Projects I’m Supporting, Part Six
Happy spring (or “Happy second winter,” depending on your location)! I’m closing out the first quarter of 2018 off strong with new crowdfunding projects I’m supporting. Here’s the latest round! Read More
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I Got Five On It: Marvel’s Black Panther
Thoughts on Black Panther from Troy Wiggins!
fan-made poster by Argentinian artist Federico Ariel.
For those unfamiliar, The “I Got Five on It” series consists of posts where I give my five thoughts–right or wrong—on a book, graphic novel/comic, film, or TV show. This is a very off the dome, stream of consciousness type of analysis and NOT a review. At its worst, it can be categorized as a Hot Take, but it’s really just a collection of the things I bang with–and don’t bang with–about a media property that is of import to me and the culture.
(also, and I can’t believe I never actually said this, “I Got Five On It” is both the title of this series and a twenty something year old rap song from West Coast rap duo Luniz. It’s probably their most well known cut.)
What a time to be a Wakandan. Marvel’s Black Panther, the eighteenth film set…
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Projects I’m Supporting, Part Five
So it’s the end of the year but there are still plenty of crowdfunding projects out there that need your support. Here’s the latest round of projects I’ve supported. Read More
Ki Khanga: The Sword and Soul Role Playing Game is now available!
Midwest BFSA is getting a group together to play Ki Khanga in the next couple of months. We’ll let you know when you get this scheduled!
Ki Khanga: The Sword and Soul Role Playing Game, by Balogun Ojetade and Milton Davis, puts you in the role of a character of your liking in a world of mystery and magic; of villainy and victory; of sword… and soul.
Will you delve for lost artifacts in the ruins of ancient temples? Strap on beaded armor and an nkisi necklace to battle undead legions as they storm your city upon the backs of skeletal camels, or defend your village from a swarm of ravenous impundulu? Whether you’re making your way through the magical forests of Wandatu or fighting to survive in the palm oil-lit back alleys of Sati-Baa, you and your team will need all your wits, combat skill, and magic to make it through. But most of all, you’ll need each other.
This rulebook is the essential centerpiece of Ki Khanga: The Sword and Soul Role Playing Game
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HAPPY BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH!
Let’s go back in the Way Back Machine to the moment Balogun Ojetade and Milton Davis introduced us to Black Speculative Fiction Month! Happy anniversary!
HAPPY BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH!
In early June of 2013, author Milton Davis and I had a discussion – as we often do – about the importance of Black people reading, writing and watching Science Fiction and Fantasy and the Black authors, artists and filmmakers currently creating in these genres.
The conversation shifted to the various fan conventions we attend and the fact that the fastest growing demographic at these conventions is Black people. We became optimistic about this year’s Alien Encounters celebration and the audience that it is sure to draw. We also talked about how Alien Encounters is going national, with celebrations in the DC / Maryland / Virginia area, Philadelphia and even as far as California.
At some point, we began to kick around the idea of Black Speculative Fiction Month. Since Alien Encounters takes place in October, it made sense that Black Speculative Fiction month…
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The Wars of Other Men’s Scott Norman
So it took a liiiittle bit longer than expected, but The Wars of Other Men is out on DVD now! Go buy it on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/The-Wars-of-Other-Men/dp/B071G7MVDL) and revisit our interview with the lead actor Scott Norman!
The steampunk/dieselpunk tale The Wars of Other Men comes out on DVD this month. We talked with Scott Norman, who plays the film’s nameless main character, about the life of an actor, being a black geek/nerd and “steaselpunk” (TM Scott Norman).
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Okwui Okpokwasili on Bronx Gothic
If you’re in or near New York City, Okwui Okpokwasili’s Bronx Gothic is the subject of a documentary film of the same name by Andrew Rossi and is having a two week run at Film Forum (209 W. Houston St., New York, NY 10014) from Wednesday, July 12, through Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
A description from the the New York Times:
“The film follows Ms. Okpokwasili as she prepares for her final performance of the work not far from her childhood home. Mr. Rossi honors the fullness of her live performances, showing long stretches intact, while illuminating the relationships, in particular between daughters and mothers, that orbit her process.”Check out the interview we did with Okwui when she brought Bronx Gothic to the Contemporary Arts Center last year.
New York artist Okwui Okpokwasili brings her one-woman show, Bronx Gothic, to the Contemporary Arts Center this week. Midwest BSFA talked to the writer/choreographer about combining elements of the Victorian Gothic and West African storytelling, and exploring the concepts of darkness and innocence in her work.
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Projects I’m Supporting, Part Three
It’s Black History Month and I’m back with ongoing list of crowd-funding projects and new works I’m supporting. And you should be supporting, too! Read More
Women of Color & Horror: 10 On My TBR
This list of women of color who write horror includes Nuzo Onoh and Tananarive Due. Check it out!
It’s September and for me finally the beginning of the creepy season, huzzah! I’ll just ignore that last small heat wave this week, go away please summer, I have my tea and candles and creepy reads ready! I have a lot of books on my tbr that fall under speculative, horror and mystery, but I’m also working towards seeking out and supporting more women writers of Color. I’ve chosen horror because it’s a genre I’ve been wanting to explore more and because, like science-fiction and fantasy, horror can offer women of Color a space in which to disturb social conventions and transgress boundaries.
This here is a list of 10 works by WoC writers that can be considered horror (often also fantasy) and some of which may be new to you as well. Let’s start with a better known one:
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi 
Haunted house story and a reworking of…
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Projects I’m Supporting, Part Deux
“Just waiting for the dominant culture to bestow equality, recognition, and acceptance upon marginalized groups is a sucker’s bet.”
That comment was made on a story about the launch of the “People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction!” Kickstarter campaign from earlier this year. It was in response to someone else on the thread saying that being “gimmicky” is fine until you’re too gimmicky and then you “become BET.” (As if diversity and inclusion are “gimmicky.” *scoff*) I’m a firm believer in the importance of supporting the projects you’d like to see in the world so nonsensical statements like this one don’t phase me. I’m just going to keep putting my money where my mouth is. If you can afford it, you should, too. Here are a few more projects I’m supporting as we head into 2017. Read More
