ImaginAsianland

This month's ImaginAsian exhibit in Lafayette, Indiana marks the first time a piece of work of mine has been featured in a museum exhibit. My ImaginAsian submission, the script for this summer's The Palace: Like Stuff It, White People, turns up in these photos of the exhibit by organizer Kate Agathon.


My script is the black binder that's inside the display case with a copy of Far East Movement's Animal CD that was signed by the band. Also appearing in Kate's snapshots are ImaginAsian submissions by author Lac Su, jozjozjoz of "Racist Camera! No, I did not blink... I'm just Asian!" fame, Secret Asian Man creator Tak Toyoshima and Secret Identities editor-in-chief Jeff Yang.

As part of a fundraiser for the Asian American Network of Indiana, ImaginAsian is auctioning off on eBay a second script I donated. It's the Palace: Death to Skinny Jeans script packaged together with the finished Skinny strips themselves, which I posted here back in December. The exhibit continues into Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and runs until May 9 at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation at 638 North Street in Lafayette.

The First Annual Asian American ComiCon (AACC), Part 2

Previously on A Fistful of Soundtracks: The Blog: Part 1 of my two-part recap of the AACC.


My bio in the AACC program.

All the pics in this second AACC photo gallery were snapped on July 11, 2009 at the Museum of Chinese in America in Manhattan's Chinatown with my disposable Kodak, except where noted.


Secret Asian Man creator Tak Toyoshima tries to finish a commissioned strip about the AACC. The look on my face says, "You're gonna finish that today? It takes me a week to finish writing a 20-minute script for the Fistful of Soundtracks channel."


Here I am signing copies of Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology for my first two fans at the con, Purdue University graduate students/lecturers Kate Agathon and Lisa Hanasono.


At one point, I accidentally mixed up the names of Kate and Lisa (far right) while talking to them from my table. I joked, "I have no Malaydar. I have trouble telling us Asians apart."


From left to right: Kate, some new guy at the Secret Identities Tour and Lisa.


The AACC's Secret Identities signing session marked the first time I ever autographed something that was neither a school yearbook nor a birthday card. From left to right: "Justified" writer Ken Wong, Secret Identities editor-in-chief and AACC co-chair Jeff Yang, myself and "Preface: In the Beginning" and "Peril" artist Jef Castro.


From left to right: Captain America, "Jia" artist Cliff Chiang, "The Hibakusha" and "16 Miles" author Parry Shen and myself.


From left to right: "16 Miles" artist Sarah Sapang and myself, both newcomers who are making our comics debut in Secret Identities, and Tak.


Added on July 22, 2009: I don't know what we're laughing about. Perhaps Rahadyan Sastrowardoyo, who snapped this photo, remembers.


Added on July 22: I like the sight of Chinatown storefronts in the background (photo by Rahadyan).


Added on July 22: I bet I'm the only comic book writer who references Public Enemy in his autographs (photo by Rahadyan).


Legendary sci-fi writer William F. Wu ("Wong's Lost and Found Emporium") and I watch beloved comics author Larry Hama accept the AACC's inaugural Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama Award. Sitting in front of me are guitarist Patrick Moloney and singer Teresa Lee from the New York band PaperDoll, which later performed at the AACC afterparty at the museum (photo by Shawn Smith).


From left to right: Tak, Kate and I (photo courtesy of Kate). Here's to next year's AACC.

First Annual Asian American ComiCon (AACC) posts schedule; Jimmy J. Aquino to sign Secret Identities at AACC and refer to himself in the third person

On Saturday, July 11, I'll be in NYC for the First Annual Asian American ComiCon (AACC), which will take place for only one day because the Man won't give us two.

AACC will mark the first time I'll ever sign anything I wrote. Like Adam West, I charge $45 for an autograph. Make the check out to...

Alright, I'm kidding.

At AACC, there will be lots of interesting panels and lots of instances of me having to explain who I am ("Yeah, I'm the fourth Basco brother. What's crackin'? I'm Ta Basco.").

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)


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, Ignatz (forthcoming); Vyshali Manivannan, author, Invictus; 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

· 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, Ignatz (forthcoming); Vyshali Manivannan, author, Invictus; 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

An old G.I. Joe comic has eerie parallels to Laura Ling's ordeal

I posted about this recently on my Twitter page. While searching my storage boxes in my parents' dusty garage for some old Starlog issues because I wanted to look at a couple of Starlog articles about Gerald Fried and the making of The Rocketeer, I stumbled into a stack of '80s Marvel G.I. Joe comics written by Asian American comics author Larry Hama, whose work is admired by all of us creators from Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology. (Quick Kick--one of the few Asian American heroes in '80s comics and voiced on the original G.I. Joe animated show by none other than Dr. Pierre Chang--was Hama's creation. A chat between Hama and Secret Asian Man creator Tak Toyoshima appears in Secret Identities as an interstitial feature drawn by Tak.)


At the top of the stack of G.I. Joe comics I unearthed from the garage was one of the first comics I bought for myself, G.I. Joe #61 from July 1987, which is notable for two things: a badass Mike Zeck cover depicting Snow Job, a wounded Quick Kick and a mad-as-hell Stalker in the middle of a shootout (one of my all-time favorite comics covers) and some early Todd McFarlane artwork that Marvel rejected because it didn't meet their standards. Marvel replaced the future Amazing Spider-Man and Spawn illustrator with Marshall Rogers, whose late '70s Batman comics I've always dug (one of Rogers' Batman stories was later adapted by Batman: The Animated Series into "The Laughing Fish").

But McFarlane's scrapped art actually isn't the most interesting thing about issue #61, which, like many of Hama's other G.I. Joe comics, is grittier than the bloodless, Star Wars-like '80s animated series and Paramount's upcoming G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. (Uh, Stephen Sommers, I think you've gotten your '80s cartoons mixed up. The shiny skintight power suits aren't G.I. Joe. That's Silverhawks, pal. And that long-winded Rise of Cobra title is terrible. It's not going to attract non-fans who think it's a documentary about health insurance for the unemployed.)

Hama's story in #61 centers on the Joe unit's attempted rescue of an American reporter who's arrested on trumped-up espionage charges in the fictional country of Borovia.


While re-reading #61, I couldn't help but think of recent headlines involving captured journalists, like the North Korean detainment of Current TV staffers Laura Ling--a correspondent for Current's Vanguard and the younger sister of reporter and ex-View co-host Lisa Ling--and Euna Lee.


Hama's comic makes me wish that a special ops unit would sneak into North Korea and bust them the hell out of there.

Those of us former or current journos who are worried about Ling and Lee's impending trial (and hope they are released like captured Iranian American journo Roxana Saberi recently was) should read the LiberateLaura Twitter page, which has been posting both updates on Ling and Lee's case and links to candlelight vigil announcements and press coverage. I first learned about the page when its tweeter replied to my tweets about the 1987 G.I. Joe issue.

A lot of bloggers are blasting the Al Gore-owned channel for not publicly acknowledging the ordeal. Current continues to air Ling's past Vanguard segments as if nothing awful has happened to her. For instance, the channel has lately put Ling's segment about Vietnamese bird flu into heavy rotation because of its relevance to the swine flu problem, but Current Tonight host Rawley Valverde didn't mention his colleague's present situation at all during a recently recorded intro that preceded the bird flu segment. The channel's silence must be due to legal reasons--as angry asian man notes, not even Ling's family members can publicly "go into detail regarding her ordeal due to the sensitive nature of the case"--and what I assume is the Current staff's discomfort with having two of its reporters become the story.

By the way, when will newspapers and blogs stop posting the same two blurry DMV driver's license photo-quality pictures of Ling and Lee? Are these papers and blogs lazy or what? Ling wasn't exactly reclusive in her line of work, so how can that be the only picture these papers and blogs have of her?

Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology at NYCC

NYCC's Secret Identities panel on Saturday was an exciting moment for myself and everyone else at the con who was involved in the New Press graphic novel of the same name. Secret Identities editors Keith Chow and Jeff Yang, whom I'm standing behind in the above pic (Jeff's the one who's holding a not-quite-final copy of the novel), unveiled the official trailer for the novel and discussed the project at the panel, which kicked off a Secret Identities promotional tour. The novel will hit stores in mid-April and contain my comic book scriptwriting debut, "Sampler."

The standing-room-only crowd delighted us, but I was even more jazzed about how the audience consisted of readers of all races who are interested in our novel. That's a great sign. It means we've been doing something right. We created these stories for everyone to enjoy.

Like the creators of the Harold & Kumar flicks (yeah, those guys are white, but they understand what us Asian Americans have been going through), I wrote about a protagonist who happens to be Asian American, and I tried not to delve into identity politics too much, which is what a lot of pre-Harold & Kumar movies about young AAs would do as a response to past one-dimensional portrayals of AAs on the screen (and sometimes these films would counter that problem not very effectively or not very subtly). But at the same time, I wanted to insert little moments into "Sampler" in which the title heroine recognizes there's racism out there and she responds to it either with humor (she wears an "I suck at math" T-shirt) or--because this is the superhero genre--mucho bitchslapping.

Here I am sitting in the audience, talking to another Secret Identities contributor, Secret Asian Man creator Tak Toyoshima, before the beginning of the panel:


It was awesome to finally meet Tak, whose strip I've read for years. Tak's contribution to Secret Identities is an interstitial Q&A with legendary G.I. Joe and Wolverine comics writer Larry Hama.


Right after the Secret Identities panel, Tak and I saw an Asian guy in a Superman costume and an Asian woman in a Wonder Woman outfit posing for photos together--an amusing epilogue to the panel. I was disappointed that my camcorder somehow deleted my footage of Asian Supes and Asian WW. Apparently my camera's racist and it hates Asian superheroes.

I found a pic of the Supe posing with Jeff and Keith (Asian Supes' other identity is Bryan Nguyen)...


... but I'm still looking for a shot of Asian Supes' scantily clad sidekick.


At my left is multitalented Incredible Hercules writer and Robot Stories director Greg Pak, who scripted "The Citizen" for Secret Identities.


At my right is Giant Robot's Anne Ishii, who moderated the Secret Identities panel and is the first person to tell me she dug "Sampler." Later, Anne and I were stunned to discover we both were Banana Slugs who attended Uncle Charlie's Summer Camp at about the same time (we never crossed paths during our years at UCSC).


A full shot of the Secret Identities crew after the panel discussion. Back row, left to right: Anne, moi, Greg, Ken Wong (writer of "Justified"), Jonathan Tsuei (writer of "9066"), Tak, Bernard Chang (illustrator of "The Citizen"), Larry Hama. Front row, left to right: Keith, Jeff, Sarah Sapang (illustrator of "16 Miles"), Jef Castro (illustrator of "Peril"), Alexander Tarampi (illustrator of "Gaman").


A Joker/Monarch team-up would rock a nerd's world.