Hard N.O.C. Life: Recent Episodes
The Nerds of Color
As we do every year, we take some time to preview the upcoming debuts of our favorite superhero shows. And since Netflix recently announced The Flash will be joining Arrow to stream, everyone can catch up before both shows return next week. To discuss those shows and others, criminology professor 'Shawn Smith makes his triumphant return to the NOC, joining our resident Flash recapper and TV superfan Christelle Gonzales (@christellexoxo).
One week after retailers unleashed the power of #ForceFriday on Star Wars fans across the stars, Keith assesses the aftermath with fellow action figure and Star Wars enthusiast David Yeh (@coheteboy) of the Disney/Lucasfilm fansite Endor Express.
We also announce the winner of the Finn action figure from last week's Force Friday giveaway.
Prolific comic writer Jeremy Whitley (@jrome58) steps into the Hard NOC Life this week to talk about his latest books, including his short story in Marvel Comics' romance anthology Secret Wars: Secret Love and issue #2 of Princeless: The Pirate Princess from Action Lab Entertainment, both in stores next week.
Last week, one of the most-lauded science fiction films of the year was released digitally, on demand, and in cinemas in New York and the Bay Area. The film, Advantageous, a special jury award-winner at Sundance, tells the story of a single mother and the sacrifices she makes for her daughter in a pre-dystopian, near-future not unlike our own time.
Starring Jacqueline Kim (Star Trek Generations), Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty), and Ken Jeong (The Hangover), the film's writer/director Jennifer Phang recently joined Keith for a special one-on-one edition of Hard NOC Life.
Last month, we brought you the trailer and poster for the upcoming fantasy film Yamasong: March of the Hollows. The film, which is a follow-up to a 2010 short, seeks to bring puppetry back to mainstream genre audiences with an all-star cast and backing from a couple of dynastic names in the world of cinematic puppetry.
On the latest edition of Hard NOC Life, Keith sits down with the two men who launched the world of Yamasong half a decade ago: writer-director Sam Koji Hale and composer Shoji Kameda to discuss working with an all-star cast of nerd-friendly actors such as Nathan Fillion, Whoopi Goldberg, George Takei, Malcolm McDowell, and more.
On the eve of June and the post-Convergence DC Universe next week, we are in breathless anticipation to see the new, more diverse DC Universe as promised by the publisher's "DC You" campaign. Part of that diversity is represented by the all-star writing talent attached to the flagship books of DC's most iconic character: Superman. Hard NOC Life was honored to welcome Action Comics writer Greg Pak (@gregpak) and new Superman writer Gene Luen Yang (@geneluenyang) on the show to talk all things Man of Steel.
Ever since Marvel dropped Daredevil on Netflix, the nerdosphere has been head over heels for the show. Now that Netflix has announced a second season of their hit superhero series, Hard NOC Life returns to talk about how Marvel is taking over the streaming television game with Black Nerd Problems' Jordan Calhoun (@jordanmcalhoun) -- whose Daredevil piece you've probably read -- and returning Hard NOC champ Raymond Chow.
Hard NOC Life emerges from its winter hibernation, and you can thank Michelle Rodriguez for that. After telling TMZ POCs need to "stop stealing white people's superheroes," the actress took to Facebook to say she meant POCs need to focus on creating their own stories. Naturally, Keith had to discuss this with William Evans of Black Nerd Problems and newest NOC contributor Valerie Complex.
The false choice between supporting independent comic creators of color and wanting representation in mainstream comics Whether superheroes really do belong only to white people Why casting actors of color in roles that are traditionally white is not diversity for diversity's sake, especially when traditionally non-white characters are cast with white people all the time
Our own special crossover featuring our Flash and Arrow recappers Constance (@ConStar24) and Christelle (@christellexoxo). Together for the first time! Join us to sort out all of your thoughts and feels about your two favorite shows.
Topics covered on the show include: Constance on season one of The Flash so far Christelle reviews how Arrow has evolved over two and a half seasons Keith draws parallels between Flash, Arrow, and Smallville How the Flarrow crossover might be a game changer for these kinds of shows What the DC Cinematic Universe means for fan reaction to the DC television universe How social media has changed how fans consume superhero shows and movies The panel also wades into the dangerous waters of shipping and makes suggestions for ways both shows can improve
Hard NOC Life returns with a look at the phenomenon that is Disney’s Big Hero 6. Joining Keith on the panel are Christelle Gonzales (@christellexoxo), the newest NOC to join the fam, and comics artist David Nakayama (@davidnakayama), who penciled the 2008 Big Hero 6 comic series for Marvel and co-created Wasabi No Ginger and Fredzilla with Chris Claremont.
Topics covered on the show include: Welcoming Christelle to her first episode of Hard NOC Life Why it's important that the heroes of Big Hero 6 are people of color David Nakayama's run on the Big Hero 6 comic in 2008 and co-creating Wasabi and Fred What it was like to see his name credited on the big screen Whether it was a good thing to racebend some of the originally Japanese characters from the comic David's initial reaction upon finding out Disney was going to adapt Big Hero 6 What Disney gets right in their adaptation and comics-based easter eggs Why Big Hero 6's Marvel connections weren't part of Disney's marketing efforts What other Marvel properties the panel would like to see get the Disney treatment and what Disney properties they'd like to see get Disney-fied.
In a special edition of Hard NOC Life, guest host Nelson Wong (@aarisings) has a one-on-one with Los Angeles-based rapper Jason Chu (@jasonchumusic) about his latest single Marvels and the Kickstarter-funded music video to accompany the song.
The latest Hard NOC Life dives headfirst into the internet controversy that is #GamerGate. Joining guest host N'Jaila Rhee are Jeopardy! champion Arthur Chu, from This Week in Blackness Aaron Rand Freeman, #StopGamerGate2014 creator Veerender Jubbal, and Tanya, creator of the #INeedDiverseGames hashtag.
Topics covered on the show include: What it means to identify as a "gamer" How have these controversies tarnished the image of gaming culture The origins of "GamerGate" and the type of harassment certain gamers have experienced The fallacy of "objective" games journalism Why pointing out racism or sexism in video games (or any media) is just common sense The off-shoot of GamerGate, #NotYourShield and the role of people of color in the controversy The origins of the hashtags #StopGamerGate2014 and #INeedDiverseGames
In this week's episode, guest host Nelson Wong sits down with Artistic Justice Games' Alex Lim to talk about the company's latest project, Dragon Tides, and officially licensed tabletop game featuring the likenesses of Bruce and Brandon Lee. The project is only a few thousand dollars away from its goal on Kickstarter.
Topics covered on the show include: What games inspired and influenced Alex to begin designing his own The status of their previous Kickstarter projects Martial Arts: The Card Game and Fairytale Games Why they had to re-launch Dragon Tides on Kickstarter The benefits and drawbacks of using Kickstarter for game development Some advice for other game developers
David Walker (@DavidWalker1201) is the writer of Dynamite Entertainment's new Shaft comics. Luckily, Keith (@the_real_chow) was able to talk with David about how he came to write the book for Dynamite -- and the state of diversity in the comic book industry more broadly -- in this special one-on-one conversation.
William Evans (@willevanswrites) of Black Nerd Problems joins Keith (@the_real_chow) and N'Jaila (@blasianbytch) to talk about this fall's slate of nerd-centric superhero television shows, including The CW's Arrow and Flash and ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter.
In a special one-on-one conversation, Keith talks to award-winning cartoonist MariNaomi about her recently launched Cartoonists of Color database and forthcoming graphic memoir "Dragon's Breath and Other True Stories."
At a time when many comics fans are clamoring for more gender and race representation in superhero comics, one character has been the benchmark for strong women heroes of color for decades. And the X-Men's Storm is currently receiving a bit of a creative renaissance with Marvel recently launching her first ever solo series.
On the latest episode of Hard N.O.C. Life, guest host Shawn Taylor (@reallovepunk) discusses the importance of the character with an all-star panel: Storm writer Greg Pak (@gregpak), actress Maya Glick (@MayaSokora) -- creator of the Kickstarted Storm fan film Rain, and Storm superfan Jamie Broadnax of @BlackGirlNerds.
Topics covered on the show include:
Why Storm is such an vital character and how she brought Jamie and Maya to comics How Storm brought forth Shawn's first "danger erection" The politics of Storm's mohawk and black hair Why Storm has been so poorly served in the live action X-Men movies The demographics of movie audiences and how that will or will not be reflected in Hollywood How the first issue of the Storm ongoing series finally gets Storm right Storm's love life (Forge, Wolverine, Black Panther) get thoroughly discussed Whether comics are myths or soap operas or a bit of both What led Maya to create the Rain short film
The Nerds can't stop talking about Guardians of the Galaxy! For this week's Hard N.O.C. Life, the panel tackles the phenomenon that is Marvel Studios' latest blockbuster success and what that means for the Distinguished Competition across the street.
Joining Keith on the panel are Wall Street Journal columnist Jeff Yang (@originalspin), and former Jeopardy champ Arthur Chu (@arthur_affect) along with regular panelists N'Jaila Rhee (@blasianbytch) and Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria (@rscpokenword).
Topics covered on the show include: Why Jeff thinks Guardians was less than good because plot holes Why Jeff is wrong and why everyone else thinks Guardians was actually kind of awesome The difference between bright and colorful Marvel Studios and the grimdark of the DC movies How the movie taps into everyone's nostalgia for big, fun, loud action comedies The episodic serialization of the MCU versus the scattered continuities of DC's live action properties Why Chris Pratt might be an a-hole but not 100% a dick And watch as Jeff battles his own "Demon in a Bottle" Tony Stark-style throughout the episode! All this and more on Hard NOC Life!
Another year, and another San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone. In the wake of the annual ritual of nerds gathering in Southern California, the Hard N.O.C. Life crew convene to discuss the biggest announcements that emerged from the convention! Joining Keith on the panel are Comics and Cosplay host Ian (@ComixNCosplay), ODU criminology prof Shawn, and nerdcore extraordinaire -- and Comic-Con attendee -- Random aka Mega Ran (@MegaRan). Topics covered on the show include: The reveal of DC's holy trinity and the surprise appearance of Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot in Hall H The teaser footage's Frank Miller overtones and whether it's time for a new, non-Miller interpretation of Batman The Wonder Woman costume, its alleged Xena influences, and internet haters Marvel Studios' relative lack of big announcements, and if it even matters anymore How movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, and Doctor Strange proves Marvel can do anything If Marvel has the capital or desire to make a Black Panther movie The corporate synergy of Marvel publishing Star Wars comics, including a solo Princess Leia book Mega Ran's upcoming documentary Mega-Lo-Mania All this and more on Hard NOC Life!
One of the pillars of con-going is dressing up as your favorite character and hitting the floor in costume. So Hard N.O.C. Life returns with an episode dedicated to the art of cosplay!
Joining Keith on the panel is newest NOC contributor -- and host of Comics and Cosplay on YouTube -- Ian (@ComixNCosplay), NYC-based comics collector and enthusiast Jay Justice (@MsJayJustice), cosplayer and costuming tutor on Saturday Morning Cosplay Nel (@NelsRandomLife), and ComicsAlliance's superhero sartorialist Betty Felon (@BettyFelon).
Topics covered on the show include: The panel recounts their first cosplaying experience What shows like Heroes of Cosplay mean for the "mainstreaming" of cosplay Why some people on the con floor feel they have the right to gawk at cosplayers How do you define "cosplay?" What happens when people of color cosplay as different races, genders, etc. How will Marvel's recent announcements be reflected on the con floor? What the new Batgirl design mean for comics fans and cosplayers And why Dragon*Con is the best con All this and more on Hard NOC Life!
We're celebrating Bat Week at The Nerds of Color because Tim Burton's Batman film just turned 25.
To celebrate this benchmark anniversary Keith (@the_real_chow) is joined by fellow Bat Nerds of Color Will (@williambwest) and Raymond. Their special guest is Hollywood Reporter senior editor @MarcBernardin.
The four of them reminisce about June 23, 1989, whether Batman 89 still holds up 25 years later, Danny Elfman's iconic score, why Nicholson's Joker is overrated, and how much glee Keaton Batman gets from murdering bad guys.
In preparation for the Season 4 finale of Game of Thrones, Keith (@the_real_chow) is joined by the NOC's resident GoT recappers @JulieKang and Alice @SFDirewolf. Also joining the panel: Jamie of @BlackGirlNerds.
Together, they discuss which of the seven realms they'd prefer to live in, whether it's better to be a show-watcher or a book-reader, the complicated nature of Jaime Lannister's arc of redemption, their favorite guys on the show, and what to expect from the finale.
Keith (@the_real_chow) brings on Stephen (@Dypiangco) and Patrick (@PatrickEpino) of the National Film Society (@NatFilmSociety) and Yuji Okumoto (Chozen from The Karate Kid II) to talk about their latest project, the webseries Awesome Asian Bad Guys!
Topics covered on the show include: Keith and the guys talk about the wonders of Awesome Asian man sandwiches Patrick and Stephen give the skinny on AABG's world premiere during CAAMFest in San Francisco Yuji reveals how his Karate Kid co-star Tamilyn Tomita convinced him to join the cast How does the series subvert the longstanding stereotype of the Asian villain? Which actresses Patrick and Stephen would like to see in an Awesome Asian Bad Girls spinoff The differences between Stephen and Patrick's directorial style and, say, Christopher Nolan's Everyone's favorite Awesome Asian Bad Guy All this and more on Hard NOC Life! Watch it on your screen, hit "play," and check this.
Keith (@the_real_chow) brings on Rodrigo (@rscspokenword) and ODU prof 'Shawn to talk about superhero televisions shows, specifically the upcoming Iron Fist on Netflix and The CW's Arrow.
As a special guest, we have Arrow costume concept illustrator Andy Poon to talk about designing the superhero look of the Arrow-verse.
Topics covered on the show include: Keith, Rodrigo, and Shawn elaborate on why Iron Fist should be non-white in his Netflix show How Andy brings a comic book aesthetic to superhero shows like Arrow and Smallville Andy seeing his costume designs in the comics and on toys Arrow's very comic book-inspired second season Andy's process when designing costumes like Deathstroke and Black Canary Why DC Entertainment seems to shy away from the fantastical in their live action properties What's wrong with The Flash costume All this and more on Hard NOC Life! Watch it on your screen, hit "play," and check this.
Nelson (@aarisings) takes over hosting duties to convene a special panel of gamers to talk about diversity (or lack thereof) in the fighting game community -- and in the video gaming community more broadly.
Joining Nelson are fellow NOCs N'Jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch) and MashfestNYC's Jon Haehnle. Other special panelists include actor Tasi Alabastro (host of the KreenPananas YouTube channel) and Shoryuken.com's Patrick Miller.
Topics include:
--What video games got everyone into the hobby --The disconnect between the video game developers (straight white males) and the people playing the games (everyone else) --Harassment based on gender, race, and sexuality that runs rampant at gaming tournaments and conventions --The "triple binding bias" for the female gamer community --Are the characters found in fighting games examples of diversity or perpetuation of stereotype?
As you know, we love talking about hip-hop here at The Nerds of Color. More specifically, the subgenre known as Nerdcore has a special place (and its own category) here as well. So it was a big deal to get three of the biggest names in the biz to sit down for a special episode of Hard N.O.C.
Joining Keith (@the_real_chow) on the show are overly enthusiastic hip-hop artists Adam WarRock (@eugewarrock), Tribe One (@tribeonewon), and Random (a.k.a. @MegaRan). As always, Hard N.O.C. Life is directed by the indomitable Nelson Wong (@aarisings).
Topics covered on the show include:
--How the guys feel about the label "nerdcore" --Mega Ran and the formation of the Nerdy People of Color Collective --WarRock and Tribe's adventures in Magic: The Gathering --The difference between nerdcore rap and rappers that talk about nerdy things --What happens when marginalized cultures (nerds, hip-hop) become part of mainstream culture --What it means to be rappers of color in a predominantly white musical genre (e.g., the reverse-Macklemore) --Keith and Tribe reminisce about their favorite emo bands --The music that influenced Tribe and WarRock's formative years as artists
All this and more on Hard NOC Life! Watch it on your screen, hit "play," and check this.
The Hard N.O.C. Life is back just in time to bring you a behind-the-scenes peek into Unidentified, a brand new sci-fi movie that will be hitting store shelves and digital libraries everywhere on Tuesday, February 11.
After a brief hiatus, Keith (@the_real_chow) is back with fellow N.O.C. Junko (@GoJunko) and special guests from Unidentified writer/producer/director Jason Miller (@Jason_R_Miller) and star/writer/producer Parry Shen (@ParryShen). As always, the trusty Nelson Wong (@aarisings) is back to make sure everything's running smoothly on the show.
The movie will be released on multiple platforms this Tuesday, including DVD, iTunes, and On Demand. And be on the lookout for news about a special Unidentified-related giveaway next week too!
Topics covered on the show include: Parry realizes producing and starring in a movie isn't easy How an idea by Eddie Mui turned into a full-fledged movie Finding creative ways to make a "found footage" movie that works What does Linsanity have to do with the movie? Parry's sketchy 11pm calls to would-be prostitutes in Las Vegas Casting diverse and non-stereotypical lead roles Leveraging some of Parry's SIUniverse friends for production Shooting a camera into space and have it come crashing back down All this and more on Hard NOC Life!
As we barrel toward the end of the year, we figured it was a good time to go on hiatus and take stock of Hard NOC Life before returning on the other side of the new year with a better experience for the viewers. If you have any suggestions on how to improve the show, please feel free to let us know in the comments!
For our special year-end wrap up, Keith (@the_real_chow) has asked a roster of panel all-stars to come back one more time to the topics of the day. Joining the show are Raymond Chow, Julie Kang (@JulieKang), N'Jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch), Shawn Smith, and Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria (@rscspokenword). As always, Hard N.O.C. Life is directed by the indomitable Nelson Wong (@aarisings).
Topics covered on the show include: --Gal Gadot is the new live action Wonder Woman. Should we be excited? --Is WB's approach to the DC Cinematic Universe the right one? --How does Arrow fit into the DCU, and should it in the first place? --The CW is allegedly looking for an African American actress to portray Barry Allen's love interest in The Flash spinoff --The importance of Sleepy Hollow, Almost Human and the diversity of FOX's primetime lineup --The panelists reflect on their favorite NOC-centric moments or media of the year.
All this and more on Hard NOC Life
In this landmark episode, the founders and creators of Milestone Comics join Keith (@the_real_chow) for a special retrospective of one of the most important companies in comic book history. The show's panel consists of Milestone founders Denys Cowan and Michael Davis, editor/writer Joseph Phillip Illidge, artist Shawn Martinbrough, and production manager/writer Erica Well.
Topics covered on the show include:
--The origins of Milestone Media and its relationship with DC Comics --How Milestone was more than just "black or minority" comics --The number of industry heavyweights that came from Milestone and its affiliated studios --How Dwayne McDuffie gave Erica Well the opportunity to write an issue of "Icon" and how Milestone is responsible for Joe Illidge's comic book career --Why Milestone's diverse set of characters continue to be meaningful 20 years after their creation --Why Milestone and other comics like them are still necessary in 2013 --The Milestone creators weigh in on the issue of cross racially casting traditionally white superheroes
Justin Aclin (@justinaclin), the writer and creator of Dark Horse Comics’ S.H.O.O.T. First, joins Keith (@the_real_chow) for a special one-on-one interview to talk about one of the most fun, provocative, and diverse comics on the stands today.
Topics covered on the show include:
- The secret origins of S.H.O.O.T. First
- Just how controversial is a book about atheists battling angels anyway?
- Watch Keith stretch to bring Pearl Jam’s new album Lightning Bolt into the discussion
- The differences and similarities between a crisis of faith and a crisis of no faith?
- Why Justin felt it necessary to populate a team book with a diverse set of characters
- The double-edged sword of being a white creator writing about non-white characters
- How Mrs. Brookstone can be a strong, black woman without falling into “Strong Black Women” stereotypes
- How reading The Nerds of Color made Justin reevaluate the twist ending of issue #2
Two-time National Book Award finalist Gene Luen Yang (@geneluenyang) joins Hard NOC Life for a special episode discussing his career as an award-winning graphic novelist and his involvement in the Avatar/Korra comic universe.
Joining Keith (@the_real_chow) on the panel as well are The N.O.C.'s resident Avatar experts Julie Kang (@JulieKang) and Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria. As always, Hard N.O.C. Life is directed by the indomitable Nelson Wong (@aarisings).
Last fall, a perennial discussion about diversity, or lack thereof, amongst writers of speculative fiction, and their characters, storylines, settings, and perspectives, blew up on the Internet, resulting in the hashtag #DiversityinSFF
To investigate the fall out of that discussion, Jason Sperber (@dad_strangeland) fills in as host and welcomes a trio of science fiction writers (and Nerds) of Color: Walidah Imarisha (@walidahimarisha), Claire Light (@seelight), and Daniel Jose Older (@djolder) on "Hard N.O.C. Life."
What's Phil "Angry Asian Man" Yu have to say about zombies? With The Walking Dead breaking ratings records and topping direct market sales charts, what better time to discuss the undead phenomenon on Hard N.O.C. Life?
So we take an in-depth look at both The Walking Dead comic and television series and the genre of zombie fiction writ large.
Joining Keith (@the_real_chow) on the panel are N.O.C. regulars N'Jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch) and Raymond Chow. The panel also welcomes to the show for the very first time, the Angry Asian Man himself, Phil Yu (@angryasianman). As always, Hard N.O.C. Life is directed by the indomitable Nelson Wong (@aarisings).
In October 2007, five guys gathered in a Brooklyn living room to pore through stacks of manuscripts and art portfolios in order to decide on what to include in a little project that would eventually go on to be known as Secret Identities.
To commemorate the occasion, Keith (@the_real_chow) welcomes his SIUniverse partners Jeff Yang (@originalspin), Jerry Ma (@epicprops), Jef Castro (@pointnquestion) -- and a special cameo appearance by Parry Shen (@parryshen) -- to reminisce about Secret Identities and Shattered.
Julie Kang (@JulieKang), N'jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch), and Shawn Smith join Keith (@the_real_chow) to discuss the pop culture phenomenon that is "Breaking Bad."
In this very special episode, Keith welcomes guests writer/artist Larry Hama (G.I. Joe) and former DC/Milestone Comics editor Joseph Illidge (Batman) on the show to discuss their histories inside the comic book industry. Also on the panel are N'Jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch) and William Bruce West (@williambwest).
StarTrekWeek ends with a bang on the third episode of "Hard N.O.C. Life!" Joining Keith on the broadcast are writer/professor Shawn Taylor (@reallovepunk), actress Junko Goda (@GoJunko), as well as returning panelists Jason Sperber (@dad_strangeland), N'Jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch) and Raymond Chow.
Back in September, Keith welcomed fellow NOCs Raymond Chow, Julie Kang, Shawn Smith, and Jason Sperber to preview the Fall television season. What did they think of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, Sleepy Hollow, The Legend of Korra, or Almost Human? Download, hit "play" and check this!
Welcome to the first episode of "Hard N.O.C. Life" the show that looks at pop culture with a different perspective. On today's episode head N.O.C. in charge Keith Chow (@the_real_chow) welcomes N'jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch), Jenn Fang (@Reappropriate), James Lamb (@SnoopyJenkins) and ODU Criminal Justice professor 'Shawn Smith to discuss 2013's slate of NOC-relevant summer movies, including "The Wolverine," "Pacific Rim," "Elysium," "Man of Steel," and "G.I. Joe Retaliation."