Gene Ha Weighs In On The Frank Cho Covers

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April 17, 2015

Earlier this week we took a moment to highlight a comment about the on going debate in the comic book industry and on the internet about how women are depicted and or drawn in comic books. Here is that article:

Bill Sienkiewicz Brings A Level Head To A Comic Book Controversy

This sparked hundreds of conversation threads on Facebook, and serval members of the comic book industry weighed in on these comment threads or started their own.

Gene Ha, a Korean-American comic book artist and a four-time Eisner winner had this to say about the Frank Cho sketch covers and the continuing debate:

My two cents on the Frank Cho sketch covers. I’m a gorram social justice warrior. A bleeding heart liberal. I am proudly feminist. And I love Frank’s work. You don’t have to agree.

First, let’s leave room for everyone to have their own art. I thought it was stupid when Marvel announced a girl friendly new Spider-Woman run, and then stuck a Manara cover in press releases. This isn’t that: it was single sketches by an artist for his fans. Let young female readers have a Batgirl and Spider-Woman they (and I) can believe in, and let Cho fans (incl. me) enjoy his work too in a different space. I WANT COMICS TO BE BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL OF US. Even stuff I hate.

Cho is not mainly a superhero artist. Frank does real burlesque, which doesn’t mean stripping. It’s the same tradition as cabaret and commedia dell’arte: a theatrical mocking of the audience and our society. Outrage to provoke laughter. Playing with our hopes and fears to make us laugh at ourselves. The video at the link is REAL burlesque [NSFW if your bosses are @$$‪#‎oles‬, safe otherwise].

His work is also sexual. He draws powerful women and men, often in playful, “Oh, my towel is too small, whatever shall I do?” situations. I don’t get turned on by his work but I do think it’s hilarious, beautifully drawn and psychologically rich. His women have agency, even those who aren’t Agents of SHIELD. Again, you don’t have to agree with me but please, everyone, remember that comics is big enough to contain all of our dreams and visions.

These comments where originally post on Gene Ha’s Facebook wall and have been used with his permission.

For the @C2E2 charity auction my page with 1st #New52 Lara & Jor-El aka Superman's parents! http://t.co/26vog0OZrW pic.twitter.com/D2eAttEwqg

— GeneHa (@GeneHa) April 14, 2015

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Al Jazeera America Puts Comic “Terms of Service” To Print

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Matthew Sardo

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April 17, 2015

In 2014 Al Jazeera America published the online graphic novella, Terms of Service: Understanding Our Role in the World of Big Data.The 46-page book is by Josh Neufeld and Michael Keller of Al Jazeera America.

From Bradley Campbell, PRI piece in 2014:
It’s the first book, or graphic novella, published by Al Jazeera America. It centers on how we hand over data in the US for our own benefit. And it explores the tradeoffs of such a transaction. You get the benefits and companies get your data. But you can’t control what the companies do with that data, or whom they hand it over to.

“It’s funny because all of those services come under intense scrutiny in this piece, but we’re in a world where we’re forced to use them to get the word out about the piece. So it’s a crazy world,” Neufeld says.

This past Wednesday Isotope Comics in San Francisco starting carring printed copies of the graphic novella. Isotope is claiming they are the first store to carry Terms of Service.

Do you want to see more graphic novellas from Al Jazeera America? As a fan of comic book stores, I would love for you to buy this book from Isotope Comics, but if you don’t live in San Francisco here is a link to online version of Terms of Service: Understanding Our Role in the World of Big Data.

Did you know AL JAZEERA AMERICA made a comic?! Isotope is the first store to have them! pic.twitter.com/uVC0hhqsIj

— isotopecomics (@isotopecomics) April 16, 2015

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Star Wars Celebration: The Force Awakens Panel Recap

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Matthew Sardo

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April 17, 2015

Here is a recap of Star Wars Celebration: The Force Awakens Panel with reactions from cast member John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac.

Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.

The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and John Williams returns as the composer.

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EX MACHINA: Why We Love Science Fiction Films

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Matthew Sardo

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April 16, 2015

Alex Garland and his new film Ex Machina make you feel awkward, but in a good way.

Ex Machina is written and directed by Alex Garland; stars Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Alicia Vikander

Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller, EX MACHINA. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at an internet-search giant, wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain estate of the company’s brilliant and reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac).

Upon his arrival, Caleb learns that Nathan has chosen him to be the human component in a Turing Test—charging him with evaluating the capabilities, and ultimately the consciousness, of Nathan’s latest experiment in artificial intelligence. That experiment is Ava (Alicia Vikander), a breathtaking A.I. whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated––and more deceptive––than the two men could have imagined.

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Photos: Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Vader, Han Solo, Kylo Ren

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 16, 2015

Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as “Star Wars” returns to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.

The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and John Williams returns as the composer.

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser #2

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 16, 2015

Today in Anaheim, California, J.J. Abrams (writer/director/producer) and Kathleen Kennedy (producer) kicked off Star Wars Celebration with an exclusive new look at STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. They welcomed surprise special guests from the film: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaacs as well as veterans of the original saga Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew. The talented team of filmmakers and actors shared a behind the scenes look at the upcoming film and, to the surprise of fans around the world, debuted a brand new teaser trailer.

Get your first look at the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser #2!

Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as “Star Wars” returns to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.

The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and John Williams returns as the composer.

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John Boyega’s First Tweet – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 16, 2015

Star Wars is Back #SWCA pic.twitter.com/ixMRQLmDKW

— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) April 16, 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features a new generation of swashbuckling heroes and shadowy villains, as well as the return of fan-favorite smugglers, princesses, and Jedi.

Starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong and Miltos Yerolemou, the J.J. Abrams-directed film will debut in theaters on December 18, 2015.

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Epic Fail: Star Wars And Twitter Team Up for Custom Emojis

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 16, 2015

With the world watch Star Wars Celebration, they misspell C-3PO in custom Twitter Emojis. The image above is from the Force Awakens panel.

#StarWars emojis #Stormtroopers #CP3O #BB8 pic.twitter.com/FRmb5SeQkf

— Matthew Sardo (@MatthewSardo) April 16, 2015

Starting today, Twitter users will have even more ways to express their excitement and celebrate their favorite pop-culture phenomenon with exclusive new Twitter #StarWarsEmojis.Twitter users who post hashtags representing key words associated with specific Star Wars character and legacy themes will see a small emoji-like icon embedded in their tweets. Tweet the following character hashtags to unlock the first three
#StarWarsEmojis : #C3PO #Stormtrooper #BB8

#StarWarsCelebration http://t.co/1sm9XFCLpm pic.twitter.com/QUt1s775is

— ComingSoon.net (@comingsoonnet) April 16, 2015

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Watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens Panel Live

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 16, 2015

Star Wars Celebration starts off with a live stream of The Force Awakens panel!

At 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time and you can watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy introduce the cast and lead the discussion. Watch the live stream below.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features a new generation of swashbuckling heroes and shadowy villains, as well as the return of fan-favorite smugglers, princesses, and Jedi.

Starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong and Miltos Yerolemou, the J.J. Abrams-directed film will debut in theaters on December 18, 2015.

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Posters

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 16, 2015

Tim Veekhoven a contributor at the official Star Wars site tweeted these Star Wars: The Force Awakens photos out Thursday morning.

I wonder where these are coming from 1/3 pic.twitter.com/ZWKAwd0LsQ

— Tim Veekhoven (@Sompeetalay) April 16, 2015

I wonder where these are coming from 2/3 pic.twitter.com/vRKFqF3jvq

— Tim Veekhoven (@Sompeetalay) April 16, 2015

I wonder where these are coming from 3/3 pic.twitter.com/k7wFDSEcUf

— Tim Veekhoven (@Sompeetalay) April 16, 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong and Miltos Yerolemou, the J.J. Abrams-directed film will debut in theaters on December 18, 2015.

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