Category Archives: cultural

UPDATES: Baron Leaves Alt-Right “Based Stick Man” Comic, Alt★Hero Looms

VOX DAYIn a recent e-mail to Sacred and Sequential founder A. David Lewis, Eisner Award-winning comics creator Mike Baron wrote the following:

I am no longer involved with this project.

Baron was writing in reference to the Based Stick Man Graphic Novel, whose Facebook site, at the time of this writing, still features his name prominently as its writer and has made no further announcement. Sacred and Sequential spoke with Baron in August for his views on the project at that time.

Offering no additional explanation, Baron steps away from this alt-right project both as its Indiegogo fundraising page has disappeared and as provocateur Vox Day’s Alt★Hero series (discussed previously by guest columnist Sean Kleefeld) has apparently raised over ten times its campaign goal on the new “free speech” crowdfunding platform FreeStartr. Whether the BSM project could resurface on FreeStartr is unknown at this time.

As of last month, comics writer Chuck Dixon remains attached to the Alt★Hero volumes. Vox Day (aka Theodore Robert Beale) continues to tweet publicly about the project:

https://twitter.com/voxday/status/914164822119473152

https://twitter.com/voxday/status/914112394749730818

 

Writer Mike Baron on Based Stick Man, the Alt-Right, and Free Speech – 001 Sacred & Sequential Audio

Promotional cover art to Based Stick Man
Promotional cover art to Based Stick Man

A. David Lewis speaks with Mike Baron in August 2017 about the upcoming Based Stick Man series, the politics of the series, and Baron’s own views on free speech and violence.

“Sometimes our heroes aren’t the people we’d most like them to be. You’ve got to take who you can get.”

Sacred & Sequential Report from the San Diego Comic-Con, Part 2

As she did with its opening day, special correspondent Samantha Langsdale continued to report from the 2017 International Comic-Con San Diego (aka the San Diego Comic-Con or SDCC).

In addition to her own presentation at the Comic Arts Conference (CAC), Samantha relayed intriguing notes on another presenter, Kerry Fine, and her analysis of Arigon Starr’s Super Indian:

Kerry Fine of Arizona State University

A panel from Arigon Starr's SUPER INDIANOk, annoyingly, Travis Langley’s name tag got left on the podium, but this is Kerry Fine from Arizona State University, She’s discussing Arigon Starr’s comic Super Indian, which, through allusions, humor, and hyperbole, challenges normative assumptions about Native American spirituality and culture.

It challenges assumptions about native being “magical” and, instead, shows the normal, everyday experiences of Native Americans whilst always being critical of colonial representations of natives.

In fact, Starr herself was invited up as a special guest.

Arigon Starr

When asked about any relevant buzz concerning the Eisner Awards, Samantha reported

haven’t heard much chat to that effect. I’ve been mildly annoyed to find nothing about Islam. We’re going back to the Small Press section today [Sunday] to rummage around, so I’ll see if I can find some indie. But overwhelmingly nothing and no panels!

She noted some Ms. Marvel cosplay but scarce else notably Islamic. Christianity, on the other hand, was well represented:

Jesus cosplay by @TheJesusHChrist Samantha also noted that the IDW panel mentioned “plans to publish a comic about Antar” and that, along with the cosplay, Ms. Marvel was a frequently mentioned character, “a fav on almost every panel I went to about diversity/women.” (She was unable to attend the “Spiritual Themes in Comics” panel hosted by the Christian Comic Arts Society, however, where panelists ” examine[d] how spiritual themes influence the entertainment industry and how the reality of spiritual beliefs affects the culture’s perception of spiritual influences. )

Sacred and Sequential once again wants to thank Samantha for her time and notes — as always, so much to see at SDCC!

Sacred & Sequential Report from the San Diego Comic-Con, Part 1

Dr. Samantha LangsdaleSacred & Sequential has its own special correspondent Samantha Langsdale reporting exclusively for us from the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) – known more formally as the International Comic-Con San Diego. She has been sending us short blasts from on site concerning relevant events and products she has spotted:

A MINYEN YIDN coverToday [Thursday] there is a comics panel at 12:30 in 24abc called “A Bunch of Jews (A Minyen Yidn)”

With Hope Nicholson, Trina Robbins, and artists Jen Vaughn, Elizabeth Watasin, Miriam Libicki, and Willy Mendes.

As for the panel’s subtitle, A Minyen Yidn:

The title of the panel refers to an anthology they are creating.

Continue reading Sacred & Sequential Report from the San Diego Comic-Con, Part 1

Bible Graphic Novel Is a Christian Book of the Year Finalist

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association has named The Kingstone Bible as a Christian Book of the Year Finalist in the Young People’s Literature category.The Kingstone Bible

Art Aryis, Kingstone Comics Founder, says, “I believe the graphic novel format—done well–is the perfect vehicle to reach a generation that, for the most part, does not read the Bible.” Their adaptation of the sacred text includes work by several dozen professional creators including mainstream artists from Marvel Comics and DC Comics titles like Captain AmericaAquamanSupermanSpider-Man, and more.

The company also touted that The Kingstone Bible is “the longest non-serialized graphic novel ever published” at 2,090 pages. (Presumably, series like Lone Wolf & Cub or Dave Sim’s Cerebus fall under the “serialized” header.)

Winner for all of ECPA’s categories will be announced May 2 in Colorado Springs.