Off to Space

It seemed time to take SAM off on a ridiculous adventure so please join us as SAM and Charlie blast off into space...maybe.

My Favorite WTF News Story of the Week

Honestly I don't know much about Mr. Kim but I do know he's a dancing/rapping machine.

Asian Americana Video

Here's a video put together for the Asian Americana art show hanging until the end of the month.

The American Dream

This is actually a re-run from a few years ago but it was a fun "silent" strip.

There's been a lot of talk about the American Dream (no,not Dusty Rhodes) and whether or not it's still alive. The way I see it, the American Dream is all about opportunity and the ability to live life under your own terms. But it doesn't exist in a vacuum.

The fact is there is no singular dream. While many dream of owning a house, having a good job and having something put away for a rainy day, others have expanded this dream to include multi-million dollar mansions and unimaginable wealth. And yet others just want to live in a country where they can simply live in peace without constant war in their backyards.

Keep things in perspective and be aware of turning your American Fantasy into someone else's American Nightmare. And if you think that sounds like like veiled call for socialism than you really need to take up a relaxing hobby.

Why "Hate" Crimes are Different than "Regular" Crimes

There are plenty of people out there who bemoan the term "hate crime". They ask bumper sticker questions like "Aren't all crimes hate crimes?" The answer is no. This post is for people who don't see the difference.

Most murders have a motive. Money, jealousy, revenge. There's a back story to their situation that brings them to a point where they lose control and kill someone. But the target of that urge to kill is very specific. In a hate crime murder the motivation can still be money, jealousy or revenge but the pool of potential victims is vastly wider making the person A LOT more dangerous. A dozen guys who want to kill Daryl is a danger to far fewer people than a dozen guys who want to kill everyone who looks like Daryl. My apologies to any Daryls out there.

If James Craig Anderson was not black he would not have been run over by a pick up truck. Families in New York would not have been targeted for firebombing if they were not Muslim or Hindu. And Vincent Chin would not have been murdered by Detroit auto workers if he didn't look Japanese like his killers thought.

If it seems like determining something as a hate crime is giving a certain group of people extra protection that others don't get you probably don't know what it's like to feel uncomfortable or even unsafe simply for being what you are.

Video added 3/24:

Tomo Anthology book signing/activity events

When I was first approached to contribute to this anthology I was psyched. Not only because it was a project that would help some people in Japan but also because I've been wanting to do some SAM material for younger readers. The book is geared towards teens, a pretty tough reading nut to crack if you ask me. If you are either in Boston this Friday (3/23) or New York Saturday (3/31) please come by and check out the book. If you can't make either then consider ordering one online. Thanks and hope you like it!



Look on the right hand widgets for more event info.

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day

I always wondered why Chinese New Year wasn't more widely celebrated. I suppose most cities with a Chinatown has some sort of event but I'm talking about a full fledged, beer sponsored, drunken mess fest complete with people dressed as Stormtroopers and everything. You know, an American celebration! Well, at least they blow shit up.

Framed SAM original art sale #2

Two more original Sunday strips framed with color prints.

First one is SAM taking Stephen Colbert and Rosie ODonnell to task and the second asks how old is too old for a dad to kiss their son on the mouth.

Framed SAM original strip art #1

You get two (TWO!) original Sunday comics sized pieces framed with color prints of the strips as they appeared.

The first is about Sasquatch hunting research and the second is about Charlie's solution to Marie losing her keys.

14"x 18", ink on paper, glass framed. 14"x18". $60

Stamp Out the Jap - Found Art Sale!

War propaganda has a special place in my heart. This is my take on an old WWII poster.

Stamp Out the Jap. Acrylic on wood. 10.5"x13". $40

Metal Gods - Found Art Sale!

I recently realized I had some ready to hang original artwork sitting around waiting for a nice home. Here's one of them.

Metal Gods is my salute to my heavy metal years. Acrylic on wood, 6"x6". $20

SAMJAWS!

I got a request to do a commission piece on the Asian Americana theme. I'd certainly count JAWS as one of them. Had a lot of fun doing this and it has a lot of pop.

Which leads me to say that I will now be accepting commissions for paintings along the lines of the Asian Americana theme. There are so many more icons that need big black eyebrows thrown on them. Just drop me an e-mail and we'll iron out the details. I can work in many different sizes too. tak@secretasianman.com

Weigh your Agenda

Asian American Literary Review

Here's a cover I did for the latest AALR. If you're not familiar with the AALR it's a great biannual publication that features fiction, poetry, non fiction, book reviews, comic art ... all informed by an Asian American perspective. If you like my strip then you're really going to want to follow what these guys are up to. And consider becoming a member.

One year later

The resilience of the Japanese people never cease to amaze me. In the year since to 3.11 tragedy Japan has worked tirelessly to recover. But it's not too late to lend a hand.

Relaaax

Don't worry everyone, I'm not planning on driving off of any highways or anything. Just putting things in perspective.

The Default Race?

Try this test. Draw a smiley face. Now make it a black person. What did you add/do? How about an Asian person. What did you add/do to it? How about a woman?

High Speed Rail

I remember riding on the Japanese "Bullet Train" (or Shinkansen) when I was a kid and being thoroughly impressed by its speed and general niceness inside. I remember the beautiful box lunches you could buy too. More recently I've been on the Amtrak to and from Boston and NYC. Quite a different experience.

I realize there are many reasons preventing us from developing high speed rails in certain parts of the country. Some areas are just too densely populated to allow for stretches of rail long enough to let a train speed along at 200+ mph. Some people just think not enough people would use it, preferring to just fly longer distances. But I also get the feeling there's a very political reason for not investing in them. I'd love to see the day that I can ride a frictionless Maglev train from Boston to NYC in 2 hour.

Jappy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

And now a public service announcement