All posts by A. David

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

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

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

Kerry Fine of Arizona State University

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

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

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

Arigon Starr

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A. David Lewis Discusses Islam, Comics, Syria, and Flintstones with Boston’s NPR

A. David LewisIn just under a span of 10 minutes, S&S’s own A. David Lewis managed to address a span of issues with “Here & Now” co-host Robin Young on a recent WBUR broadcast. Touching on Ms. Marvel, the upcoming Muslim Superheroes essay collection, Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Black Panther and the Crew, and his own Kismet, Man of Fate, Lewis blitzed Young with a full update of many topics at the intersection of the comic book medium and Islam. And, he vouched for the surprising brilliance of the new Flintsones series, to boot!

Additionally, WBUR provided this video clip of Lewis going into further explanation of his charity work for Syria.

To support this venture, go to their Razoo fundraising page.

Reexamining “Our Gods Wear Spandex,” Superheroes as Occult Gods

Flash on the tarot path? From TrueFreeThinker.com

Over at True Free Thinker, Ken Ammi digs deep into the 2007 text Our Gods Wear Spandex by Christopher Knowles. In addition to placing it in context to several other notable works of the time, Ammi supports Knowles’s contention of occult symbology embedded in the superhero genre, particularly that of pre-Christian paganism:

Although most of us don’t realize it, there’s simply nothing new about devotion to superheroes. Their powers, costumes, and sometimes even their names are plucked straight from the pre-Christian religions of antiquity. When you go back and look at these heroes in their original incarnations, you can’t help but be struck by how blatant their symbolism is and how strongly they reflect the belief systems of the pagan age…

Ammi goes into a example-by-example analysis of such heroes as Captain Marvel, Zatara and Zatanna, Doctor Fate, Superman, the Flash, the X-Men, and many more. His examination of Captain America in particular may take on new relevance during the controversial “Secret Empire” storyline currently underway.

Our Gods Wear Spandex is available at Amazon.com.