SPUNTI AMERICANI...

Ciao a tutti, come va?
Siccome nel mio ultimo post lo avevo annunciato, e siccome non sono il genere di persona che critica Lucca Comics & Games senza fornire dati oggettivi per i suoi paragoni impietosi, il post di oggi parte con un elenco degli incontri a tema LGBT che sono stati organizzati nell'ambito della San Diego Comic-Con di quest'anno, che si terrà dal 20 al 23 luglio... Ovviamente, dato che gli incontri in programma sono davvero tanti, potrebbe anche essere che me ne sia sfuggito qualcuno... Nel dubbio potete consultare il programma anche voi CLICCANDO QUI.

Come dicevo nel post precedente questi sono solo gli incontri che dichiarano di avere un occhio di riguardo per le tematiche LGBT: se guardate nel programma troverete dozzine di incontri che mettono al centro il tema della "diversità" in senso lato, della valorizzazione delle minoranze e della lotta alle discriminazioni...

Senza contare i focus sugli autori LGBT dichiarati e quelli sulle produzioni con risvolti LGBT, ovviamente... Comunque, se avrete la fortuna di essere a San Diego, potreste farvi un programmino considerando anche i seguenti appuntamenti:

Giovedì 20

Ore 10.00
Code Switch: Diversity Behind the Scenes 

Jimmy Diggs (writer, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager) and Gigi Edgley (Chiana on Farscape) lead a diverse panel of science fiction, fantasy, and gaming industry leaders as they share their perspectives from behind the scenes of your favorite franchises. African American, veteran, LGBTQ, and female creatives discuss diversity of background and thought. Learn how obstacles overcome, stereotypes broken, and glass ceilings shattered have fueled creative magic!

Ovvero come gli autori appartenenti a a gruppi sociali minoritari possono utilizzare la loro esperienza di vita personale per offrire il loro contributo per superare ostacoli e stereotipi.


Ore 18.00
LGBTQ Geek Year in Review 
 

The past year has been filled with key moments in comics, TV, movies, animation, and games that every queer geek should know about. The panel will discuss the significance of these events to the greater LGBTQ community. Hosted by Prism Comics and moderated by P. Kristen Enos (Prism Comics, Active Voice the Comic Collection), the panel includes Diane Anderson-Minshall (editorial director, The Advocate, Plus Magazine, and Tiny Living Chic), Nick Adams (director of programs, GLAAD's Transgender Media), Mike Ciriaco (LA Weekly, WeHoTV News), Amber Garza (director of international licensing, Sequential Rights; West Coast coordinator, Geeks OUT!), Chelsea Steiner (AfterEllen.com, Autostraddle.com), and Amelia Vaughn (Huffington Post, Riptide Publishing).

Ovvero un focus sui momenti più importanti, dal punto di vista LGBT, per quel che riguarda le produzioni legate all'immaginario pop dell'ultimo anno. 

Ore 19.00

Publishers Weekly: Selling Comics to a Diverse Audience  

It's no secret that the audience for comics has become far more diverse over the last decade. As more children, women, people of color, and queer readers discover comics-and more work is created for these audiences-reaching out on a retail level is even more important. PW senior editor Calvin Reid talks with comics retailers and booksellers about expanding the readership and standing up for representation and what works and what doesn't. With Christopher Butcher (The Beguiling), Terence Irvins (Kinokuniya), Jennifer Haines (The Dragon), and more.

Ovvero un incontro per parlare di come e quanto è diventato importante rivolgersi alle minoranze presenti nell'ambito dei lettori di fumetti.


Ore 19.30
It Gets Geekier: Why Queer Representation Matters 

 

Joshua Yehl (IGN Comics) brings It Gets Geekier back to discuss the importance of including LGBT+ characters in comic books, TV shows, and movies. Host Bryan Pittard (Flame On! Podcast) will lead the talk including Sina Grace (Iceman), Kris Anka (All-New X-Men), Megan Townsend (GLAAD), Mariko Tamaki (Supergirl: Being Super), and others.

Ovvero un incontro che mette in evidenza l'importanza di includere personaggi LGBT+ nelle produzioni legate all'immaginario poo di ultima generazione.


Venerdì 21

Ore 11.00

Diversity in Comics 

 

Brian Buccellato (Detective Comics, The Flash), Elena Salcedo (editor-in-chief, Top Cow Productions), Joe Illidge (senior editorial manager, Lion Forge), Ani-Mia (international cosplayer), Blake Northcott (Michael Turner's Fathom), Hannibal Tabu (CBR's The Buy Pile), Marcus To (Joyride, Red Robin), and Khary Randolph (Mosaic, The Amazing Spider-Man) discuss the shifting landscape of diversity in modern comics. Moderated by Vince Hernandez (VP/editor-in-chief, Aspen Comics).

Ovvero un incontro per parlare del panorama delle diversità che trovano una loro rappresentanza nei fumetti americani contemporanei. 


Ore 14.00
Bisexuality and Beyond: Deadpool Made Us Do It (Again and Again and . . . 

 

Definitions of gender and sexuality are becoming more and more open in popular media as comics, film, and television creators are telling stories with bisexual characters and affirming role models who are not limited to one definition. Join Prism Comics with moderator Faith Cheltenham (BiNet USA) for a spirited discussion of the present and future of sexuality in media with the real-life bisexual creators who draw, write, and perform these roles: Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, Anything That Loves), R. J. Aguiar (YouTube's TheNotAdam, NotAdamAndSteve.com), Lynnette McFadzen (BiNet USA), and Eliot Sutler, Esq. (BiWoCC). Last year, BleedingCool.com called this panel "One Of The Most Amazing Moments Of Affirmation At San Diego Comic-Con."

Ovvero un incontro incentrato sul passato e il presente della rappresentazione dei vari tipi di sessualità nei fumetti, con particolare riferimento alla bisessualità. 

Ore 19.00
Queer Fear 

 

The LGBTQ community has had a long history with the horror genre, from James Whale’s Frankenstein to the oft-cited “gayest movie of all time,” A Nightmare on Elm Street 2. Does a gay horror genre exist, and if so, what makes it different from mainstream horror? Furthermore, how does the current political climate alter the lens through which viewers celebrate and connect to the macabre? Join Prism Comics and moderator/screenwriter Michael Varrati (Tales of Poe, Darkest Night) and an array of panelists, including Christopher Rice (A Density of Souls, Ramses the Damned), Jaclyn Chessen (Shock Attack), George Aaron Climer (Bear Creek), Gary Entin and Edmund Entin (Seconds Apart, the Rest Stop series), Maria Olsen (Paranormal Activity 3, Starry Eyes), and Ira Madison III (pop culture writer, The Daily Beast).

Ovvero un incontro che analizza il rapporto fra le tematiche LGBT e il genere horror.

Sabato 22

Ore 14.00

SuperheroIRL: End Bullying!
Captain America knocked out Hitler-and this is SuperheroIRL, knocking out bullying, racism, misogyny, LGBTQIA-bullying, cyberbullying, and other forms of hate. Join in for this intersection of pop culture and social justice with Pop Culture Hero Coalition. "From now on, Comic-Con convention goers will come for cosplay, entertainment, freebies, autographs-and healing," as reported by CNN.

Ovvero un incontro sul rapporto fra i fumetti du supereroi e la diffusione del senso di giustizia sociale, con particolare riferimento alla lotta al bullismo. 


Ore 17.30
It Takes All Kinds to Make the Comics: A Dark Horse Celebration of Diversity 
 

For years, comics creators from a variety of backgrounds have been doing incredible work furthering the medium of sequential art. With award-winning storytelling and phenomenal artistic expression, people from a variety of backgrounds have truly started a movement of more accurate and diverse representation in the comic business. Join Gabriel Bá (Two Brothers), Fábio Moon (Two Brothers), Jose Pimienta (Soupy Leaves Home), Irene Koh (The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars), and Erika Alexander (Concrete Park) for a fascinating conversation on embracing people and cultures from around the world and what changes they think still need to be made in the comics industry.

Ovvero un incontro su come la casa editrice Dark Horse ha dato spazio alla diversità, dando spazio all'esperienza personale dei suoi autori. 

Ore 18.00

Gays in Comics, Out in Comics: A 30th Year Celebration 
 

The comic world's longest-running panel celebrates its 30th year with an all-star panel and celebration that will spotlight creators, comics, and fans from 1988 to the present. What a difference 30 years makes! "Diversity" has become a rallying cry in the comics world today. Almost every comic company is looking toward LGBTQ or LGBTQ-friendly creators for work that reflects the world around us today-gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters as well as people of color, other cultures, and more. This year, founding moderator and bestselling author Andy Mangels (Wonder Woman '77 Meets the Bionic Woman, Star Trek books) returns to chair the panel and welcomes Tara Madison Avery (Anything That Loves, Gooch, Alphabet), Roxane Gay (Black Panther: World of Wakanda, Bad Feminist, SDCC special guest), Sina Grace (Iceman, Self-Obsessed, Burn the Orphanage), Phil Jimenez (Superwoman, Wonder Woman, Infinite Crisis), Steve Orlando (Midnighter and Apollo, Supergirl, Justice League of America), and Molly Ostertag (Shattered Warrior, Strong Female Protagonist, The Witch Boy). Showcased throughout will be special video messages from an array of Hollywood and comic book celebrities sending special 30th anniversary messages to their LGBTQ fans and allies, plus a Prism Comics Fan Mixer including cool swag giveaways and a silent auction of incredible comics items!

Ovvero un incontro su come è cambiata a rappresentazione della realtà LGBT nei fumetti americani, e la condizione degli autori LGBT dichiarati. 
 

Domenica 23
   
Ore 11.00
Fantasy, Diversity, and Inspiring One Another 
 

Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, and Wonder Woman: Warbringer), Michael Dante DiMartino (Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, and Rebel Genius), and Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood and Bone) talk about fantasy across all mediums, diversity in literature and on the screen, and their inspirations for their works. All three creators will discuss their upcoming projects: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo, Warrior Genius and The Legend of Korra comics by Michael DiMartino, and Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone (both the trilogy and the forthcoming movie adaptation, which has been optioned by Fox 2000). Moderated by Kurt Mattila, film director and editor of such films as Tron: The Next Day and Lies & Alibis. Kurt's love for filmmaking is rivaled only by his passion for comic books, which he channels through his superhero podcast, The Big Pull.

Ovvero un incontro che affronta il tema della diversità nelle produzioni fantasy di ultima generazione.


Ore 11.30

A Conversation About Inclusivity and Diversity in Comics and the Comics Market 

 

Hear a diverse mix of creators and booksellers discuss diverse characters in comics, finding and audience for them, and the impact that the push for inclusiveness has had on the comics both creatively and financially.

Ovvero un incontro che approfondisce il potenziale creativo e finanziaro dei personaggi dei fumetti in rapporto ai concetti di "diversità" e "inclusione".

Che dire? Penso che già solo la descrizione di questi incontri basti ad asfaltare la carta dei valori proposta da Lucca Comics & Games 2017... E probabilmente, una volta che verrà diffuso il programma degli incontri della manifestazione toscana di quest'anno, il confronto sarà ancora più impietoso.

Comunque la cosa interessante è che, anche se le manifestazioni fumettistiche americane danno sempre più spazio alle tematiche LGBT, allo stesso tempo gli eventi culturali LGBT offrono sempre nuovi spazi al mondo del fumetto. Ad esempio l'8 e il 9 luglio si è tenuto a San Frencisco, presso il SOMArts Cultural Center, l'annuale Queer Comics Expo...

Si tratta, almeno per ora, di una manifestazione di portata modesta, ma che comunque è molto partecipata e sentita dalla locale comunità LGBT (e non solo)...

E quest'anno, in collaborazione con l'associazione PRISM COMICS, ha voluto lanciare anche il suo premio per valorizzare le produzioni a tema più valide dell'anno. Così ha lanciato i PRISM AWARDS... E per completezza qui di seguito vi segnalo i vincitori e i finalisti di ogni categoria Con i relativi link, se volete approfondire...

BEST SHORT FORM COMIC 

Nothing Wrong With Me by Dylan Edwards, originally published on The Nib: https://thenib.com/nothing-wrong-with-me

Finalists: 
Flux by E Jackson http://eshiel.com/ – http://flux.eshiel.com/ 
Liar by Hari Conner http://www.hari-illustration.com/ – https://gumroad.com/l/BtKou#
The Kiss of the Demoness by Gillian Pascasio http://7clubs.tumblr.com/ -

BEST WEBCOMIC

Villainette by Scout Tran-Caffe http://strip.villainette.com

Finalists:
With Great Abandon by EH MacMillian https://withgreatabandon.tumblr.com/Failing Sky: Ghost Story by Scout Tran-Caffee http://failingsky.com/ghoststory

BEST COMIC FROM A SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS

Short Gay Stories by H-P Lehkonen http://hplehkonen.com/

Finalists: 
Destiny, NY Volume One: Who I Used to Be by Pat Shand (Writer), Manuel Preitano (Artist), Jim Campbell (Letterer), and Shannon Lee (Editor)https://www.storenvy.com/stores/980896-continuity-entertainment 
Active Voice The Comic Collection by P. Kristen Enos (writer), Heidi Ho (contributing writer), Casandra Grullon (artist), Derek Chua (artist), Leesamarie Croal (artist), Beth Varni (artist), and Dan Parent (cover art) http://www.pkristenenos.com/avgraphicnovel/

BEST SINGLE ISSUE FROM A MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER

The Backstagers #1 by James Tynion IV (writer), and Rian Sygh (artist), 2016, from BOOM!Box https://www.comixology.com/The-Backstagers-1-of-8/digital-comic/410464

Finalists: 
Supergirl: Being Super #1 by Mariko Tamaki (writer), Joëlle Jones (pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Kelly Fitzpatrick (colorist), Saida Temofonte (letters), Jones and Fitzpatrick (cover art), 2016, DC Entertainment https://www.comixology.com/Supergirl-Being-Super-2016-1/digital-comic/431009 
Lumberjanes #17 by Noelle Stevenson (writer), Shannon Watters (writer), and Brooke Allen (artist), 2015, BOOM!Box https://www.comixology.com/Lumberjanes-17/digital-comic/260036

BEST ANTHOLOGY

POWER & MAGIC: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology, edited by Joamette Gil, 2016, P&M Press https://gumroad.com/powerandmagicpress  

Finalists: 
Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology edited by Sfé R. Monster & Taneka Stotts https://www.beyond-press.com/

Food Porn edited by Gina Biggs http://comicorgy.com/print/food-porn-print-edition/
Chainmail Bikini: The Anthology of Women Gamers edited by Hazel Newlevant http://chainmail-bikini.com/

Detto ciò, siccome i fatti parlano da soli e questo post è già troppo lungo, direi che non ho altro da aggiungere.

Alla prossima.