August 1, 2012 • 50 notes

At ComicCon 2012, Racebending.com hosted our second annual panel, titled Creating Spaces for Diverse Characters and Representations. Check out the complete video of the panel on our YouTube channel, or click on the embedded video above.

Racebending’s panel was also covered by Entertainment Weekly, Bleeding Cool Comics, Tor.com, ToonZone, and PopMatters.

Racebending.com: Creating Spaces for Diverse Characters and Representations

Thursday July 12, 2012 10:00am – 11:00am @ Room 23ABC

Creators and artists are developing engrossing characters from underrepresented groups. Panelists from different mediums will discuss their creative processes and how can fans support their diversity efforts. Featuring novelist and comic book writer Marjorie Liu (Astonishing X-Men, The Hunter Kiss), video game writer David Gaider (Dragon Age, Bauldur’s Gate II), comic book writer Brandon Thomas (Miranda Mercury, Voltron), showrunner and screenwriter Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The Middleman, Lost), writer Sarah Kuhn (One Con Glory, Chicks Dig Comics), and Comic-Con special guest author N.K. Jemisin (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms); moderated by Racebending.com.

#racebending #diversity #comic con #marjorie liu #javier grillo-marxuach #sarah kuhn #nk jemisin #brandon thomas #miranda mercury #lost #the inheritance trilogy #northstar #hunter's kiss #david gaider #bioware #dragon age
July 21, 2012 • 89 notes

Signal Boosting for Stolen Avatar Poster

My car was broken into today (7/21) at a mall in Orange County, CA and a poster I got signed at San Diego ComicCon (and was going to give to my younger brother) was stolen.

It’s the one of the old Gaang that reads “old friends” and it was signed by Bryke, Joaquim, Ryu, and Gurihuru. (Different from the ones that were from the first signing with the signatures from the actors.) If you see it on eBay coming out of a city in Southern California please let me know so I can get the police detective to follow up. (Especially if the seller is also selling a signed copy of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe or a GPS.)

My brother and I are pretty bummed that the poster is gone but at least no one was hurt. If you see the poster on eBay, please message me and let me know! Thank you! -Marissa

#Avatar #Bryke #Korra #Korra Nation #Please keep an eye out #Bryan konietzko #Legend of korra #Mike DiMartino #Comic Con #Charles Yu #Gurihiru
July 14, 2012 • 15 notes

Changing the Direction of the Ship: Racebending Panel at SDCC

TOR.com also covered our panel:

That there are still problems with diversity in mainstream media is the foundation on which the entire discussion is predicated, and this thesis is borne out by the experiences of the panelists. Misconceptions, bias, and prejudice abound, on the editorial side and in the audience. Liu was encouraged by an editor to adopt a less obviously Asian pen name; Thomas talked about how his mother worried that there would be problems if the readers of his comics column knew he was black (“and she was right!”). N.K. Jemisin observed that epic fantasy is still thought of as being restricted to a whitewashed version of medieval Europe; as a fantasy writer who is black (rather than a “black fantasy writer,” she points out), she encounters both readers who are shocked to discover her race and also those who assume that all her characters must be of a like race.
#Racebending #Comic con
July 13, 2012 • 46 notes
When the show first started I was on Amon’s side and that is a testament to Steve Blum’s great acting.
Joaquim Dos Santos, Korra executive producer, at the San Diego ComicCon Korra panel
#Amon #Korra #Steve Blum #comic con
July 13, 2012 • 971 notes
We like to not just have cartoony two dimensional villains—I mean, they are two dimensional, because they are drawn—but we love them [Tarlokk and Noatak] both. And we are sorry we blew the boat up.
Korra co-creator Bryan Konietzko at the Legend of Korra panel at San Diego Comic Con
#Bryan konietzko #Comic con #Amon a boat #Korra #Legend of korra
July 5, 2012 • 43 notes • aslantedview

I was thinking back on some of my first experiences in the anime convention world, especially memories revolving around racism or racial issues. Inadvertently, these things often still occur. There have been dozens, if not hundreds, of times where convention attendees will come up to me trying to speak Japanese (even though I’m Chinese American), even after I point out that I don’t really speak it. There have been other times where internet/meme culture spills out into reality and people speak as if they really were LOL-cats saying things like “I CAN HAS ASIAN BOY?” to me.

At the first convention we played, Kumoricon 2007, I remember a few conversations with people who seemed to think that Japan was the only country in Asia. When our band was introduced to the convention as an “Asian Dance Rock” band, everyone assumed that we were a Jrock band (we’re not). In fact, some of the non-Asian attendees were upset that we weren’t from Japan, as if our pan-Asian American heritage was somehow less authentic than the other parts of the anime convention.

Honestly, this kind of stuff doesn’t make me upset. I see these as opportunities to educate people and hopefully bring some awareness to the table. As we get ready for another round of conventions this summer, I hope that we’ll be able to melt faces with rock…as well as stereotypes/expectations about Asian culture in general.

A Slanted View: Anime Confidential

Simon’s band will be playing at two free San Diego ComicCon after parties next weekend, co-presented by Racebending.com!

#the slants #racebending #comiccon #comic con #san diego comic con
July 4, 2012 • 24 notes

We're doing a ComicCon panel this year! Do you have any questions for our panelists?

This year, Racebending.com will host our second annual diversity panel first thing Thursday morning. We’re honored to have the opportunity to again present at ComicCon. Be sure to check out Racebending.com: Creating Spaces for Diverse Characters and Representations in room 23ABC!

Racebending.com: Creating Spaces for Diverse Characters and Representations

Thursday July 12, 2012 10:00am - 11:00am @ Room 23ABC

Creators and artists are developing engrossing characters from underrepresented groups. Panelists from different mediums will discuss their creative processes and how can fans support their diversity efforts. Featuring novelist and comic book writer Marjorie Liu (Astonishing X-Men, The Hunter Kiss), video game writer David Gaider (Dragon Age, Bauldur’s Gate II), comic book writer Brandon Thomas (Miranda Mercury, Voltron), showrunner and screenwriter Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The Middleman, Lost), writer Sarah Kuhn (One Con Glory, Chicks Dig Comics), and Comic-Con special guest author N.K. Jemisin (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms); moderated by Racebending.com.

MySched Link Facebook Event Page

On Saturday and Sunday night, Racebending.com will also be co-sponsoring two ComicCon after parties at The Stage Bar just blocks away from the Convention Center. The dance rock band The Slants organized these events to showcase Asian American talent and bring awareness to racial justice issues! Admission is FREE (which means you don’t need a ComicCon badge to go!)

In addition to our two events, ComicCon’s programming line up features a sprawling array of panels and presentations, including two big panels for Legend of Korra fans.  We’ll be covering many of them on our website for people who won’t be attending ComicCon, but if  you are planning on attending, visit  Racebending.com for some of our panel recommendations!

Submit a question to our panel using the ask box below:

#comic con #diversity #racebending #korra #the slants
June 21, 2012 • 1 note

Korra ComicCon Panel Announced

Friday, July 13, 2012 

The Legend of Korra, 11:15a.m. – 12:15p.m., Room: Ballroom 20 
Panelists include Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (co-creators/executive producers), Joaquim Dos Santos (co-executive producer), Janet Varney (Korra), David Faustino (Mako), P.J. Byrne (Bolin), Seychelle Gabriel (Asami) and Andrea Romano (voice director).  Panel will include an in-depth discussion of Book 1 and a live performance by the voice actors.  

Creator and Cast Signing: The Legend of Korra, Friday, Time TBD
Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (co-creators/executive producers), Joaquim Dos Santos (co-executive producer), Janet Varney (Korra), David Faustino (Mako), P.J. Byrne (Bolin), Seychelle Gabriel (Asami) and Andrea Romano (voice director) to include exclusive poster giveaway.

Imagine the glory if the cast reads dramatic fan fic.

#Comic con #Korra #Legend of korra #Comiccon
June 1, 2012 • 38 notes

Suggestions for Panelists for Racebending’s ComicCon Panel?

Great news, but we need your help!  Racebending.com has been confirmed for our second San Diego ComicCon panel (fourth panel for ComicCon International!) 

Our panel is called Creating Spaces for Diverse Characters and Representations: Presented by Racebending.com

Creating Spaces for Diverse Characters and Representations: Presented by Racebending.com

Thursday, July 12th, 2012
10:00a.m. - 11:00a.m., Room: 23ABC

Creators and artists are developing engrossing characters from underrepresented groups.  Our multidisciplinary panel will discuss their creative processes and how can fans support their diversity efforts!

We are super excited to again be supporting diversity program at ComicCon.  However, the time slot (we are one of the first panels of the entire convention!) is proving to be a bit tricky when it comes to securing enough panelists from a diverse range of fields.  So we wanted to open up suggestions to our tumblr followers to see which creators you would like to see on a Racebending panel!    

We need your help!   Are there any particular novelists, artists, television writers, showrunners, directors, video game designers, comic book writers, etc. who you think will be attending ComicCon (or are based in southern California) and would be a good fit for our panel?   Please spread the word (reblog and signal boost) let us know in the comments!   

#diversity #comic con #racebending #creators