Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome back pop cultural pals Rebecca Sun and Dino-Ray Ramos to discuss recent superhero movies like Superman and Fantastic Four: First Steps. (But really, a good excuse for friends to hang out and gab, because it's been a minute.) We talk about the so-called "woke" Superman, where the heck Shang-Chi has been, watching these movies in a world of real-life supervillains, and the significance of superhero narratives in the context of Asian American identity, history and culture.
First look at 'Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story' by Sarah Kuhn and Arielle Jovellanos.
If you were like me, growing up as an Asian American consumer of comic books, you sometimes had to crane your neck to find representation within those four-color panels. And sometimes, intended or not, it was right there in front of you in plain black ink. I can't be the only one who interpreted Superman's canonically black hair as a signifier of Asian-ness -- by way of Krypton, of course. (Kal-El is an immigrant, don't ya know?)
For writer Sarah Kuhn, it was Lois Lane, intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet.
"Lois Lane is my idol — as a kid, I imprinted on her immediately and dreamed of becoming a hard-charging reporter on a quest for the truth (who also gets burgers and freshly squeezed orange juice delivered to her desk at 9 am)." Sarah says. "I was always desperately searching for some tiny scrap of representation in the stories I loved and Lois had dark hair, so sometimes I'd fantasize that she was Asian American -- like me."
Sarah, whose previous work includes the Cassandra Cain story Shadow of the Batgirl, gets to realize that fantasy in her upcoming original graphic novel, Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story, due out in April 2023. Part of the DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults line, with art by Arielle Jovellanos, the book reimagines Lois Lane as an Asian American teenager -- a small town girl with a big city summer internship trying to get a handle on friendship, romance and a burgeoning career.
I'm pleased to share this first look at preview pages from Girl Taking Over:
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Pilipino Workers Center's Zoom Town Hall Hacked by Racists
The Pilipino Workers Center works with the Filipino community in Southern California, providing resources, immigration assistance, housing support and fighting trafficking. This week, they were holding a COVID-19 town hall via Zoom when they were hacked by white supremacists who interrupted the proceedings, yelling and writing Nazi slogans and pro-Trump messages. See the video here and find out how to fight back.
* * *
Give Essential
Give Essential, created by Dartmouth College roommates Amy Guan and Rine Uhm, is an online matching platform that helps connect essential workers with supplies from donors. Give Essential lets you send your extra household items directly to an essential worker who needs them, providing a way to support the frontline from your home. If you have any supplies or funds to share, you can help. Find out more here.
* * *
COVID-19 Advocacy Leads to an Assembly Run for Francesca Hong
"If I don't fight for my business, if I don't fight for the industry, if I don't fight for individuals who are affected by this industry... it's a chain reaction, what happens if our businesses fail. If I don't at least try to fight for that from a political level, I don't think I would be fighting for my business and my family."
* * *
'House Of Ho,' The 'Crazy Rich Asians'-Inspired Docuseries, Is Coming Soon
I don't want to watch this. But I want to watch this. "The House of Ho is a multigenerational family docusoap that chronicles the lives of a wealthy Vietnamese American family in Houston, Texas. Led by patriarch Binh Ho and his wife Hue Ho -- two immigrants from Vietnam who’ve built a multi-million empire and seem to be living the height of the American Dream -- the half-hour comedy will explore their lavish lifestyles and the drama that ensues as their two adult children, Judy and Washington, attempt to live up to their parents' expectations." The House of Ho premieres on HBO Max on July 16.
* * *
Superman Smashes the Klan
The graphic novel Superman Smashes the Klan is now available as a full collected edition. Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial "Clan of the Fiery Cross," writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Gurihiru bring us a personal retelling of two different immigrants finding ways to belong. The year is 1946. Teenagers Roberta and Tommy Lee just moved with their parents from Chinatown to the center of Metropolis, home to the famous hero, Superman. Tommy makes friends quickly, while Roberta pines for home. Then one night, the family awakens to find their house surrounded by the Klan of the Fiery Kross! Superman leaps into action, but his exposure to a mysterious green rock has left him weak. Can Roberta and Tommy help him smash the Klan?
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Trump Appears to Equate Chinatown with China
In a tweet posted Thursday, Donald Trump appeared to equate people from Chinatown with those from China. Trump shared a video from February in which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes San Francisco's Chinatown, advocates for people to visit the neighborhood three weeks before the state issued stay-at-home orders because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He accused Pelosi of encouraging people to "pack" Chinatown after his administration had restricted flights from China weeks ahead of the news conference, tweeting "She wanted everyone to pack into Chinatown long after I closed the BORDER TO CHINA. Based on her statement, she is responsible for many deaths. She's an incompetent, third-rate politician!"
* * *
Federal Agencies Are Doing Little About the Rise in Anti-Asian Hate
Researchers are reporting an alarming surge in anti-Asian racism related to COVID-19 that started more than two months ago. But neither the Justice Department nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced efforts to prevent the public targeting of Asians, which ranges from bias incidents to hate crimes. Both agencies were quick to act in similar situations: the CDC during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak and the Justice Department after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
* * *
Doctor Becomes Victim Of COVID-19 Racism. How We Should Respond
"These times are saturated with fear, high tensions and irrational blaming. Many historical prejudices that Asian Americans have faced have been exposed and magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. How can we reverse these trends and foster a culture of respect, understanding and equality? And more importantly, what are specific actions that institutions should take to protect their healthcare workers and instill a culture of change within their systems and surrounding communities?"
* * *
Join the Give In May Campaign
Give In May is a giving campaign to support nonprofits across the nation who are dedicated to addressing the needs of the Asian American & Pacific Islander community. The campaign will help fund services and programs for children, youth, families and seniors from 25+ ethnic groups that provide assistance for issues such as education access, food security, housing, domestic violence, poverty and health.
* * *
Superman Smashes the Klan
Check out this amazing trailer for DC's Superman Smashes the Klan. The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Metropolis' Chinatown to the center of the bustling city. While Dr. Lee is greeted warmly in his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to their famous hero, Superman! Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial "Clan of the Fiery Cross," Gene Luen Yang brings us his personal retelling of the adventures of the Lee family as they team up with Superman to smash the Klan.
Gene Luen Yang joins the roster of DC Comics' new imprints aimed at young readers.
Battling racists? This is a job for Superman! DC Comics recently announced two new youth-oriented original graphic novel imprints, DC Ink, which will focus on young adult readers, and DC Zoom, which will focus on middle grade readers. Both imprints will feature work by an acclaimed, all-star roster of talent, but one title in particular caught our attention: Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang.
There's not a lot to go on yet, outside of DC's press release, but the title alone instantly conjures up imagery of the Man of Steel punching out white hooded assholes. And that's kind of fun. Story-wise, it might be the kind of thing that gives you pause -- racism is real; will these themes be handles with some sensitivity?
Then you see that Gene Luen Yang is writing it, and it's allllll good. That's all I need to know.
"If anyone can make a bold statement with Superman, it is Gene Yang," Michele Wells, the vice president for content strategy at DC, told The New York Times.
View a four-page preview of Gene Luen Yang's 'New Super-Man' #1.
DC Comics newest high-flying hero, Kenan Kong, is a Chinese teenager from Shanghai who finds himself infused with the powers of the Man of Steel. Written by acclaimed graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, with art by Viktor Bodganovich, the new monthly title New Super-Man is part of DC's "Rebirth" initiative.
Ahead of this month's debut, here's an official preview of the first four pages of New Super-Man #1, which introduces our hero Kenan Kong and the DC Universe's version of metropolitan Shanghai, which appears to have its own super-problems. It also seems that when we first encounter Kenan, he is... well, a bit of a jerk.
Why the new Chinese Superman went through a name change before he'd even taken flight.
Meet Kenan Kong, the New Super-Man!
Last month, as part of its much-hyped "Rebirth" initiative, DC Comics announced that its newest high-flying hero, starring in the monthly title New Super-Man, would be a Chinese teenager from Shanghai who finds himself infused with the powers of Superman. Best of all, this decidedly Chinese take on the Man of Steel would be written by acclaimed graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, with art by Viktor Bodganovich.
'New Super-Man' introduces Kenji Kong, a Shanghai teenager who gains the powers of Superman.
Over the weekend at WonderCon, DC Comics unveiled the creative teams behind its upcoming "DC Rebirth" event, the company's latest attempt to relaunch the DC Universe with new series, characters and lineups.
As a comic book reader, these overhauls can be kind of exhausting, but the Rebirth series we're most excited about is New Super-Man from Gene Luen Yang, which re-imagines Superman, sort of, as a Chinese kid.
New Super-Man, launching in July, follows a Shanghai teenager named Kenji Kong who must learn to be a hero when he suddenly gets infused with the powers of Superman. The new monthly title will be written by Gene Luen Yang, with art by Viktor Bodganovich.
Yes, the guy's name is indeed Batman bin Suparman. Well before his arrest, he was already a bit of a cult figure on social media because, well, his name is friggin' Batman bin Suparman. That kind of name gets you some attention. His actions of late, however, have not been very superheroic.
23-year-old Batman bin Suparman -- his real, legal name -- has been sentenced to 33 months in prison by a court in Singapore. He was reportedly caught stealing money from a store, in addition to fraudulently making purchases with his brother's ATM card:
Rumors say Elodie Yung is among actresses testing for a possible role in Batman/Superman.
Fanboys and fangirls are aware that there is a Batman/Superman movie currently in the works at Warner Brothers. Directed by Zack Snyder, the movie will star Henry Cavill reprising his role as the Man of Steel, and Ben Affleck stepping into the role of the Caped Crusader. But it's rumored that they might also be casting for the role of Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman: New Actresses Test for 'Batman vs. Superman' ...as Wonder Woman?
According to Variety, actresses Gal Gadot, Elodie Yung and Olga Kurylenko have tested for the movie's female lead, who is described as "tall, brunette, athletic and exotic" -- and sounds a lot like a certain superheroic Amazonian princess from DC Comics fame. Could Wonder Woman be the latest superfriend to make an appearance alongside Superman and Batman?
Fanboys and fangirls are aware that there is a Batman/Superman movie currently in the works at Warner Brothers. Directed by Zack Snyder, the movie will star Henry Cavill reprising his role as the Man of Steel, and Ben Affleck stepping into the role of the Caped Crusader. But it's rumored that they might also be casting for the role of Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman: