Hey Inkbots,
Its been quite a few days since my last blog and I think I figured out why, I NEED TO CHANGE MY SCHEDULE. Yes, my Tues, Thurs, Sat schedule is not working out because they happen to be my busiest days. So, as of this posting my new blog days will be on Monday and Friday, and as a treat I promise I'll share some compelling or at least embarrassing stories with you this Friday.
On another note, lots of things to talk about. First we have the third issue of ODESSA, which was posted yesterday morning. So far its getting some great reviews but I figured that now is as good a time as any to discuss the series in some detail or at least some of its core concepts. Odessa, which was created by both Louie Chin and myself, is a real treat to write, as I'm sure it is to draw, because a lot of research needed to be done in order to truly comprehend the major social issues of its time and to make this historical fiction seem real. One of those major issues is of course racism, which is something that is still a touchy subject in this country and is still something that people, quite frankly, just don't want to talk about. This of course is extremely disheartening because how do we plan on moving past what happened in the past without actually discussing it first? Do we assume that it will just go away, or do we allow ourselves to accept that it never will? I must say that when I was in high school I used to subscribe to the "realist" train of thought, in that it never will, but then I did some research on the history of racism and what I found was not the golden age of peace, which some "paradise lost" scholars would have you believe, but a concentrated effort on the part of some to make intercultural conflict a color issue, when in fact it was only a tribal one. Now, I know some might see this point as arbitrary, as most members of a tribe tend to "look alike," but if you look at the world before the inception of chattel slavery most traders saw themselves as not only being part of the tribe that they were born into but as also being part of a larger multicultural tribe that existed in the largest African cities of the old world. Yes, in these ancient cities Africans, Asians, and Mediterranean Europeans traded so frequently that it became commonplace to value each other's ideals and natural treasures, or at the very least to see each other as equal. Now if you're rolling your eyes while reading this then I urge you to consider that one doesn't trade with someone that they see as being inferior to them, they simply take what they want (the history of colonialism I suppose). Still, others might be tempted to say that this "multicultural tribe" exists in today's world in places like NYC, but I wouldn't be one of them, because you see true multiculturalism is the exchange of ideals and goods, not simply the exchange of goods under the same ideal. So, what I mean by this is that when you see people of different ethnic backgrounds shopping in the same place, or working in wall street, that is not true multiculturalism because they are working or living under the same ideal(s) Capitalism, Modernism, Consumerism, you name it. But I digress, one of the essential questions that I think students of history need to ask more, especially those with an interest in Ancient African and Meso American History, is not just what happened, but why it happened. I mean how could the world go from the statues of black scholars being a commonplace in Greek households and the building of black faces on the coast of Mexico being built as a tribute to those who came before Columbus, to the inception of chattel Slavery, Jim Crow, black face, and now accepted racism (in that we allow ourselves to accept that it will never go away)? How and why my friends? Yup, a tricky one indeed, which is why I really hope you stick around because with enough time Odessa might either become my greatest triumph or my greatest failure (which is something that I'm more than comfortable with).
*Sigh*...well now that that's out of the way, lets move on to something more fun. INKBOT FILMS ladies and germs. Yes, I mentioned it briefly in the past, but finally, this Saturday, it will be more than just a mention, it will be a fully functioning Independent film company headed by our very own Robert Vicente and Julie Rubiano. Now, I can't give too much away, as I don't want to spoil the surprises that they have in store for you guys, but what I can say is that we have three projects lined up. The first being a short called "Childhood in a stream" which is being casted for this weekend, and the second being "The Devil Died Different." Yes, that's right, The Devil Died Different. Inkbot's first one shot, hell first story period, is going to be made into a short, and quite frankly I CAN'T WAIT! ;) Lastly, the third project is a yet to be named, but its script is something that I'm extremely proud of as it was penned by my very own wife Julie Rubiano!
Comic Convention: This past Sunday I attended a small convention and was appalled to see how some people continue to turn new fans away from this beautiful medium by essentially making them feel bad for being "new" fans. I mean how ridiculous is that? Who cares if someone can't remember the number of the first issue they read when they were seven years old, how the hell is that important? You should be glad that someone else is taking an interest in your medium because that is the only thing that will ensure that it sticks around for years to come...JACK ASS! Sigh...anyway other than that I had a hell of a good time ;)
Big two weeks: I hope you guys have been enjoying these last two weeks because we have posted some major updates. Think about it, in just fourteen days we have debuted a new series (Allen Shrugged), concluded a story arc (The Blue Bullet), began a new story arc (American Ambition), continue with an already amazing story arc (Revolvers), updated a fan favorite (Girl Skout Warz), and last but not least posted the next issue of Odessa. Yup, I think its safe to say that we like you.
Well, with that, I hope you guys check back in on Friday as I plan to tell some ridiculous stories (and yes most will be from my childhood). So, until then, make sure you keep reading, stay safe, and try not to suck ;P
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