AfroCon and Black Representation in the Nerd World

AfroCon and Black Representation in the Nerd World

I went to AfroCon, formerly the Afrofuturism Lounge, at the beginning of September, and it was a great experience for more than just getting outside. I was able to cosplay as Black female superheroes, Valkyrie from Thor: Ragnorak and Nubia, usually seen as the Black Wonder Woman.

I wasn’t a cosplayer to begin with, but recently, I’ve been having fun dressing up as superheroes. Some folks might think it’s one of my hobbies. I tell them it’s a business strategy. A flashy costume and a recognizable character brings people to me, and in turn, I bring people to my booth. Just because I think of my cosplaying as a business strategy doesn’t mean I don’t understand what the importance of representation is in the world where most superheroes and famous characters are white and male, or as Howard Stark said in Agent Carter, “male and pale”.

Left to right: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Amazon), Living Single (TV Guide), Family Matters (Amazon), Sister Sister (Amazon), Sanford & Son (Sony Pictures), 227 (Amazon), Good Times (TV Guide), That’s My Mama (Amazon)

I was really lucky to grow up in the 80’s and 90’s because there were Black sitcoms to watch–namely The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Living Single, Family Matters, and Sister, Sister–and many recommendations from the older generations such as Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, and 227. I could see Black people on TV when there wasn’t a way to record episodes or stream online. You just had to be there. But when it came to superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy on TV, there were very few Black female heroes. Yes, there was Nyota Uhura from the original Star Trek series in the 60’s, Foxy Brown from the 70’s movie, and Aisha Campbell the Yellow Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but in the 90’s, the most memorable Black heroes and antiheroes were from movies. That included movies like Blank Man, Men in Black, Blade, Spawn, Tales from the Hood, Night of the Living Dead, Meteor Man, and Steel. With a slew of Black superhero movies in the 90’s, a cool new suit couldn’t hide the fact that all these superheroes were mostly Black male superheroes.

Storm (Amazon), Misty Knight (MTR Network), Flint (ComicVine), Rocket (Wikipedia), Vixen (Shopify), Shuri (New York Times), XS (DC Comics), Monica Rambeau (Marvel)

Even today, Black female superheroes are barely making headway on the big screen and TV. The more famous Black female superheroes include Storm from The X-Men, Misty Knight from Luke Cage, Shuri from Black Panther, Valkyrie from Thor: Ragnorak (who wasn’t Black in the comics), and Vixen from DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. In TV land, there’s Nora West-Allen or XS (CW’s The Flash), Starfire and Blackfire (HBO’s Titans), Monica Rambeau (Disney’s Wandavision), Ryan Wilder/Batwoman (CW’s Batwoman), Thunder and Lightning (CW’s Black Lightning) and Kelly Olsen’s Guardian (CW’s Supergirl). And the amount of lesser-known Black female superheroes are endless, most notably the 1970’s Butterfly (Hell-Rider #1 and #2), Rocket (Icon #1), and Flint (Stormwatch #28).

With the lack of famous Black female superheroes, I wasn’t surprised to see the eyes of young Black girls light up when I walked around in my Valkyrie and Wonder Woman costumes. Some were hesitant to ask to take a picture, so I had to overcome my own shyness and ask them if they wanted to pose with me. Others came up to me and asked to hold my shield or if I was Storm. To see a Black female superhero walking around was an experience for them to remember.

Me with little girl taken by Keithan

The kids weren’t the only ones who understood the impact of dressing up as a Black superhero. Keithan of Kid Comics and Black Comix Day took a picture of me in my cosplay with a small girl and wrote: “Afro-con was a good show. Especially for it’s first time. I’m always inspired by the reaction of the children to seeing heroes that reflect their culture or simply look like them. It gives them a sense of pride in being just fine with who they are whether they know it or not. These shows also allow parents to expose their children to black entrepreneurs and professionals outside of the usual stereotypes they are bombarded with in mainstream media. Now more than ever, children from all races, minds and aspirations must be protected from this contentious world. It’s the adult thing to do.”

Serena Williams (Haymarket), Morgan Mitchell (Daily Telegraph), Jehina Malik (Meat Free Athlete)

It wasn’t just the costume that was important for me to show. I had worked out and tweaked my diet to specifically build muscle, especially since emulating a fit character meant no flab. I also wanted to show that I could get fit on a vegan lifestyle. Yup, not too many Black folks can say that (vegans account for 2% to 6% of the total U.S. population), let alone, Black vegans who also cosplay. For some reason, people think that being vegan means being weak. They don’t know that Serena and Venus Williams (pro tennis players), Morgan Mitchell (Olympic sprinter), and Jehina Malik (pro bodybuilder) are or were vegan athletes who experienced their biggest milestones while on a plant-based diet. (There are Black male vegans who are noteworthy such as Olympian Carl Lewis and NBA player Kyrie Irving, but let’s stick with Black female vegans.) Again, the Black representation in veganism is important because it shows that eating only plants isn’t a “white thing” and that Black vegans aren’t weak.

As I walked around AfroCon, filled with Black business owners, artists, creators, and families, I felt a rush of excitement. Even though I wore an elaborate costume, I looked like everyone else in the building, and it made me walk taller, smile wider, speak more. I didn’t realize that when I’m in mostly white spaces, I make myself smaller, I stay “professional” by being quiet, I keep myself from standing out too much. But at AfroCon, I could be closer to myself–costume and all–than anywhere else.

Nichelle Nichols on Star Trek and Martin Luther King Jr. (Credit: FoundationINTERVIEWS on YouTube)

If we look back at how important Black representation is regarding fictional characters, even Martin Luther King Jr. persuaded Nichelle Nichols, the actor who played Uhura from the original Star Trek series and who wanted to leave the show after the first season. Dr. King told Nichols that, “For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing, dance, and go into space, who can be lawyers, who can be teachers, who can be professors, who are in this state, and yet we don’t see on television–until now.” Representation in all aspects of nerdom shows people that Black people as who they are exist, not just in the stereotypical ways but also in any humanly (and inhumanly in fiction) possibilities.

While I’m seeing more nerd TV shows and movies with Black representation both in front and behind the camera, there still needs to be more representation that’s smart and authentic, beautiful and straightforward, realistic and sincere. We need more Black superheroes, especially Black female superheroes, who can help inspire Black engineers and astronauts like Uhura and Black psychiatrists like Kelly Olson’s Guardian and Black bodybuilders and fitness experts like Nubia. We need to see ourselves.

This Week: Demon Slayer Manga End (Spoilers)

This Week: Demon Slayer Manga End (Spoilers Ahead)

I’m a big fan of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge and I’ve been collecting the manga series since the anime series won’t continue until this fall. If you don’t know what Demon Slayer is about or only know up to the movie, Mugen Train, Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro Kamado, a kind young man avenging his slain family by the first demon, Muzan Kibutsuji, during Japan’s Taisho Era. After Mugen Train, Tanjiro begins training and doing missions with the Hashira, the strongest demon slayers in the Demon Slayer Corps, and learns more about his paternal history in demon slaying. Alongside Tanjiro is Nezuko, his sister who was turned into a demon during their family’s demon attack, and his two fellow demon slayers, girl-crazy Zenitsu Agatsuma and all-physical Inosuke Hashibira. Though Tanjiro goes around slaying demons, he’s so kind-hearted that he sympathizes with the demons while decapitating them or exposing them to sunlight. Basically, the demons are like vampires and burn to death with sunlight. Even some of the older demons, who are usually great (and somewhat cheating) fighters, learn to evade death by decapitation, so the further the Demon Slayers Corps gets to the upper ranks of demons, the harder it is to kill them.

The manga series is addictive if you’re into the genre and style of the story. (I know not everyone is into Demon Slayer.) I always ended up preordering the next manga as soon as the previous volume finished. “What was going to happen to Tanjiro?” was all I could think while I was reading the manga series. This series definitely didn’t steer clear from some memorable characters dying, sometimes dying in vain, but it definitely made me think that sometimes trivial things are meaningless in life. With any series that focuses on human-eating monsters, I always end up questioning the meaning of life and trying not to feel emotional about favorite characters in case they die.

I read the last manga volume, and it left me feeling…sad. It’s not that I didn’t feel sad during the previous manga volumes or the anime. It’s just that feeling where if you read and finish a book, comic, manga, or graphic novel series and the characters and the story disappears, leaving an emptiness in its place. For me, the manga series ended suddenly with a weird modern closing. I was hoping to see more of the characters’ lives after the Demon Slayer Corps, but the manga didn’t satisfy my desires in that sense. Instead, there was a more round-about way of showing that the characters had gone on to have children. In a strange way, the ending was meant to show how the wishes of the demon slayers came true via reincarnation in the modern world. As much as it was to have a happy ending, because it was set a hundred years later, it was so far away from the beginning of the story that it stopped being about Tanjiro’s experiences but about all the characters’ experiences. I wish they had just showed what happened to Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the remaining characters during the Taisho Era instead of skipping to our time. In my opinion, only CLAMP can do that successfully because they have another story to tie into it.

Above all, I still think finishing Demon Slayer the manga series is a good thing, especially if you’re wondering what’s going to happen in the end or after the movie.

Get volume 23 of Demon Slayer to read the last volume of the series!

This Week: The Way of the Househusband

Image credit: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gokushufudou/images/3/39/Anime_Teaser_Visual.png/revision/latest?cb=20201027023637

This Week: The Way of the Househusband

A househusband is basically the male version of a housewife or a person who takes care of the home. Usually the images that come up for a househusband would be a guy sitting at a computer, not a scary-looking man in a cute apron making lunch in a hurry. The image gap between a househusband and the apron-wearing man in The Way of the Househusband is so wide, it could kill and that’s what makes this anime and manga series a comedic gem worth stealing–I mean, reading and watching.

Kousuke Oono’s The Way of the Househusband follows former yakuza, Tatsu “The Immortal Dragon”, as he takes care of his and his wife’s apartment armed with kitchen knives, vacuums, and cute aprons. While this series is essentially slice of life with no magical items, The Way of the Househusband puts housekeeping in an extremely comedic light thanks to the use of street lingo and yakuza connections. Tatsu manages the cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping with his own flair–and always within his former yakuza background–in between his misunderstandings with other yakuza, neighboring housewives, and the police box officers.

Tatsu making some food with his former yakuza underling. (Netflix)

I’m not a housewife, but I cook, clean, and shop, and let me tell you, it’s not an easy shot to take, especially on a daily basis. I have mad respect for Tatsu in this sense. In reading and watching The Way of the Househusband, Tatsu makes meals, vacuums and dusts, and grocery shops against hordes of housewives like a pro. He even goes out of his way to teach other men and boys the how-to in the way of the household with DIY projects, laundry, cleaning, and cooking. Somehow, only Tatsu and the women in the series can do all these things–though doing them well is up in the air for Miku, Tatsu’s working wife–so when some of Tatsu’s former yakuza connections show up with the know-how, it begs the question, “Don’t kill me”–er, I mean, “So you know how to (insert household chore here)?” Of course, I have to acknowledge that this series is staked in Japanese society, and women are expected to do housework while men work. When I lived in Japan, there were grown Japanese men who couldn’t make a bento box to save their lives, and that was completely normal.

In the manga, the artwork is very cool. It’s hard to believe that this is Kousuke Oono’s first serialization. The lines, the compositions, the character designs, they’re all so fresh and bold. Even though the storytelling style is more in line with the four-koma comics and manga out there, the panels and the art style break out of those constraints to tell short instances into Tatsu’s life. I also wonder how much the artist researched yakuza or the stereotypes about yakuza just to get Tatsu’s visual mannerisms right.

The anime series would be less of an anime and more of a motion comic with some animation. It’s basically a slightly more tamed version of the manga, almost line by line, and I imagine it’s more for those that don’t like reading. For those who do like reading, the manga series is on its sixth volume in English.

Now all that’s left is the live-action series coming out this year!

Get The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 on Amazon by clicking on the link or pic!
This Week: Trese (THAT Pilipino Anime)

This Week: Trese (THAT Pilipino Anime)

Jade’s Escape covers Trese, THAT Pilipino anime! Image credit: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2JmMzBhYWUtOGRlZi00NWE3LWJjNDgtMzc4ZWY2ZGJlMGU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzY0MTE3NzU@.V1.jpg

This Week: Trese (THAT Pilipino Anime)

Ever wondered what Pilipino anime exists on Netflix? Unless you’re a Pilipino looking, probably not. But for those who are looking for an anime or anime-esque type of series similar to Netflix’s Castlevania, Yasuke, and Blood+, Trese has everything that these have: gore, magic, whodunit, fights, and demons.

Trese focuses on Alexandra Trese, a woman investigates supernatural crimes that the police don’t understand, each crime leading to a piece of a bigger plot against humanity. When souls aren’t delivered to the underworld, Alexandra is called on to find the souls and discover who or what is keeping the souls from going to the underworld. Though Alexandra is a human with magical abilities, she has two demigods and several demon clans at her beck and call. As Alexandra solves more crimes and a sinister plot becomes unraveled, the other humans in Alexandra’s life try to improve their own lives while protecting others.

Alexandra’s father. Image Credit: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzMyMTdmYWItYTM4ZC00NTY1LWIyNWUtZjk2MDcwMTY2ZDQwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEzMTI1Mjk3.V1.jpg

While Trese feels similar to the DC animated movies, Trese leans heavily into its theme of family. Alexandra lost her mother at a young age and was raised with two demigod children. Her father, the appointed lakkan and head of The Council, established the Accords to keep humanity and the supernatural world in balance. Throughout the series, the senior Trese appears in flashbacks, constantly reminding Alexandra about their family. The flashbacks also serve for the viewers to see all of the present characters evolve and place a thumb on what split the supernatural clans between the Accords and their own demonic vices.

Shay Mitchell as Alexandra Trese. Image credit: https://static3.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/shay-mitchell-trese-netflix-header.jpg

Watching Trese has made me realize how much Pilipino folklore and mythology I actually know. Oh, I’m Pilipina and Black, though, looking at me, you wouldn’t guess that. I didn’t grow up speaking Tagalog and when I took Tagalog in college, I mixed up my mother’s dialect with Tagalog (how embarrassing for me and confusing for my ginoong). I took three Tagalog classes and learned more about my mother and her culture by translating Pilipino stories about aswang, sigbin, and mungkukulam. That’s why Trese has a special place in my heart. Aswang, sigbin, and other Pilipino mythical creatures are cornerstones of this anime, and even the English dub of this anime uses Tagalog. I’m really happy to find that Pilipina-American Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars), the English voice behind Alexandra, has a good grasp of Tagalog to pull off those scenes.

If you’re like me and like the so-called good-versus-evil scenarios, Americanized animations, and a good, twisted story, Trese is the Pilipino anime series for you.

Get Trese #1 on Amazon!

Kinda Obscure Casual Anime

Kinda Obscure Anime

While I watch the newer anime with all the hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Burn the Witch, Black Clover, Yashahime, Noblesse, and Haikyuu!, I’ve had a lot of time during the pandemic to watch shorter, kinda obscure casual anime in between the new episodes. Some of these anime are hidden gems on Netflix, Prime, FUNimation, and Crunchyroll, but they’re definitely worth watching while running off the last holiday ham.

Slice of Life
Tanaka-kun is Always Listless (Genre: Comedy, School Life, Slice of Life) Crunchyroll
Teasing Master Takagi (Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy) Netflix/Crunchyroll/FUNimation
The Way of the Househusband (Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy)

Romance Slice of Life
Toradora (Genre: Romance, Drama, School Life, Slice of Life) Netflix/Crunchyroll/FUNimation
Monthly Girls Nozaki-Kun (Genre: Comedy, Romance, School Life, Slice of Life) Netflix/Crunchyroll
ReLife (Genre: Drama, School Life, Work Life) Crunchyroll/FUNimation
Wotakoi (Genre: Drama, Slice of Life, Work Life, Comedy, Romance) Amazon Prime

Slightly Salty Slice of Life
Sweetness and Lighting (Genre: Food, Slice of Life, Drama) Crunchyroll
Gakuen Babysisters (Genre: Drama, Slice of Life) Crunchyroll
My Roommate is a Cat (Genre: Drama, Slice of Life) Crunchyroll/FUNimation

Boys’ Love-ish Slice of Life
The High School Life of a Fudanshi (Genre: Comedy, School Life, Boys Love) Crunchyroll
Don’t Kiss Me! Kiss Him! (Genre: Comedy, School Life, Boys Love) Crunchyroll/FUNimation

Suspenseful Slice of Life
The Case Files of Jeweler Richard (Genre: Drama, Romance, Work Life, Suspense) Crunchyroll
Holmes of Kyoto (Genre: Drama, Romance, Suspense, Slice of Life) Crunchyroll

Supernatural or Fantasy Slice of Life
Orenchi no Furo Jijo: Merman in My Tub (Genre: Comedy, Fantasy) Crunchyroll
Jingai-san no Yome: Non-Human Creature’s Wife (Genre: Comedy, Romance?, Fantasy) Crunchyroll
Poco’s Udon Shop (Genre: Slice of Life, Drama, Supernatural) Crunchyroll/FUNimation
How to Raise a Mummy (Genre: Slice of Life, Supernatural, Drama) Crunchyroll
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (Genre: Comedy, School Life, Supernatural) Netflix/FUNimation

Have you watched any of these anime? If so, who are your favorite characters and what kept you watching the show(s) until the end?

#HappyAnimeDay

Demon Slayer Quiz & Mini Review

So I took Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer character quiz and got Shinobu Kocho!

I know that everyone’s hearing Demon Slayer this and Demon Slayer that, but I’m a big fan of the series! My favorite character is Tanjiro because I could never be as forgiving as him…I mean, I hate on a fly buzzing too loudly on the window screen.

Because of the pandemic, I started watching Demon Slayer and then collecting the manga series. What makes it so awesome? One, the characters are cool and sad and oh-so-sad. Each character has a background story and present story that’ll tug at heartstrings even though it’s set in the Taisho Era. Once again, I love me some Tanjiro. Second, the plot moves forward pretty fast yet clearly enough so that folks aren’t like, “What’s going on again?” I hate when anime and manga have to keep explaining something that just happened two seconds before as if we missed it. If fans missed anything, it’s not the fans’ fault (in the background, “Yeah, Jujutsu Kaisen!”). Lastly, yes, the animation is good and the manga is drawn well enough–not quite as clunky as Attack on Titan or Jujutsu Kaisen, but it’s not as clean as My Hero Academia. If anything, the animation is very beautiful and takes notes from Japanese art history in colors and motifs.

I’ll read all the manga volumes and the doujinshi (fan-made comics) and get the earrings and the multitudes of stickers and… you get my point. I’m that obsessed fan girl that I thought I would be eventually.

Keeping Weight Off the Japanese Way

Keeping weight off is the same as praying. I pray that the cheesecake I ate yesterday doesn’t go straight to my thighs. I pray that this 10-minute workout will burn off 300 calories. I pray that my metabolism is fast enough to eat a day’s worth of food in my sleep.

All of it is prayer–then I take my prayers seriously and put actions behind each (silent) statement.

At the beginning of the year in “How I Lost over 40 Pounds in Japan“, I outlined how I actively went from size 14 to size 6 by using or ditching some Japanese techniques. However direct losing the weight in Japan was in 2014 through 2015, keeping it off in the States since 2016 is a whole other beast.

After I moved back to the States, reality gave me a punch to the face: I needed a job, my cat had bald patches from stress, and in a household of meat-eaters, I was the lone pescatarian, or fish eater. In the beginning, it was fun. The first thing I ate was a burrito from Del Taco. (Japan has some Mexican food restaurants, but they’re all pricey for only decent food.) I continued to eat anything that didn’t have meat, and in 2 weeks, I gained 10 pounds. That added to the stress. I had to lose weight again while looking for a job, protecting my cat from 3 big dogs, and learning to live with my in-laws (I love them, but it’s always stressful living in a new habitat).

To deal with the stress, I set up a routine again. In the mornings, I exercised, monitored my portions with vegetarian meals, and drank more water. The most important part of the routine was eating around the same time every day, something that the Japanese have on point.

Gym Memberships (pre-COVID)

I did get a gym membership, something I by-passed when I lived in Japan, and stuck to it for about a month before I landed a job at the Japanese Consulate in LA. I ended up canceling this when I realized I stayed in the stretching room for 45 minutes before half-assedly doing machine work. I ditched the gym membership and returned to what I knew: personalizing my home workouts. I woke up before everyone else and did a 10- to 20-minute routine in the garage, switching between cardio and weight training. After work and dinner, I’d do another 10- to 20-minute workout. Interval training has helped a bit with keeping the belly fat at bay–and there’s a recent study to support that shorter yet intense workouts can reduce belly fat better than longer workouts (“The Secret to Losing Belly Fat“). On the weekends, I divided my time between walks and yoga routines.

If you’re wondering about taking up a gym membership versus working out at home, think about what you want to do in your workout. For me, I’m there to get fit but not build bulk, so rows of weights and machines aren’t important to me. If it’s hard to get to the gym, consider starting at home and building a foundation (i.e. pilates, yoga, beginner workouts) before putting your hard-earned money into a membership. Remember: $10 a month equals $120 a year.

Diets?

The one thing I remember Japanese people loved more than alcohol was a successful diet. It didn’t matter if the diet didn’t turn into a lifestyle–a “good” diet was a “good” diet. I had learned the hard way to ditch the yo-yo diets, dig deep psychologically, and find the mental and emotional triggers for my poor lifestyle.

I returned to plastic boxes and Tupperware of homemade food. The cafeteria at my job helped keep me in line–I couldn’t see myself paying $2.95 for a slice of extremely ordinary pizza. To keep my waistline and wallet happy, I packed food ahead of time and prepped meals when I needed to, most consisting of rolled eggs, rice, and veggies. (I switched my meals to vegan whole food meals.)

At work, it was an uphill battle towards the scale line to maintain my weight. With all the office celebrations and cheap sweets in bulk, saying, “One slice won’t hurt” didn’t hurt so much. But if that same delicious cake kept calling my name for 3 days (cake is good for 3 days, right?), it became increasingly obvious that I had to control myself even if others floated by with beautiful plates of cakes in their hands.

Being that my job is extremely busy, I could control myself after 9AM. Afterwards, I was swamped with so much work, my coffee would go cold.

Stress Levels – Update 2016

I admit my stress is a little higher than when I lived in Japan. Even without language barriers to hurdle over or a sick husband to take care of, I still face daily stresses that didn’t plaque me when I was an expat.

Unlike my employment as a language assistant, I’m a secretary again with no real purpose than to make others’ lives easier. As a language assistant, I always felt I was doing something worthy–and I do feel that the place I work I am helping others accomplish worthy goals for students–but I don’t feel as accomplished as I did in Japan. Also, everyone around me seems to have clearer ideas of what they want to do with their lives. I’m still deciding, but I get the feeling that whatever I choose, it won’t make me any money.

There’s also that lovely bonus of racism in the U.S. It’s not to say that Japan–or any other country–doesn’t share in racism and colorism, but it’s never a good thing when the survivors of racism have poorer health conditions mostly due to higher stress levels. If you’ve never had to worry about walking around without thinking about your skin color being a factor in being attacked or harassed, you won’t understand this daily fear and anxiety. Even though a new president may seem like a cure-all, it’ll take years before racism disappears. At the end of the day, I can’t stop being Black, so I’ll be facing racism and racist acts until I die.

These stresses, now that I’ve had the chance to stand back and see what my American life looks like, contribute to my waistline and overall well being. Since coming back to the States, I’ve gone from 119 pounds to 136 pounds, a 17-pound gain that seems to cling to my body. In spite of my weight gain, I’m fitter now than when I lived in Japan. I have to be fitter to balance the stress I face on a daily basis.

Changing Mindset – Update June 2021

Keeping the weight off is not easy, but I’m been changing how I look at my weight, especially when it comes to my overall health. A lot of diets are based on “bro science”–hey, bro, if you cut this, you won’t get fat, and if you eat this, you can lose weight. Um, yeah, I need actual science like how the antioxidants in acai berries helps remove free radicals that can build up in the brain. Like, seriously, fat doesn’t turn into muscle and carbs are one of human’s main fuel sources, not something to remove. I look back at some of the diet stuff I believed and some of the things I’ve studied from my nutrition courses, and I feel very…betrayed. I’ve recently gone vegan because I don’t support industries trying to mind-control my life just to make a profit off my poor health. I’m also not OK with animals suffering, causing pollution, and using tons of water just to feed humans.

And I’m fine with being different from the norm. I get to experience freedom from the shackles of society’s “rules”. Going vegan has helped me reduce my body fat percentage, bloating, hormonal mood swings, low energy, and constipation. I know that becoming vegan seems extreme, but it’s really changed how I feel in my body, and the weight loss that comes with it is an added bonus.  

Chadwick Boseman Tribute

Rest in power, Chadwick. You’ll always be our Black Panther.

The dress that the woman is wearing is a real dress from officially licensed DC brand, Hero Within. Get it at https://herowithinstore.com/collections/marvel/products/black-panther-dress.

Adorned by Chi Manga Review – Finally, a Nigerian Manga!

Adorned by Chi Manga Review – Finally, a Nigerian Manga!

Yes, this is my first video review, and it’s for a Nigerian manga called Adorned by Chi.

I love coming across cool manga with black main characters, and this one, Adorned by Chi, is set in Nigeria. When shy Adaeze and her friends are attacked by apocalyptic monsters called Mmanwu at their college, they soon learn that they have god-like powers. They must use their new powers to keep the Mmanwu at bay while living their regular school lives.

Yes, it’s cutesy and Japanese-ish, but what it has is a lot of Nigerian spunk. The art style and story-telling are like manga. The characters are toned by computer, the panels are different on each page, and the personalities are definitely part of manga tropes. If there was a black version of Sailor Moon, this would be it–minus the age gap with Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon.

Adorned by Chi discount

If you’d like to get a copy of Adorned by Chi, use the discount code, JADESCHI, for 10% off your order!

 

Get Your Art/Writing Portfolio Reviewed by VIZ Originals at 2019 Pop Culture Conventions

VIZ Media reaches the next stage in the development of its VIZ Originals imprint. Aspiring artists and writers are invited to apply for portfolio reviews taking place at some of North America’s biggest pop culture shows. The VIZ Originals imprint will develop innovative, English-language creator-owned graphic novel content for a global market, and is committed […]

via VIZ Originals to Host Portfolio Reviews at Leading 2019 Pop Culture Conventions — Lesley’s Anime and Manga Corner

Black Nerds Expo 2019

Black Nerds Expo 2019

 

black-nerds-expo-logo-1

The Black Nerds Expo on Thursday, February 28 from 10:00AM to 2:00PM at MiraCosta College (1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056) is a space for attendees to explore and celebrate black comics, books, art, video games, and pop culture. This event is open to everyone! Register at http://blacknerdsexpo.eventbrite.com for free!

Here is what the expo will offer:

-Play games

-Meet people in the art, video game, and comic book industries

-Make new, local friends who like black pop culture

-Participate in opportunity drawings for active attendees

-Take Instagram-worthy photos at the photo booth

-Day-of point card to collect comics-related stickers and prizes

-Learn about upcoming projects and releases information in anime, manga, video games, media, and pop culture

FAQs

How much is it to attend the Black Nerds Expo?

It’s free! Just make sure to either pre-register or register on-site for entry.

Why is there a need for a black nerds event?

Could you name at least three black superheroes outside of Black Panther, Storm from the X-men, or Luke Cage? Could you name at least three black authors without searching on Google? Could you name at least one black artist outside of comics? Events such as the Black Nerds Expo is to make aware the existence of black pop culture that isn’t usually shown or celebrated in mainstream media.

 

If I’m a vendor, artist, or would like to table for the Black Nerds Expo, how can I make that happen?

Please email jbanks@miracosta.edu or complete an exhibitor application at https://goo.gl/forms/75SkViyzNwPSFptU2 to register a representative to participate in the Black Nerds Expo. There is limited space, so please contact Jd Banks as soon as possible.

 

How much is it to reserve a table?

It’s free! We don’t want tabling or exhibiting fees to be a barrier for exhibiting. Please contact Jd Banks at jbanks@miracosta.edu as soon as possible since space is limited.

 

If I can’t be there personally but I or my business would like to contribute, how do I do that?

Send any promotional materials (i.e. flyers, postcards, business cards, posters) to the following address by Thursday, February 14, 2019 to give them time to arrive:

ATTN: Jd Banks, Student Equity (MC: #10C)

MiraCosta College

1 Barnard Drive

Oceanside, CA 92056

 

Is it possible to sponsor something for this event?

Sure! We would like to do an opportunity drawing for attendees, so any swag items such as T-shirts, hats, buttons, wrist bands, DVDs, posters, cups, or figurines relating to black pop culture would be appreciated. In return, the Black Nerds Expo will cross-promote your brand on social media and other marketing materials. Please email Jd Banks at jbanks@miracosta.edu for information.

 

Are you providing any stipends or paying any fees for vendors, artists, or representatives to participate in the Black Nerds Expo?

No. Participants will only be provided a table, refreshments, and day-of logistical support.

 

What sort of things would be great to bring as a vendor, artist, or representative to the Black Nerds Expo?

If you are a comics vendor, comics and graphic novels concentrating on black superheroes such as Black Panther, Storm, Luke Cage, Black Lightning, Green Lantern, March, Miles Morales Spider-Man, Ironheart, Batwing, Cyborg, Mister Terrific, Vixen, Nubia, Rocket, XS, Tattooed Man, Afro Samurai, and more would be great.  Find a list of black superheroes at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_black_superheroes. Books from Toni Morrison, Ben Okri, Karyn Parsons, John Lewis, Alice Walker, Octavia Butler, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Michelle Obama and other black authors would also be great. Artwork can be fan-created artwork of current black superheroes and/or original artwork with black and African-American attendees in mind.

Black Nerds Expo Supporters

IDW Publishing

Right Stuf

Evoluzione Publishing

Black Sci-Fi

MiraCosta College

Chibi Maruko-Chan Helped Me Learn Japanese (RIP Momoko Sakura)

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Chibi Maruko-Chan Helped Me Learn Japanese (RIP Momoko Sakura)

Chibi Maruko-chan helped me learn Japanese. Even at 25 years old, I woke up in my small apartment at 7:00AM and turned on my inherited, boxy analog TV just to catch a few lines of Chibi Maruko-chan. My coordinator at the time laughed–“What a childish show!”–yet he understood how hard my journey would be to Japanese fluency. I suppose the “any way that floats your boat” was his approach to comprehending my methods.

Chibi Maruko-chan helped me feel accomplished despite the language barrier I felt in my daily life. I could understand easy phrases and playful situations when I hardly knew what my co-workers were saying. Instead of feeling discouraged in learning this difficult language, Chibi Maruko-chan lifted me, gave me room to say aloud, “Kore wa oishii,” and “Nandemo ii!

I’ll always remember your lessons.

Manga Creator/Artist Jobs

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Manga Creator Jobs

This section is for manga creators looking for freelance work. Updated: 8/6/2019

Freelance Manga Artist Jobs on UpWork

Deadline: Until Filled

If you’re a freelance manga artist or looking to get your feet wet by taking on a client, try this listing on UpWork, a website dedicated to providing freelance work.

Manga Artists and Writers Network on MangaRaiders

Some forums and online communities put out calls for freelance manga artists, including MangaRaiders.

 

 

The Correct Way to Write Anime/Manga Reviews? — Fujinsei

I’m not exactly sure why, but I often receive e-mails asking for advice on how to write anime/manga reviews “correctly”. Not that I’m complaining on being asked. It’s just that I don’t consider myself a reviewer unlike many anibloggers. I’m more of an entertainer, unintentional commedienne, occasional translator, and—my favourite—fandom promoter. A mouthful, I know, so […]

via The Correct Way to Write Anime/Manga Reviews? — Fujinsei

#BannedBooksWeek

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#BannedBooksWeek: I Celebrate Diversity!

From September 25th to October 1st, authors, readers, publishers, and constitutional right advocates will celebrate books that have been banned for whatever reasons. This year, Banned Books Week is looking at diversity. Although diversity isn’t a new word, some may imagine diversity as a person of color. Diversity, however, includes people who are of different appearance, ethnicity, religion, gender and gender identity, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, military status, and economic status.

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has shown that 52% of the books challenged or banned in the past 10 years were from diverse content (Association of American Publishers).

Without diversity, there wouldn’t be an anime industry since anime and manga come from Japan.

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Did you know that Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama is a banned book in the United States?

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Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa has been challenged–not quite banned but noticed–for its discrimination and violence.

There are other manga and graphic novels by Japanese creators who have faced or are currently facing censorship around the world. Can you think of any others?