Fund This: Koreatown Dreaming - A Photo Book

Chronicling the photos and stories of immigrant small business owners of Los Angeles' Koreatown.

Koreatown Dreaming, by photographer/filmmaker Emanuel Hahn, chronicles the photos and stories of Korean immigrant small business owners who helped build Los Angeles' Koreatown into the iconic neighborhood that it is today. According to the book's Kickstarter, the project was borne out of a sense of urgency around documenting the stories of Koreatown, in a time of rapid change and uncertainty. The book features 40 establishments across retail, services, community spaces and restaurants, with photography, poetry, and essays by Katherine Yungmee Kim, Lisa Kwon, Cathy Park and Dumbfoundead.

More here: Koreatown Dreaming - A Photo Book

Jane Lui is making her long-awaited fourth album

Help this mad genius make her first album in nine years.



All right, everybody. Our good friend singer/songwriter Jane Lui is raising funds for her new album Surrija -- her first in nine years -- and she needs your help. She's got new songs, a new sound, a great team of collaborators, and some good old fashioned Spanish inspiration to make what she believes is her best record to date.

"I took a much needed break after my last record and honestly didn't know if I had another album in me," Jane shares. "When I felt the songs again, I hopped on a plane to Barcelona, locked myself in a room for three weeks, and material came rushing through. During these Barcelona sessions, I deliberately wrote away from my normal tendencies to hatch an evolution."

Here's some more info from Jane:

When You Gotta Avenge Your Master, But You've Got Day Jobs

Bao Tran's indie feature 'The Paper Tigers' is an underdog story about three out-of-shape kung fu fighters.



This one's for the underdogs. The Paper Tigers is an upcoming martial arts action movie about three out-of-shape kung fu fighters who have to avenge their master... except they've got day jobs and kids to feed. The debut feature from writer/director Bao Tran, this cool-looking indie project is currently raising production funds.

A dead-beat dad, an insurance scammer, and an MMA coach find themselves in the middle of a gang war when they must avenge their kung fu master's death. But first... they need to call in sick at their 9-to-5 jobs. This is a story about family, both born into and adopted, and what you owe to keep those families together.

"Imagine Bruce Lee in his 40s, out of shape and divorced, estranged from his kids, trying to figure out his place in the world," Tran says. "Then imagine that same Bruce Lee's comeback. Family, career, and life might have consumed us, but there will always be a part of us that is dying to do a few spin kicks in the backyard. This movie is dedicated to those who are one kick away from pulling their hamstrings... one lap away from a smoke break."

Here's Bao and producer Al'n Duong with the more information about the film::

Fund This: The Princess Who Saved Her Friends

The children's book sequel from Greg Pak, Joanathan Coulton and Takeshi Miyazawa.



The Princess Who Saved Her Friends is the latest children's book written by comics writer Greg Pak and internet superstar musician Jonathan Coulton, and illustrated by artist Takeshi Miyazawa. The sequel to 2015's The Princess Who Saved Herself, the book is currently winding down a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Featuring the same creative team, the original book was a story of determination, bravery, and understanding, starring a scrappy kid who stuck up for herself but was always able to open the circle and find reconciliation with the monsters and witch she came into conflict with.

But what happens next, when our heroine discovers that the witch befriended might not be such a good friend after all? The Princess Who Saved Her Friends tackles the kind of tricky personal conflict that kids -- and adults -- grapple with every day in the real world.

Watch this video for more information:

Fund This: 'I Will Make You Mine'

Lynn Chen makes her directorial debut with the sequel to 'Surrogate Valentine' and 'Daylight Savings.'



Here's a film project that could use your crowdfunded generosity.

I was pretty excited to hear about I Will Make You Mine. Not only is it the final installment of a trilogy -- the sequel to the fan favorite indie features Surrogate Valentine and Daylight Savings -- it marks the directorial debut of my good friend Lynn Chen, who also wrote, produces and stars in the film.

2011's Surrogate Valentine and 2012's Daylight Savings, written and directed by Dave Boyle, followed the life, love and friendships of indie musician Goh Nakamura, who played a version of himself. Six years later, I Will Make You Mine shares the perspective of three women who are romantically linked to Goh, as they maneuver in to their 40s and face major life changes.

"I never set out to become a writer, director, or producer," Lynn says. "But somehow this film, about growing older and re-examining our past relationships, called out to me. And I could not have told this particular story at any other time in my life."

August is Hot Asian Man Awareness Month

Celebrate by backing the Haikus For Hotties 2018 Calendar.



Attention, please! This is a Very Important Announcement about Hot Asian Men. Did you know that August is Hot Asian Man Awareness Month? It has been declared. Not by coincidence, the annual Haikus For Hotties Calendar is back! From the makers of Haikus With Hotties and Haikus On Hotties, the 2018 calendar features twelve months of Hot Asian Men, carefully curated by our friend Ada Tseng, esteemed Professor of Hotness.

This year, they're inviting fans to participate in the fun. Every three days, during the calendar's Kickstarter campaign, they'll unveil a new photo of a 2018 calendar hottie and invite you to submit a hotness-inspired haiku. They'll publish their favorite one and give each haiku winner a free calendar.

The theme for the 2018 edition will be "Cover Men," with each photo transformed to look like the cover of a magazine -- a nod to the fact that we still rarely see Asian men rocking the covers of Hollywood magazines. It's a fun way to highlight a multitude and variety of Asian men doing cool things in the media.

Check out this behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot with the official Haikus With Hotties ambassadors Yoshi and Peter Sudarso, and the very first female calendar hottie, Anna Akana. (The image is a parody of this Vanity Fair cover with Tom Ford, Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson.)

Help director Evan Jackson Leong finish his passion project

'Snakehead' tells the story of Sister Tse, one of the notorious human smugglers in FBI history.



Here's a feature film project that could use your help.... Our friend, writer/director Evan Jackson Leong has been hard at work on his passion project Snakehead, an indie crime drama exploring the underworld of international human smuggling, starring Shuya Chang, Sung Kang and Jade Wu. Inspired by true events and based in New York City's Chinatown, Snakehead follows Sister Tse, a Chinese immigrant who rises to become one of the most sought after human smugglers in FBI history.

Here's a very cool-looking teaser trailer:

How I Became a Pretend Expert on Hot Asian American Men

Guest Post by Ada Tseng



A few years ago, I convinced my editors at Audrey Magazine that it'd be funny to ask actor/model Godfrey Gao to exchange mediocre poetry with me about his hotness.

(Hey, hey. Eyes down here, OK? I know you're trying to figure out who that is in the photo above, and where you've seen his muscles before, but stay with me. There will be more pictures of that guy at the end of this post, I promise.)

Back to poetry. I had just been told that my upcoming interview with Godfrey would be conducted through email, and, as a serious journalist, I knew it'd be hard to experience the full extent of his hotness through email. So I was trying to think of a creative way to do the interview in which the answers I received from him through the written word would potentially be better than the verbal responses I'd get from him in person. Haiku seemed to be the most accessible form of poetry for two non-poets. I figured I could also get away with asking him ridiculous questions about his swooning fangirls, beauty regimen, and tips for modeling Louis Vuitton man purses -- inquiries that would be much less charming without the syllable constraints of 5-7-5.

He probably had no idea what he was getting himself into, but he answered in haiku, and the series Haikus With Hotties was born. For each issue after that, I just kept convincing other people that this was a good idea. Folks like Freddie Wong, Dante Basco, Randall Park, and Christopher Dinh. On one hand, these are creatives working in the entertainment industry who have been directly affected by mainstream Hollywood's lack of imagination when it comes to stereotypical portrayals of Asian American men. But on the other hand, they're also just funny people who very quickly made me realize that the fact that they don't take themselves too seriously is actually the hottest quality of all.

At the time, I didn't have a grand vision of what #HaikusWithHotties would become. But last summer, we successfully launched a Kickstarter to turn the series into a 2016 calendar, including a video where I introduced myself as a "Professor of Hotness" presenting my ground-breaking research. And we hopefully gave our supporters a reason to smile at the first of every month, when it was time to turn the calendar page and unveil their next hottie.

Help DAN aka DAN finish his next album

Dan Matthews is working on the follow-up to 'Stuntman.'



Our friend Dan Matthews, who makes music as DANakaDAN, has been busy working on his second album, tentatively scheduled for release later this year, and is raising funds via Kickstarter to make it happen.

The new album is described as a mix of hip hop, alternative rock and electronic and will focus on themes that push notions of identity, race, adoption and self. Dan, a Korean American adoptee, says it's a progression from his last album Stuntman, a personal record inspired by his journey of re-connecting with this birth family.

If you're not familiar with Dan's music, here are a bunch of my favorite tracks from Stuntman:

Because there should be a dumpling emoji

Emoji by the people, for the people.



Dumplings are a seemingly universal food, taking various forms throughout the world's cultures. Poland has pierogi. Nepal has momos. Russia has pelmeni. Japan has gyoza. Italy has ravioli. Georgia has khinkali. Korea has mandoo. Argentina has empanadas. Jews have kreplach. China has potstickers. The U.S. has Hot Pockets.

There is a pizza emoji, a hamburder emoji and a taco emoji. There is also a range of emojis of Japanese foods including sushi, fish cake, rice ball and dango. But there is no dumpling emoji.

There should be a dumpling emoji.

But how do we make that happen? The Dumpling Emoji Project has done the research, and is taking the steps to not only bring the dumpling emoji to life but also pave the way for a more inclusive catalog of emojis.

Watch this video for more information:

Fund This: Yuna and Dream Big Friends

Meet Yuna, the first Asian American girl to be the center of a doll line.



Meet Yuna, the central character of Dream Big Friends, a new doll line from David Horvath and Sun Min, the designers behind Uglydolls, and Bigshot Toyworks. She's the first in an upcoming series of dolls based on characters that are "as smart, funny, inquisitive and rambunctious as the kids we all know in our daily lives."

Yuna is a 10-inch, fully articulated doll with real fabric clothing and accessories, right down to her Giant Robot t-shirt. She loves rockets, photography, painting and drawing. Her big dream is to one day establish her own commercial rocket company. She believes she is destined to go to Mars. She sounds pretty awesome.

So... want to be one of the first people to get one of these Yuna dolls? They're currently crowdfunding and taking pre-order for Dream Big Friends through Kickstarter. Watch this video for more information:

Fund This: "Southern Winds" by Jane Lui

A musical love story with handmade miniature cardboard sets, shot in one-take



Singer/songwriter Jane Lui's latest music video project Southern Winds (from her album Goodnight Company) is described as a love story told with handmade move miniature cardboard sets, shot in one take. It's the kind of project that could only come from the mind of musical mad genius like Jane, and it sounds awesome.

Jane explains:

Fund This: Picture Taipei

A short film about living an authentic life, shot on location in Taiwan.



Here's a crowdfund film project that's worth a look... Picture Taipei is a short film that the tells the story of Aimee, a disillusioned young woman who travels from Los Angeles to Taipei, where the people she encounters change her life. Directed by Jason Poon and starring Aileen Xu, the film was shot on location in Taiwan (not Thailand), and is now raising post-production funds via Kickstarter to finish the film.

Here's a video with some more information about the project, including a teaser:

Fund This: Haikus With Hotties Calendar 2016

A Very Important research project featuring hot Asian guys and poetry.



All right folks. This is a Very Important crowdfunding campaign that needs your help. The Haikus With Hotties Calendar 2016 is a calendar project based on Audrey Magazine's non-award-winning poetry series "Haikus With Hotties," in which they asked hot Asian American men to exchange poetry with them.

Like I said, Very Important.

The 2016 Haikus With Hotties calendar will feature hot Asian guys and poetry. The end. As Audrey puts it, the calendar will make the perfect gift for friends "who need more Asian American male hotties in their lives. Nothing says 'I love you' or 'Please don't be sad all the way from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day' better than a calendar reminder that yes, hot men are also literate." I mean, yeah.

Here's a video with Ada Tseng, Professor of Hotness, who explains the important need for this calendar:

Stickers, ketchup, banana, farts and 'Kaiju Clubhouse'

Cool stretch goals added for 'ABC Disgusting,' a children's alphabet book about disgusting things



Writer Greg Pak and Co. are in the final hours of their already successful crowdfunding campaign for ABC Disgusting, a children's alphabet book about disgusting things. Having blasted past their initial goal of $24,000, they've come up with some cool, fun stretch goals -- and met them. This includes stickers, gross-out videos, a fart-filled song, and soon, maybe even a whole 'nother book.

First, here's a video with more info about the project:

Check out this totally gross preview of 'ABC Disgusting

An Alphabet Book About Disgusting Things!



Great news from our friend Greg Pak! ABC Disgusting, his new children's book about disgusting things, hit its $24,000 Kickstarter goal last night. To celebrate, Greg, artist Takeshi Miyazawa, colorist Jessica Kholinne, and letterer Simon Bowland have released a lettered, colored preview of the book.

Check out the first eight pages of the book, in which a boy tries to gross out his sister with disgusting things such as anchovy ice cream, bug juice, cockroaches, and various forms of flatulence. From the awesome creative team that brought you The Princess Who Saved Herself.

WARNING: VERY DISGUSTING. (And maybe a little heartwarming.) INCLUDES FLATULENCE, LAMPREYS, MAYONNAISE MILK SHAKES, NOSE HAIR, ZOMBIES AND ZORILLAS.

ABC Disgusting: An Alphabet Book About Disgusting Things!

"Gross-Out Humor With Heart" from the creative team behind 'The Princess Who Saved Herself'



Here's a cool new project that could use your support. ABC Disgusting is a children's alphabet book about disgusting things, written by Greg Pak with art by Takeshi Miyazawa, colors by Jessica Kholinne, and letters by Simon Bowland, the art team behind The Princess Who Saved Herself and Code Monkey Save World.

ABC Disgusting tells the story of a boy trying to shock his older sister with an alphabetical series of disgusting things -- cockroaches, flatulence, lampreys, mayonnaise milk shakes, nose hair, zombies, et cetera. Groooosss! But in the end, she hits him with what might be the biggest gross-out of all.

They're currently raising funds through Kickstarter to produce the book. Here's a video with more details:

Fund This: 'Creased,' A Short Film About Double-Eyelid Surgery

"A coming-of-age film that takes place at the crossroads of race and mainstream American beauty standards."



Seattle-based filmmaker Jade Justad is getting the word out about Creased, a short film about race, mainstream beauty standards, and the pressures to conform. The film centers around Kayla, an Asian American high school senior who is considering getting double-eyelid surgery. Jade describes it as "a coming-of-age film that takes place at the crossroads of race and mainstream American beauty standards."

To make the film, she's raising production funds through Kickstarter. Here's a video with some more details:

Fund This: 'Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America'

New book from SAADA tells the stories of South Asians in the United States.



South Asian Americans have been a presence in the United States for more than 130 years, and today, over 3.4 million individuals in the U.S. trace their heritage to South Asia. But their stories are not taught in classrooms, or found in textbooks, or reflected in popular media. Here's a project that aims to change that.

For the past seven years, the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) has digitally collected, preserved, and shared stories of South Asian Americans. They recently launched a book project, Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America, which will be available to schools, libraries and homes around the country to bring important South Asian American stories to life for a younger and broader audience.

This first-of-its-kind 150-page full-color print book and digital edition of Our Stories will be available in May 2016. To help make it happen, you can pre-order your copy through SAADA's Kickstarter campaign.

Here's a video with more information:

Fund This: 'The Princess Who Saved Herself'

A children's book by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa, based on the song by Jonathan Coulton.



Here's a cool book project that is worthy of your crowdfund support... The Princess Who Saved Herself is a children's book written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa. Based on the beloved song by musician Jonathan Coulton, it tells the story of an awesome kid who lives with her pet snake and plays rock 'n' roll all day. Greg describes the book as "exploding the princess myth for a new generation of awesome girls."

It looks totally rad. Here's a video of Greg and Jonathan with more info: