Interview with Travis Wong (LXD, MTV's America's Best Dance Crew)

Got the opportunity to interview Travis Wong of the LXD. You may or may not remember me dropping an LXD reference a few weeks ago. Basically it's an extremely well done web series that fuses dance, sci-fi/horror and martial arts. Kinda like Fame meets X-Files. Check out the full interview here!

GRAVITY TRAIN

I would LOVE to see this in real life and see if it actually works. Supposedly the speed that a person would achieve would kill them so if ever this was even a possibility it would be more for transporting things. But still, think of the fast shipping from Amazon!

Interview with The Potential Wives of Norman Mao writer/director Derek Nguyen

Here's kind of a new feature here. An interview. I recently got in touch with writer/director Derek Nguyen about a really cool project that you should know about and support. He's working on a short film called The Potential Wives of Norman Mao which you should definitely support. Read on!

1. Is your short film The Potential Wives of Norman Mao taken from your personal experience?
The film was inspired by my personal experience. There was a period in which my step-mother would try to set me up with all these women every time there was a family function. She was quite obvious about it and it made everyone involved quite uncomfortable but it was really funny at the time. Of course, this all happened before I came out!

2. How did you assemble the cast? Do all the Asian actors hang out together somewhere like at Home Depot?
I knew most of the cast before I started the film. I have been close friends with Ed Lin and Cindy Cheung for a great many years (I went to their wedding!). Soomi Kim and I have been artistic collaborators and close friends for almost 15 years. We collaborated on a multimedia theater piece called Lee/gendary about the life of Bruce Lee that ended up getting a few awards. I met George Takei years ago when my play, Monster premiered at East West Players in Los Angeles. And when I was beginning production on Norman Mao, I thought he'd be the perfect narrator for the film and got back in touch with him through the theater's artistic director, Tim Dang. Ron Nakahara, Tina Chen, and Wai Ching Ho are amazing trailblazers in the Asian American theater and film communities that I had the privilege to meet through personal contacts. Wai actually came to my house during 9/11 when the subways were stopped and she was on a shoot in Brooklyn and couldn't get home! And I met Michelle Ang through auditions for the film. Her energy and professionalism really shown through. I really enjoyed working with all of them and there was a great camaraderie on set!

3. Is your script universal or is there something uniquely Asian at its core? Could it work as, say, The Potential Lives of Norman Gonzalez?
I truly believe that if you want your story to be universal, you have to be specific. I think any story can work in any culture but what makes the story resonate is context, backstory, and complex characters. Matchmaking is a universal practice. But having it in an Asian context gives it a specific texture. I hope that the film is universal because the characters are Asian.

4. What's the best way people can support The Potential Wives of Norman Mao? How/when can we catch it?
In an effort to raise funds to finish the film, we've just launched a Kickstarter campaign in which people can become backers on the film and receive one-of-a-kind rewards. People can even be producers on the film, get on IMDB, and hobnob at film festivals with us. There's also a behind-the-scenes video on the page. Check it out at http://kck.st/biU13t.

We hope to finish the film in early 2011 and hit the festival circuit. Our website www.normanmao.com will have a full schedule to screenings. And if you back the project on Kickstarter at a $25 level, you'll get it on DVD!

FREE SHIPPING DAY!

In honor of this ancient capitalist tradition, starting tonight at midnight, all orders for Daily Days and/or original artwork will receive free shipping! And I am actually going to offer this deal through the weekend until midnight of Sunday 12/19. The only catch is this offer is only good for shipping in the U.S. I am down to my last boxes of Daily Days so if you haven't already bought one, this will be one of the final chances.

I realize I haven't posted any new artwork in ages but plan to get some up for the weekend now that I can access my site again.

Don't ask...don't ask

As the debate rages on I get more infuriated by it. I don't understand the logic behind the policy. It's basically a stance that says the military wants to ban known homosexuals but at the same time doesn't want to know who is gay. I've been told that unless I serve in the military I wouldn't understand what having gay people serve alongside with you entails. An immediate example that pops up are the showers. I used to work out in a gym in the Village in NYC. LOTS of gay guys there. Didn't bother me. I've slept in the same room as gay guys. Didn't bother me.

And I could be off base here but it seems to me most of the resistance is coming from the male side of the fence. I don't see a lot of protests from the ladies. Any women out there in the military wish to chime in? And for the guys, are you as against gay women serving as you are men? Just asking.

Pajama Jeans

I just had the displeasure of watching a TV commercial for something called Pajama Jeans. Yes, we finally have pajamas that look like jeans. No doubt following the massive success of diaper jeans. I think I'll submit my patents for aluminumidenim foil and Skin So Jean body wash.

A Lesson in House Renovations

We're turning the final corner on finishing the house. It has been quite the project but it will be worth it when we're done. I know listening to someone talking about their house is like listening to someone talking about their house but it's consumed my life for the past few months. I think I've earned my black belt in cutting a room with paint.

Please feel free to share you renovation stories. I promise not to complain...

Progress?

Yes, we still have a long way to go and there are plenty of things that make us smack our foreheads in disbelief but that's no reason not to be happy about all the good things happening for us Asians. New talent keeps hitting the small and big screens, AAs are involved in politics in record numbers, a freaking Asian hip-hop group is at the top of the charts and some of the largest basketball players in the world are coming out of Asia. Sheeeit. Chin up guys, and no, that's not a Chinese name joke.

PS: I read the Zac Efron Akira casting was a rumor after I drew up this strip. Hooray!

Attention Asian men...

In our quest to be perceived as more masculine don't forget that it's OK to cry.

Nintendo Meat Chart

Not sure why I'm posting this but I think it's pretty damn funny.

Common Sense SAM part 6 - the results are in.

So election day has come and gone. Here in Massachusetts a bunch of democrats won and in the rest of the country lots of Republicans won. The two sides celebrated their wins and democracy wins the day. This election year, more than a lot of the elections in the past few years, I wasn't paying much attention. To be honest I've been running around crazy between my job, watching kids and working (still!) on the new house and knew very little about most of the candidates. One thing I did know though was this year was jammed packed with nasty mudslinging campaign ads and robo calls. It's amazing that people still do that and more amazing that it seems to work. I guess we tend to believe negative things more than positive ones. There was even one saying how a candidates opponent hated puppies. Wow.

I know this strip seems to be a downer against political involvement but I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way. I respect people who have the energy and will to keep active and fight the good fight. I just had to sit this round out.

Dear Clint McCance

Here's a sweet message from George Takei to Clint McCance, the Arkansas school board member who had a few choice words about homosexuals and how he enjoyed that they give each other AIDS and die.

Common Sense SAM part 5

Happy Halloween!!! No, we're not living in the house yet but we did go sugar begging...I mean, trick or treating in the new hood. All the kids ran for the huge McMansions screaming,"The big houses have the good candy!" How quickly they learn. It was like watching pigeons at the park going after the last crumb of food.

And speaking of begging, anyone else getting tired of the phone ringing off the hook from politicians? I wonder if there's some sort of class action suit that can be filed for phone spamming. I bet if a politician ran on that platform they'd get a lot of votes.

Candidate SAM part 4

Debate time!...sorta. I feel like back in the day people used to discuss political issues and policies for hours and hours at a time. Even days. Now we just wait to see who has the better attack ads. I think we need to get back to nobody leaves until we've decided town hall style super meetings! Who's with me! (cricket chirp)

Candidate SAM part 3

As SAM is thrust into a political race he doesn't want to be in he ponders the important questions...like what's in it for him?

Candidate SAM part 2

The continuing saga of a man thrust into the political limelight. May God have mercy on our souls.

ASPIRE Asian American Women Leaders Conference Oct. 16 in Boston

Just wanted to let everyone know about an important conference going on at Boston University on October 16. It's the Asian American Women Leaders conference organized by the nice people at ASPIRE (Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence). Their mission is to aim to encourage attendees to explore, learn, and flourish. It will challenge and support Asian American women to take a leap. Speakers will share their experiences on how they were able to discover themselves through new inspirations and experiences which allowed for change in their lives.

The morning keynote will be given by Linda Chin who is the President of ATASK (Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence) and the afternoon keynote will be presented by Jeannie Suk, Assistant Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.

They are graciously offering discounted pricing for advance ticket purchases/registration. But it ends this Saturday so get your tickets NOW! Please find more information about this event at their website.

Mmmm...can you smell the politics in the air?

It's that magical time when the leaves turn colors, political robo-calls ring non-stop and the TV becomes inundated with ads that were approved by so and so. At this point in my life I've seen my fair share of political cycles and the one thing that really hasn't changed is the promise of change. All politicians promise to be an agent of change that will bring lasting prosperity and hope. After all, change is good, right? But after a while the message loses its luster and, after seeing enough candidates under-deliver on their promises, loses meaning altogether.

But then I sit back and think to myself, "Why are candidates promising anything? Aren't they just supposed to do what we tell them to do? Isn't that the role of a politician?" At which point my other self says, "Yes, but when a politician is following up on his/her constituent's demands it becomes his/her responsibility to carry through with their wishes and sometimes that comes across as a personal agenda." Then third self jumps in with a "That's crap! Politicians only carry through on things they agree with. No way an anti-abortion politician is going to defend abortions even if everyone in his/her state wants it legalized." Fourth self then leaves the room and checks to see if there are any brownies left in the kitchen.

Oh, yeah. I've decided to extend this storyline for the next few weeks until the elections in early November. I apologize in advance.

Will white people be the sole survivors?

It's no secret I love watching survival shows. Survivor Man, Man vs. Wild, Man, Woman, Wild, Dual Survival, I Shouldn't Be Alive...etc Love them all. But the other day I suddenly realized that all of the hosts for these shows were white and it made me wonder why that might be. I was reminded of a line Chris Rock used in one of his stage shows where he said white people have it so good that they're the only people who pretend to be homeless and go sleep in the woods.

Then I noticed something else, almost every time one of these hosts talked about where they learned their survival tips and techniques it was from a brown colored native. Australian, South American, Native American, African, Middle Eastern...always some brown faced person. I guess the opposite of one of these shows would be taking a native and have them try to survive. I can see it now "I learned this employment catching technique from an American business worker. It's called a resume and I'm going to make mine out of paper and ink."

Buying and Selling a house

The title says it all. So we got the place and we're now in the midst of gutting the bathroom and doing the floors and a whole bunch of other stuff. I have to say there's nothing like the feeling of gutting a bathroom. It's kind of an itchy lung and sore shoulders kind of a feeling.

Things that bug me.

The phrase "sitting Indian style" always bugged me. I used to wonder if Indians actually sat like that or does everyone eventually sit like that when you're on the ground. Then there's the use of "Indians" instead of "Native American". When I was a kid there was no "Native American" label, just Indian so while that never bothered me it struck me odd that people could be called Indians even though they're not from India. When I heard that they were called Indians because that's where the explorers thought they landed I thought they should have corrected that somewhere down the line when they realized they were wrong. So to make up for it I call people from India Native North Americans.

Homeless!!!

Sorta. Moved out of our condo but haven't closed yet on the new house. Stuuff in storage, stuff still in the condo and stuff at my in-laws' house. I feel all spread out. But hopefully it all comes to an end Tuesday when we're set to close. Fingers crossed. Managed to get a new strip done this week though so that's progress...

Crazy times

This past week and the week to come will be some of the craziest weeks on the books for me personally. Work has picked up massive steam with all the students coming back to Boston (which is great), add to that I'm in the middle of moving to a new place outside of the city (scary for a city boy like me), gotta do a little work to the new place before we can move fully in and school/daycare for the kids is starting up which will wreak all sorts of havoc on scheduling.

So basically I'm letting you know ahead of time that next week's SAM strip is going to be a repeat, I mean a classic. Haven't decided which one yet, maybe you have some suggestions...

Also a quick note to those who ordered artwork/books in the past week or so. It's going to take a little longer than I'd like to get your shipments together. My apologies for the delay but I'll get them out as soon as humanly possible. Thanks.

An Army of One...Jerk

I'll start with the obligatory show of respect for our fighting forces, because, well, they deserve it. Which is why I become especially bothered by people who I've seen first hand act like complete assholes and use their service as an excuse. Although in the back of my head I always wondered if these assholes are the ones who actually fake their military service to try and reap the benefits of having served.

New artwork available for sale!

Just uploaded the past three weeks of Sunday strip artwork that is available for sale. Thanks to everyone who bought pieces. I've got to admit it's still a little hard to let them go. My babies are growing up and leaving home...sniff...but now they belong to the world.

Asian Vampires

I can't believe my local pharmacy is already selling Halloween stuff.

There are bunches of spooky stories out of Asia that can be categorized as vampire stories. It's pretty cool to see how wide the range is when it comes to the origins, characteristics and even vulnerabilities ie. garlic and daylight. Right now we seem to be up to our...necks in vampire culture. Between True Blood, Twilight and the BP oil executives it's vampires 24/7 and personally I'm pretty sick of it. We need more Creature from the Black Lagoon up is this muthascratcha. And I'd love to see Eli Roth take on a Scooby Doo remake or Rob Zombie signed on a gory Addams Family sequel.

Jonathan Lee

This kid rules. 13 years old and he's thinking on a level that many never will. I'm going to keep an eye on this kid.

House Hunting

Anyone out there looking for a new house? The first time around it was pretty exciting because it was JUST a house hunt. Find a place, get financing, move in! This time around it's a little more of a pain in the ass because not only is there a house hunt, but house sale. It's a great time to buy but a shitty time to sell. That being said if anyone is looking for a sweet 2 bedroom condo in Dorchester, MA with 12' ceilings drop me a line!

Original Art Sale!

I made a new page at secretasianman.com where I will be having a sale on original comic strip art. For now there are 7 Sundays available. I will be constantly updating this page so if you don't see anything you like now, please check back often.

Artwork will be signed, shipped flat via Priority Mail, and I will include a color print of the strip as it appeared in print with lettering.

COMMENCE BROWSING!

Happy N.W.A. Day!

Time to date myself. I still remember when rap was just in its infancy, bubbling up in the streets and developments in the South Bronx and Queensbridge. When I was in high school I first heard of this band...this group...this posse of guys called N.W.A. and it blew me away. We were already listening to the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie etc but N.W.A. was something different. It was the first time I was kind of scared of a music group and I was hooked. I wonder what Eazy-E would be doing now if he were still alive. I think he would have been great doing infomercials or something. Maybe a guest judge on Project Runway. Or maybe a sweet "Straight Outta Comcast" ad.

Prop 8 and Gay Marriage

By now you've all probably heard the news about California's Proposition 8 being declared unconstitutional and as a result the ban on gay marriage has been overturned. Sweet! Definitely a step in the right direction.

But throughout the gay marriage debate something has always struck me odd. Many opponents of gay marriage are against it for religious reasons quoting biblical passages like "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." The way I see it, religions should be free to preach whatever the hell they want. If it turns people away let them feel the effects of a shrinking congregation. Let them surround themselves with people who can only think exactly the same as everyone else in the religion. I think if a church refuses to perform a marriage between two homosexuals then that's the church's problem and I'm sure that couple can find a church that would be delighted to marry them.

On the flip side I understand that many gay people who happen to belong to a religion that doesn't look favorably upon their lifestyle feel compelled to change the ways of that church in order to open the hearts and minds of its followers.

In terms of the cut and dry legalities of gay marriage, I don't even know why this is a debate. Of course gays should be able to be legally married. And when I hear the ridiculous argument of "What's next? People marrying animals?" I say sure why not. Go marry that horse of yours. Have a great honeymoon with your cat. But if you're going bring your animal into the realm of human law it better follow all of them. You'd better be prepared to pay Rover's back taxes if he doesn't pay them on time and if he doesn't have his papers from the vet his ass is getting deported to wherever his breed came from. Look out chihuahuas, you're getting specie-ally profiled!

So to all the gay Americans out there, congratulations on this major victory! But be prepared for more battles as there is sure to be bumps down the road. The good news is every day there are more and more people behind you to help fight the good fight.

Black Comix

Worth noting, a have a few friends who are included in this new 176 page casebound monster called Black Comix: African American Independent Comics, Art and Culture. It features the talents of Larry Stroman, Rob Stull, Eric Battle, Dawud Anyabwile and dozens more plus a forward by Keith Knight. Get more details and then grab yourself a copy.

Arizona Neo-Nazis

I'm posting next Sunday's strip a little early in light of today's federal injunction against SB1070, the Arizona Immigration bill. I'll let the strip speak for itself. Curious to hear your thoughts.

I Believe the Children are our Future. Treat Them Well...OR THEY'LL TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!

Not to sound like an old fart but it's amazing what kids are learning today. My older son has been going to technology camps for the summer where kids learn about things like electronics and the basics of robotics. What the hell happened to wedgies and drinking bug juice?

SAM at Comic-Con!

OK, fine I won't be there in person but check it out, I've created a new apparel design just for Comic-Con featuring head shots of Asian heroes and villains from TV, comic books and anime. But here's the best part. It's not only going to be a t-shirt, there's also going to be a hoodie version of it! They will be making their debut at the Blacklava booth along with all the other SAM designs. Take a pic of yourself at the Blacklava booth with your SAM gear, send it to me and I'll pop it up on my site!

Look Out Jaden Smith

Anyone else think it's strange that the Karate Kid hasn't featured an Asian kid yet? Anyone think it would be weirder if there was one? Would it just be called "the Kid" since we all already know karate?

Tea Party vs. NAACP

As the battle rages on between the Tea Party Movement and the NAACP I can't help but get a visual of an old white guy and an old black guy arguing on a porch about who the best baseball player was: Robinson or Ruth. The NAACP is accusing the Tea Party Movement of supporting a racist atmosphere and not denouncing the racist signage and language heard at rallies around the country. Meanwhile the Tea Party stands by it's mission statement of being about loving their country and changing the direction the country is going. It's basically a finger pointing shouting match that, I'm sure, will have no real resolution for either organization.

It's no secret that I have some issues with both the Tea Party Movement and the NAACP but I'm actually glad that they're having this very public discourse. When I hear comments asking how this could happen during an Obama administration that was supposed to advance race relations I think to myself that it's happening BECAUSE Obama is in office. Progress and evolution isn't always pretty. Just look at the platypus.

Site face lift

You may or may not have noticed that updates have been pretty slow over at secretasianman.com. Once I started this blog site I've found it 100x easier to update on the go and share through social media. So because I don't have enough to do in my life I'm starting to finally change it over to more of a welcome type page with strips, archives, character bios, FAQs, merch, info for retailers...etc so people who have just heard about the strip can learn more. So far I've gone live with a new splash page. The rest if the site will follow that general look. Take a peek!

What's in a Name?

Growing up with a name like Takeharu (yes, that's my real whole first name) followed by a Toyoshima, I had trouble finding my name on key chains at the souvenir shop. I was always jealous of people with "simpler", shorter names like John, Bob and Matt. There was this one Chinese kid who I hated named Ed Ng. I always thought he had an unfair advantage during tests where we could start as soon as we finish writing our names.

Kids started calling me "Tak" sometime in the 5th-6th grade, I think. They actually started to call me "Rock" being that I had such a chiseled, Roman God-like physique. "Rock" became "Tak" and it stuck ever since. Over the years I came to learn Tak is a rather common nickname for any Japanese name that starts with a "Tak". But as far as I know I'm the only Takeharu Toyoshima in the universe and that's OK by me.

I LOVES ME SOME PREDATOR

As junky as the whole Predator and Alien franchise has become, I can't help falling back in love every time a new movie comes out. I don't even care who's in it and what setting it's placed in. I just want to see some Aliens and Predators go at it.

The latest release, Predators, has all the promise of the empty calorie fun that we've all come to expect and demand. I can't wait to see it. But then I realize that as much as I love seeing the Predators rip out some puny human spines, I think Hollywood ought to expand on the concept. Why confine these characters within the realm of sci-fi/horror? I think they should branch out into other genres like romantic comedies like When Alien Met Predator or My Big Fat Predator Wedding. Or the ultimate remake of Romeo and Juliet. A love stricken Predator falls dread over heels for a beautiful Alien Queen but their families' hatred for each other threaten to tear them apart. I'm welling up just thinking about it.

Boston Globe article RE: Last Airbender

Here's the piece in the Sunday Globe that I was contacted for to share my thoughts on the Last Airbender.

Happy 4th of July

Another 4th of July goes by and again I'm reminded of all the things I'd like to see change. I think that's why I love watching fireworks and things blowing up on the 4th to take my mind of of it.

Vietnamese Fishermen in the Gulf

Sorry for being a nerd and not posting last week. Here's the strip from 6/27 about the Vietnamese fishermen down in the Gulf of Mexico. It's been a little disheartening to see the lack of these fishermen's presence in media coverage of the oil leak disaster. They make up a large percentage of the people who make a living from the Gulf. My gut tells me that it's mostly a language problem, not some insidiously purposeful media agenda. But if that's the case, it's just lazy journalism. Surely translators can be found and some of those fishermen must speak well enough for an on air interview. At least Olivia Munn gave it a shot on the Daily Show!

The Last Airbender review

I got to go to a screening of the Last Airbender tonight (Thanks Ty!). As I was walking to the theater I started to go through the checklist of things I was going to pay attention to so I could rip them apart later: The casting in Aang. The canned dialog. Vaguely Asian setting and architecture. I sat down and after about a 15 minute martial arts demonstration by ATA Martial Arts, the same school Noah Ringer (Aang) studies under, the lights went down.

Here's a point by point breakdown:

1. This movie sucks big time.

2. Holy crap! Is that...Aasif Mandvi from the Daily Show?

3. Noah Ringer does his best to get through this movie and he deserves a lot of credit. As much controversy as there is about the casting of this movie I think it would be unfair for this kid to feel any hate for it. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

4. This movie really, really sucks.

5. It's amazing how Asian a movie can become when you surround the mostly white lead cast with actual Asian supporting actors. Give them slight accent and gold.

6. That IS Aasif Mandvi! For the rest of the movie I just kept expecting him to turn it back over to Jon Stewart.

7. I think if I knew more about the original series there would be more to criticize but in the end I came away disappointed by yet another whitewashed Hollywood film, happy that I didn't pay to see it, a slight headache from the HORRIBLE 3D and relieved that the movie was so bad that it took away any threat of doing real damage. I'm keeping my eyes on this Leonardo DiCaprio Akira movie. Now that's gonna piss me off.

Invitation to SPAM

So it looks like the comments stretching out on Charlie's blog are Engrishy Chinese phrases. Get your degree in Engrish here. So I'm asking you the reader to do what any sensible person would do in this situation: post your own Engrishy nonsense!

Shhh...check this out

Back in March, Charlie published a blog post about Michio Kaku, the "SciFi Science Guy". Since that post a strange thing started to happen. Comments started slowly trickling in and are now completely in what looks like some dialect of Chinese. Check it out. Anyone know what they're talking about? Charlie is so freaked out he hasn't posted anything since then. Help the guy out!

SAM's growing family

And baby makes four. Having two kids is a whole new ball game and SAM and I are going to be learning as we go. So far it has made me wish I could create another me so I can hang out with the kids AND get some work done. But just when I think it's all too much, I see the two kids interact and all the pressure evaporates. Kids rule.

Dragons are real

This struck me while reading a book about mythological creatures to my son. Strange how so many cultures have dragons in their mythologies but can have different takes on them. Personally I think they're pretty damn cool and would like to think they'd be fun to hang out with.

Quick! Gets the bags! It's time!

We had our second son a few months back so this strip is more of a reflection of that time. And as stressful as it got it seemed a lot more calm the second time. I left for work with the feeling that today was going to be the day. I sit down and just as I start getting into the day's work the phone rings and my wife tells me we should go to the hospital. I gather my things, get home, meet my wife and older son (it was right before school was to begin), we get in the car (that we didn't have last time), I drive to the hospital (with my brand new driver's license), we check in, our son gets picked up by my sister-in-law and we're off to the delivery room.

OK, OK. I wasn't the one having the baby but the atmosphere was a lot less hectic and scary. Although at one point we had kind of a weird and creepy nurse.

Having two kids is definitely different than just one and surely there are plenty of misadventures ahead.

So...what am I?

Being a mix-ed race/multiracial/bi-racial/mutt/HAPA was not in my experience growing up but I'm learning all about it through my son. It's still very much in the background but I know as he grows older I'm going to have the pleasure of tackling a whole new set of issues!

Space 242 art show this Friday!

A little last minute announcement. I'll be showing some original SAM artwork this Friday 5/28 at Space 242 in the South End of Boston from 6-8pm. The show is called Smudge! Smear! Splatter! and also features comic talents Paul Ryan, Jamie Buckmaster, Craig Bostick, Alison Cowell, Andy Fish, Veronica Hebard, Bret Herholz, Mike Leslie, Derek Ring and more! Also sponsored by the delicious Notch Brewery.

Who needs people when you can have robots!

It's no secret that Charlie is a bit of a tech junkie. It's also no secret that he can be completely content surrounded by inanimate objects that challenge his intellect. Enter robot friends. Robots can do a lot of stuff these days and every few months there seems to be some new advance in their capabilities. In Japan a lot of the focus seems to involve the interaction of people with robots. They aren't necessarily thinking biggest, faster, stronger. Rather gentler, smarter and more helpful. Then again, maybe it's just a ploy to take over the world with cute and cuddly machines of death.

Reasonable Suspicion

I feel for cops, I really do. Sometimes they have to uphold laws that they are personally against. As much as it's easy to think cops LOVE busting people for the slightest infraction, there are plenty who have level heads, good intentions and keep our streets safe. That being said I wish more cops spoke out about laws they think are unfair. But I guess that would be like asking a soldier to question their commanders. It's not their job to judge, just enforce. I'd be a horrible cop.

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Just watched the 32nd launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on CNN. It was surreal to hear the sterile radio comments from NASA about how the shuttle was reaching 13000mph(!) and to see the curve of the Earth slowly come into view. Meanwhile the news ticker beneath the live footage was scrolling through headlines about Somali pirates (again), Chinese mine accidents, violence in Indonesia, the oil disaster in the Gulf. Puts it all in a very weird perspective about how small our problems are compared to what's out there. Just imagine the galactic problems that await! Martian mine collapse: President Bieber to address nation. Jupiter secedes from United Solar System. Plutonian pirates shot dead by sniper hiding behind Neptune.

And now, a very important announcement

I wanted to get the word out to all of SAM's Asian American readers about a very important project.

The Banyan Tree Project raises awareness about sexual health in A&PI communities by addressing the silence and shame surrounding HIV.

KEY FACTS ABOUT HIV AND A&PIs:
- 1 in 3 Asians & Pacific Islanders living with HIV don’t know it.
- Over two-thirds of Asians and over half of Pacific Islanders have never been tested for HIV.
- Between 2001 and 2004, Asian and Pacific Islander men had the largest percentage increase in new HIV infections, more than any other racial and ethnic group.
- Between 2001 and 2006, the number of new HIV infections among young gay and bisexual Asian and Pacific Islander men more than doubled.

If you would like to find out more about the Banyan Tree Project and National A&PI HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on May 19th, please visit banyantreeproject.org.

Check out their PSA:

R.I.P. Frank Frazetta

Not many artists can stir up as much emotion in me as Frank Frazetta. You may not know it looking at my work but Frazetta was a huge influence to me. His work reminds me of my childhood looking through issues of Warren Magazines, studying covers from Conan the Barbarian and modeling countless characters from my Dungeons and Dragons days. He was the first artist whose style I was able to identify at a glance. He was also the first artist who I thought of as a person, not just a name on a painting.

My only regret is not having had the chance to get out to the Frazetta Museum and maybe, just maybe, catch Frazetta on site and grovel at his feet like an idiot.

Mr. Frazetta, you have always inspired me and will continue to do so for years to come. Thank you.

Happy APAH Month!

Yeah, I know. Kinda pessimistic but hey, it's how I feel. Be sure to spread the love and hug an Asian today. Attention Asians: if people randomly hugs you in the street I take full responsibility. Unless it's creepy and smelly in which case it's not my fault.

Super Art Fight video

Anyone curious to see what the Super Art Fight at ROFLcon looked like, here it is:

OCA's Image Magazine

I have an interview in the Spring edition of OCA's (Organization of Chinese Americans) and did up a cover too! The issue is not up on their website yet but you can learn more here. The OCA has been fighting the good fight since 1973. Do yourself a favor and see what their all about.

secretasianman.com

My site has been jacked for a couple weeks now and it's driving me nuts. The main thing is I can't access my ftp to update pages and strips. This is the second time my password on my ftp has somehow changed. Anyone got any clues?

Errorism

I always wondered if there were people out there who infiltrate political rallies posing as a supporter of the cause and then proceed to make fun of the crowd without them knowing it. When I first saw Victoria Jackson speaking at Tea Party rallies I was convinced she was messing with the crowd. I figured rallies drool over celebrities (even relatively inactive ones like Victoria Jackson) because they draw a crowd so they let her speak. But if she is a real Tea Party supporter, I'm not sure she's doing them any favors. Kind of like that old lady who told McCain during the 2008 presidential campaign that Obama was a terrorist. These loose cannons actually force people to defend their opponents. It's either utter stupidity or sheer genius.

Thanks ROFLcon and Million Year Picnic!

Just a quick thanks to the people at ROFLcon for a great time. Thanks also to the people who run Super Art Fight. Alas I did not win but instead had the honor of losing to Jamie Noguchi who writes/illustrates a great new comic called Yellow Peril. Definitely check it out.

Also a big thanks to Million Year Picnic or hosting the book signing on a very hectic Free Comic Book Day! Lots of fun people and got to do the signing with artists/writers from Boston Comics Roundtable. If you're in Boston and looking to get involved with a group of creative people passionate about comics learn more here.

ROFLcon II 2010 at MIT and signing at Million Year Picnic

This weekend will bring some of the most well-known internet personalities to MIT in Cambridge, MA for ROFLcon II. This list of guests is pretty big but among the more infamous are David of "David After Dentist", Keyboard Cat, Garfield Minus Garfield, I Can Haz Cheezburger and Stuff White People Like. But there will also be some serious academic types and internet sociologists, just to take the nerd level to 11. I'm proud to say I'll be there and gearing up for something called Super Art Fight! on Saturday from 2-3:30. Fellow web comic artists will be pitted against each other in a battle for comic supremacy. The bad news is ROFLcon is completely sold out (good for ROFLcon) but the good news is they will be streaming the entire weekend live and will have cameras in every panel and discussion room so you can tune in!

Then after the panel (and some geeking out) I'll be headed over to The Million Year Picnic in Harvard Square for a book signing from 5:30-7pm to celebrate Free Comic Book Day...for even MORE geeking out! Come by and keep me company!

Census 2010

I always thought the Census was kind of weird but I never got the creepy conspiracy feeling from it. To me it feels like some antiquated counting system developed, put in place and now it's kind of on autopilot. The margins of error must be pretty big for something that is supposed to help us determine the allocation of public funds which begs the question "Do we really need the Census?" I'm still behind it because a lot of good can be done with the information. If anything, I don't trust the people who could potentially do something stupid with the data, not necessarily the data itself. I just wonder at what point the information becomes useless because of the constantly mixing diversity of the US population. They should throw in an entertaining question just for shits and giggles like "Who is stronger, an enraged Thing or a relaxed Hulk?"

Morgan Hill Haru Matsuri

Last weekend was the 50th Anniversary of the Morgan Hill Haru Matsuri. I created an original strip just for the event. So you get TWO strips this week. Enjoy!

Thanks GRNY!

Had a great time at the GRNY signing. Thanks to everyone who came. It was great seeing friends I haven't seen in years show up for the event. It was like a reunion from a bunch of different points in time. Special thanks to Mark at GRNY for taking care of the logistics and being a generally cool guy. Here are some pictures. 

Birthing Class!

That's right, those of you with kids probably know all about this. And those who don't...you will. The last class I took I felt REALLY queasy. And it didn't even have anything to do with what was being taught or shown. But at one point I popped a Life Saver in my mouth to help take my mind off the sick feeling. But right then the instructor started talking about how the cervix, which is like a ring, begins to essentially dissolve as delivery time approaches...just like a Life Saver. I almost gave birth to my lunch right there.

Angry Reader of the Week

This week I reach a milestone in every Asian American's life. That's right, I am the Angry Reader of the Week over at AngryAsianMan.com. See what makes my sake boil.

IMAGINASIAN benefit auction

A little while back I donated some artwork to IMAGINASIAN, an arts event at Purdue University celebrating APA month. Donated pieces are now going on auction to help raise money for Purdue's Asian American Studies program. The first of three of my pieces is now available. Please check it out as well as the other cool items up for auction like an autographed book from Yuri Kochiyama (!), autographed Far East Movement CD and an original piece of art from Larry "G.I. Joe" Hama.

SAM at GRNY

With a very successful weekend at the Boston Comic Con behind me I'm really looking forward to the book signing at Giant Robot New York. I'll be signing copies of Daily Days but also debuting this new benefit shirt for Giant Robot. My share of the sales will go to Giant Robot. If you're in NYC on Friday 4/23, definitely come by the store between 6-8pm. This shirt will also be the Daily Deal at Blacklava this Friday so if you're not going to be in NYC, that's your chance to grab one. See you in NYC!

Minority Scholarships for everyone!

I go back and forth on this all the time in my head. I see the positives and, in some cases, necessities, of racial minority based scholarships but I'm always aware of the down-side that it may be denying scholarship funds to someone who actually deserves it more. But then again, why do smarter people need financial help? Wouldn't they logically be better off in the near future anyway by means of a good job thanks to their genetically superior brain? So it's the bottom of the barrel that needs some help, right? But that's like being rewarded for stupidity. Why would I pay for that? What? I'm not? A lot of these scholarships are privately funded? When you have conversations with yourself do you hear different voices like I do?

Boston Comic Con wrap up

Amazing time at the Boston Comic Con. It was really good to see the show growing and huge lines out the door. Heard a couple reports of 2 hour waits to get in! I suppose that blows if you're outside waiting though...not sure what the story was there.

Thanks to everyone who came by and said hello and support SAM by buying a copy of Daily Days, original artwork or just having a conversation. I wasn't bored for a minute. I even sold out of books! Special thanks to the folks who brought birthday cards (one of which I didn't realize at the time was signed by Jim Lee!) and even a cake! It was damn tasty too.

Boston Comic Con this weekend!

Gearing up for this weekend's Boston Comic Con at the Westin Boston Waterfront. This will be the largest comic con that I can remember Boston hosting. The guests are top shelf, all sorts of cool organizations are going to be present and it's always a great time seeing old friends and making new ones. I'm very excited to have Daily Days available for sale at the con. FINALLY having a SAM book for sale at a comic show is very exciting for me. If you're in Boston this weekend swing by, get dressed up in your best geeky costume and bring some friends. It's only $15 per day. Plus, Sunday is my birthday!