THEN AND NOW: AN AUNTIE AND NEPHEW’S ADVENTURES IN GEEKING OUT

The Origin Story:

    I’ve always considered myself a geek. I rep that erryday! I’ve been a bibliophile since my childhood inception of literacy and devour ALL types of literature, including comics. I share my love of videogames, comics and superhero enthusiasm with my nephew. I flung him headfirst into the world of fantasy and geek culture as soon as he was of the age of understanding and we both have not looked back. This has had some consequences... Some good: having a partner to Nintendo DS chat with (although RIP to our beloved Nintendogs who have been neglected for Years at this point!) and some… not so great: my nephew’s grades slowly declining while his skylander xp continues to climb and level up (and guess who gets the blame -_-) The thing is I love reading. I don’t discriminate in my love for literature. I share the same adoration for Langston Hughes's poetry, as I do for Keats and Shakespeare, Hosseini and Greg Pak’s Storm. It’s all reading to me, and I love it all, so I guess I assumed the boy would as well. I thought wrong.  His love for reading has unfortunately tapered off past Minecraft manuals, so we’re working on finding a happy median… hopefully soon! (There are a lot of games I myself want to buy and play with him, which cannot happen when he is grounded -_-) However happy days are here again! At least until the end of August when school returns. Yes, now we are steeped in video and pc games and the joy of summer cinema! What a time to be a nerd :D I gotta tell you a love for reading is not the only place my nephew and I differ in practices and opinions. As I try to school this kid into the way of the nerd he has been schooling me as well in shaking off some of my counterproductive and negative fan-STANning ways. 

Case in point: The new TMNT

So I’m an 80s baby and a 90s child. Yes, I am part of the greatest generation. (LOL I can Hear the clicking of keys as the death threats pour in, calm down people! You’re just jealous you didn’t have a Popple or get to eat dunkaroos!) Anyhoot, when the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was being made, Oh I was Hating! No amount of hate-o-rade could quench my bitter, crotchety thirst! My nephew was stoked! He couldn’t wait for it to come out, so I had to show him the error of his ways and began to rain on his parade. I made him watch MY Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the Correct origin story! This child refused to acknowledge the greatness of The Secret of the Ooze… I gently wept bitter tears as I began to write him out of my will… He was so enthusiastic though, I couldn’t deny him, so I took him to see the new version of the movie. And as I grimaced in horror at the weirdness of their cgi animated faces, I looked over and saw a father sleeping next to his own enraptured kid and I had to laugh. WTF is wrong with me trying to rain on this kid’s parade? I saw a clear picture of my own father, chiding us that grown ass men dressed in rubber turtle suits, wielding nunchucks and katana blades was ridiculous! Bless his heart though, he brought my siblings and I to all 3 of those magnificent movies, no matter how dumb and creepy he found it all.

    There is an aspect of nerd culture and geekdom that I dread my nephew’s exposure to. The cynical, rude, trolling and trampling part of snobbing and nerd-cred checking and general hating on people fling so freely in our world. Something I am at times guilty of, but don’t want my precious nephew to experience. Even if he is wrong about being on Team Iron Man for the upcoming Civil War saga (that is another blog post and you all better pray for me during this trial of testing). It’s all a part of life, I suppose. He has to build up tough skin to survive the interweb. These epiphanies and glimpses at geek life through the pure and expectant eyes of my young nephew have changed my world-nerd view and I’m trying to be less of a jerk and cynic. I’m trying not to completely trounce a movie before I actually watch it (except for that new Pan movie EFF that problematic piece o trash) and regain my childlike wonder at getting to see my imagination come to life on a huge movie screen right before my very eyes! Another great moment I got to share with the kid is the new Jurassic movie. I relished showing him the original (an all time favorite and cinematic staple for me :) He laughed when I explained how those animatronics had me believing maybe just maybe there might be a real life baby brachiosaurus on some lot somewhere in Hollywood… or in our beloved hills out on Kuuloa where some of the films were shot here in Hawaii. How Awesome would that have been?! (I will say if you’re going to take a 10 year old to see Jurassic World it has a bit o blood and gore up in that piece, so be warned) I enjoy debating him and considering a bunch of random comic themed scenarios and don’t ever want to dampen his zeal and curiosity and creativity. So I've decided I can either wallow in the past glory days of my mind’s perceived superiority- or enjoy the hopeful positivity of this new generation of nerdom and all it’s possibilities! I choose the fun one! (although my hate game so strong; it’s a habit I’m still trying to break so excuse the occasional snark, it’s my native tongue) So nerd/geek culture is once again a place of magic and wonder for me. It’s a good thing. I’ll occasionally be posting about some of my Aunty/nephew adventures on this site. Hope you enjoy :)

Candi is an overly involved Aunty and a connoisseur of the Finer things in life… Nintendo, 2 ply toilet paper, carbs and ALL of the literature! She is far too emotionally attached to fictional characters and loves television, video games, film and fan-girling. You can usually find her being a hot damn mess on twitter @candiland808

THEN & NOW: ADVENTURES OF AN AUNTY AND A NEPHEW: Episode 1

Guest Post by Candi (@CandiLand808 on Twitter)

Hello, allow me a quick intro if you will; GeekSoulBrother invited me to do a guest post on 1 of my favorite sites #BlackGeeksMeet a while ago, but I'm a coward 0.o  So I've never attempted until now... but I gotta tell ya, what a time to be a nerd it is! :D  I cannot help but exult in this, our golden comic era.  And my favorite way of doing this is with my nephew. He just turned 10 so I get a look when I refer to him as a baby -_- but he is! He still has baby teefs so it's true! One of the greatest joys of my life is indulging in my own geeking out and bringing the kid along to learn him the way of the nerd and he is excelling at letting his geek flag fly, and I am thrilled! I will be posting (as long as GeekSoulBrother allows) some of our adventures on here :)

Oh, by the way my name is Candi and if ever you see Orlando Jones, please feel free to give him my number!

Episode #1 - Size Does Matter!

Ant Man was Awesome!

So the kid and I saw #Antman tonight and we both LOVED it!

Let me begin by saying I talked so much crap about this movie in the beginning when it was being made, and let me now follow with- my bad! Lol  Look, I Know Pym is of the utmost importance in the Marvel universe, and Antman is a staple character; especially in regards to the Avengers.  But when the news first broke, honestly I thought, meh.

Then they cast Paul Rudd and my first reaction was, Random! I do love Paul Rudd though. C'mon he's great! You’ll always be a baldwin to me Joshy baby :)  And his comedic timing is just delicious. <3  So I thought… thumbs up meh? (can you taste the salt from my hate-o-rade? I have a Costco sized supply)  I dunno, I just didn’t care.  However my tune soon changed, when the munchkin expressed an interest, so I of course told him, yes we’ll go watch it.  As the trailers and snippets of the movie began to come out, I got a little hyped, especially because I was thinking of this movie in terms of my nephew. He’s a little guy, smaller than most of the other boys on his soccer team and in class at school.  It doesn’t help either that my family is made up of giants.  I am a freaking Amazon myself, and as I would watch my nephew’s eyes light up watching the trailer, I thought “Yes! That’s right!  Get hyped kid, that could absolutely be you! It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!” I was excited that this could be a great hero for a smaller child and I began to embrace and enjoy the concept of a super soldier the size of an ant. The plot of the movie did deliver aspects of that, but I really appreciated the focus on Redemption in this movie. Redemption and family, were strong themes in this film and I am Here for it!

As far as building up the esteem of my nephew I felt checked, because the movie did not really focus on Scott’s height or physical shortcomings. I chided myself that I shouldn’t make it weird for my nephew by focusing on those types of things either.  In the movie Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang who is recruited by a now aged Hank Pym to take up the mantle/suit of the Antman. Paul Rudd was excellent in his portrayal of Lang. He is charming and of course funny. He was an ex-con that was smart. He used wits and ingenuity constantly and cared immensely for his daughter willing to do anything for her. This turned out to be an excellent family film.

I’m giving my thumbs up and called the movie Awesome in my title, because as a whole, it was done really well.  It relayed positive messages, and it was so much FUN! We had a blast watching it. Rudd was great! Evangeline Lily as Hope was fierce and strong just like I like to see women in film :) Also, can I say that Michael Pena is a treasure and needs a lot more play and respect in Hollywood! He is so money and was so much fun in this film! The fight scenes were gorgeous, with spots of humor and give me ALL the CGI and special effects! (Fight me haters, I LOVE it :P) A huge plus from this aunty, there was nothing too bad for the kid to watch, so bless you Marvel for this one! (Disclaimer, there were a few curse words if you’re worried about that for your kids, but no blood or gore or nudes; this was a good family movie and had a strong theme about fatherhood and even daddy/daughter relationships) so I recommend it and rescind my smack talking ;)

In this case size did matter.  It was an asset and made the movie more engaging.  We had some serious debates involving physics; considering how we would react to being the size of an ant and different techniques we could use to fight and survive etc... This was a fun concept to debate with a 10 year old, and I highly recommend it. Then, it turned into this weird debate about the strongest metals in the world and could Wolverine’s claws cut Thor’s hammer, but I was like hello the vibranium in Captain America’s shield is everything… but we digress. So no more mehs a big thumbs up from me in regards to Antman. :)

So what did everyone else think?

Candi is an overly involved Aunty and a connoisseur of the Finer things in life… Nintendo, 2 ply toilet paper, carbs and ALL of the literature! She is far too emotionally attached to fictional characters and loves television, film and fan-girling. You can usually find her being a hot damn mess on twitter @candiland808

How Good Ideas Turn Bad With No Planning And Too Much Ego!

Or what I call -The Ralph Kramden Effect!

If you've ever watched The Honeymooners you know Ralph Kramden. He's a husband and a bus driver.  And he's a man that wants a better life. Things are always tight for him and his wife Alice. But Ralph knows there is opportunity out there for him.   He just has to find the right angle. Trouble is, Ralph thinks that every opportunity that comes down the road is a quick cash deal.  When Ralph cooks up a scheme, he doesn't plan further than the "If I do this, then that will happen."  And his ego doesn't give him a doubt that it will not work.  No long range planning. No assessing what he does well and what he doesn't.  Ralph thinks he is good at everything, but he doesn't know what he's really good at.  It's another quality that keeps him from figuring out how to get on the clear path of success. 

But there was one episode where Ralph actually had a great plan.  He bought a whole bunch of All Purpose kitchen utensils. He also made a deal with a local TV station to get some commercial time. And his friend Ed Norton was ready to help him.  Everything was set except for one thing - Ralph had stage fright.  He couldn't say one line that he and Ed wrote for their selling pitch.  Now in his defense, Ralph hadn't been in front of a camera before.  How would he have even known he had stage fright?  But then again, Ralph's ego got in his way.  He spent all of his practice time telling Norton how to make the commercial better, but he didn't have any more experience than Norton. Ralph should have gone to the station manager and been like "Listen, my partner and I have never been in front of a camera before, what's it like?" At least that could have prepared him more for the experience. But The Honeymooners was all about comedy, so a consciencous and humbled Ralph would not have been nearly as funny as a nervous and bumbling Ralph on a TV stage.  And as always in the show, Norton was as cool as a cucumber on TV.

I give this example to speak to all the Ralph Kramdens out there. This isn't to judge, but to enlighten. Please stop with the get rich quick schemes and the get money now cons and the "I want to do that because it makes the most money." If you want to make money or have that entrepreneurial spirit, it's going to take more than thinking of a quick idea or answering an Ad online about doing something for 'Extra Money at home".   I mean, you can do what you want, but if you listen to successful people you will probably find out that it took them a minute to figure out how to become a success.

Stop going for the thing that the world says is the best or top money making direction and go for the field or career or business that embraces the thing that you do well.  If you want to do something like stuff Envelopes at home then ask yourself if you want to do it full time? Because even if you do it part time just to make a little money on the side you will either love it or hate it after a while. Why would you want to do something that you will hate after a while? You might as well get a part time job that you will hate instead.

People don't do enough critical thinking. They keep trying to do these get Money Now schemes because they don't ask the question "How does the company make money? Why can't they mail the envelopes themselves? Why do I have to pay a fee to do a job?" I'm always grateful for my dad and how he taught me critical thinking to see through these 'Too good to be true" business ideas. Anybody in your life that talks wisdom should be making you stop and listen.

Stop saying to yourself or other people that "I need money now."  Were you saying that a few years ago? What happened? If you are still saying that then you really didn't "need money now", you needed a plan.  If you had a plan and stuck to it years ago, where would you be now? Success isn't promised, but if you tried to develop something in a slow and steady way, then how much better would your situation be now? But if you spent the last few years trying to sell this or mail that for another company over and over again, then that type of business model probably isn't for you. Don't get me wrong; there are successful people that sell or work from home or door to door. But it's not for everybody.  Many people just don't think of other things to do or plan out.

To avoid being a Ralph, the first thing is to find out what you are really good at.  And it doesn't hurt to be truthful about what you are really bad at. For some, admitting they are bad at something is too hard.  But I suggest you try it.  Find your skills and natural talents. Find out what how you are unique and how people may want to pay for that uniqueness. Research how other people that have your talents have made a career for themselves. Or if those talents don't exactly translate to a career, how you can use them for the jobs that you have now or want.

If you can't really put your finger on what talents you have then ask people you know what they think your talents are. What do people keep asking you about? What do you love helping people with? What do you love talking to people about? Ask your friends what you are really good at and what they value you for.  Also, try everything you can try. How are you going to know if you like to do something if you have never done it before? Or if you don't like to do something. Try to look back to your childhood and think of the things that you loved to do. What got you excited as a kid?  What were you good at back then?

The second thing is where the Kramdens of the world trip up. Practice your talent. Plan on practicing for a minute to get better at what you do. The reason that some people keep trying to do these get money now schemes is that they don't want to humble themselves and be patient. Especially the brothers. Hey, I'm just being truthful here. Some dudes always want to talk about how good they are at something, but don't really practice or research it.

Finally, make a plan. But just don't come up with an idea and think that's it. Find out if other people are doing what you want to do. Maybe you can come up with an original idea, but find out if it is something that people want. Indecently, don't think for sure that your idea has never been thought of before.  That's that Ralph Kramden ego kicking in again.  Sometimes the idea that you have is unique because people have tried it in the past and it didn't work out so well.   So yes, you won't find it out there because there wasn't an audience for it.  But don't let that discourage you. The missing piece for most people with ideas is that they have to do the proper research. And that doesn't mean reading the first page of a Google search.

There are a ton of books and videos that talk about finding talents and passions, and finding your success through them.  Some of them are legit and some just snake oil. All I'm saying here is that I talk with a lot of brothers and I just hear that Ralph Kramden spirit coming through. Don't be Ralph. Be patent and think things through and stay focused on a goal.  It might work out or it might not, but most of the time it's better that going after the quick money. What I sometimes call The Shiny. Also, don't threaten your wife with a "Bang, Zoom." Peace out!

Are TV Execs Really Asking For More 'Ethnic' Shows?

TV Execs don't have to watch out for putting bad 'Ethnic' shows on TV,  just bad Shows! (I liked it tho)

So many of you that follow me on twitter know about that Deadline article by Ayanna or Aliaynna or some name I don't feel like remembering.  I'm not linking it because I just don't want to give it the added exposure and digital credit.  You can easily search for it if you want.  In the article she (her name is Nellie) talked about her thoughts on if 'Ethnic' tv is over due or becoming too much of a good thing?  Her assumptions were that we haven't seen black people on network television as much as now with the likes of Empire, Black-ish, Extant, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder.  I'll counter that point later.  But one thing she mentioned was that network executives were asking for more ethnic roles to be made for their TV shows.  With the success of Empire and Shonda Rhimes two hit ABC series, I can see how some executives are trying to find out how they can get some of those Empire ratings.  It's funny how mainstream media people try to talk about diversity and forget about Sleepy Hollow though.   I guess if Abby and her sister Jenny were talking like Cookie then it would be considered an 'ethnic' show also.

Now I do think execs follow what is popular at the moment.  And what makes something popular to them is the ratings that certain shows get.  Why are Empire and HTGAWM getting great ratings?  Maybe it is because Nielsen started paying attention to Twitter.   Now the market can see how successful a show with a black lead can be.  I'm sure the numbers for ABC's Fresh Off The Boat are not looking too bad either.  If you really want to see why execs are going crazy over twitter responses to Empire and other shows, check out the some of the NIELSEN TWITTER TV RATINGS on their site.  I'm just saying, those tweets can't be ignored by anybody.  I see you Black Girl Nerds!

But as successful as these shows are, we have not reached saturation by a long shot as the article proposes.  Because saturation will not be determined by anything other than the audience watching TV.  And I can't see the black audience that supports these shows saying "Oh, Okay. Whew! That's enough interesting Black leads on TV for us!"

What the deadline writer failed to remember was that this happened in the 90s, and nobody complained.  Remember when there were plenty of black shows on TV like Steve Harvey, My Wife and Kids, Fresh Prince, Family Matters, Living Single and The Jamie Fox show. We even had brothers among the stars - Homeboys from Outer Space. In the beginning of the millennium we had a few more shows like Girlfriends and The Bernie Mac Show.

Now after those early 2000s shows it was a definite dry spell as more reality television started popping up.  We didn't see many scripted dramas or comedies featuring POC leads and definitely not many genre shows in Sci-fi and fantasy.  So it's no wonder that the black audience is looking to see themselves represented on TV again. 

There was the other point made in the article about the white actor that lost a role to a black person because of this 'executive decision' to get more color on the small screen.  I know you all can't see my face, but this is my 'Did you really just say that' stare.  If executives are reacting to a black audience, what is wrong with a show featuring what the people want.  And the article missed the real point of the scenario - two white people got the roles at first.  Hmmm, I wonder why?  Was it because they were the best choices for the roles?  Has that been the case for all of the history of actors getting roles for TV? Cause there are some great black actors and actresses that have been passed up time and time again.  Let's be for real.  Though there is a definite interest in getting more black people and other POC into roles on television, there isn't going to be a shortage of White leads anytime soon.

And here is possibly the most glaring point that the author is missing while talking about these faceless execs and their call for diversity.  It's not just that black people have been popping up on the small screen as of late, but it's WOMEN that have been leading on TV for the past few years.  I noticed that female led shows were about 50% back in 2012.  And the number has increased by my estimates.  Even if you look at Empire you know that the show would not have been as big of a hit without Taraji P. Henson's dynamic character.

There was one thing the article did mention which made me think.   These producers should know that they can't cater to a black or a female audience just by featuring a gender or a race and think it will be okay.  The stories have to be engaging and the acting on point.  I don't agree with miss 'too much diversity' in her example of Undercovers.  That show, which was produced by J.J. Abrams, was supposed to be a campy homage to Hart To Hart.  But people didn't get it.  The show would have failed if it starred a white couple or a black couple or any other couple.  Personally though, I don't know how you all could not watch the beautiful Gugu Mbatha-Raw in anything she did.  Now this is me giving you the side-eye.

Anyway, I do think that these network heads should be careful not to get all hasty and just throw together a show because they are thinking too shallow.  One way they can avoid that mistake is to keep green-lighting projects that are created by POC and give them the jobs of also directing and producing them.  That's how it works people.  And I ultimately would love to see some of the black owned television stations be able to create and acquire the ratings that these major networks are getting with their own original programming.  Now that is something that we can have an effect on just through our community.  But that's another post, isn't it.

I haven't said enough to criticize the deadline article over each point to point.  I wanted to mostly talk about the shift in programming, and what seems to be happening and who is really behind it.  But if you want to read how someone truly tore the article up, check out Awesome Luvvie's response!  She hit it dead on I think.

I can't wait for more shows with leads of color.  I can't wait for more people of color to be featured behind the camera and the scripts.  I reeeeally can't wait until we see more shows like Extant with Halle Berry and other Sci-Fi and fantasy that represent us in the future, and in genres that our black geek nation love.  You could call the shift a 'Trend' like Nellie said in that dismissive and kinda petty way, but I instead like what Shonda Rhimes defined it as when she referred to what we are seeing as 'Normalizing' TV.

3 Reasons Why Some Black People Should Admit They Are Geeks!

OR IN OTHER WORDS:

" HOW TO GET BLACK GEEKS TO COME OUT OF THE TARDIS"

(I think Martha was already a bit of a geek.  So she don't count!)

I  COULD NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT MY LOVE OF ALL THINGS NERDY!

I never had much trouble admitting that I was a geek.  I loved science and got all into astronomy as a kid.  Joined the astronomy club in high school.  Brought a part of my comic collection to school.  Talked about Sci-fi with my co-workers.  Nope! I didn't really have much trouble talking about my love of the nerd life.

It was always easy to find other geeks to talk to.  I could mention something about Star Trek and another geek was usually just a stone's throw away.  But black geeks were much more rare to find. My throwing arm wasn't that strong.  Were they really that hard to find though?  Or was it just hard for some (thankfully not all) black people to admit that they were geeks or nerds.

We all know that the term Geek or Nerd had such a strong connotation to it that some people in some cultures stayed far away from it.  They were repelled like two magnets with the same north poles pointing to each other.  Sometimes those words became fighting words.  But every now and then, when I talked about different films or TV shows or comics, these brothers and sisters were right with me.  Have you ever brought up the Twilight Zone series among a group of dudes just hangin' out?  "Yo, what about that one with the hot chick and all them ugly dudes calling her the ugly one?  That's my shizznit!"

BLACK GEEKS ARE ALL AROUND US,  JUST BEHIND THE CURTAINS

There are a lot of black people that truly like the things that we who are openly geek also love.  I was talking to one brother not too long ago who was about my age.   He was like "Everybody collected comics when I was a kid so I don't understand when someone talks about they don't get into them."  I agreed, noticing that when I talked to a lot of brothers, they indeed read comics as a kid (rarely the sisters though).  Of course, as with anybody from any culture, the peer pressure of 'growing up' and other distractions can make you forget about your comic collecting.   My thing is, you know some of the main characters; so don't act like you don't.

I think it's definitely been changing since geek culture has become mainstream culture.  But there are still a lot of black people that just don't talk openly about what they like in geek culture.

That's where I want to see black people admit that they are geeks.  They don't actually have to call themselves geeks or nerds, or even afronerds or fanbros.  I just want to see brothers and sisters not be reserved about what they get into.  And also I want them to understand that just because they identify with those terms or those passions it doesn't mean that's the only thing they are.  A black person can be any number of things all at once.  A geek and a jock.  A nerd and a cool chic.

UNDERCOVER GEEKS MIGHT BE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES

One reason that I want to see more black people talk about Sci-fi and fantasy and other genre stuff is that it might give them an opportunity to connect with other peeps that like the same stuff.  I've already seen it with my own friends that I've had to convince were undercover geeks.  "Dude, you like comics, The Matrix, loved Twilight Zone when you finally watched it.  And you watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nick... How are you Not a Geek Negro??"  They didn't want to admit it at first, but then the walls started coming down and they saw the truth in the mirror.

And when those walls start to come down and that guard eases up a little, you can see the excitement come out of a black person when you talk about some of the stuff that they appreciate.  Now they know it's cool to talk about these things and that there are actually other people that won't look at them crazy.

HEY, WHAT ARE YOU WRITING?

Another reason: the side effect of brothers and sisters admitting they are geeks is that they can feel comfortable talking about their creative ideas.  I met a young brother that was a friend of my son.  I asked him what he was getting into these days.  This kid said he was trying to write a novel.  I was like "That's awesome. What kind? What genre?"  He said in a slightly embarrassed and understated way "It's a romantic comedy story."  I was like "THAT'S AWESOME.  I'm writing a Rom-Com script right now!"  He totally lit up and got excited.  That's what I want for millions of black creatives across the world to feel like when talking about their creative passions.  I dread hearing about the family that tells a young person that writing science fiction or drawing superheroes or messing with software languages is a waste of time.  When they grow up, how are they going to talk about that stuff openly?  I'll tell you how, they can talk to us liberated nerds. 

A TRIBE CALLED BLERD

My last reason is a selfish one.  I just want to see my black geek tribe grow bigger and bigger.  I want to see more black people go to science fiction film festivals and conventions, and meet up with others who like what they do.  I want to see black people fall in love with each other because they secretly love Battlestar Galactica and they can finally watch anime while snuggling up next to someone.  I want to see these brothers and sisters add to the overall conversation about people of color represented in the future when it comes to fictional stories.  I just want to see a community filled with black people who are even more comfortable with themselves, have self knowledge, and connect with each other because of it.

ISLANDS OF AFRO-AWKWARDNESS

And even when some black people finally admit that that are geeks, it's still hard for them to find others like them in the sea of Caucasian geekdom.  I hear it all the time - "Wow, I never knew there was a community of black geeks. Thanks Geek Soul Brother and Black Girl Nerds!"

I'm a dreamer of course.  But I know that there is strength in numbers, growth in community and love in family.  I feel great when I'm talking to black geeks, nerds, fanbros and afronerds.  I feel great just hearing them talk to each other.  I just want others to feel the same.

Funky Q' Review: THROUGH A LENS DARKLY: BLACK PHOTOGRAPHERS

Though a documentary may be enjoyable to a general audience, a particular subject may be more than just entertaining to a select people.

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY is a film that follows the growth of black photographers from the 1800s to the most famous of recent times.  Writer / Director Thomas Allen Harris shapes a story that uncovers the rich visual culture that has been mostly hidden to viewers and even true lovers of the art form.  To the black audience this collection and narration is a revealing testament that black people of almost every era have been active artist of photography since the ability to capture an image was invented.

The story starts out with Harris talking about his own introduction to photography and how his father and grandfather were at opposing ends of embracing the camera.  Harris' father gave him and his brother cameras and their first taste of looking through a lens.  But it was his grandfather that inspired Harris to take up the camera as a way of capturing ones own spirit.

There were interviews with several renowned photographers of the modern age that talked about their own work, but also about moments in history where visionaries were either praised in the industry or undiscovered by all but a few.  Among the artists who spoke were Deborah Willis, producer of the film and author of the book "Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present" which the theme of the film was shaped around.

Most striking was how the story brings to the surface so many images of black people in the mid 1800 to 1900s that were stylish, beautiful, educated, well to do, animated, hard working, regal and present in their reality.  There were photos taken in black studios and candidly among the black community.  But countering these beautiful images were the documentation of the plethora of images that mainstream American media used to dismantle, defame and degrade black people since the inception.  For me, the paradox of the use of photography was condensed into a moment where Harris called it a War Of Images.

But the essence of the film did not dwell on the negative, but gave the uniformed audience a fresh new realization of how black people have infused themselves into photography for the last 150 years; as they have in all other art forms.  It leaves you with the sense of how important it is for a people to control and shape their own image in society.  And I personally admire this film because of my interest in photography for most of my life.  I give THROUGH A LENS DARKLY 4 out of 5 Cosmic Afros.  At the time of this post you can find it on Netflix.

Adventures of a New (and clueless) Comic Fan

Guest Post by Pirate Jenny

I always knew that one day, I'd want to do it.

I figured, if I was going to go through with it, I needed to do it sooner rather than later.

But what if I don't know what to do? What if I make a fool of myself? The concerns raced on.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, the wondering was getting to me. I had to just get on with it, if I truly wanted to know what it was like. I had to see for myself.

I had to bite the bullet, and visit a comic book store.

I've heard and read about these great experiences that others have had about hanging out at their local comic store, that it's a place they value that brings fun and connection for them. I've wanted to experience that for myself, and I've had a daydream or ten about what these visits look like. I imagine the regulars mosey in and peruse the aisles, loudly swapping banter with the employees. Because I had yet to visit a comic store, I had no real concept of what was discussed, but my imagination suggested discourse that was heady, reflective of a deep fervor for all things illustrative, or tech, or...well, how the hell should I know, I’d yet to go there.

I feel pretty confident that I’ve been completely romanticizing this experience (as I tend to do with most things), and that in fact, I would probably just come across a very boring old store that had folks trying to get the latest issues and be on their way. Or worse, find nothing but irritation as I completely made a fool of myself trying to maneuver that space. Nevertheless, I was still excited to carry out my goal.

A sunny Saturday arrived. After a quick Google search, I found the nearest store in my area, and headed over. Pulled into the parking lot, and walked in. A gentleman was standing in the nearest aisle, a few comics in tow as he checked out the selections. He quickly glanced at me, then returned to his search. Strange, I thought. He’s supposed to be giving me the stink eye. I continued on. I end up near two guys deep in conversation about Marvel-something-or-other. I quickly try to learn the store’s layout and organization, all while trying to find my desired comic (Storm). What was old? What was new? Do I just seek out a section that says Storm? Or are things listed by author? Who wrote Storm? I should probably know that. “I need so much help,” I muttered.

“Do you need help, ma’am?” Weird. He’s supposed to be completely unaffected by my business.

I replied, “Sure. I’m just looking for something for my nephew.”

What? Why do I feel the need to throw my ten-year-old nephew into this?!

The employee, one of the two gentlemen chatting, walks up to me. “What specific comic do you need?”

“Oh. “Star Wars”. He’s into that “Rebels” show right now.” I’m a mess.

The employee was kind of enough to take his time showing me comics for my nephew, and as I take the comics and listen to his reasons behind his recommendations, I feel like a jackass for even lying about my visit in the first place. Here’s this comic store employee, completely willing to help me, not the least bit pretentious. And here I am, afraid to be honest about what I don’t know and what I want to know, so much so that I’d rather spend money on comics for a kid who won’t even read them (trust me, he won’t; watching a tv show title sequence is about as much reading as he likes to dive into).

He finishes his suggestions. It’s now or never girl.

“Um, do you happen to have, uh, “Storm” I guess?” Do not ask or wonder why I phrased the question that way.

“I do. That’s a good one, I like that series.”

Success!

We didn’t chat too much about the comic, just a few comments on the importance of the series. But it was nice all the same. I paid for the comics, and thanked him for his help. “Come back and see us,” he said with a warm smile.

I’ve yet to revisit that store, but I’m certainly sold on the comic store experience. I’m anxious to learn more, to see everything else that’s out there. With comics there seems to be such an expansive culture of narratives. And frankly, you’re not born a comic guru; you have to start somewhere. So while this new territory definitely overwhelms me, if I start small, and look to some trustworthy folks for great suggestions, I think I’ll have fun with all of this.

Pirate Jenny works with youth and their communities.  She observes, live tweets and enjoys copious amounts of Skittles.  She wishes she wrote more.  You can usually find her on Twitter: @pirate_jenn