If there is ever a TV or movie version of ‘Chew,’ he’s got exactly the right intensity for the part and is this great mix of engaging and appealing and likable, while being a little unlikable at the same time—just like Tony Chu, who’s a guy a lot of other characters in the book regard as kind of a dick. At least, that’s what his own brother thinks. And his partner.”

The stories in CHEW are whodunit murder mysteries with Tony being forced to eat and taste everything from disgusting corner store coffee to eating part of a serial killer to find out where the killer has hidden the rest of his victims. And while the origins of the Cibopaths has not been reveled, we’re assured that we’re going to have many more adventures from this up and coming reluctant crime-solving foodie.

• Outlook for studios depends on hits, cuts – via Georg Szalai and Paul Bond of The Hollywood Reporter
  
  The report looks at Paramount’s profitability. The Last Airbender is a tentpole, “too-big-to-fail” movie that Paramount needs to be profitable to succeed.

  Analyst Michael Nathansan forecasts that Paramount’s 2010 film revenue will “decline 7%, as Paramount will be challenged to match the success of its 2009 summer blockbusters” and says that Paramount’s profits will likely “decline 16% this year.”

• Fewer Models Of Color Work New York’s Fashion Runways – via Jenna of Jezebel
  

  Jezebel has tracked runway model diversity for a few seasons now. In the Fall 2009 fashion season, they found that “of 4,095 turns on the runway, only 662 went to models who weren’t white. That’s barely 16%.”

• Refugee board judge sought sex, court told – via Peter Small of The Star
  
  Via Angry Asian Man, we found this story about a Canadian judge who tried to coerce a South Korean woman into having an affair with him, in return for authorizing her asylum request. Ji Hye Kim was seeking refuge from her home country, where she suffered under an abusive father.
  
  However, Kim bested judge Steve Ellis: she recorded their conversation and Ellis now faces criminal charges. Score one for strong women fighting crooked systems.
• Aasif Mandvi’s Comic Talents Shine in ‘Today’s Special’ – via Lisa Tsering of India West
  
  Aasif Mandvi is interviewed about his movie “Today’s Special,” which will open the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. He was also interviewed about his role as Commander Zhao in “The Last Airbender.”
  
  “I haven’t seen any of the movie yet, just the trailers,” he told India-West in a phone interview. “But it looks pretty exciting. It’s a big action movie, and at times, I felt more like a stuntman than an actor.”
• Asia’s 25 greatest actors of all time – via La Carmina of CNN Go
  
  CNN lists the greatest 25 Asian actors of all time! We’re all hoping for the day we can see lists with Asian American faces – but we still love watching Asian nationals on the big screen.
• Missing: Asian-American pop stars – via Mireya Navarro of The New York Times
  

  The New York Times reports on the dearth of Asian American solo pop stars. Perspectives from Asian American artists as well as executives in the music industry.
  
  “A talent executive with a major label, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for his company, said he knew of no “inherent bias” against singers of Asian descent and said he was at a loss to explain why so few make it to the top.”
  
  Uh huh. The article goes on to point out that the most recognizable solo Asian American artist is hardly flattering–it’s William Hung.
  
  Bonus: Check out the Asian American group Legaci (pictured above).

• And the Oscar winner is most likely to look like this… – Carolyn of Remodelminority.com
  
  Carolyn writes: “According to the article, the Academy tends to favor American actors (compared to British nominees). Also the BBC states that 93% of male winners have been white. Female winners tend to be younger than their male counterparts and according to the article, nearly half of the actresses won for a romantic film role.”

Superheroes speak to the part of us—and we all have it—that hopes, deep down, that we’re special.”
—Entertainment Weekly, on Secret Identities

Racebending.com is thrilled to announce a giveaway event in collaboration with Secret Identities, the premiere Asian American superhero anthology. We were lucky enough to pick up our copies at San Diego Comic Con last year, when we spoke with Keith Chow, SI’s Outreach Editor.

The Prize: The Secret Identities Anthology

How to Win: Fliering for The Last Airbender Boycott

To enter for your chance at a free copy, just follow these three easy steps!

1. Join the Racebending.com fan page and the Secret Identities fan page.
2. Download our new Racebending.com flier and print it out! (B&W is okay)
3. Post the flier and take a picture of wherever you post it – then share your pics on the Racebending.com fan page.

That’s it! From there, we’ll choose the winning flier picture, contact the winner, and send you the prize. You can print out multiple fliers and enter more than once!

The winner will be based on the following criteria:

1. Visibility of the flier: how many people are likely to see it where you posted it! (and how long it’s likely to stay up)
2. Creativity of the posting: how eyecatching or interesting a place was the flier posted?
3. Popularity on the fan page: how many people comment on and hit the “like” button for your submission.

The deadline to enter is March 25th, 2010. That gives you three weeks to print out fliers, snap some pictures, and get your free copy of Secret Identities!

Good luck!

Every Wednesday, we’ll be spotlighting a different member of the community. We all believe in working to cure ignorance and celebrate the many faces of America – and the world. Now each week, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about other people in our network of supporters, who hail from all over the United States and across over fifty countries of the world.

Today we’re learning about Racebending.com supporter Siri Hana, Airbender fan and aspiring actress.

Racebending.com was able to email interview Toyoshima about his work. Interspersed throughout the interview are comic strips excerpted from The Daily Days and Toyoshima’s website..

NOTE: The opinions espoused by the interviewees represent their viewpoints alone, and do not necessarily represent the views held by the staff of racebending.com

RACEBENDING.COM: Please tell us about yourself and about the Secret Asian Man comic strip.

TAK TOYOSHIMA: I’ve been producing SAM since 1999 in monthly, weekly and daily formats and have enjoyed making every single one of them.

RACEBENDING.COM: Secret Asian Man is famous for its daring social critiques, where characters talk openly about issues like stereotypes, politics, and racism. What inspired you to create comic strips about controversial topics?

TAK TOYOSHIMA: Sometimes it strikes me as odd that talking about things like race, religion, politics…etc would be considered controversial. I think it’s a reflection of how those things are viewed in our society. They are things that, for the most part, aren’t discussed in the open. Usually in a small group among friends. I just want everyone to feel comfortable enough to talk about these things without feeling like they are going to offend anyone or will be made to feel bad about their opinions.

RACEBENDING.COM: Have you ever received any flak for the content of your comic strips?

TAK TOYOSHIMA: I have definitely taken my lumps from readers. My favorite ones are from readers who state they enjoy the strip then proceed to tear me a new one. Mostly people tend to remind me of things they think I am forgetting like if I talk about the Hiroshima, readers bring up the rape of Nanking. But I do love being wrong about things, too because I don’t want to come across as a know-it-all. Because I’m definitely not.

RACEBENDING.COM: Osamu “SAM” Takahashi is one of the very few leading comic strip characters of color. Has it been difficult establishing him in the mainstream because of his ethnicity?

TAK TOYOSHIMA: Very interesting question that I’m not sure I have the answer to. I think there is an undeniable “Asianness” to the strip. Hell, it’s called Secret Asian Man. And in this country, things that are called out as Asian tend to not do so well. It makes people think that that’s all there is to the character. This is why I even posed to question to readers whether or not I should keep the name or change it to something a little less…threatening for lack of a better word.

It’s difficult to establish a comic strip, period. But I do get the sneaky feeling SAM’s ethnicity hasn’t necessarily helped gain acceptance in the mainstream.

RACEBENDING.COM: In your experience, have you found comic characters who are white to be more “neutral” or “universal” while characters of color are viewed as “niche” or with a smaller audience?

TAK TOYOSHIMA: Not necessarily. White people have plenty of character. I think they have a big future in mainstream American culture!

It’s true that ocassionally a character’s ethnicity becomes the focus of their personality but it can also work in our favor. Ninjas are badass. Good math skills CAN come in handy. When I hear people talk about kung-fu movie stereotypes, I start thinking “I LOVE kung-fu movies!” It’s certainly part of Asian culture, why not be proud of it? Well-developed characters almost have to become stereotypes or caricatures so people will know what to expect from them in the context of a story.

The times it does bother me is when characters become limited by their ethnicity. Asian guy can’t speak/read English well. So sorry, bad Engrish. Or when it becomes an easy way to develop a bad guy. Evil Korean dictator or sneaky Chinese spy.

RACEBENDING.COM: Your comic often depicts Sam’s five year old son, Shin, learning about race and ethnicity. This is territory where other comic strips with child characters, like Family Circus and Dennis the Menace, don’t go. What inspired you to depict Shin growing and learning and asking questions that adults might be too scared to ask?

TAK TOYOSHIMA: I would love to read a strip where Dennis the Menace sits down on Mr. Wilson’s porch and asks, “Mr. Wilson, are you old enough to remember lynchings in the South?” Hilarity ensues.

A lot of my wanting to include Shin comes from my years of being a pre-school teacher. Kids are brutally honest and their observations are so spot on that it makes me realize how clouded adult’s heads can become with assumptions and expectations. Getting into Shin’s character helps me to refocus and see things for what they really are.

RACEBENDING.COM: Having commented on Hollywood casting so many times in your comic strip, how did you hear about the casting of The Last Airbender? What was your reaction to it?

TAK TOYOSHIMA:I can’t remember exactly where I heard about the Last Airbender casting but I definitely got all the details at racebending.com. I wasn’t overly shocked, especially after similar treatment of Dragonball and rumors of a live action Akira starring Leonardo DiCaprio(!) that doesn’t take place in Neo-Tokyo. That’s like Gone with the Wind redone during the LA riots…actually, that sounds kinda cool.

The strips began in more of an alternative newsweekly tone where I could get away with a lot more in terms of subject matter. Many of weekly papers straddle the line between humor strip and editorial cartooning. But most editorial cartoonists talk about politics or sports. I saw an opportunty to get something a little different out there and introduce people to an Asian American character to boot!

I think comic strips are a great medium for discussing edgy topics because they are very disarming. Most people expect a gag strip but when they are left with something more thought provoking I think it’s more rewarding. Comic strips lower people’s defenses and if mixed with the right balance of humor and entertainment a comic strip message can go very far.

—

If you’re interested in meeting Tak Toyoshima, Secret Asian Man will be at the Boston Comic Con on April 10th and 11th!

You can follow the newest Secret Asian Man strips at the SAM blog.

And if you’d like an autographed copy of Secret Asian Man: The Daily Days of your very own, or original art, visit SAM’s Merch page and tell ‘em Racebending.com sent you! Avatar: The Last Airbender fans may also be interested in some of Toyoshima’s shirts at Blacklava.net, including one that features Aang.

American Samoa is 6,000 miles away and has a population of about 63,000. It’s about twenty six square miles and has as its main industries a tuna cannery, public workers and small private businesses. They now, however, may have one more.

Creating NFL football players.

The most visible Samoan player in the NFL is Troy Polamalu, born in 1981 in California to Samoan parents. The Pittsburgh Steelers all-pro safety started his football career as a hybrid player and became the first All-American safety for the University of Southern California since 1989. While still at college, he also earned All-American honors from groups such as ESPN and The Sporting News.

In 2003 he was drafted by the Steelers, who had made an aggressive bid for him citing their belief that he would significantly improve their defensive line. He’s played for the team ever since. His contract was extended until 2011 and he’s now the highest payed defensive player in the team’s history.

While he has lived in the United States his entire life, Paloamalu still lives by the values that permeate through Samoan culture. He is known as a man who lives a humble lifestyle, preferring to spend time with his family rather than hanging out with teammates. He also keeps his hair long, which is customary among men in Samoan culture.

Palomalu has become something of a spokesman for the growing number of Samoans in the NFL, a growing number of determined young men who bring their traditions and determination to a game they’ve adopted as their own.

American Samoa: Football Island at CBS news

Talented players from tiny American Samoa are changing the face of football

Steelers trade for higher first-round pick, select Southern California defensive back

• UCSD Student Suspended For Hanging Noose – via CNN
  

  Ever since a UCSD frat held a “ghetto-themed” party in “honor” of Black History Month – including references to fried chicken, watermelon, and the “n-word” – the campus has been ablaze with controversy. Continuing along that theme, a UCSD student left a noose in the campus library “with the intent to terrorize,” according to the police report. More following the link.

  Black students make up just 1.3% of the UCSD student body. Since the original incident, Filipino American Professor Jody Blanco released this statement encouraging solidarity with the black community. Absolutely worth the read.

• Sifu Kisu with Perris Aquino – via Sifu Kisu on lokhopkuen’s YouTube
  

  Longtime followers of Racebending.com will remember Perris Aquino, a pre-teen Asian American professional martial artist and budding actor who auditioned for Aang and didn’t even receive a call back.

  Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender should also be familiar with Sifu Kisu, who was the martial arts consultant of the animated series. (Kisu was not hired for the film adaptation.) Sifu Kisu recently uploaded a youtube video that is a collaboration between him and Perris Aquino! It’s an amazing display of Aquino’s talents.

• Loin cloths and rubbed noses . . . why would anyone be offended? – via Nicole Jeffery of The Australian
  
  Just a little follow up on the Russian Ice Dancing team of Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin. They did go on ahead with their “aboriginal” themed dance, which Australian aborigine leaders have repeatedly called offensive, particularly for it’s lack of authenticity and the brown body suits worn by the skaters.
  
  Their routine failed to wow the judges or the crowd. The pair was rank first going into the performance, but dropped to third place after the execution of the performance.
• The Last Airbender trailer: Avatar it ain’t – via Anna Pickard of The Guardian
  
  The Guardian pokes fun at the latest The Last Airbender trailer for it’s rampant use of cliches and special effects. From the perspective of someone who has no context about the film other than the trailer…
• TV writers settle age discrimination suit – via Dave McNary of Variety

  A ten year old class action anti-discrimination lawsuit gets Hollywood’s attention! In the Television Age Discrimination Litigation, 165 TV writers over the age of 40 filed suit against 24 networks, production studios and talent agencies. They claimed that talent agencies did not want to represent older writers, and networks and producers did not want to hire them.

  Although attorneys for the defendant networks, producers, and agencies denied allegations of ageism, they also conceded that it would make more sense to settle than to go duke it out in court. The class-action settlement calls for payment of $70 million to affected writers.

• Media portrayal of Disability and Martial arts (a personal statement) – via bbrutlag of the Feministing Community
  

  Blogger bbrutlag at the Feministing Community writes about her experience as a Martial Artist with Cerebral palsy. She began taking karate classes as a kid to help with her balance and equilibrium and now has two black belts.

  bbrutlag takes what she calls the “Super-crip” archetype to task, including taking a critical look at the character of Toph.

• Depardieu rejects ‘too white’ claim – via MSN Movies
  

  An update on the Alexandre Dumas casting controversy. Actor Gerard Depardieu was asked about his casting to play Alexandre Dumas in a biopic. Depardieu, a blonde and Caucasian actor, said “the debate over his role as The Three Musketeers writer in the big-budget production L’Autre Dumas is ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unnecessary.’” He also said the issue is “not interesting” and “not a problem”.

  Dumas was a 19th century mixed race author who faced discrimination during his time for being of Afro-Caribbean descent. In 2002, his body was exhumed and reburied in the French Panthéon. During the ceremony, then French President Jacques Chirac explained that due to racism, Dumas had not been buried in the Pantheon when he died.

• Alaska village among Native communities reclaiming ancient traditions banned by missionaries – via Rachel D’Oro of Los Angeles Times
  

  A century ago, traditional Inupait Eskimo dancing in Alaska was outlawed by white American Quaker and Russian Catholic missionaries. Today, villages in Alaska are slowly breaking away from the belief that traditional dancing is ‘evil’ and reclaiming their traditions.’ Inupait Alaskan Americans communities are re-learning how to dance!

Princess Yue (Seychelle Gabriel) with Sokka (Jackson Rathbone)

The original Princess Yue and Sokka

Noah Ringer’s Tattoo in The Last Airbender (enhanced contrast)

I loved the characters in the story and I felt like I could be me inside this larger canvas of this very long-form movie [...] Cultural differences at the center. It has Buddhism, Hinduism, things I’m interested in.”
-M. Night Shyamalan, June 2008

I love martial arts and the Japanese culture. This particular piece has an intensely spiritual Buddhist substory that I really dug.”
-M. Night Shyamalan, April 2008

Despite such statements, could these alterations mean that he has chosen to incorporate more Christian imagery into the story?

We will see if these changes are part of new analogies between the role of the Avatar and that of more Western religious figures.

I’ve had enough movies now that I know that it’s really about the consistency and the integrity of the work. There will be some that have huge successes box-office wise and some lesser, but the consistency of being honest to myself as an artist, the integrity is felt by the audience.

You can feel it when somebody is chasing the audience or sold out in some way when they did something they didn’t 100-percent believe in.”
-M. Night Shyamalan, June 2008