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Tomorrow, Marvel Entertainment (the same company that made X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Hulk household names) will release the first issue of a new miniseries, called “Marvel Divas.” The comics will focus on four of the Marvel universe’s female characters: Black Cat, Captain Marvel, Firestar, and Hellcat. There’s not much we know about the [...]

Man, I wish I could go to this.

The First-Ever Asian American ComiCon
Comes to New York on July 11, 2009!

Event gathers top mainstream and alternative comics creators, including
FRED CHAO, BERNARD CHANG, SEAN CHEN, CLIFF CHIANG, DEREK KIRK KIM, CHRISTINE NORRIE, GREG PAK, KHOI PHAM, MISAKO ROCKS! and many others;
comics legend LARRY HAMA to be honored with special award

June 15, 2009 –

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 contemporary role 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.

Registration will be limited, and is available in advance through the following link: https://www.nycharities.org/event/event.asp?CE_ID=4187  

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:

¡P         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).

¡P         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.

¡P         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:

–BERNARD CHANG (Wonder Woman)
–FRED CHAO (Johnny Hiro)
–SEAN CHEN (Iron Man)
–CLIFF CHIANG (Green Arrow/Black Canary)
–LARRY HAMA (G.I. Joe)
–DEREK KIRK KIM (The Eternal Smile)
–JERRY MA (Burn)
–CHRISTINE NORRIE (Breaking Up)
–GREG PAK (Incredible Hulk)
–KHOI PHAM (Mighty Avengers)
–MISAKO ROCKS! (Biker Girl)
–CHRISTINA STRAIN (Runaways)
–TAK TOYOSHIMA (Secret Asian Man)

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 of a 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!”

For more information, please visit www.aacomicon.com
For general inquiries, please contact education@mocanyc.org
For press inquiries, please contact media@aacomicon.com

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:

¡P         Priority reserved seating at all panels and workshops

¡P         One Original Sketch drawn by an artist from the AACC Artists Alley—artist availability based on first-come, first-serve basis

¡P         One classic Asian American graphic novel, signed by its creators—choose from:
Secret Identities: The Asian American Anthology (The New Press),
Same Difference & Other Stories (Top Shelf Publishing), or
Johnny Hiro Volume 1 (AdHouse Books)

¡P         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.

                                                                                     # # #

The Backstory: This interview is the first in a series of interviews with the editors of Secret Identities, an anthology of comic short stories about Asian American superheroes from Asian American writers and artists. Secret Identities hit bookshelves last week, and in case you haven’t heard, it’s awesome.

In This Issue: I spoke with each of the editors one-on-one for about an hour, chatting about a variety of topics from the making of Secret Identities to their favourite comic books when they were a kid. These interviews are based on those conversations. I thank each of the editors for taking time out of their busy schedules (and their jam-packed book tour) to chat with me.

I first met Parry Shen back in the spring of 2004, when he visited my undergraduate alma mater for a workshop on his experiences as lead actor in Justin Lin’s debut film, Better Luck Tomorrow. At his workshop, I learned a lot about Shen’s experiences as an Asian American actor in a predominantly non-Asian Hollywood. I learned about the difficulties for minority actors in the casting process and the sense of futility, cynicism, and defeat that many Asian American actors ultimately  succumb to before leaving the industry altogether. And, I learned about the breath of fresh air that an independent film like Better Luck Tomorrow represented for a large community of struggling Asian American actors, directors and producers. Better Luck Tomorrow was a shot of pure adrenaline; it established to a disillusioned community of Asian American entertainers that a socially-conscious, Asian American-focused project could be made in a profit-driven mainstream Hollywood, and that our community would come out in full force to support it.

Six years later, Shen is hoping to do it again.

Although Shen is the first editor I interviewed for this series, he was the last editor to join the board of Secret Identities. A daily reader of Phil Yu’s Angry Asian Man blog, Shen was thrilled when Yu posted a call for submissions for a collected anthology of Asian American superhero comic stories written by Asian American comic book legends and fanboys alike. A long-time comic book fan, Shen immediately responded to the call for submissions (two of his pieces appear in the book: Hibakusha, a story about a group of young Hiroshima survivors who develop awesome powers, and 16 Miles, a story based on the death of real-life Asian American hero, James Kim). The anthology’s editors were so impressed with Shen’s creativity and enthusiasm, that they invited him to join the board as Managing Editor.

“I have been an actor for twelve years,” says Shen. “And, I was getting extremely frustrated with the roles I was auditioning for… [I felt like] I was going out for the same type of guy: this tech guy who works at this firm who is really good at what he does but as soon as a woman walks by, he clams up. [I kept asking myself] How many times will I have to audition for this guy?”

It was during this period of soul-searching that Shen decided to contribute to Secret Identities.

“The top comic book artists are all Asian American,” explains Shen. “How come they hadn’t yet banded together to create a project like this? [This anthology was asking Asian American comic fans to] create some cool people who are masculine and who are saving the day. That really hit home for me, and I [already] had a story in mind — the Hibakusha story. I pitched the story, just wanting to be a contributor, but (and I don’t know what talks they had) but all of a sudden, I got editorial duties! I’m pretty good with organization skills, so that was definitely my strength [on the board]. Maybe I filled that need.”

Like many fanboys and fangirls, Shen’s interest in comic books started in his youth, which of course begs the question: DC or Mavel? “I’m a Marvel guy,” states Shen without hesitation. “When I was a kid, I was attracted to Marvel because of how they humanized their characters, whether I knew it or not. DC’s characters were stuck in a rut where they had the villain of the day and [the heroes] had to foil their plans for world domination. Spiderman and the X-men were the first to delve into stories that featured real people with powers. The X-men were trying to help society, but society hated them and were scared of them. But, I have to say, my first comic book was The Picture Bible, which my mom gave me. It told Bible stories in comic format, complete with superheroic feats like the parting of the Red Sea. I’m not Catholic, but when I went to Catholic school, thanks to that book, I knew all of the Bible stories. It was really cool how this comic presented the Bible in such a digestible format, and that it tricked me into learning. The last page of Secret Identities follows along that theme — it shows a timeline that maps the stories against Asian American history. Hopefully, readers will get to the end and say, ‘holy cow, this was based on something real?’”

During college, Shen became an officer in his on-campus Asian American organization when he decided to enter the entertainment industry. He interned at Marvel Comics, working in the licensing department, but ultimately chose the route of an actor. When I ask whether Shen ever considered becoming involved in the comic book industry full-time, he laughs, saying: “I didn’t see where I could fit into it, except as an editor or a writer. I couldn’t draw!” Ironically, had Shen stuck with Marvel Comics’ licensing department, he might have become a full-fledged comics insider: several years after Shen’s internship, Avi Arad rejuvenated the Marvel Comics franchise via expansion of that same licensing department to oversee film adaptations of Spiderman, the X-men and the Fantastic Four.

Perhaps fulfilling his earliest suspicions of where he might fit into the comic book industry, Shen has surpassed all expectations in his role as Managing Editor for Secret Identities. Speaking about the editorial process, Shen expounds on the difficulties the board faced trying to build a cohesive anthology from a wide array of talented writers and artists with varying styles and experience in the comic medium. “Secret Identities had a lot of contributors, because we had somebody write a story and another person draw it. We had to coordinate the schedules for over 60 creators.”

The risk of anthologies is that they can come off as disjointed — certainly, Secret Identities occasionally suffers from that problem. However, Shen points out that a great deal of effort and attention was put towards ensuring that the whole book “gelled together”. “The essence of an anthology is that different styles and different writers come together to produce a beautiful work. We focused on pairing people according to their strengths and their styles of writing and their styles of artwork.”

The editors, too, seemed to play to one anothers’ strengths. Keith Chow, a freelance writer coached contributors in script-writing, while Shen notes that both he and Jeff Yang (columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle) offered different perspectives originating from their experiences in the mainstream entertainment industry. And it was Jerry Ma, founder of freelance graphic design studio Epic Proportions, who literally saved the look of the book. Initially, the editors struggled with the 4-6 page limit placed on each submission. “We fudged [those limits] a little,” says Shen, “but it shows why everyone’s favourite story is Blue Scorpion & Chung. It needs that length.” The problem was that with each story trying to make the most of 4 pages, all the artwork became little boxes. “Midway through, Jerry realized that the book was beginning to look like a street map! He was the one who said, ‘visually, this book isn’t looking very good’, so [based on his comments] we re-wrote some stuff and gave the artists room to breathe.”

The primary challenge for Secret Identities’ editors was working with creators with such vastly different skill levels. According to Shen, the editors worked closely with many writers to help them take full advantage of the comic format. Some artists, too, were inexperienced with the comic medium; Ma helped those artists to literally “think outside the box”. In addition, many of the editors were inexperienced in publishing a book. Shen confesses that before this project, he didn’t know that pages were published in sets of eight. “That’s why we have only eight full-colour profile pages. Originally, we had twelve submissions we wanted to use, but we couldn’t get to sixteen, so we had to chop those four off.”

Despite all this backroom tinkering, Secret Identities appears to come together almost effortlessly, showcasing an impressive array of Asian American talent including pieces from the editors, themselves. Shen talks about this inspiration for his story 16 Miles. “I became Managing Editor [for Secret Identities] in October 2006.  The death of James Kim (left, with daughters) happened a month later, in November or December of 2006. Heroes and Asian Americans were on the forefront of everything I was doing at the time. I was like, ‘he’s the real deal.’ All the stories we have are fictionalized; but this is someone who did a real heroic act. This guy can’t not be in this book in some form. But since this is a superhero anthology, I wanted him to have a superpower he couldn’t use, so he had to rely on his human strength. And that’s the true source of his heroism.”

As for the other stories in Secret Identities, one of Shen’s favourites is Meet Joe. In it, an Asian American guy (average in every way) showcases an array of superpowers only to be confronted by other Asian Americans from his past who reveal that all Asian Americans share those superpowers, and that Joe puts the community at risk by revealing these abilities to the outside world. Shen says, “everyone’s frustrated about being portrayed as the weak guy. This story points that out by embracing it in parody: as if all Asians know computers and martial arts… It’s such an offbeat story, and the artwork matched it perfectly. My favourite character is the Chinese delivery guy (one of the three characters who confront Joe) who has this cigarette dangling out of his mouth. Looking at him, you can’t not laugh! Once [the editorial board] saw the initial sketches, we just busted out laughing!”

Another of Shen’s favourites is S.O.S., by Tanuj Chopra (art by Alex Joon Kim), another parody comic about superhero outsourcing.

For Shen, this latest foray back into the comic book industry began as a side hobby. But with the expected success of volume one, Shen has begun to explore the possibilities of connecting Secret Identities to his day job as an actor. Shen is currently working on a screenplay adaptation of his story Hibakusha, and is excited about the possibility that he might one day have the opportunity to play one of Secret Identities’ 52 Asian American superheroes on the big screen. “It’s become more of a passion than acting,” confesses Shen. ”I can control the content and have my say. We’ll have to see what the public interest in [Secret Identities] is. I’m still auditioning, but the roles don’t really excite me as much as the possibilities for a Secret Identities, volume two.”

A volume two? Do my ears deceive? Shen jokes: “Much to the dismay of my wife, we’re definitely talking about a volume two.” 

Among a few logistical changes, Shen thinks that a volume two might have fewer contributors, each being given the space to write longer stories. “Fewer contributors would be more manageable,” says Shen. “[Then we could] double the page content and increase the overall page count. Everybody, including us, wanted to see more of each story.” In addition, Shen drops a tantalizing hint. “While we were at New York’s ComicCon, a fan said to us, ‘I love the premise, but doing heroes is kind of easy. It’s more difficult to do a compelling villain.”

Perhaps Secret Identities, volume two will be a supervillain anthology? Shen says his imagination is already running wild with that notion. Mashura (a villain in Secret Identities) could be one of the forefront characters. “Maybe he’s trying to control all of these young supers!” says Shen, excitedly.

Nonetheless, the possibilities for a volume two depend on the success of the first book. Shen encourages each of us, whether we’ve purchased a copy of Secret Identities already or not, to contact our local comic book stores and bookstores, requesting that Secret Identities be ordered and placed on the shelves. “Let them know you’re interested,” says Shen. “The editors aren’t making a dime off of this book. This book was truly a labour of love.”

Act Now! Purchase your copy of Secret Identities and then tell everyone you know how awesome it is and how they should get their own copy. Also, visit your local bookstores and comic book shops and pester the owners and managers to carry the book, just ‘cuz it’s so awesome.

The first few pages of Secret Identities chronicle an exchange between Jeff Yang (writer of Asian Pop! at the San Francisco Chronicle) and Keith Chow (freelance writer) that originally inspired the Asian American superhero anthology released today. Yang, researching his now well-cited article on Asian American pop culture and comic books (Look… Up in the Sky! It’s Asian Man!), asks Chow about the appeal that comics have had for Asian American youth. Chow replies: “Comics have always been a refuge for kids who are shy or socially awkward. And I think for Asian Americans, the parallels are even stronger. You’re an outsider. You don’t fit in. But then you go to school and meet other people like yourself. You discover your secret heritage – the thing inside you that makes you special.”

Yet, it is frustrating that the comic book industry has failed to identify and acknowledge their loyal Asian American fan-base. While the number of Asian/Asian American superheroes has slowly increased over the last few decades, these heroes remain massively overshadowed by an overabundance of Caucasian protagonists (for a chronological listing of Asian/Asian American superheroes in comics, check out my site Outsiders). Those Asian/Asian American superheroes who do achieve the pinnacle of comic book success – their own ongoing title or mini-series – are frequently written in a one-dimensional (or even stereotypical) manner (often by non-Asian writers overwhelmed by the pressure to write a realistic portrayal of a person with a hyphenated racial and cultural identity). Instead, many contemporary Asian American superheroes end up as a tragic East-meets-West cliché, before they (or their title) meet an untimely (but ultimately predictable) end.

Enter Secret Identities, an anthology of comic short stories about Asian/Asian American superheroes written and illustrated by a superstar cast of Asian/Asian American comic fans, and edited by Yang, Chow, Jeff Ma (founder of Epic Proportions, an independent studio) and Parry Shen (Better Luck Tomorrow). A whopping 190 pages, Secret Identities runs the gamut from classic origin stories of a variety of Asian American superheroes (e.g. Sampler by Jimmy Aquino and art by Erwin Haya) to quirky commentaries on the roles Asian American characters play in today’s mainstream comics (e.g. The Blue Scorpion & Chung by Gene Yang and art by Sonny Liew). And what an amazing diversity of stories it is! Secret Identities is a spirited and gleeful act of protest against the invisibility of Asian Americans in the pages of mainstream comics: each story is a fresh reminder that we Asian Americans can be iconic superheroes, too.

One of my favourite stories is Jeff Yang’s A Day at Costumeco (art by A.L. Baroza) which turns the formulaic superhero family (a la Disney’s Incredibles) on its ear while also offering a tongue-in-cheek reinterpretation of the magical girl genre of Japanese manga. In the story, an Asian American family of superhumans goes to a local superhero Costco (stocked with plutonium at bargain basement prices), where the tortured, Daria-esque Asian American daughter reveals her latent powers as Pretty Super Schoolgirl Valentine, much to her own chagrin. As a onetime fan of shoujo manga, Yang instantly won a fan in me. Another favourite was Parry Shen’s touching story, 16 Miles (art by Sarah Sapang), which was inspired by the death of James Kim, a father who walked 16 miles in the snow to try and bring back help for his wife and two daughters after the family’s car became trapped in a snowdrift. Finally, Greg Pak’s The Citizen is a colourful and off-beat reimagining of the Captain America origin story that any comic geek will appreciate. Other stories that stand out are James by Michael Kang (art by Erwin Haya), S.O.S. by Tanuj Chopra (art by Alex Joon Kim) and You Are What You Eat by Lynn Chen (art by Paul Wei).

In addition, the editors elevate Secret Identities beyond a simple graphic novel/anthology format with their inclusion of single-page one-shots that depict the editors discussing the impact of comics on Asian Americans, and vice versa. These one-shots punctuate the intervening stories with a sociopolitical context that help formulate the argument as to why a book like Secret Identities is a necessary and natural evolution in our community’s relationship with comics. S.O.S. by Keith Chow features a conversation between Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) and Michael Kang (filmmaker, The Motel) that examines, and ultimately dismantles, the stereotype of the Asian sidekick. Commenting on Bruce Lee’s role as Kato, The Green Hornet’s chauffeur and manservant, Yang says, “Like it or not, the legacy of Kato is ingrained in our pop culture zeitgeist.” Kang replies, “That’s why it’s important to do what Bruce did. Tell our own stories, on our own terms. The more of us there are out there telling our stories, the more multifaceted, complex Asian characters we’ll see.” Yang then remarks, “One thing’s for sure, if Bruce had never gotten fed up with roles like Kato, he might not have gone back to Hong Kong. And the world would have been without the true legacy of Bruce Lee.” This simple exchange provides a useful commentary for the subsequent tale of The Blue Scorpion & Chung (mentioned above), who are clearly references to The Green Hornet and Kato.

To their credit, the editors of Secret Identities paid careful attention to match their writers with talented artists who are capable of augmenting the stories’ plots and tones with their craft. Sampler by Jimmy Aquino is perfectly illustrated by Erwin Haya in stylized shades of greys that match the playful light-heartedness of the Aquino’s script. Meanwhile, Jonathan Tsuei’s 9066 is rendered by Jerry Ma in a darker, somewhat more realistic style and heavy inking (all culminating in a beautiful final page) that hits an appropriately somber and cynical note. Secret Identities includes eight full-colour profile pages, each worthy of reprint as a poster pin-up.          

If there’s any criticism that can be made of Secret Identities, it would be some minor problems resulting from the unwieldiness of the anthology genre. The necessary brevity of each story produced an occasional sense of disjointedness from story to story. Though many of the stories introduced the reader to interesting and compelling new Asian/Asian American superheroes, the limits on story length also resulted in an overrepresentation of cursory origin-type stories, and I was left with a hope that future editions of Secret Identities (if additional volumes are to be published) will leave more room for longer stories that are able to delve into somewhat more intricate plots or character development. And, as with all anthologies, there are some writers and artists who are slightly more polished than others. But these are all small issues that don’t come close to diminishing a stunning and politically important final product.

Secret Identities is a unique anthology that I believe will prove to be an essential part of any collection of Asian American literature or pop culture works. Not only do we finally have a work that celebrates Asian American superheroes, but we have an incredible example of the heights we can achieve when we produce those works, ourselves. I’m not sure there’s a more compelling argument in favour of supporting our independent Asian American writers, artists and filmmakers. Secret Identities hits shelves today – and, it’s well worth a purchase! In fact, now that I’m finished reading, I can safely say this: I’m already waiting for volume two.

Act Now! Buy Secret Identities now! Then, when you’ve read it, tell everyone you know how awesome it is.

Note: Check back on this blog, since I am working on a series of one-on-one interviews with at least a couple of the editors of Secret Identities that will be published over the next several weeks. I’m anticipating some great conversations!

 I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about this:

 

MEDIA ALERT

“SECRET IDENTITIES: THE ASIAN AMERICAN SUPERHERO ANTHOLOGY,” 

BURSTS OUT OF A PHONE BOOTH AND INTO A BOOKSTORE NEAR YOU –

JUST IN TIME FOR ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH!

Pioneering Graphic Novel Collection Brings Together Top Comics Creators, Authors and Filmmakers to Tell Thrilling, 

Hilarious and Provocative Original Tales of Asian American Caped Crusaders and Masked Marvels

New York–
Imagine, if you will, a young man — quiet, unassuming, with black hair and thick glasses. He’s doing his best to fit in, in a world far away from the land of his birth. He knows he’s different, and that his differences make him alien, an outsider—but they also make him special. Yet he finds himself unable to reveal his true self, his hidden self, to the world…

For many Asian Americans, this chronicle is a familiar one, because many of us have lived it. But it also happens to be the tale of a mild-mannered reporter named Clark Kent — better known to the world as Superman. And the parallels between those stories help explain why Asian Americans have become such a driving force in the contemporary comics renaissance, as artists, writers — and fans.

But there’s one place where Asians are still underrepresented in comics: Between the four-color covers themselves. That’s why, in SECRET IDENTITIES, Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow and Jerry Ma have brought together 66 top Asian American writers, artists and comics professionals to create 26 original stories centered around Asian American superheroes—stories set in a shadow history of our country, from the opening of the West to the election of the first minority president, and exploring ordinary Asian American life from a decidedly extraordinary perspective.

The anthology, from leading independent publisher The New Press, will be available in bookstores and comic book specialty retailers everywhere beginning April 15. A regularly updated website (secretidentities.org) and blog (secretidentitiesbook.blogspot.com) feature weekly video teasers and exclusive behind-the-scenes news, interviews and character art from the book.

“Each of us grew up inspired and delighted by the incredible icons of the comic book universe — Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the entire pantheon of heroes — but we also wondered why so few of them looked like us,” says Jeff Yang, the book’s editor-in-chief. “We didn’t want our kids to grow up wondering the same thing.”

At the same time, SECRET IDENTITIES is about more than just whiz-bang action. “We wanted to use the conventions of the superhero comic book to expose the real face of the Asian American experience, usually hidden behind the mask of misperception and stereotype,” says Parry Shen, managing editor of the anthology.

“Our hope was to use this unique lens as a way to examine issues that all too often go overlooked or unspoken — things like the challenges faced by new immigrants,  gender roles and race relations, and parental and peer pressure,” says Keith Chow, education and outreach editor, who is also developing a teacher’s guide to be used as a companion to the book.

“We also saw it as an opportunity to showcase some of the amazing talent present in our community, and unleash that talent to create the kinds of heroes we always wanted to be when we were kids,” says the book’s art director, Jerry Ma.
Among SECRET IDENTITIES’ creators are: Gene Yang (American Born Chinese), Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman), Greg Pak (The Hulk), Sonny Liew (Liquid City), Billy Tan (New Avengers Secret Invasion), Dustin Nguyen (Batman), Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow/Black Canary), Kazu Kibuishi (Flight), Greg LaRocque (The Flash), Christine Norrie (Black Canary Wedding Special), Tak Toyoshima (Secret Asian Man), and Francis Tsai (Heroes for Hire) — as well as new and established creators from film (Mike Kang, director, West 32^nd; Tanuj Chopra, director, Punching at the Sun; actors Sung Kang, Leonardo Nam, Dustin T. Nguyen and Kelly Hu), television (Survivor’s Yul Kwon and Gilmore Girls’ Keiko Agena) and literature (Jamie Ford).

The book’s editors and contributors will be going on a nationwide tour in support of the anthology, currently planned to include stops in New York, NY; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Durham, NC; Austin, TX; Tacoma and Seattle, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Baltimore, MD; and San Diego, CA. Updated tourdates and details can be found on the Secret Identities website.

To schedule interviews with SECRET IDENTITIES’ editors and contributors or to request review copies of the book, please email Jeff Yang at jeff@secretidentities.org. 

Note: Due to limited supply, The New Press can only release review copies to journalists with formal assignments to cover the book; however, the editors can make available full previews of the complete book online for journalists considering coverage.

WATCH THE SECRET IDENTITIES VIDEO TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TuX-xJ4MlIWATCH “MOTION COMICS” ADAPTATIONS OF: 

Preface - “In the Beginning” by Jeff Yang and Jef Castro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXKIfdBt0Vw

“9066” by Jonathan Tsuei and Jerry Ma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnHnYYnev9k

“You Are What You Eat” by Lynn Chen and Paul Wei: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SCwEzRJgwg

WATCH THE EDITORS OF SECRET IDENTITIES AT NEW YORK COMICCON: http://blip.tv/file/1837940

In case you haven’t yet seen it, SPOILER SPACE, Girl-Wonder.org’s brand spankin’ new bi-monthly ‘zine is now up at http://www.girl-wonder.org/webzine. Wish you were among the ranks of the enviable and famous people who got to be published? Guess what…

We’re looking for even more submissions for SPOILER SPACE’S second issue, due out December 1st.

Written submissions can cover a range of topics discussing the intersection between race, gender, religion, ableism and sexuality with comic books and comic book characters. We will also accept for consideration short fanfiction, reviews, and other commentary on comics and comic books. ALL written submissions must be 1500 words or less.

Graphical submissions can include cover or interior artwork, comic book pages, and fanart.

Please include with all submissions the name you would like to be published under (real name or Internet handle), an email address that can be used to contact you in the event of acceptance, and a brief 1-2 sentence biography written in the third-person. ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE NOVEMBER 15TH, MIDNIGHT at jenn@reappropriate.com, or through the SPOILER SPACE website (http://www.girl-wonder.org/webzine).

Caption Contest
Also, take part in our regular caption contest feature. Send me your caption to this panel (http://www.reappropriate.com/comic/2008-10-caption.jpg) before November 15th, midnight, and be entered into the contest to win a fabulous basket of Girl-Wonder.org goodies. All caption contest entries will be put to a vote on the Girl-Wonder.org Forum, and the entry that earns the most votes is the winner!

Secret Identities, the upcoming anthology exploring the intersection of Asian American identity and the comic book genre, is now blogging in anticipation of the book’s release next April.

Check it out here, at the Secret Identities website.

I’ve never been much of a comics fan, but I was much impressed with Broken Mystic’s two-part blog series, “Female, Muslim, and Mutant: A Critique of Muslim Women in Comic Books.” The first entry talks about the portrayal of the X-Men’s “Dust” character, an Afghan heroine introduced to the series in 2002. The second contrasts this [...]

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Call for Submissions

Deadline for Submissions: Tuesday, July 15, 2008, midnight        

Who are you: A nitpicky comic book Braniac who rejoices over dissecting the latest continuity crises in maddening detail? Or a slam-bang Wonder Woman warrior who can’t wait for Wednesdays to catch up on the latest fantasy grudge match? Who says you can’t be both?

Girl-Wonder.org is calling for submissions to our brand-new online newsletter, which will mix focused discussions of feminism (and other forms of –isms) in the comics genre with a fun-loving celebration of comic geekdom. This newsletter will be our ongoing love letter to comics – sharing all the serious and not so serious aspects of comics that keep us coming back for more.

On the serious side: Submit your short letters and opinions, no more than 1500 words in length, focusing on current events or academic ideas related to identity politics and comic books. Topics can include, but are not limited to the intersections of race, gender, body image, sexuality, religion, ableism, and class with your favorite comic book characters and titles.

On the fun side: Submit comics-related fanart with a feminist twist or a short fanfiction (no more than 1500 words in length). Selected works will appear in the newsletter’s regular fan-inspired creations section.

Also, submit your entry for this issue’s caption contest. Write a funny, witty, and/or ridiculous caption for this panel. Winner (as chosen on the Girl-Wonder.org forum boards) receives a fabulous gift basket full of hot-off-the-presses Girl-Wonder.org merchandise!Submit your entry to jenn@reappropriate.com! 

Last night, Michael Turner, noted comic book artist, passed away. Turner was well-known for his gorgeous covers, though his interpretations of some of our favourite female heroines were pretty cheesecake. Nonetheless, I respected Turner’s stylized artwork and his attention to detail inspired my own art.

This poster, pencilled by  Turner, is hanging on my wall, and is one of my favourite images of Wonder Woman.