This One’s For the Purple People: Why Writing POC in NYC Shouldn’t Be Hard

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Moxie

So by now, everyone knows that Lena Dunham’s Girls hit the Golden Globe jackpot and is now in its second season. Cool, great, whatever you’re into. Eat a cake in the tub to celebrate on your own time, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. A major criticism of the half hour HBO comedy has been its obvious dearth of characters of color featured in meaningful roles on the show. It’s the same conversation that’s taken place over older series like Seinfeld and Friends. A lot of people are quite pissed about it. A lot more people are pissed that those people are pissed, because apparently it’s really difficult to write non-white New Yorkers, or something.

Nice try

NICE TRY

Too bad that’s wrong, and in fact it happens quite a bit, even on television. Let’s just take a look at some shows set in NYC that feature prominent, recurring characters portrayed by people of color.

We’ll start small: Sesame Street has been on PBS for approximately 18 billion years and has always focused on providing children and families with a racially diverse cast of human beings and Muppets. In the past 15 years or so, they’ve integrated even more characters tasked with teaching kids the benefits of being bilingual. But we’re not talking about kids, right? We’re talking about grown folks like you and me. Trust me, shows aimed at us, while they often skimp on diversity, don’t do it nearly as much as Girls.

TamaraTunieTake everyone’s favorite police procedural, Law & Order, and the even more popular Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. On both shows, you see a rotating cast of Black, Asian, and Latin@ characters playing detectives, police chiefs, medical examiners, psychiatrists, lawyers, judges, and forensic analysts, not to mention an even more diverse cast of actors portraying the everyday folks living in New York. If you have a favorite actor, they’ve probably been on L&O at least once. This world is where we got to know and love actors like Benjamin Bratt, Jesse L. Martin, Tamara Tunie, BD Wong, and even Viola Davis. Continue reading →

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Geeking Out

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Mace

Our 50th Geeking Out post!

  • The most beautiful intersection of Kim Cattrall projects.
  • The song of the Strong Female Character.
  • Lucasfilm co-chair Kathleen Kennedy talks producing, and how she convinced J.J. Abrams to direct the new Star Wars film.
  • Tina Fey is working on a Mean Girls musical. Here’s hoping Kevin Gnapoor’s rap makes it in untouched.
  • The new Star Wars film may feature a female protagonist!
  • The upcoming Boy Meets World spinoff/sequel, Girl Meets World, has found its star in actress Rowan Blanchard, and she totally looks like Cory and Topanga’s daughter!
  • Rashida Jones developing new projects for television? Yes!
  • Fourty years of solitude in the Siberian wilderness can do wonders, like letting you miss all of WWII.
  • Fairy tale adaptations are becoming more popular, especially in movies and YA, but here’s a list of some bizarre adaptations that are just baffling.
  • If you’ve ever wanted to start reading Isaac Asimov but were a little intimidated as to where to begin, Bookriot’s reading pathway is a great first timer’s guide.
  • Love dogs (specifically Shiba Inus) and menswear? Check out our favorite canine fashion blog, Menswear Dog!
  • Girls! Or parents of girls! A new STEM mentorship program via HuffPo.
  • EA is creating a Sims video game to help students develop interest in science and technology.
  • Persephone Magazine says it’s time we put to rest the outdated notions that friends we know online aren’t somehow our “real” friends.
  • We’re looking forward to reading Nicole Georges’ graphic novel memoir, Calling Dr. Laura.
  • Daily Show’s Samantha Bee tackles the threat to “bro-hesion” that female combatants in the front lines might pose.
  • A Japanese custodian spent 7 years hand-drawing an intricate maze, and now we get to see it, thanks to his daughter who found it 30 years later, rolled up in a tube.
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We’re No. 1! – “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” edition

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Jeff

The saying goes, “All good things come to those who wait.” Sadly, it’s not always true.  This week, yours truly was stuck on an airplane on my favorite of all days, Wednesday aka New Comic Book Day. (Not officially or anything, that’s just what I call it.) Regardless, it means this week’s crop of #1’s got into my hands a day late, and even more sadly, there were few bright spots among them. In fact, there were only four new #1’s at all on the shelves this week, all from franchises we as geeks should be well versed in.

emilyCertainly the most entertaining of the lot was the first issue in a new Emily the Strange series from Dark Horse Comics, Emily and the Strangers #1. Emily’s status as a pop-culture anti-icon has been well established since the ‘90s, and her individualism has always been part of what makes the Girl in Black tick. Emily is known as quite the loner, keeping to herself as she invents, skates, and refuses to follow anyone’s lead. This series opens with Emily at her best: wandering about in her own mind, trying to find ever more exciting ways to amuse herself and her cats. Since work on her time machine is going slow, she decides to write a song and enter a local radio contest to win a guitar that may or may not be haunted by the ghost of Professa K, her favorite musician. Emily is quite the rocker, but not much of a joiner, as fans to the character certainly know. Her plan is almost a perfect success, but when she wins the contest (of course) she encounters a hiccup in the person of Evan the Intern for DJ Eclectic. Evan insists that she must form a band and perform her winning song if she wishes to acquire the guitar. Emily, not one to play well with others, reluctantly agrees, and Emily and the Strangers is born! This comic is a nice treat in the Emily line from Dark Horse, and not just because it presents the teenage icon in such a positive light. The story is the first time Emily is done in full color, with art by Emily Ivy and Buzz Parker, and she gets a slight makeover, trading her trademark Mary Jane’s for black rocker boots. Through subtle changes, we get to see Emily who’s growing up a bit, becoming more adaptable, and willing to form a partnership or collaborate with someone who’s not Sabbath, Nee Chee, or the rest of her cats. While it’s great to foster individualism in young girls, it’s also nice to see a character who can bring her fierce independence, strong self-identity, and her talents and intellect into a group dynamic. The writing here is filled with typical Emily word play, and fans of the character will be well pleased. Continue reading →

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Geeking Out

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Mace
  • One of the best things we’ve seen in a while on the world wide computer place: lady scientists use only the most common words to describe the sciencey things they do, like building space cars. (We failed with sticking to those 1,000 words in just writing this description.)
  • Dr. Ellen Ochoa becomes the first Latin@ director of the Johnson Space Center, and only the second woman to ever hold the title!
  • The amazing Alex Kingston (River Song on Doctor Who) joins the cast of Arrow, making her the second Whoverse actor to appear in the series. (John Barrowman plays Malcolm Merlyn on the show.)
  • Take a sneak peak at some photos from the upcoming 3rd season of Game of Thrones!
  • Neil Gaiman’s 2008 children’s novel The Graveyard Book might soon be coming to the big screen, under the direction of Ron Howard.
  • Awesome, dizzying, mind-warping animated GIFs from a Croatian designer & researcher. (via Colossal)
  • A new company, Deep Space Industries, wants to start mining in space. They plan on making a fleet of spacecraft. Hopefully they make more than eight!
  • With a clever play on words (To Get Her There/Together There), this new advocacy campaign launched by Girl Scouts of USA is focused on developing a future of leadership for young girls. We love the campaign’s website.
  • We are super into Urbance, a new futuristic animated series from Canada. Check out the trailer:

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We’re No. 1! – “Get to the Point” edition

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Jeff

It’s a short and sweet week this time around, as the new offerings in the #1 department are few in number. There are a few first issues from the big boys mostly, with one exception, and a prequel that may answer the most pressing questions in all of geekdom!

Layout 1That prequel is IDW Comics Official Precursor to this summer JJ Abrahms Star Trek Blockbuster, Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #1. Co written by screenwriter Robert Orci, the book begins with a disturbed Spock having trouble sleeping, not to mention a few mommy issues. It’s exciting to see the Enterprise crew acting like a crew and not randomly finding themselves and each other, as we did with the first Star Trek film. It is, though, off-putting that artist David Messina, while talented, didn’t put much effort into making the characters resemble their real world counterparts.  Kirk looks more like a young William Shatner than Chris Pine, and Spock looks like … no one. That said, there’s exciting Star Trek action, Kirk actually deigns to let Uhura take the conn (for once), and a mysterious villain is revealed. Is it the mysterious unknown Benedict Cummerbatch character? It’s certainly not Khan, I can tell you that, and it’s set up to be a villain just for the comic series, but one can never tell.  At least, not without reading the book… Continue reading →

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Redheads Have I Loved: An Ode

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Lois

My fascination with redheads, while not as powerful as that special bond between the British and Prince Harry, has been around since childhood. There is just something about lustrous red hair – kissed by fire! Instead of waxing creepily about it, I thought I’d share with you a list of some of my favorite fictional redheads. Most of these are characters from my childhood, so more recent ginger-haired icons like Joan from Mad Men or Ygritte from A Song of Ice and Fire are not included.

ANNE SHIRLEY
I don’t even know where to start with Anne Shirley of Green Gables, P.E. Island, but this list must begin with her. Anne and I have been kindred spirits since I was nine, thus making her one of my longest standing red haired favorites. My affection was sealed forevermore after the infamous “carrots” incident involving a slate and Gilbert Blythe’s head. While Anne’s hair never did miraculously turn raven black (although it was green for a while), I’m quite sure she must have been lovely to behold with her auburn hair and gray eyes.

 

PEPPER ANN
Pepper Ann, Pepper Ann, much too cool for seventh grade; Pepper Ann she’s like one in a million! Who wouldn’t love this spunky, awkward (not that she’d admit it), confident redhead with an androgynous younger sibling and second-wave feminist mother? Pepper Ann made my Saturday mornings so much brighter and better with her indomitable spunk, scratchy voice, and slightly clueless antics. Remember when she flashed her gym class because she thought that “support” meant bra?

 

Continue reading →

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An Interview With Molly Danger Creator Jamal Igle

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Hilary

After surpassing his Kickstarter goal by over $5,000, comic book artist, editor, art director, writer and father Jamal Igle successfully funded the production of Molly Danger. Igle’s credits include Daredevil/Shi, Nightwing, Zatanna, Superman, Supergirl and Spider-man, but Molly Danger is proving to be a project that not only shows off his massive skills, but his massive heart.

Molly DangerFrom the Kickstarter’s description of Molly Danger:

Kept in constant isolation and watched closely by D.A.R.T. (The Danger Action Response Team) an organization created to assist in her heroic deeds and monitor her movements, Molly battles the Supermechs. A team of cybernetically enhanced beings with unusual powers, Molly always defeats them and yet they always managed to mysteriously escape.

Molly longs for a real life, with a real family, something she’s been told she can never have. Her life changes when D.A.R.T. recruits a new pilot, Austin Briggs. Briggs has his own motivations for joining the team, newly remarried; Austin is having trouble forming a relationship with his new stepson, Brian. Austin wants to use his connections to impress Brian, an avid Molly Danger fan. However things get turned on its ear when Molly and Brian form a friendship of their own.

She believes she’s an alien, whose family died when their ship crash-landed on Earth and before the atmosphere could fully alter them. She also believes that she’s alone, the last of her kind.

Everything she knows is wrong.

With a story setup like that and such a personal investment in the project, Jamal’s dedication to Molly Danger is something that deserves to be put in the spotlight, and as one of the backers, I had a stake in the story as well! He was kind enough to talk to Geekquality about this project, from its inception to its future.
Continue reading →

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Geeking Out

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Mace
  • Woman You Should Know About: Kyla McMullen, the first African-American woman to get a Ph.D. in computer science from University of Michigan.
  • The editorial staff all took this Clueless quiz; can you score perfectly? (As if!)
  • Richard Blanco, gay Latino poet, will be reading at Obama’s inauguration.
  • One school’s success on closing the achievement gap.
  • Real and imaginary space travel intersect in the best set of tweets ever.
  • We had a good chuckle and a few gasps when reading some of these conspiracies concerning classic literary characters. The Winnie the Pooh made us sad, though.
  • Also funny and disturbing: if Dr. Seuss books were titled by their subtext.
  • Last week, we noted a tablet that folded like paper. This week, check out this new tablet with a smart rising keyboard. It’s a little creepy, but LOOK AT IT.
  • Why does Martha Jones always get the shaft? Freema Agyeman confirms that she won’t be making an appearance in the 50th anniversary episode of Dr. Who.
  • Samuel L. Jackson croons Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
  • A spoiler-filled scientific analysis of Serenity.
  • How much did you pay attention to science news in 2012? Our science expert was ashamed at how poorly she did.
  • You know what twitter really needs? More iambic pentameter.
  • Marvel may green light a Heroes For Hire movie.
  • We will never tire of Jim Hines‘ sci-fi and fantasy novel cover recreations.
  • “Nothing weird is going to happen.” Canadian seeks women with Star Trek TNG costumes.
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We’re No. 1! Noir, Outer Space, and Too Many Bikinis

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Jeff

This week in first issues in comics we’ve got pulp-noir heroes, outer space shenanigans, interstellar reality TV, base exploitation of the female form, and the self-identified “ugliest kid on Earth.”  So, let’s get to it.

BB#1The best of the bunch this week is a pure noir superhero tale from Dark Horse Comics. The Black Beetle #1 is a classic thriller in the vein of the Shadow or the Green Hornet, or even early pulpy Batman, and the hero here, The Black Beetle, seems more along the lines of the latter. He’s a detective who’s taken to wearing a black leather costume reminiscent of a big bug, packing his trusty .45’s and some fancy gadgets, and takin’ on organized crime in Colt City. This is honestly pretty fun, without a lot of depth. There is no sultry lady trying to get him to take the case here (and we’re grateful for the dodged stereotype) and in fact, there are no ladies in this tale at all. It’s a pretty homogeneous cast, and a mysterious one at that. This book doesn’t make the mistake that a lot of super hero stories do, avoiding bogging us down with the origins of the Black Beetle. We just assume he’s a good guy who’s determined to do the right thing. While this might ordinarily make for a flat story line, the over the top pulp-y illustrations by Francesco Francavilla lend themselves to a radio era simplicity that makes the reader not care all the much about the past. We’re ready to get into the rip roaring present, and The Black Beetle is such a gorgeous book, it’s quite easy to do. It holds promise, for certain. Continue reading →

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The Descent: A horror movie that broke the Bechdel Test

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Lois

When it comes to interesting roles for women in horror movies, it’s slim pickings. If they are the leading characters, it’s because they’re the target of a male gaze gone terribly wrong (stalking, haunting, hunting), or they’re on a revenge mission, usually because of rape. The standard depictions tend to run the gamut of heaving bosoms, see-through tank tops, and loud, rapid breathing. For a while, I had to resign myself to wading through some dismal and problematic stuff in order to enjoy a horror film. Until I watched The Descent, a movie that not only passes the Bechdel Test but practically breaks it.

intrepid6

Continue reading →

Posted in film, film reviews, horror | Tagged , | 2 Comments

My Film Awards Have A First Name…

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Elyse

The Academy Awards are upon us and with the nominations in and speculations a-brewing, it’s a great time to step back and check out the scope of what we’re dealing with this award season. As any jaded film fan knows, the Oscars are only important insofar as they indicate the themes and personalities Hollywood deigns worthy of endorsing. As we have learned in previous years, tremendous talent can be snubbed only to receive recognition years later; films that resonate with a modern audience can be passed over for the sake of tradition; and generally, politics and timing are more useful measures for determining picks for your Oscar party than going with what you thought was good in theaters.

So rather than muse on what films we think deserve those infamous statuettes, it might be more enlightening to explore the stories being told by the nominated films. Considering the current political climate and demographics of the Academy, what is the likelihood for these nominations to come away with the coveted Hollywood seal of approval?

And the nominees are...

And the nominees are…

Continue reading →

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Artists we have loved, 2012

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Mace

We love geeky art, so we thought it would be fun to compile a list of artists we’ve mentioned on the site in 2012, and if possible, point you to where you could support these artists directly.

fellowshiprelationships

Fellowship Relationships by Gingerhaze

  • Noelle Stevenson (Gingerhaze): Creator of the great new web comic Nimona, as well as the artist behind The Broship of the Rings and many other awesome things.
  • Justin White: Just imagine if all of your favorite TV shows or movies were animated series.
  • Hey Monster!: The deification of some of our favorite fictional ladies.
  • Meme Art: This is a collection of various artists, but who can resist fleeting humor?
  • Christopher McMahon and Thyrza Segal: Improving (often not-so-great) found art with monsters!
  • Empira: A quick way to amp up your car’s awesomeness and proclaim your geek pride.
  • Butterwort: Hilariously adorable t-shirts, including Mohawk Pony, inspired by NASA’s staffer Bobak Ferdowsi.
  • Ashley Eckstein, Her Universe: A fantastic array of apparel and gifts covering a great swath of geekdom.
COVER-463x600

Hell yes! Thanks, Nicole Lorenz!

 

  • Nicole Lorenz: Making coloring books cool again (see above!)
  • Franco: Thoughtful pieces from a North Carolina-based visual activist.
  • Peter Stults: Reimagining your favorite films as posters in mind blowing ways.
  • Abby Emerson: Creator of adorable, handmade tiny animals made out of felt.
  • Alex Gross: Stunning prints, books and etchings, mixing pop art, vintage style, and geek obsessions.
  • Tough Turtles: Two dimensional bead sprites, from Mario to Pokémon.
  • Quantum Mechanix, Inc.: Everything. Seriously, everything. QMx have a vast catalog of geeky merch, from screen-accurate character maquettes, to t-shirts and little knick-knacks.
  • Humble Indie Bundle: Great assortment to appeal to your independent gaming needs, supporting game designers directly and help charity.
  • Kiri Moth: A little bit steampunk, a little bit Art Nouveau, Kiri’s illustrations are 100% awesome. She’s also the graphic designer for Geekquality!

All images from the artists’ websites.

 

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Geeking Out

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Mace
    • Our own Moxie Munroe will be speaking at illogiCon this Saturday! Visit her Women and Geek Culture panel at 4pm, and then go back for some more in the Podcasting panel at 6pm!
    • For our history buffs, Life has some excellent and sobering photos of WWII, including this color shot of a female welder at a building yard.
    • Guillermo del Toro discusses his latest projects, including Mama and Dark Universe.
    • Benedict Cumberbatch is just as annoyed as the fans are about not being able to talk about his character in Star Trek Into Darkness.
    • We got our first look at Katniss and Finnick from Catching Fire, and… we’re still Team Jesse Williams.
    • Tina Fey is in talks to star in The Muppets sequel, alongside Ricky Gervais.
    • Aladdin is coming to Broadway! Hopefully to include some of the characters and songs that were cut from the original animated film.
    • Possibly the best “who said it?” quote quiz ever: is it a Jay-Z lyric or a Great Gatsby quote? This has resulted in both gloating and shamefaced defeat in our editorial group.
    • In sad science news, the U.S. came in second place (behind Turkey) as a Western country with the least acceptance of the theory of evolution.
    • Check out this adorable sneak peek of Pixar’s latest animated short.
    • With the recent high profile rape cases both in Delhi and Steubenville, we hope this piece helps people see the exact extent and reach of rape culture.
    • First the Ikea Monkey, and now Prison Break Kitty?
    • Running on an Intelcore 5 processor, the Papertab folds and bends like paper, but isn’t! It needs to be plugged in in order to function, and only really works for documents and files, but totally fascinating nonetheless.
    • How horses can help curb internet and pornography addictions. Get your mind out of the gutter!
    • Hackbright Academy: a women-only school in San Francisco that teaches its students everything they’ll need to know to become entry-level programmers (and get jobs!) within 10 weeks.
    • At least one letter of STEM is well represented by women: Math!
    • A hypothesis that gender bias in STEM starts even earlier than thought.
    • From Science Fiction to Science FACT!
    • This year’s Puppy Bowl just got better, with the addition of hedgehog cheerleaders! Tune in for the cuteness on Feb. 3!
    • Nominees at the 15th Independent Games Festival have been announced, including an honorable mention in the Excellence in Narrative category for Papo & Yo, a game we previously covered here on the site.
    • John Cho gets dissed by Morrissey.
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We’re No. 1! the Good, the Bad and the Revamp

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Jeff

It’s an interesting week for #1s in comics, with indie rock-star publisher Image looking at various flavors of Armageddon, and two bold new directions for some of the most beloved franchises in all of geekdom.

SW1It would only ignite the fires of angry debate to state that Star Wars is the biggest franchise in the geek culture pantheon, but what is not in question is its continuing allure. In the comics world, that draw (pun ruefully intended) is often too much for some, be they readers or creators. Dark Horse, holding the franchise rights, has produced a slew of Star Wars related titles, but now they’ve gone and given us what they think fans really want. This week they debut Star Wars #1, and it’s a breath of fresh air in the comics franchise. Instead of traveling thousands of years into the storied galactic past, this tale features all the original trilogy characters that we know and love. Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and the lovable droids are back, in a tale set just after the Battle of Yavin and the end of New Hope. Luke and Leia, on the heels of the loss of their mentor and the home world respectively, travel the galaxy scouting for a new home base for the Rebel Alliance, uncovering a possible traitor along the way. Han Solo is just starting to consider that his brash act of heroism, helping a friend during the assault on the Death Star, might be the beginning of bigger changes in his life. All the while, Darth Vader struggles with the idea that one if his children may, in fact, still live. This is the nuts and bolts of the Star Wars universe that we haven’t seen in a long time, and it’s well written by Brian Wood (The Massive, Mara). The characters have the rough edges of the heroes we know, and it’s interesting to see them in this raw state, still forming new ideas about themselves, and the people we know they’ll grow into. Leia is particularly well represented here by Wood, as a strong-minded but overly burdened young woman, carrying the weight of her murdered people on her shoulders. This book is accessible for anyone who’s a fan of the films but unfamiliar with the larger Expanded Universe, and is one to watch in the coming year for certain. Continue reading →

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Geeking Out

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Mace
  • For the book lover in your life – buy a calendar! No seriously, these are great, especially the librarian pin up one.
  • Some writing advice from George R.R. Martin that doesn’t include “kill everyone with feels and agony.”
  • Bars & book tour? Yes, please! Boozy literary discussions should be a thing.
  • We know that the FLOTUS is perfection personified, but she looks especially lovely while watching the wedding of Laura Jarrett and Tony Balkissoon.
  • On top of that, our president had a lizard named after him!
  • On a somber note, an article in The NY Times touches on the soaring homicide rate and the racial divide in Chicago, with a featured photo that really hits home.
  • Concept art for the next four projects from Pixar!
  • Why did Lincoln and Django Unchained ignore so much of the work that Black women did to fight for their own freedom?
  • Think superheroes are cool? These organisms are just as amazing, and they’re REAL.
  • RIP Nobel Laureate Rita Levi-Montalcini, who discovered nerve growth factor while hiding from Mussolini.
  • Robert Krulwich introduces us to Sunita Williams and life on the International Space Station.
  • A handy-dandy guide to important sci-fi/fantasy happenings in January.
  • More details about the much-anticipated movie Snowpiercer are revealed. Hurry up already!
  • Rumors and speculations abound, surrounding the possible revival of the cult TV series Twin Peaks.
  • These Adventure Time vinyl toys are squee worthy and available for pre-order. (ETA some time this month). (via Super Punch)
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