mentioned other Asian Indie Comics. Here are some Khmer Comics aka Cambodian & like manga.



6. The Healthy Aboriginal is a site for a First Nations comic - a suicide prevention comic. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like an uplifting thing to promote. And yet it involves a Native American Superhero and it's for NA youth to both show that NA youth are a high risk group for suicide and to spread hope that suicide's not the only dream left. One article calls it iconic. I seriously wish I could get my hands on more than just a few scans.
   
   
7. I mentioned Dawnstar earlier. The same blogger came up with a plausible backstory for her that would make her more two dimensional. I think the storyline is too complex for DC, especially for a female character in DC. I guess that shows what I think of DC.



8. There is an amazing resource in AfriComics. The site calls itself The Black Science Fiction and Comic Book Portal. Someone get on my case about updating the Carnival's Del.icio.us site, because links like this need to be shared when found. This site compiles resources on novels, webcomics, indies, movies and tv. Unfortunately the official blog seems to have been last updated in November of 07. I can't find contact info to give you to go spread some love. But hits to the site have to count too.




9. Stealth, it's a webcomic that offers its archive via Lulu. I hadn't known Lulu could be a resource for African Descended Comics (primarily African American, I think) or general AA Literature. Lulu somehow got stuck in my head as that place people from Nifty go to sell their sex novels. If you'd been thinking along those lines too, now's a good time to re-construct your vision.



Gene Wolfe: "Magical Realism is Fantasy written in Spanish."

STORIES & AUTHORS


10. The following collection of links is likely not the best in the world for First Nations / American Indian sites of interest. It's been difficult to find too much that's science fiction / fantasy. Either it's listed under Magical Realism, like two books I read this summer, (whose titles I will find eventually) or simply labeled 'legend retelling'. Legend retelling, to my mind isn't the same thing at all. I'd like to see a King James Bible get labeled as 'legend' the uproar would be huge.
    
    But either way these books get listed in other groups; contemporary fiction, folktales, etc.
    
    Aside: I never knew magical realism was such a loaded term. I just always thought it was just inaccurate.
    
    
    • Native American Author Project
    
    
    • Reviews by Paula Geise a site that claims the last update was 1996, but has commentary on a whole host of YA Lit and others and all NA/AN/FN centric.
    
    
    • A Native Wiki. How cool is that, Wiki plus Authors. It give me a happy smile at the very least.
    
    
    • A Native Web Center, broader than just America it offers itself as a resource for indigenous cultures worldwide.
    
    
    • And last but not least this little catch all university site for native authors
    
    
    
    
11. BLACK SCIENCE FICTION A tinly little angelfire site devoted to the topic with stories by one John M Faucette



ART


12. The Ausarian Scrolls - The site is confusing as crap. There doesn't seem to have ever been any serious traffic and it's easy to understand why. Again? Site navigation, text, all confusing and tiny as crap. But the project itself was/is one ambitious undertaking and a lot of the imagery is gorgeous. Bear with it for ten mins for the art.



13. Joseph R Wheeler Presents The New Art Order. Hasn't been updated since May of 07 apparently. But here is his full colour porfolio and here is his black and white porfolio.

_____________________

Next Carnival: February. Ladyjax on livejournal

Special Note: To all the artists following the carnival, I'd like to do a special issue this year that's an all art issue. I'll post something separately as I get the idea more organized. But right now, who'd be interested in sketching a special piece for it? Who'd be willing to promote it? Would someone (an artist) like to host it themselves? Ideas welcome.

Stagnation

I was discussing M-Day with a friend earlier, she hadn't heard too much about it. And it made me piece together random snippets of thought I'd had about the whole thing.

It's been bugging me and bugging me that Marvel claims to have done this because mutants were no longer the minority and that this was affecting the story.

I may have mentioned previous that there's still plenty that can be done with being a majority that's hated and feared. But there was a piece I hadn't thought through yet when I said that.

Homo Superior.

Mutants are supposed to be what man-kind is evolving into. It makes lots of sense to me that even if you want to call the past 25 yrs of comic history an extended FIVE YEAR STORYLINE, it still makes sense for mutants to slowly emerge in greater and greater numbers.

All the fear and suspicion doesn't go away the more mutants you have - at least not to my thinking. I think everything would get worse. I mean, right now there's all this talk about how 'The White Man' is the most put upon true minority on earth. Which I won't get into here.

But I can see sentiments about how Normal Human Beings are becoming the minority and what then? And how will that affect schools and life and crime fighting and public safety.

So I've been having thinky thoughts, especially in the wake of One More Day and Brand New Day.

The Mutants had a reboot.

Spiderman has had a reboot.

Is it that scary that these wonderful stories should continue? Is it that awful?

And has been pointed out time and time again, with one offs and AU special series and a new line of a new take on the universe (which also implies you could start a second new line for a new take on the universe - I'm fond of gender switch myself) why not move forward?

Why not see what the stories would be like when mutants are the next state in human evolution, when this moment (in comics) is the watershed moment, is the point when the balance has shifted and everyone's readjusting?

Why not explore the everyone in his thirties, dealing with the real life wtf, of heroing, marriage, job, calling...

I know I'd pay attention to Fantastic Four if Sue divorced Reed and we got to see more stories about her, and her powers and how they evolve and her as a single mom. And don't tell me 'Kids today won't relate to a single mom' cause - have you met their parent??

Matt Murdock may not ever move out of Hell's Kitchen - but Hell's Kitchen would sure enough change, the inhabitants, the stores, the feel of it. Though I don't know too much about DD, he was never my thing.

But progress, story, new circumstances, new expectations, new problems - it's like...

Like Marvel needs fanfic writers. They need people who have no problem looking at the text and hunting for subtext or novel ways to portray the heart of the character. Because all they have right now is people willing to tell the same story over and over and over and over again.

Civil War - Redux Registration Act.

BND - Redux 40yr old virgin. With Superpowers.

OMG - What if Hulk, met like the new Captain America. AND THEY FOUGHT!

Maybe part of it is the fact that Marvel missed the Memo? (And DC only got have the message) You know the memo that says graphic novels are part of the sequential art movement, and it's carving a niche of its own due to comic book readers growing up and discovering they like the artform to tell a myriad of tales?

Hm, other publishing companies manage to sell books both for young adult and adult readers. Heck, sometimes it's the same book with the same storyline.

And do they think it's just kids that go see the movies?

Huh, do they think that real fans should never want to see the characters grow up, change, mature?

This is all very confusing. Very confusing.

*hugs her HellBoy and King Fu Hustle and The Incredibles and Batman Begins*