Nerdalert 02 by Juan De Dios Dougnac

nerdalert

December 2014

THE EVERYNERD MAGAZINE

Index / 2

INDEX 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FLASH 101

EAST ASIAN DRAMAS The Fierce Wife

10 CONVENTIONAL WISDOM Is It Really About the Size? 12

ROLL OF THE DICE Spartacus: Glory in the Arena

PULL LIST Men of Wrath & Southern Bastards

18 A TEMPORARY DEPARTURE FROM THE STATUS QUO A Look at Marvel’s Motives 22 ROLL OF THE DICE Star Wars Risk: Clone Wars Edition 25 INTERVIEW WITH VALERIE VALDES Why You Should Be Doing NaNoWriMo if You Have a Novel Idea 29 WUXIA Concept & Origins 33 PULL LIST You Best Remender 36 PULL LIST Our Love is Real 38 GOD HATES FANGS The Problem with Speculative Metaphor

Letter from the Editor / 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR by Juan Dougnac

A month ago, we nervously released our first issue, hoping to convince at least a few people to read us. The reception, however, was far better than we dared expect, with more than two hundred Facebook followers and three hundred reads of the magazine. This, far from making us feel overconfident, is making us redouble our efforts to give you quality content, whether as reviews, interviews, etc. In these pages, you will find a few continuations on articles published in our last issue. Thus, after making an introduction to the world of Wuxia, Api Ngo now delves into the history and origin of the concept. On the same line, Dessie Rickmann reviews The Fierce Wife, one the dramas mentioned in her first article.

We also have our very first interview, courtesy of Ren van der Tang, with one of the Municipal Liaisons for National Novel Writing Month, a much expected event for everyone with dreams of authorship. Roger Huntman talks to us about the good points of having small conventions instead of huge ones, and many, many more surprises. The Nerd Alert staff thanks you for your support. If you’d like to give us feedback or participate on the magazine, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or message through our Facebook page. And now I must leave you: it’s past time I started working on our next issue.

Regards, Juan Dougnac, editor.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: JUAN DOUGNAC

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NERDALERTMAGAZINE

COVER ARTIST: BERNADETTA PASTUSZKA

NERD.ALERT@GMX.COM

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: RAE YUNG WRITERS: GLEN GOTTILLA

MIGUEL SANZ

LEVI HINTON

ZACH THOMPSON

ROGER HUNTMAN

REN VAN DER TANG

API NGO

IAN YARINGTON

ANNIE ONG

TODD ZVERLOFF

DESIE RICKMAN ALL IMAGES ARE REPRODUCED UNDER TERMS OF FAIR USE.

Flash 101 / 4

FLASH 101 by Zach Thompson

A warning before you read on: There are potential spoilers for the new The Flash show on TV, and some definite spoilers for the comic books. This is also all pre-New 52.

JAY GARRICK WAS THE ORIGINAL FLASH

The Scarlet Speedster! The Crimson Comet! Faster than Superman (arguably)! A legacy hero, the title of The Flash has belonged to a few different people. A superhero based in science, The Flash gains his powers from the Speed Force, a powerful by-product of the force that is connected to most superpowers in the DC universe. What with his new TV show airing now, I thought it would be a good idea to give a primer on what to expect in the coming episodes, and a bit of history surrounding the Flash legacy in comics. The first Flash, Jay Garrick, was introduced in Flash Comics #1 (1940). He initially gained his powers by accidentally inhaling hard water vapours, which, when re-introduced in the 1960s, changed to coming in contact with hard water. He is one of the founding members of the Justice Society of America, precursor to the Justice League. Jay began his run as a young college student and, once he gained his powers, was a major player in his college football team. He soon donned his costume, a red shirt and a metal helmet based off the Greek

god Hermes, and began fighting crime as The Flash. Although without a mask, Jay hid his identity by vibrating his body fast enough that people couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognise him. Originally part of Earth Two (the universe that housed most of the golden age superheroes) Jay and his fellow Society members were transported to Earth One (mostly silver age and onwards) after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Here he met Barry Allen, the second iteration of the Flash. In this universe, Jay was reintroduced as an old World War 2 vet, and a sort of mentor to Barry. The second Flash first appeared in Showcase #4 (1956), and is now on TV in The Flash. Barry Allen gained his powers during a thunderstorm when lightning

THE FLASH IN 2014

Flash 101 / 5

struck a shelf with many chemicals on it, splashing him. Like Jay, he was a founding member of his earth’s superhero group, the Justice League of America. Before the storm, Barry was a police scientist who was, at the annoyance of everyone in his life, almost always late to everything. Barry faced off against some of the more memorable villains outside of Batman and Superman, including the Rogues, a team of villains banded together. Like most other villain groups they have a rotating roster, with the difference that they managed to get along. Each gave the other the respect they deserved, with none of them having a towering ego as Lex Luthor’s. The Rogues usually follow a code set out by their leader, Captain Cold: they should only kill as a last resort, no drugs, and there should be no killing of speedsters. Barry recognises the Rogues as just people who are down on their luck, and treats them

with respect. In later issues, sometimes he just has to show up for some members of the Rogues to turn themselves in. The third Flash is Wally West, who was introduced as the first Kid Flash. He gained his powers from an accident identical to Barry’s. Wally was the version of the Flash in the animated Justice League TV show. Wally West is Barry’s nephew-in-law. Wally was one of the founding members of the original Teen Titans, alongside Robin and Aqualad. After Barry Allen’s sacrifice in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wally took the identity and got his own series, beginning with The Flash (vol.2) #1. Wally’s costume was a lot like Barry’s, but had a larger lightning bolt belt around his waist. With Wally West, we see the introduction of his high metabolism, caused by his super speed, which requires him to eat large quantities of sugary food, and is a common joke throughout the comics as well as the animated series. With the introduction of Wally West as the new Flash, there also came new iterations of Barry’s Rogues gallery. A Scottish Mirror Master replaces the old one, hired by the US government, as well as a new Captain Boomerang, the estranged son of the original, and a new Trickster. These Rogues replace the old ones, but still have a sort of camaraderie with each other, as well as with the new Flash, like the original group. Bart Allen, the final Earth One Flash so far, first appeared in The Flash (vol.2) #92 (1994) as Impulse, a kid brought back in time from the same future Professor Zoom was from. He later became the second Kid Flash, and in The Flash – Fastest Man Alive #1 (2006) he finally donned the mantle of the Flash. Bart was born to Meloni Thawne and Don Allen, a sort of future version of Romeo and Juliet. On his father’s side, he is the grandson of Barry Allen, and on his mother’s side, he is the grandson of Professor Zoom and half-brother to the second Captain Boomerang. Bart has had more time as Impulse and

UNLIKE MOST SUPERVILLAIN CABALS, THE ROGUES HOLD THEMSELVES TO A STRICT CODE

“

Flash 101 / 6

”

The Flash works as DC’s Spiderman.

Kid Flash than he had as The Flash, because 13 issues in to Fastest Man Alive, he gets killed off by a new group of Rogues. However, in true comic book fashion, he reappears as Kid Flash again in the 2009’s Final Crisis – Crisis on 3 Worlds. As Impulse, Bart Allen had to deal with another Reverse-Flash, this time a clone from the future called Inertia. Created by the Thawnes in jealousy, Inertia was sent back in time to defeat Bart by any means necessary. Once Bart became the Flash, Inertia reappeared and brought together the Rogues roster that would eventually kill him. The Flash works as DC’s Spiderman, in theme. He’s much lighter in tone than Green

Arrow and Batman, and isn’t potentially threatening or alien, unlike Superman or Martian Manhunter. He’s an average, every-day Joe that had greatness thrust upon him in the form of an accident, and chose to help his fellow humans as a blur of a guardian angel. No one is too low for the Flash to save. Not even his own villains. At times, his optimism out-shines even Superman’s as he is looked towards as a beacon of hope, when all else is lost. When there is trouble, the Flash will be there, ready to help anyone who needs it. He is, after all, the fastest man alive.

About the Author Although born in Canada, Zach Thompson sees himself as a Wellingtonian. However, his love for maple syrup, apologising, and daytime soaps reveal his inner lumberjack. His hobbies include reading comics, watching films, procrastinating

East Asian Dramas: The Fierce Wife / 7

EAST ASIAN DRAMAS The Fierce Wife by Desie Rickman

SCORE: 3.75/5 THE BATTLE OF LOVE AND WITS GETS FIERCE.

To kick things off, I decided that I would take a walk down Nostalgia Lane and look at my first East Asian drama for my first review. Back in the summer of 2012, I moved off campus and stayed with a friend before moving into my first apartment. After I got settled in, my friend—who is Chinese-American—told me about dramas that she liked to watch. Because I had never seen any of them, I asked her to show me a few episodes. I remember we watched several shows that weekend, but none of them really caught my interest. When my friend started talking about her parents’ trips back to China, I wondered if there were any shows from there that she watched,

since she spoke and understood Mandarin. I knew that she wouldn’t watch anything she couldn’t understand, which explained her general disinterest in anime that didn’t have an English version available. She told me about this 2010 Taiwanese drama called “The Fierce Wife” (“犀利人妻”) that she had recently finished and thought I should give it a try. And so I did. We loaded up the DramaFever website on her MacBook and marathoned the entire series. The drama follows Xie An Zhen (Sonia Sui), a wonderfully devoted wife and mother whose life revolves around her family. To illustrate this, the first scene of the first episode opens with her madly dashing to a Buddha temple with incense in hand, in order to pray for her husband’s career and health. The hilarity and sincerity of the scene immediately had me hooked. Xie An Zhen, Wen Rui Fan (James Wen) and their five year old daughter seem to be

East Asian Dramas: The Fierce Wife / 8

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: CHRIS WANG AS LAN TIAN WEI, AN ZHEN’S BEST FRIEND AND SUPPORT IN HARD TIMES; SONIA SU AS XIE AN ZHEN, THE TITULAR FIERCE WIFE; JAMES WEN AS WEN RUI FAN, AN ZHEN’S UNFAITHFUL HUSBAND

a happy family. At first glance, their close friends Hao Kang De (Patrick Li) and Wen Rui Xuan (Hu Ying Zheng) are the couple you would expect to be having marital problems. Rui Xuan is constantly accusing Kang De of adultery, which is justified and somewhat expected seeing as he had cheated on her in the past. However, this drama will show you that not everything is as it first appears. It starts off innocent, until An Zhen’s cousin Lei Wei En (Amanda Zhu) moves from the States to live with An Zhen and her family. As Rui Fan cheats on his wife with her cousin, An Zhen is forced to choose between saving her family and filing for divorce. In this turmoil An Zhen meets Lan Tian Wei (Chris Wang), a man five years her junior who becomes her best friend and shoulder to cry on as her seemingly perfect world comes crashing down around her. Meeting over a comical situation involving pottery, Tian Wei is a breath of fresh air to look forward to as the series trudges on. What pulled me out of the show sometimes was just how timid and naïve An Zhen was in dealing with her husband, but Tian Wei eventually helped to bring some common sense in an arc that lasted longer than it should have. Eventually, he begins to fall in love with An Zhen and the audience will cheer him on, considering how Rui Fan devolves from the perfect husband

to a cruel adulterer who seems willing to give up everything for no conceivable reason. The show is essentially a warning tale for husbands about the damage that comes with adultery. The writing of the show is intelligent, and it’s the least campy of the few Taiwanese dramas that I have seen. The only problem I have with the show is how some of the characters were written, starting with An Zhen. The show makes her out to be the “perfect wife” in how dutiful and forgiving she is, even after all of the heartache her husband puts her through. What I found surprising was how the family tried to encourage her to stay with Rui Fan when it was clear that he wanted out of the marriage. It came off a bit childish and weakened for one who should have been a “fierce” wife. Her characterization really depended on her interactions with Tian Wei, and her best moments

“

The show is essentially a

warning tale for husbands about the damage that comes with adultery.

East Asian Dramas: The Fierce Wife / 9

are when they are on screen together. As for An Zhen’s cousin Lei Wei En, her characterization was the worst of the bunch because of how young she is in comparison to the rest of the characters. At first she seemed more mature about the crime she committed against her cousin and tried to stop it on several occasions, only to be ruined by Rui Fan’s indecisiveness. His actions eventually lead to her character becoming a caricature of what it was as she devolves into a crazy woman who can’t seem to get a grip on her feelings. Luckily, she redeems herself by the end of the series, but some viewers may end up hating her regardless. Speaking of the end, it was a little abrupt because there were a few loose ends that needed to be cleared up. Luckily, the series ended up getting a movie, so be sure to watch “The Fierce Wife: Final Episode” once you’re done with the series so that you can find out what happened with all of the characters and their relationships. For the most part I enjoyed the movie, though

I did have a gripe with how Tian Wei’s character acted with An Zhen, but that is a fault of the writing and not of his actor. Despite its faults, “The Fierce Wife” was the best show I had seen that summer. It was so different from the drama genre that I had come to know. It was a lot more comical than you would expect it to be, and they handled the dramatic scenes beautifully. Even though it is no longer my favorite drama, I still appreciate it as my introduction to East Asian dramas. Because I have watched so many dramas recently, this won’t get as high of a rating as I would have given it two years ago, but that sweet feeling of nostalgia boosts it up a notch. With an average 70 minute runtime for each episode, “The Fierce Wife” and its 23 episodes and movie may come off as a bit much for newcomers, but it is a great show to marathon if you have the time and dedication (I pulled an all-nighter watching it). “The Fierce Wife” is available on DramaFever or Viki.

About the Author Desie Rickman is a young and aspiring writer who prefers writing that conversates rather than writing that lectures. This budding author plans on writing a novel with new strong, female characters for girls and women around the world. She loves discovering new books and music, as well as watching anime and foreign dramas. Discover her alter ego ‘Meiko Matsuri’ of NexusGen Radio, where she gives a voice to the unheard on its blog at www.matsuriradio.com.

Conventional Wisdom: Is It Really About the Size? / 10

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM by Roger Huntman

Small conventions aren’t worth the money. This would seem to be the opinion of many gamers that frequent gaming tables and shops. Go big or go home seems to be the motto for the last few years. After all, the bigger conventions have larger budgets and more advertising. One would expect for smaller conventions to have gone the way of the dinosaur. However, for some reason, they endure. What is the sway that they hold over the community of recreational intellectuals? Low cost is a factor. In this day where we are seeing lower paying jobs in abundance, the cost of a ticket can be a major factor in the choice of which convention to attend. Consider the audience of gamers. Role-players and comic book collectors are two of the groups of aging con-goers. With aging gamers comes the subgroup of gamers who are supporting a family. Many are made to feel it’s time to hang up the dice, mouse or sell off the collectibles. To remain relevant and continue to be the man or woman that

Is It Really About the Size?

attracted the spouse some recreational intellectuals continue to embrace what they love. This means considering a smaller price tag on the convention and hotel room and maybe one less convention per year. The other group is the teenage gamer who may or may not have a part time job. Continuing to buy the miniatures and going to a convention vs. paying for the car and insurance may tax their budget to the extreme. Conventions, however, are their chance to shine. They get to socialize and interact with people who are not only their intellectual equals but also interested in the same things they are. To some they give an excuse for walking away from a low paying job that won’t let them have the day off.

Conventional Wisdom: Is It Really About the Size? / 11

For these as well as other groups the smaller game convention may be just fine. The cost of attendance is lower at a Nuke con, Spocon or Mage con that it is to attend a Dragon Con, Emerald City Comic Con or Pac Con. Cost is not the only factor in selection of the smaller con though. At a larger convention you may, for a fee, get autographs, and sometime pictures with Shattner, Wheaton or Billy Dee Williams. This means that there is a large amount of convention time waiting in lines and strategies that often have to be worked out of which line to stay in. On average, there are more costumers to see and more vendors to spend money at. The smaller conventions have a smaller guest list. Often, there is no fee to get a book or disc signed. Most of the celebrities are very approachable and, more important, they are not yet big enough stars to have handlers. This means that the potential to get an autograph and picture with them might land you an early career pic of a big-

ger star later on without enduring the cost. The other benefits are that often lots of the same people attend the smaller conventions. This means a better chance of making a friend who may actually add themselves to your role-playing group or online guild. The smaller conventions are also very apt to let you run a game or tournament (and discount your attendance), guaranteeing you get to do what you love. Then there is the bargain hunting. We all know the smaller conventions have those jewels in the rough bargains on the last day and they are very open for you to become your own vendor. Relaxation is another factor. Smaller conventions have a much more relaxed, easygoing atmosphere. So why have the small conventions not become extinct? People. The smaller convention is about the people who put the convention together. To them it is not just a business. It is about doing what they love and including people and groups that they love into it.

About the Author Roger Huntman (1971-????) was born in Fremont, Nebraska but lived in Norfolk Nebraska, Sioux City IA, Minneapolis Minnesota. He now resides in Coeur dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Alene Idaho. He has degrees in Psychology, Theology, a Masters in Education and a minor in Art. None of which he can find a decent day job at. During the night he fights for justice...err no he drinks Latteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at coffee shops, role plays and Holds up a sign for change saying will write for money. So if you see him at a nearby corner drop him a buck. Or just buy a book. He has written one novel, a role playing game and three rpg supplements . His Web page is www.trooperx.com

Roll of the Dice: Spartacus / 12

ROLL OF THE DICE by Todd Zverloff

Spartacus: Glory in the Arena

Spartacus was a solid show that aired on the STARZ network from 2010 to 2013.

It was based on the great slave uprising led by the titular Spartacus. The show featured violence, sex, and deceit in spades each week, satiating all of our base TV watching desires, but offering little beyond that. Just as the gladiators that it championed, it was about the spectacle over all else. I enjoyed its run, overall, but did not necessarily grieve its ending. From this show, however, came one phenomenal offspring, in the form of Gale Force

JUST LIKE THE TV SHOW, THE BOARD GAME OFFERS PLENTY OF INTRIGUE, GREED, AND, OF COURSE, BLOOD

Roll of the Dice: Spartacus / 13

Nine’s board game interpretation, Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery. A game about gladiators could easily have been a combat fest with no further gameplay mechanics. Games like that can be fun, no doubt, but I usually find myself not coming back to them. Luckily, the creators wanted more, and made a game not with just a rich combat system, but also depth and variety to back it up. I was introduced to this game recently, and I have to say, I haven’t wanted to play anything else since. Not since Axis and Allies in my teens have I been so wholly consumed by a game’s concept and execution. I know that I am late to the table on this one (it has been out for nearly two years), but I’m not sure it ever got the accolades it deserved.

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I was introduced to this game recently, and I have to say, I haven’t wanted to play anything else since.

”

GAMEPLAY MECHANICS The game consists of several phases, with each player getting a turn in each phase. The first one is the intrigue round, which allows players to play schemes or sell them for gold. Next is the market phase, where players can bid on gladiators, slaves, weapons, and armor. Finally, there is the combat phase, where gladiators battle in the arena. Players win by being the first to earn twelve intrigue points, which are earned by playing schemes, using house special abilities and, of course, winning battles in the arena. The base game offers up to four players the chance to play as a house with different abilities, starting situations, and their own stable of fierce gladiators. After a game or two, you start to see how these work into the larger game and

how to use them to maximum effect. The gameplay offers a little something for each find of gamer. It has intrigue and treachery for the schemers, there is a wonderful market and auction aspect for those who love to accumulate wealth, and it has a wonderfully elegant combat system for those who lust for blood. At the onset of a gaming session, I often find myself in the mood to play a certain type of game. With the mixture that Spartacus touches on, it is a solid choice no matter my strange whim. The standout portion of the game, fittingly, is the combat. The mechanic is different to anything I have played and makes the gameplay as exciting as a game about gladiators should. At the end of each round of turns, two players are chosen to enter gladiators into the games. Depending on how they spent their money at auction, players will have a variety of gladiators with stats and skills to choose from. Each gladiator is assigned three stats – offense, defense, and speed. When attacking, the player rolls the number of dice equivalent to their gladiator’s offense. The defending gladiator rolls the number of dice equivalent to their gladiator’s defense. The dice are lined up in order and the hits are counted as the number of times the offensive dice beat the defensive ones. For each hit, the defender must take away one die from any of their three pools. Just like in the arena, fortunes can shift quickly, and an unlucky roll can cause a superior gladiator to die at the hands of a lesser foe. To keep it interesting for those without a gladiator in combat, you are able to gamble on the outcome of the fight. You can bet on a winner as well as on whether or not the losing gladiator will be incapacitated or decapitated, which is determined by how successful the winner’s final attack is. The betting gives everyone a stake in the outcome and keeps your table cheering for a victor like the crowd in the arena. Gale Force Nine has released one expansion titled The Serpents and the Wolf,

Roll of the Dice: Spartacus / 14

which offers players the chance to play as two additional houses. It also includes new gladiators, slaves, weapons, and schemes. The best parts of this expansion, though, is the ability to expand to 5 or 6 players and the 2 versus 2 arena combat. It should be noted that, just as the show, the game is definitely for an adult audience. Beyond the visualizations of blood and violence on a large portion of the game’s materials, there is vulgar language used on many of the game cards. I can’t recommend this game enough. There is something for everyone here, with multiple avenues to pursue victory and numerous strategies to employ for each of those avenues. It’s definitely not a game that will play out even remotely the same way twice.

About the Author Todd Zverloff is a high school English teacher from Ohio. He recently published his first book, Super Steph: Beginnings and Bullies with his daughter. He is currently working on several exciting projects for the coming year. You can keep up with his exploits and ramblings at www.toddzverloff.com.

Pull List: Men of Wrath & Southern Bastards / 15

Alabama-born writer Jason Aaron became a fan favorite thanks to his two comic books published by Vertigo: The Other Side and Scalped. The first one is an account of the Vietnam War from the point of view of both parts of the conflict, skillfully portrayed by Cameron Stewart’s art. The second book spans over sixty issues and tells the story of Dashiell Bad Horse, a Native American who comes back to the Indian reservation where he grew up to find it overridden by corruption and decadence. Thus begins a western of power, violence, the difficulty of coming to terms with your origins, and revenge. The success of these two comics triggered Aaron’s debut in Marvel, where he has written acclaimed runs on Wolver-

PULL LIST by Miguel Sanz Jiménez

Men of Wrath & Southern Bastards

Pull List: Men of Wrath & Southern Bastards / 16

ine, Punisher, and got the chance to cut loose in Wolverine and the X-Men; yet he is also responsible for a dreadful and aimless Hulk saga. While he keeps working on Thor: God of Thunder, Jason Aaron has some room for revisiting his roots in two independently-published new books: Men of Wrath and Southern Bastards. Men of Wrath travels to the day when, a few generations ago, violence found its way to the core of the Rath family in Alabama. An apparently pointless dispute leads to a century of bloodshed that the main character inherits. Ira Rath is an old killer for hire who sees how his family has lost everything it had. He is ready to come to terms with his own death until an unexpected loose end shows up: his last assignment is to get rid of his estranged son. In his turn, Ruben Rath is trying to lead a new life, away from the apparently unavoidable path of violence his family is known for. Aaron teams up with his Wolverine artist, Ron Garney, for Men of Wrath, which is published by Icon, Marvel’s creator-owned imprint. In their new series, they draw on Cormac McCarthy’s view of violence as

an inherent feature to mankind, as well as a gritty setting in the south of the United States. Garney and Aaron depict a land of amoral characters and delve into the constraints of an old family and the relationship between a father and his son, who tries to run away from his past. Leaving behind one’s origins is not only present in Men of Wrath, but this issue also comes up frequently in Southern Bastards. Released in April 2014, it has become Image’s new hit series, another example of the transgressive comic-books this house is proud to publish. The series begins when Vietnam veteran Earl Tubb, a scarred old man, returns to his hometown of Craw County, Alabama, to take care of his family’s estate. He does not regret leaving the town, since it has gotten worse than when he left forty years ago: poverty, corruption, Friday night football and the omnipresent and mysterious Coach Boss seem to rule Craw County. Yet, as soon as he gets there, his past and his father’s ghost loom over Earl, driving him into reluctantly staying and looking for some justice where it is long gone. Violence, blood and family feuds have returned to the streets. The comic-book pays tribute to the masters of the Southern Gothic subgenre. The decadence and loss of the Southern values seen in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is evident in the fictional Craw County, where several allusions to the Compsons from the novel can be found. Plus, its inhabitants are akin when it comes to malice to the characters in Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People”: no one can be trusted in a town full of filthy secrets. Brutality, abuse, and vio-

JASON AARON’S COMICS DON’T SHY AWAY FROM SHOWING THE WORST OF HUMAN NATURE

Pull List: Men of Wrath & Southern Bastards / 17

lence may be compared to what we find in the final scenes of another one of her most famous short stories, the horrifying “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”. Aaron is joined by his pal Jason Latour, another Southern artist, to deliver a tour de force filled with unexpected turns, the weight of the past, and the complexity of the father-son relationship—just like in Men of Wrath. Jason Aaron is back in his turf. He has not only come back to indie comics, but to the place where he was born and raised, the South of the United States. His two new series are as fascinating as disturbing. They have just started and their dense first issues promising readers a lot to expect from the following installments. Get ready for tons of cold sweet tea accompanied by loads of “y’all” and “I reckon”. Welcome to the South. It’s time to meet the bastards.

Miguel Sanz Jiménez

About the Author Bio

Miguel Sanz Jiménez studied English Linguistics & Literature in Madrid, Spain, and Contemporary American Literature in Chicago. An avid reader, he has written several short stories that show his interest in the conventions of genres like crime, horror and sci-fi. He has his own blog, What’s the Rumpus?, where he posts articles about comic books, movies and TV shows. He has collaborated with different blogs and has interviewed entertainment figures like director Rian Johnson.

A Temporary Departure from the Status Quo: A Look at Marvel's Motives / 18

A TEMPORARY DEPARTURE FROM THE STATUS QUO by Todd Zverloff

A Look at Marvelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Motives

Wolverine is dead, Captain America is black, Thor is a woman, and Iron Man is cockier and nearly a villain.

Right now, this is reality in the Marvel Universe. Four of their top heroes have been torn from their status quo and have gotten major revamps. Why, you ask? Why, indeed. From a writing and character standpoint, there is no defensible position. From a money and PR standpoint, things look a little clearer, but are still muddy. None of these are particularly original ideas. In fact, they have all been done to some degree in the past to these same characters. Captain America died less than ten years ago following Civil War and was replaced by his former sidekick Bucky for a year or so, Thor has seen numerous people take up his hammer (Thor frog, anyone?),

A Temporary Departure from the Status Quo: A Look at Marvel's Motives / 19

Iron Man was a belligerent alcoholic at one point, and Wolverine had his adamantium ripped out by Magneto. And guess what? All of those things went back to normal. So am I worried that these alternate versions of my favorite characters are here to stay? Nope. Not even a little bit. I don’t even expect them to last the year in most cases. It seems likely that the Captain America and Thor moves were done for PR purposes. Marvel and DC both have been getting a lot of flak for not putting enough female and minority heroes in their movies. Since Marvel wasn’t confident enough at that point to commit to that on screen, they did the next best thing and put a minority character and a woman at the forefront of their print world. On paper, this seems like a win for them. In the court of public opinion, it looks absolutely shameless and sort of pathetic. I understand the logic behind this: more female and minority characters will make more female and minority readers in what is usually seen as a white male dominated hobby. But I’m not sure it will work that way. First, people are drawn to comics for reasons beyond race and gender. If you are interested in comics, then you will read them. There aren’t people on the fringes just waiting for Thor to become a woman before they shell out money for the medium. If you don’t watch soap operas, but find out that they replaced the main actor

MAYBE INSTEAD OF CHANGING CAPTAIN AMERICA’S RACE, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO MAKE MORE AFRICAN AMERICAN SUPERHEROES

with one of the opposite gender, you aren’t just going to change your mind about soap operas. You still aren’t going to watch them. Second, I think Marvel is underestimating the intelligence of the population at large. We know these changes aren’t permanent, so what does it say that you decided to make them? I think what it says is, “we’ll make money when we change them, then we’ll make more money when we change them back.” How hollow of a gesture is it to offer up these obviously temporary changes as a sign of being progressive?

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How hollow of a gesture is

”

it to offer up these obviously temporary changes as a sign of being progressive?

Iron Man getting a new edge, a new costume, and a new city just feels like one of the continuous ways that Marvel tries to create “jumping on points” for new readers. They think it feels more comfortable for new readers to jump on at the beginning of a story, and what better way to signify the beginning of a new story than by restarting at #1 and advertising that this is a fresh start? This can be said for all of these characters, really. They are giving you a whole new batch of fresh issue #1’s to consume, seemingly focusing more on the collectability of it than on the readability. Well, I believe it was Peter David who said something to the effect of “a great jumping on point is also a great jumping off point.” And Wolverine dying? That’s just another cash grab. They got to stretch out his death in an additional title each month with the lazily titled Death of Wolverine. Then,

A Temporary Departure from the Status Quo: A Look at Marvel's Motives / 20

once he returns, everyone will jump back on board and forget that this character got stale years ago to everyone over the age of sixteen. This is actually the move I am most ok with. Wolverine was showing up in like thirty five books a month (approximately) before he died. He is the most over saturated character in the industry. Hopefully, some time apart will make the heart grow fond again and we can all welcome him back from his completely fake demise. Marvel announced that Time Runs Out would be their next universe-wide arc after AXIS, and that it would change the face of the Marvel world forever. They have now been teasing a universe-wide time altering event for next summer, which would be directly after Time Runs Out. Many insiders have claimed that this will be an event similar in scale and intent to DC’s New 52 concept, where they reboot the entire universe to a new continuity. It’s just speculation at this point, but it seems logical, as Marvel has been teasing revamps of many of their old crossovers for next summer, as though they are happening again. The logical conclusion is that they are going to happen again, with the aid of some sort of time travel or time unraveling scenario.

“

The logical conclusion is

”

that they are going to happen again, with the aid of some sort of time travel or time unraveling scenario.

If that’s the case, it gives them the perfect way to put their beloved marquee heroes back to the way they were before. If things go well, they can stretch the storylines out a bit further, but if sales start

WE ALL KNOW THIS WON’T LAST. MY ONLY HOPE IS THAT AFTER THE CHANGE HE GETS MORE INTERESTING.

to look bleak, they can just blow it all up in the summer and pretend it didn’t happen. With the high profile film Avengers: Age of Ultron coming out in May, I find it baffling that Marvel would distort the three main characters in their comic books just prior to its release. I know the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) isn’t supposed to link to the comic universe, but Marvel blurs that line a lot. They have been subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, letting things from the screen bleed out on to the page. Agent Coulson has now popped up in the comics and Captain America’s costume has shifted over the last two years to look more and more like the movie version. I could go on, but

A Temporary Departure from the Status Quo: A Look at Marvel's Motives / 21

you get the idea: The line is blurred. Events may not transfer over, but the aesthetics and attitude have. That being said, Marvel has taken their three flagship characters from this movie series and changed them drastically on the pages of their comics. Avengers: Age of Ultron will make money. There is no denying that. The first was the second highest grossing movie of all time. This one is a shoe in to double its investment, but they are quietly expecting it to out-perform the first one. Could what Marvel is doing to these characters have some impact on just how big the movie turns out to be? Possibly. Probably not, but possibly. The point is, why would you take the risk? Marvel has a winning lottery ticket in the Avengers movie franchise, but they are holding it too close to a flame at this point, when it shouldn’t even be in a room with fire to begin with.

Changes like these are inevitable in comics. Many characters are decades old and have been through so much, and it’s easy to let them get stale. With new writers and editors constantly coming and going, none of these characters have a singular vision of their future. Everything is fluid depending on who’s in charge of it. Everything has a status quo, though, a legacy that the character will always trend toward. I can forgive bad writing and bad decisions from a narrative standpoint. Comics are, after all, a creative medium, and not everyone’s creative vision is universally loved. When the decisions are based not on what’s best for the story, but on what will make the company more money, then I am less forgiving. Good stories and good characters sell comic books in the long term. Gimmicks and shameless plugs just build mistrust.

Roll of the Dice: Star Wars Risk / 22

ROLL OF THE DICE by Levi Hinton

Star Wars Risk: Clone Wars Edition Everyone should be familiar with the game Risk, if not for its strategic gameplay, then for its ability to pit family members against one another. I am a fan of the original and excelled at building my forces before getting bored and leaving my family to deal with my massive army all by themselves. I bought the Star

Wars edition a few years ago with giddy fan boy delight and I have had it ever since. The game is based on The Clone Wars, so instead of trying to conquer one planet the goal is to conquer or save the galaxy, depending on which side you choose. In Risk: Star Wars you can fight as either the Republic or Separatists, both with two colours each. There are some new rules to the game, but for those who suffer from nostalgia the game can also be played like the original. This comes in handy when playing against people

Roll of the Dice: Star Wars Risk / 23

who have trouble following the rules. The new rules add a bit of complexity to the game, making it harder for older members and those who get easily frustrated. THE NEW RULES Firstly, all four colours must be used in every game. If you are playing a two player game, then both players control the two colours for their respective factions. A three player game requires one person to control two colours while the other players pick a colour each. The troops themselves are counted differently from the original risk: instead of one, five and ten troops, there is a one and three system. The cards have returned from the original game as well, although now there are three decks: one for each faction, and the Anakin deck. Game cards are earned whenever you conquer an enemy planet or square, and can be used to get a variety of advantages during the game. The cards are accompanied with various symbols: a fighter, a corvette and a capital ship. These symbols decide which ship you can build if you choose to build one. The Anakin deck special abilities are only available by the Republican forces until Order 66 is given by the Separatist forces. After that, they gain the use of the Anakin cards instead of the Republic. There are also separatist tokens, representing secret plans and leaders of the separatist forces. These are placed upside down on any planet occupied by the separatists. If the republic seizes the planet, they gain these secrets. The importance of the secrets is shown by red circles on the token. Each red circle means an extra card

for the republic forces to draw that turn. If you decide to play as the republic then these tokens should be a priority, as they will give you a much needed boost in a game that is tipped in the separatistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favour. The starships in this game can only be used in a support capacity. You are allowed three of each type and are allowed to stack them on one planet and therefore stack the effects. The fighters allow you to reroll any die that rolls a one. The Corvettes allow you to add one to a die, starting with your highest. The Capital ships allow you to replace one six sided die with an eight sided die. Two ships equals two eight sided die etc. This can become incredibly useful in any situation. Perhaps the biggest change to the game is Order 66. This rule can only be used by the separatists, giving them the use of the Anakin cards and control of multiple planets. After the Order is given any planet controlled by the republic must pass a roll check. If the check fails the planet remains in control of the republican players, but if they pass it the separatists gain control of the planet. This can be devastating to the republican players, especially late in the game when the roll checks become easier. The only saving grace for the republican players is that it can only be used once per

AN OVERVIEW OF THE GAME COMPONENTS

Roll of the Dice: Star Wars Risk / 24

ONCE ORDER 66 IS GIVEN, THINGS START GETTING REALLY HAIRY FOR THE REPUBLIC

game. Once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used, a Darth Sidious figure is placed on any planet the separatists control and will remain there for the rest of the game. Any separatists on this planet will use an eight sided die regardless of capital ships. However, if the republican forces conquer the planet that Sidious is on then they win immediately, so their best strategy would be to put on a large offensive front, while the separatists would be to reinforce that planet as much as they can. In summary, this is an asymmetric game that favours the separatists heavily, giv-

ing them plenty of opportunities to win the game. The game is quite fast, rarely lasting over an hour, probably making it the first time anyone has said they can play a quick game of risk. It serves as a good and quick boredom buster, and if you desire a longer game then you can simply scrap the Star Wars rules and play the old fashioned way. Some of the new rules feel unnecessary, but they add to the feeling that you are in fact playing a Star Wars game, which should give a sense of pleasure to any fan of the saga.

About the Author Levi Hinton studied to be a chef at Wintec in Hamilton, New Zealand, in 2010 and has been a chef since. He plans to change careers and become a novel writer focusing on science fiction and fantasy and themes he personally relates to like wanting a sense of purpose or belonging in life, family and mental illness. He has suffered from depression and anxiety since high school and uses fantasy and science fiction as an escape from this.

Interview: Why You Should Be Doing NaNoWriMo / 25

INTERVIEW WITH VALERIE VALDES by Ren van der Tang

Why You Should Be Doing NaNoWriMo if You Have a Novel Idea Some of you may have heard about National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. It’s a whole month of frenzied writing held every year in November, a mad dash to produce 50.000 words in 30 days. These days it’s more international than not, but the community is still tight and personal, and most regions have a Municipal Liason, who dishes out writing advice to newbies and veterans alike. If you have a novel you’ve tried your hand at writing

but failed to produce because you needed a prod in the back, then read on. We sat down with Valerie Valdes, who is Municipal Liaison for Miami, Florida, and asked her some questions about NaNoWriMo and who is it for. So let’s dive right in, and keep an eye out for any signs that you might secretly be a budding novelist!

Interview: Why You Should Be Doing NaNoWriMo / 26

WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE DO YOU SEE TRYING NANO? DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON? Here in Miami, we get different kinds of people attempting NaNo each year. Some have had noteworthy life experiences and want to write about them. Others have been inspired by existing books or movies and want to try their hand at creating fictional worlds and characters, or writing new stories in the existing ones. Some have been mentally working on stories for years and are finally taking the opportunity to write them down. And some see the challenge as a fun way to exercise their creative muscles. Some have been writing for years, while others are just starting out. Some are in middle or high school, and some are retired. Some are writing literary fiction, some fantasy, and some have even written epic poetry. I think the only thing we all have in common is a desire to write.

IN BROAD LINES, WHAT STRATEGIES HAVE YOU SEEN RESULT IN A SUCCESFUL NANO EXPERIENCE? WHAT WOULD YOU EVEN DEFINE AS A SUCCESSFUL NANO? Strictly by the book, success is writing those magical 50,000 words, but I think there are a lot of different things that can be counted as a success beyond mere word count. Maintaining a daily writing habit is one such thing, and is also a strategy that generally leads to meeting the word goal. And writing any amount over the course of the month is better than writing nothing, so that’s another way to define success: breaking through that initial “someday, I’ll write something” barrier and writing TODAY. Other strategies that help: partnering with others who can hold you accountable

and cheer you on, either in person or online. Having some kind of outline, however detailed it may be, in whatever format works best for you and your story. Not restricting yourself to the outline if it dampens your enthusiasm, and not being afraid to change it if the needs of your story change as you write. Working in “sprints” of between 10 and 30 minutes of concentrated writing with no distractions. Celebrating every small victory, be it writing every day or reaching the daily word count or reaching particular milestones in the novel.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON STUMBLING BLOCKS? AND WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING THOSE THINGS, OR ARE AFRAID THAT THEY’LL RUN INTO THEM? Learning how to send your inner editor on vacation is an important part of the process for folks who tend to endlessly rewrite the same scenes instead of continuing forward. Doing this doesn’t come naturally to many of us; a lot of people agonize over every sentence and eventually give up because they feel they can’t write well enough. Accepting that this is a first draft, and it won’t be perfect, is the only way to overcome this obstacle. Perfect is the enemy of good, and good is the enemy of finished. Finish first, edit later.

“ ” Perfect is the enemy of good, and good is the enemy of finished.

It’s also common for people to get discouraged if they don’t make the daily word count, especially in the first week. I advise people to write something every day,

Interview: Why You Should Be Doing NaNoWriMo / 27

even if it’s only a sentence, because what often happens is that a sentence turns into two, then four, and before they know it they’ve written a whole page. That’s better than nothing, and they should be proud of that accomplishment instead of ashamed that they didn’t reach an arbitrary self-imposed goal. Missing a day or two is also not a cardinal sin, and many people come back from that to finish the month successfully. Banish that specter of failure like a Ghostbuster and persevere.

“ ” Banish that specter of failure like a Ghostbuster and persevere.

Another big problem is people thinking they’ve run out of ideas; this usually happens when they hit the middle of the book and aren’t sure what happens next, or how to get their characters out of a particular jam. Solutions vary depending on the needs of the particular story, but often you can get back on track by focusing on story fundamentals: what does the character want, and how are they going to get it? I also recommend setting a timer for ten minutes and brainstorming solutions to whatever the problem is, writing down every idea that comes. Often people are mentally discarding viable options because their nasty inner editor is hovering nearby, and simply shoving her off and letting your imagination do its work unimpeded can get you unstuck. The last major hurdle is time management. Life absolutely can get in the way, be it school or work or the demands of family and friends. The most effective way I’ve found to get around this is

to write in sprints, as I mentioned before. Set a timer for a short amount of time and do nothing but write until the timer goes off. Then take a break, and repeat as many times as needed. Once you’ve practiced this method enough, you’ll be able to essentially write on command in all the little nooks and crannies of time that are scattered throughout a typical day. It’s much easier to find ten minutes for yourself than two hours.

WHAT DO YOU THINK NANO HAS TO OFFER TO PEOPLE WHO ARE STARTING OUT WRITING? WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO’VE BEEN WRITING FOR A VERY LONG TIME? For those who are just starting, NaNo offers a great community of new and experienced writers to help and encourage you. It supports the development of a daily writing habit and good time management, and it provides a feeling of accomplishment that is almost unequaled. For people who are old hats at this writing business, it gives a sense of community and a strict deadline, which can be helpful when one has been procrastinating on an existing project or needs a good excuse to start and finish a new one quickly.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO ISN’T SURE WHETHER THEY SHOULD TRY NANOWRIMO? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain: a novel, a useful habit, a community of other writers and the intense satisfaction of knowing you have done something difficult for the sheer joy of doing it.

Interview: Why You Should Be Doing NaNoWriMo / 28

Getting the urge to write? Sad that November passed you by this year? Keep an eye out for Camp NaNoWriMo, a similar event organized by the same people that takes place over two months in spring. You can find that over at www.campnanowrimo.org, and you can find NaNo at www.nanowrimo.org. Well, I’m back to writing my novel... maybe I’ll see you there next year!

Valerie Valdes earned her BA in English at the University of Miami, with minors in creative writing and working too many jobs. She still lives in Miami with her husband and his miniature doppelganger. She blogs at As the Moon Climbs, oversees The Miami Grindstone and is the local Municipal Liaison for National Novel Writing Month. Valerie took the brakes off her roller blades because they only slowed her down. Website: http://candleinsunshine.com/ Images courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.

About the Author Ren van der Tang is a queer voice actor and writer of science fictive fantasy, aiming to soon move to New Zealand, but in the meantime you can find him in the Netherlands. He’s on twitter as @cynicuswrites and occasionally even tweets, or you can find him on tumblr as steelbark, where you can see stuff he reblogs.

WuXia: Concept and Origins / 29

WUXIA by Api “Atrocious” Ngo

Concept & Origins In my previous article, we went through an overview of Wuxia and its main tropes; now, we turn in more depth to the origin of the concept and its evolution throughout history.

MA RONGCHENG WITH A CHARACTER FROM ‘WING AND CLOUD’

The Wuxia genre with its film imagery of flying swordsmen and incredible martial prowess is to the Asian audience what the Super Hero genre is to the Western audience. But how did it come about? What is the origin of the concept of Wuxia? Before we continue, one has to understand that Wuxia is actually made up of two words with their individual meanings. Wu [武] and Xia [侠]. [武] would mean of a military nature, a martial skill or of being fierce. [侠] translates to a strong sense of will and commitment to a cause higher than oneself, it is akin to the code of Chivalry as observed by medieval knights or the code of Bushido as observed by Japanese Samurai. Taken together, the term Wu Xia [武侠] is commonly understood today as either a chivalrous swordsman or a knight-errand type of figure. But not every person of Martial skills is a chivalrous swordsman, nor is every chiv-

alrous person of considerable Martial skill. So what is the origin of this concept that later transcended into popular literature and film? Let us start with the origins of the concept of Wu [武] and Chinese martial arts. Legend will have you believe that Chinese Martial arts were originated through Bodhidharma, an Indian travelling monk who spread the concept of Zen Buddhism into China during the 5th century AD while residing in Shaolin Temple. While he did introduce Zen Buddhism to the country, he cannot claim credit for the genesis of its Martial arts. At best, he can be credited with introducing another form of physical exercise to the Chinese, the exercise that is now commonly known as yoga. We all know that conflicts and wars have been around for as long as humans. Martial skills and arts have developed alongside these conflicts to better arm the people involved in them. It is said the Emperor

WuXia: Concept and Origins / 30

Huang Di [黄帝] (ascended 2698 BC) introduced the earliest fighting systems to China. He’s described as a famous general who, before becoming China’s leader, wrote lengthy treatises on medicine, astrology and the martial arts. One of his main opponents was Chi You [蚩尤] who was credited as the creator of Jiao Di, a forerunner to the modern art of Chinese Wrestling. The earliest references to Chinese martial arts are found in the ‘Spring and Autumn Annals’ (5th century BC), and later historical records have also documented various developments of both empty hand and weapon fighting systems. In the Tang dynasty [ 唐朝] (618–907 AD), descriptions of Sword dances were immortalized by poets such as Li Bai [李白] and other contemporaries who regarded the sword as the most gentlemanly and sagely of weapons. It was fashionable for scholars and the literati to wear a sword as a symbol of grace even if they didn’t have the vaguest idea on how to wield them. It is also during this period that we have the first documented history of Shaolin Monks actively engaged in combat in defense of their Monastery from bandits around 610 AD, and their subsequent role in the defeat of Wang Shichong [王世充] the regent of the Sui Dynasty [隋朝] and later rebel general against the Tang at the Battle

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BODHIDHARMA AND MO ZI

PAINTING OF HUANG DI

of Hulao [虎牢] (near present day Henan) in 621 AD. It is therefore safe to say that, while the Shaolin Temple might not be the origin of Chinese Martial arts as a whole, it played a pivotal role in the early institutionalizing of Martial arts and its later development. It is also worthwhile to note that references to Bodhidharma’s supposed foundation of the Shaolin style of martial arts did not appear until around 1624 AD. The concept of Xia [侠] was first introduced through Mo Zi or Micius and his Mohist school of philosophy. Mohists believe in impartial care or inclusive love and were employed in many Chinese kingdoms during Spring and Autumn Period (from 770 BC to 480 BC) as advisers and siege engineers

WuXia: Concept and Origins / 31

DR. LOUIS CHA

due to their deep understanding of mathematics and their outstanding abilities to hold city defenses under the worst onslaughts. Though they are believers in non-violence, they also believe in the moral obligation of man in his defense of righteousness and the elimination of evil or unrighteous conduct. The Mohists were a highly structured organization with chapters in major kingdoms of the era made up of the scholarly and working classes. They were opposed to any form of aggression, especially war between states. It is, however, permissible for a state to use force in legitimate defense or for an individual to use force in defense of the weak. Mohists who were active in travelling the realm upholding their ideals of righteousness and ethics were the first to be identified as Xia [ 侠] or Xia Ke [侠客]. One has to understand that it is not necessary for a Xia Ke to be martially trained during this period in history.

“

The modern day idea of the Wu Xia [武侠] came about only during the Ming Dynasty [明朝] (1368–1644 AD) with the advent of novels and popular literature. The modern wuxia genre rose to prominence in the early 20th century after the May Fourth Movement of 1919. A new literature evolved, calling for a break with Confucian values, and the Xia [ 侠] emerged as a symbol of personal freedom and defiance to Confucian tradition. In the period between the 1950s to 1980s, widely considered to be the golden age of the Wu Xia genre, a ‘new school’ Wu Xia genre was spearheaded by prominent writers like Liang Yusheng and Louis Cha (Jin Yong) [金庸] that differed greatly from their predecessors. They were later joined by other writers like Wolong Sheng, Sima Ling, and Gu Long [古龙] who became one of the two most famous Wu Xia writers together with Louis Cha [金庸]. They wrote serials for newspapers and magazines and also incor-

Mohists who were active in travelling the realm

upholding their ideals of righteousness and ethics were the first to be identified as Xia [侠] or Xia Ke [侠客].

WuXia: Concept and Origins / 32

porated several fictional themes such as mystery and romance from other cultures. Many of the works from this era were later adapted for films and TV serials. Most notably the ‘Condor Heroes’ series by Louis Cha have influenced generation after generation of readers and viewers up till today. Although attempts have been made post 1980 to introduce a new post-Wu Xia genre in popular literature and novels, reader response have not be generally warm due to the easily available alternative entertainment media in films and games. The biggest platform currently for the Wu Xia genre is arguably in Chinese comics from Hong Kong and Taiwan with prominent writers like Ma Rongcheng [馬榮城] and his ‘Wing and Cloud’ series (later renamed ‘Under Heavens’) [1989 – current] and Tony Wong [黃玉郎] one of the pioneers of the Chinese comics industry who rose to prominence in the 1970s with the publica-

tion of his ‘Little Rascals’ series (later renamed ‘Oriental heroes’) [1970 – current]. While the readership of Wu Xia novels has been decimated with the advent of modern alternative media, one can be assured that the ideals of Wu Xia will never be buried and forgotten. It will simply evolve and morph with the times and continue to influence future generations of interested readers and viewers. As it is, the new media has spread this idea and concept further and wider than it has ever reached. The fact that you, dear reader, is reading this article now is evidence of that new reach. A concept and genre that is foreign to the Western audience merely half a century ago has taken root in a whole new fertile land in the west and is influencing a new audience it previously had no access to. Wu Xia [武侠], its concept and ideals will never die as long as righteousness and chivalry exist in the hearts of living souls.

About the Author Amateur Chinese Historian, Wing Chun Practitioner and Online Entrepreneur. Api is a Thinker, Writer and Translator on topics ranging from Leadership, Online Business to Martial Arts and Ancient Chinese Philosophy. He is currently a Guest Writer for Channel NewsAsia and Nerd Alert Magazine as well as working on the 2nd English translation of the ancient Chinese Legalist manuscript ‘Book of Lord Shang’ and adapting it for the modern day business environment. https://www.facebook.com/TheAtrociousOne

You Best Remender

Pull List: You Best Remender / 33

The man behind “Frankencastle” and “Venom” is back.

He’s doing indie comics with three titles which will appeal to the new reader and the Remender fans alike and work as a reminder that he does his best work outside Marvel. He started off as an animator by day and comic creator by night, giving the world a massive amount of indie titles. The strongest of these was the pulp science fiction “Fear Agent”, which finished its run late 2011. It’s been a few years since the indie comic scene had heard from Mr. Remender, but that changed last year. Since 2013 he has periodically published three new titles for Image Comics: “Black Science” “Deadly Class” and “Low”. One should be warned, these comics are brimming with heavy duty mature content and therefore are not suitable for kids. In late 2013, Image Comics published “Black Science”, the story of a brilliant but arrogant scientist named Grant Mckay. Grant developed a machine that allowed people to travel to alternate realities. A lab accident sucks his research partners, financial backers, and children into a parallel universe and begins their desperate quest to return home. It is the 1990’s TV show “Sliders” matched with un-paralleled creative madness of Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty”. It features universes where, for example, aggressors of World War One were a coalition of technologically advanced Native Americans and a medieval Europe populated with sentient worms. The strongest plot points shine through when Mckay comes into contact with different versions of himself. One is an older version who tries to steal his children. His older mirrored self warns that their kids will die if they keep traveling down this path with him. His next encounter is with his non-human twin, in a world where civilization was started by snow monkeys. Mckay dies at the end of first major story arch, leaving his colleagues and children to find their way home. As the story continues Remender makes it clear that death is just an inconvenience. As the first Mckay dies, another steps up to fight for what is right in another universe. “Deadly Class” is Rick Remender’s love letter to his punk rock youth of the late 1980’s. It’s part “Harry Potter”, “Saved

PULL LIST by Glen T. Gottilla

Pull List: You Best Remender / 34

by the Bell” and “Natural Born Killers”. The story stars with five year-old Marcus Lopez and his family leaving Nicaragua for San Francisco in order to escape the Sandinistas. Once there, his parents are accidently killed, when a mentally unstable woman jumps from the Golden Bridge only to land right on top of them. The woman was released from mental hospital courtesy of Ronald Reagan and his spending cuts. In short, if that hospital still had federal funding, it would still be open and the woman would not have been released. Marcus grows up in a Boys Home until he breaks out, spending his youth on the streets. As he grinds through his teenage years he becomes desperate and, as he begins to succumb to his circumstances, his life changes. He witnesses several teenagers attempt an assassination during a Day of Death celebration. It was in fact an invitation to join a world he had no idea existed. As chaos ensues, Marcus becomes the target of both the police and the secret service. Luckily, he is rescued by the wouldbe assassins, and invited by their old mentor to join his school for assassins. Not having anything else going with his life, Marcus starts to attend the Kings Dominion School of the Deadly Arts, where the children of the world’s most dangerous mobsters, dictators and spies go to learn the family business. The family business being killing, of course. Marcus starts off as the token poor kid, eventually making friends with the kids

smoking in the graveyard outside of the school. As Marcus begins his academic career, he kills an innocent homeless man and is punished with solitary confinement His friends bust him out and take him on a road trip to Las Vegas. This trip, though, is part business and pleasure. The business part involves one of the boys rectifying some issues with his dad (i.e. killing him). The pleasure aspect involves scoring some LSD and parting in Vegas. As with everything in “Deadly Class”, mayhem and violence ensues. This one is a nostalgia comic for those who grew up in the early 90s’, with references to gangster rap, post punk, alternative rock and hardcore punk laced throughout its pages. “Low” is a story set in the deep oceans of Earth, and feels more like high seas fantasy than Science Fiction. The sun has grown hot in its old age, making the surface of Earth hostile to humanity. So the human race builds cities deep in the ocean and sends interstellar probes to search for habitable planets. Thousands of years later, the dome cities are failing. Only one woman, Stel Cain, still believes that probes will come back. As she continues to wait, her family is destroyed during a pirate attack. Hope returns when a probe finally makes it back to Earth. It has crashed on the surface and she requests to go and retrieve it. She is allowed with one condition: she must take her son—who has grown distant with the years—with her. As they find their way to the surface, they discover the

Pull List: You Best Remender / 35

lair of the pirates responsible for destroying their family. Once inside, Stel finds her daughter has survived, having been adopted by the man who killed her father. “Low” is just getting started, but it’s apparent that Stel has two missions: one, find the probe that might lead to humanity’s salvation, and two, save what remains of her family. What has not been made clear is which one will be easier. Any comic writer worth his weight knows that a good script needs good art to back it up. Rick accomplishes this with these stories, each comic having a strong and unique style. “Black Science” is drawn by Matteo Scalera, who gives a stylized look that fits the story perfectly. The slight “Jetsons” vibe makes everything from characters, backgrounds, and even smoke, stand out. Dean White’s outstanding use of color enhances every panel and helps set the tone perfectly. Scenes during the night are given a smooth purple and violet tones, while the daytime was bleached with harsh tans. “Deadly Class” was bathed in prima-

ry colors reminiscent of the opening title sequence from the anime “Cowboy Bebop”, courtesy of colorist Lee Loughride. Artist Wes Craig brings the attitude of Remender’s story to life with characters that look simultaneously like teenagers and heartless assassins. “Low”, like its older siblings, has tremendous artwork, done by Greg Tocchini. Unlike “Black Science” or “Deadly Class”, the artwork at times overshadows the story, which can cause the reader to lose track of it and require multiple readings. “Black Science” and “Deadly Class” have already been published in trade paperback formats. “How to Fall Forever” contains the first six issues of “Black Science” and the second trade “Welcome, Nowhere” is coming in late December. The aptly titled “Reagan Youth” collect the first six issues of “Deadly Class”. “Low” is only hitting its sixth issue this December and probably won’t have trade until early in 2015. This means it’s the perfect time to catch up on these great comics by one the industry’s best storytellers.

About the Author

Rowsdower Zap Rowsdower, is also known by the name Glen T. Gottilla. He currently resides in Kevin Smith Country, USA. That’s New Jersey to those not in the know. He is a writer with many ideas and too many opinions. He loves Science Fiction, horror, comedy and Action. You know guy stuff, but don’t let that fool you, he does have a sensitive side. Hell, the man cries when dogs die in movies. He is currently working on a comic book series called Grudge Division, an alien conspiracy epic which spans nearly 70 years. He is always on the lookout for artists and writers to work with. Upon contacting this man, one should bear this in mind: never look him in the eyes, his deadly alpha predator instincts will perceive this as a direct challenge and destroy you with his lethal atomic breath. If you can survive that initial encounter, please remember that this creature is looking to make a name for him that is more than a Facebook handle lifted from an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

PULL LIST

Pull List: Our Love is Real / 36

by Ian Yarington

Our Love is Real

I’m on the constant lookout for new and innovative material within comic books.

I google away titles and artists until I find obscure things or projects that had little exposure. I can’t remember how I stumbled upon Our Love Is Real, but it has changed the way I look at what comic books are capable of. Our Love Is Real was written by Sam Humphries -a veteran that has worked, among others, on Avengers AI for Marvel and High Earth for Boom- and drawn by Steven Sanders -an accomplished illustrator who has also worked at Marvel-. Together, they bring life to a very different take on sexuality and human interaction. I try not to judge a book by its cover, but with comics it’s pretty hard. I wouldn’t put down a book over the cover, but I would certainly pick one because of it. In Our Love is Real, Sanders really struck a chord. It shows a man in police-like armor holding a billy club. He’s standing next to what appears to be a woman, dressed in robes and with a crystal beside her, who turns out to actually be a man. Behind them is a poster of a man and a pit bull smiling like it was a portrait at a studio. When I saw this cover I knew right away what sort of crazy ride this read was going to be. Not only did Humphries have the creative drive to write about crazy things, he and Sanders put it right on the cover. The art throughout the book looks exactly like the cover but

it all has a grayish overtone to it, not color. Our Love Is Real is a scifi book that is set in a world five years after an AIDS vaccine came out. I’m not sure how that fact fits into the world exactly because the sexual theme is between people, plants, crystals, and dogs. In my mind, AIDS made such a bad impact on the world that humans had to turn away from each other for their sexual pleasure, but honestly I couldn’t tell you if that were true. Because of the strange and conflicting sexuality, this world is in constant turmoil. The overall theme is of love and what people can love. Vegisexuals genetically modify and have sex with plants, mineralsexuals with crystals and, as the cover suggests, zoosexuals love animals. The main character is the police officer from the cover, Jok. He is a zoosexual, working at quelling the vegisexual riots. I can see that the three sexual tendencies –zoosexuals, mineralsexuals and vegisexuals- relate to the way things are within society today. Zoosexuals act as if their way is the only way, much like heterosexual people do in our society, and Humphries and

Pull List: Our Love is Real / 37

Sanders even demonstrate the behavior through an exchange between Jok and other officers. They tease him about talking to a woman (Brin) during the riots. Brin isn’t a woman, Brin is actually a man, but that fact probably wouldn’t matter to the men because no matter Brin’s gender he isn’t a dog. Most of the story follows Jok and his struggle with meeting and being attracted to Brin. At a certain point in the story I actually start to sympathize with him, which is pretty hard to deal with knowing that he is a zoosexual and obsessed with who or what people are having sex with. The biggest thing this comic book has done for me is make me think. About the overly critical sexualization we have in our society. About the way we judge others for their sexual preferences. I also feel that the imagery and idea of bestiality being acceptable flips the stereotype norms. What if the abnormal was actually the acceptable and what if they were as oppres-

sive as those with “normal” sexual habits? I couldn’t imagine a world where straight people were vilified as if they were strange and unacceptable and this comic has made me wonder how we have gone so long vilifying others for being different. I draw a huge parallel between the unacceptable sexual habits of this scifi world and the way we are in the real world. Some people have to fight for their right for “real love” and some of them have had to die to prove that “their love is real.” Overall I find this book more than just entertaining, I find it well written and provocative. I wish more people had the guts to put something like this out there and question what society finds normal. The back cover says “file under: Sci Fi/ omg/wtf” but in my library it will also be filed under; original, authentic, pioneering, refreshing, and a ton of other things. I wouldn’t just recommend this book. If I could, I would make it a mandatory read.

About the Author My name is Ian Yarington, I’m a 33 year old writer and comic book fan from the greater Seattle-Tacoma area. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and proud of my area’s diversity. As of right now I only have one article published in the LA Free Press and have just finished the first draft of a book. I hope to become a published author and continue to blog reviews and talk about comic books. I have been a comic book fan since I was a kid, reading books and watching the X-Men cartoon Saturday mornings, only to grow up and not change much. I still watch cartoons and I still read comics, in between grown up activities like working and paying bills. I love the big two comic companies but have been drawn to lesser known comics and publishers. I enjoy reading and supporting men and woman that are lesser known and need the exposure, not only because they need it but also because some of the books are incredible reads.

God Hates Fangs: The Problem with Speculative Metaphor / 38

GOD HATES FANGS The Problem with Speculative Metaphor by Annie Ong CHARLES XAVIER, POSTER BOY FOR INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION

“Motherfuckers will read a book that’s one-third Elvish, but put two sentences in Spanish and [white people] think we’re taking over.” -Junot Díaz

The title sequence of True Blood is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, that’s the entire reason I started watching the show: my sister told me, “I don’t care if you never finish a single actual episode of True Blood, but you have to check out this title sequence.” It’s also a sequence in which director Alan Ball abandons any pretense of sub-

SHOTS FROM THE TRUE BLOOD TITLE SEQUENCE

tlety with shots such as a “God Hates Fangs” sign outside a church (in case you weren’t aware: ‘God Hates Fags’ is an iconic rallying cry of infamous anti-LGBTQ hate group Westboro Baptist Church). The first season of True Blood is generally well-paced, sets up an interesting mythology, and has great production values. It’s shiny, fun, and entertaining...but I couldn’t shake the sense that Alan Ball was stand-

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ing over my shoulder the entire time, going “Did you see that? Do you get it yet? It’s a metaphor! For gay rights! Because vampires represent sexual minorities. And it’s an analogy. Watch how politically engaged I am!” Honestly, he could’ve spray-painted “Vampire rights = LGBTQ rights” on the backdrop of every set and it wouldn’t have been any more heavy-handed. This kind of analogy is nothing new to the world of science fiction and fantasy. From the Hollywood vampires of the 1930s to the X-Men to Star Trek, SF/F has a long and storied history of being used to explore themes of discrimination at a more comfortable remove. People who are uncomfortable hearing about real-life bigotry often find it easier to relate to fictional struggles in fictional societies. It works, too. A recent study strongly suggests that children who read Harry Potter are more likely to exhibit progressive attitudes towards stigmatized minorities.1 There’s just one problem with this brave new world: we aren’t actually magical.

THE UNCANNY X-MEN, JUST LIKE THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, CAN USE THEIR MUTANT POWERS TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST POLICE VIOLENCE

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forcibly physically transformed them. Although Marvel’s mutants are ‘born this way’—unlike vampires and similar beasties—they’re similarly possessed of tremendous advantages. They’re just like homo sapiens, but what unarmed human could stand against Storm or Magneto or even Toad? All other things being equal, Marvel-style mutants will always be more lethal than non-mutants. That’s why these metaphors don’t work. The fear fictional humans have of fictional vampires is the reasonable fear that prey has of a smiling predator. The ‘fear’ real humans have of minorities is a manufactured illusion that the majority wields to perpetuate systems of exploitation. The other issue I have with these extended metaphors is that despite whatever good intentions their creators may have, their narratives usually wind up focusing on the problems of attractive white cisgender heterosexuals in the name of championing minority rights. They become so consumed by the nobility of their message that they wind up perpetuating a fictional universe that has no room for people like me. We’ve moved past the age in which seeing minorities in media would be cause for censorship concern. In fact, UCLA research indicates that the more racially diverse that TV shows are—both in casting and in the writing room—the more successful they are.2

There’s just one problem: we aren’t actually magical.

When authors use mutants or monsters as stand-ins for marginalized minorities, there’s a fundamental inversion of power. To return to True Blood as an example, vampires are not only stronger and faster than humans, they’re also inherently dangerous. Violence is a defining aspect of their fundamental nature. They are essentially creatures of physical and mental violation; not only do they canonically possess mind-control powers, vampirism is a trait that is typically passed on nonconsensually. Vampires were once normal i.e. human, until a member of the deviant non-normative group

God Hates Fangs: The Problem with Speculative Metaphor / 40

There’s no excuse anymore for creating a narrative about minority rights without involving actual minorities. Fictional, fantastical oppressions can be fun and meaningful to explore, but when you use them to represent real-life oppressions, you need to ask yourself: what am I saying with this metaphor? Who am I representing here? What am I equating, and what kind of statement am I making about the people involved? It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that actual people are affected, not just ideological ciphers. We’re not superheroes (or supervillains), we’re not vampires, and we’re not aliens. I’m done with media that has to transform me and mine into monsters in order to make stories about us palatable.

IN AVATAR AND DISTRICT 9, A WHITE MAN COURAGEOUSLY STEPS UP TO SAVE THE BELEAGURED NONHUMAN MINORITY CIPHERS FROM PERSECUTION. GOOGLE ‘WHITE SAVIOR COMPLEX’ FOR MORE DETAILS.

1. http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/harry-potter-casts-a-spell-for-tolerance/ 2. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/study-finds-that-tv-shows-with-248757

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About the Author Annie has a MA in digital media anthropology and a deep aversion to keeping a personal blog. She’s an artist, musician, front-end programmer, and activist.