WHAM! BAM! POW! Cartoons, Turbans and Confronting Hate opened May 4, May 2018 and runs through February 24, 2019 at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, Washington. It is the story of Vishavjit Singh, a Sikh American cartoonist who dresses as Captain America to dispel misconceptions in the United States about the traditional Sikh turban.
Her Universe: Beyond the Runway
The Her Universe Fashion Show celebrated many milestones at this year’s SDCC event, held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, including its own fifth anniversary. The Nightmare Before Christmas’ 25th anniversary was commemorated with a dress designed by Andrew Maclaine, the 2014 fashion show winner. The dress is comprised of 500 Jack Skellington Funko POP! figures…
Kilt On, Shirt Off: The My Lady’s Choosing Dramatic Reading
Late in the evening on July 20th, a cute, mostly well-behaved crowd of Chicagoans gathered inside Foursided, a colorful boutique filled with clever greeting cards, creatively scented candles, snarky nameplates, and wall hangings. On a typical Friday, Foursided would be closing its doors, but on this Friday a crowd slowly gathered around the big wooden…
Seattle, Superheroes, and Social Justice – Marvel: Universe of Superheroes at MoPOP
Marvel: Universe of Superheroes opened 21 April 2018 and runs through 6 January 2019 at the Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, Washington. This special exhibit takes visitors through the 80 year history of Marvel and their Superheroes, with materials assembled from collections and commissioned specifically for the exhibit. The journey into the Marvel…
Dissecting “Men in Comics” at TCAF 2018
From the dawn of the Golden Age of Comics, there has been one overlooked group of people that has faced the most adversity and struggled more than any other to find a place in comics: straight white men. At this year’s TCAF, a panel of talented comics creators tackled the important, yet controversial, issue of…
The FOLD Festival Adds Comics to the Mix
The Festival of Literary Diversity’s goal is right there in the title. Its mandate is to celebrate and provide a platform for diverse voices in literature. But FOLD’s diversity goes a step beyond the people creating the literature, explained Karen Richardson, a member of the festival board and planning committee. It also showcases the diversity of…
WWAC’s Free Comic Book Day Favorites!
Free Comic Book Day! One of the best days of the year for comic book fans, FCBD is perfect for discovering new books, hooking little or novice fans, or getting to know your local comic community. (And, if you’re in my neck of the woods, getting a free shaved ice in honor of the day…
Wicomicon Rises from the Ashes of Universal Fan Con
When I first heard about Universal Fan Con being cancelled, I’d just booked a one night stay at a second hotel because our hotel was booked and wouldn’t allow us to arrive before Friday afternoon. It was literally minutes after—when I hopped on Twitter—that I read the unfortunate news. Then, a few more minutes later,…
2017 Ignatz Awards Celebrate Diversity and Community
This year’s Ignatz Awards felt more charged than recent years, and the current political climate felt immediate and present even in the ballroom of the Bethesda Marriott where the ceremony is traditionally held. This wider perspective led to an evening of intensely personal speeches about the power of community, comics, and becoming an active participant…
Comic Cons, Comic Books, and a Library Magazine: Anne Drozd on the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival, Pulp, and a Mystery Comic
In the past few years, Anne Drozd and her husband Jerzy Drozd have produced a boatload of comic events: Comic books, podcasts, conventions, cartoonist instruction for kids/teens/adults, school workshops, library events, Nerd Nites, tiny expos, big expos; these two do it all. I was thrilled that Anne was able to take the time to answer…
Stories from Comics Academe: The Culture of Production in Marvel’s Media Franchises
On May 1, 2014, I attended Derek Johnson’s lecture, “My Hero?: The Practices and Politics of Sharing Worlds in Marvel’s Media Franchises” presented by the University of California at Irvine Humanities Collective. Johnson is a professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who researches identity and hierarchy in the production of…
