richardmurray

'I depict mundane images because the life of a Black woman is just like any other': Billie Zangewa on anatomy, Kusama and celebrating imperfections
The South African artist tells us about her favourite books, music and artists on the A brush with… podcast

Billie Zangewa.
Photo: Andrew Thomas Berry. © Art basel

Billie Zangewa, Domestic Scene (2016). Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin

Billie Zangewa on... her fascination with the human form

"When I was at art school I loved life drawing. My son once asked me: 'Mom, how come when you do bodies, you can see the bones and muscles?'. And I replied: 'When I was at university I was completely thrilled by that little bit of science in art.' We would draw bones by themselves, under flesh, and then muscles by themselves and then under the flesh. So that really stuck with me and now when I look at the human form, I'm always seeing the nuance of the light and the protruding shapes that are coming from inside the body."

Billlie Zangewa's Serious, 2021.
Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London

... why she depicts mundane images in her work

"I knew from my childhood that being Black and female was going to be a very difficult journey for me. And that a lot of people were going to project their fantasies and desires onto me and that they would not see me as a person, they wouldn't be able to empathise with my daily struggles, or even to understand that I had feelings. That is one of the reasons why I choose to depict such mundane daily images, because what I am trying to say is that a Black woman is just like any other person. We go through the same routine every day, we go through the same struggles. We're all human."

... her favourite contemporary artist

"Yayoi Kusama is incredible—I honestly don't think that anybody can equal her.There are lots of brilliant artists, but I think she in particular has an incredible focus and her work just gels together. She doesn't seem like she's going off over there and then going in a different direction. It always seems like she's expanding on a theme, and I think that's what makes her really incredible."

Installation view of Billie Zangewa: Flesh and Blood at Lehmann Maupin, Seoul.
Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London

... the process behind her cut out silk works

"Those kind of uneven, even edges are really works speaking to each other. So I would have cut out a piece [of silk] for a previous work, which would have created a negative space. [...] But it's only until the work reveals itself to me that I think that piece of fabric is going to be perfect for what I'm trying to say. So I do keep it quite spontaneous. I'm not trying to force any thing into anything. I really enjoy those irregular edges because it speaks to society and to individuals, about how we have wounds, scars and certain thought patterns that don't serve us well. I'm speaking to everyone's combination of the perfect and the imperfect."

• For the full interview with the artist, listen to our podcast, A brush with... Billie Zangewa < https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11/17/a-brush-with-billie-zangewa > , which is available on the usual podcast platforms. < https://plinkhq.com/i/1525997434?to=page > A brush with… series 7 runs from 17 November-15 December 2021, with episodes released on Wednesdays. This episode is sponsored by Bloomberg Connects. 

• Billie Zangewa: Running Water < https://www.lehmannmaupin.com/exhibitions/billie-zangewa3 > , Lehmann Maupin London, until 8 January 2022; Flesh and Blood < https://www.lehmannmaupin.com/exhibitions/billie-zangewa2 > , Lehmann Maupin Seoul, from 18 November-15 January 2022; Thread for a Web Begun < https://www.moadsf.org/exhibition/billie-zangewa-thread-for-a-web-begun/> , Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, until 27 February. 
 

Model: MEreba

Videographer: Ronald Reed

Tamara Jeree Interview

MY THOUGHTS

Tamara Jeree told a summation of her story to now
She made this game 
https://www.harrytuffs.com/fallen-london#:~:text=Fallen London is a free%2C browser-based%2C literary RPG,Ballad of Johnny Croak%2C and The Icarian Cup).

Games is a collaborative effort. 
COMMENT IN STREAM: And, the financial reward too Tamara... I am not saying it is impossible, but usually it is better if you have a bigger name to get a financial reward for the work 
COMMENT: I don't know if you guys will talk about modern long epic poems?  but what do you think of that audience's size? 
COMMENT: ahh ok Chloe, I know many different poets, but I don't think the audience is particularly large
COMMENT: And literary games demand dialog, all games demand plot but literary games demand dialog use
COMMENT: Cthulu alert:) I always say that the second a tentacle god thing is mentioned:) 
COMMENT: I never tried gender neutrality hmm I don't feel it yet
COMMENT: I think gender neutral is a smart choice for the future for certain audience 
COMMENT: that is interesting... that is a poor reader who assumes because of the writer the characters are a certain way ... thanks for sharing the story 
COMMENT: Tamara do you have a particular artists you like, check out an artist whose name is GDBee , gdbee has a lovely style in terms of mermaids and aquatic female beings
COMMENT: i wonder what disney will do with that project, i know ariel will be black but i wonder if they are manipulating preproduction /production heavily 
COMMENT: Damn creatures of the night:) if i hear about one more vampire story:) I will eat my own gizzard
COMMENT: Tamara or CHloe or other what story you didn't write had your favorite structure of a sea being ? 
COMMENT: The gift of THistle and Verse questionaires:) that is a good one 
COMMENT: I think one of the issue is reading poetry too, I will never forget a classmates delivery style:) 
COMMENT: Tamara did you see, valerien and the city of a thousand planets, and bubble scharacter, in terms of morphing and identity ?
COMMENT: yes for us writers Tamara but I think general audiences can lose interest on poetry based on how it is read
COMMENT Valerian and laureline is a bande dessinee or a comic book, franco /belgium, but a story  was made into a film, valerian and the ~  the director of the film made  fifth element
COMMENT: I think all of you will like Cyber 6, the argentine/italian comic, the lead character is a cyborg/clone that dresses as male, they made into a cartoon but some big story elements was missing
COMMENT: ode to lithium, lovely title 
COMMENT: less loud Tamara:) I will love to see how many people actually yell when they type in UPPER CASE:) 
COMMENT: @Thistle & Verse  your right, yes, robert burns halloween
COMMENT: la luna, moon poems, ... great memory Chloe, good interviewing 
COMMENT: I concur, i start early too:) this year I used nanowrimo to make the content to edit for next year, i am nearly done
COMMENT: Tamara, I admit, the reason was I am drawing more so doing both and it  takes time and thus I need to push so I can get sleep ... i am becoming a vampire:) 
COMMENT: take your time Tamara and beyond recommendations, it can be from the work you like to read the most, damn what anybody else thinks, that is not yours
COMMENT: Do you think long titles are wise for anthologies, thanks for the photo chloe
COMMENT: and what determines horror is not the same 

Soft science by frannie choi
Odes to lithium from shira erlichman
Julian K Jarboe's Everyone on the Moon Is Essential Personnel

VIDEO NOTES
Tamara Jeree's socials
website: https://www.tamarajeree.com/ 
twitter: https://twitter.com/TamaraJeree

Recent works/ preorderlinks
Unfettered Hexes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fngs-fr-th-mmrs/carpe-noctem-vampires-through-the-ages

Link 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7MA9YGyyfQ

What's in a Genre: Black Authors and SFF

MY THOUGHTS

1:35 the theme of the talk is how genre placement influences a work's reception/advertisement/readership connection
5:36 CHloe asks, what is the purpose of genre, how do you define, and relate to genre from each of the panelists perspectives
7:18 Njeri said growing up and before, she never focused on genre, she followed authors or work of a certain way but now , especially in the past few years, she notes the genre. Her work as a reviewer focused her mentality. She worries about the elitism around genre. She feels story or purpose is stronger.
She is right, artistic debate can be very chaotic and genre can be a tool for some to limit how a work can be interpreted.
10:04 Oghenechovwe said Genre is meant for organization... I concur , the number of books in human history demand categorization. 
He said its strength is its flaw. It categorizes but it also leads to the possibility of assumed expectation from readers or structural rigidity from writers 
14:28 Jherane, she spoke as a reader, who doesn't write, so she wants to have some expectations. Readers can be upset when they don't get what they expect.
I concur, the readers or the money, influence the financial ability of a work based on their expectations
She admits the caribbean reading community the readership isn't forced into genres but more to themes, as she finds in many non usa or european reading groups.
19:35 Alex states as a librarian or review genre matters a lot. For her genre doesn't have firm borders. But librarians need genre's and this dictates management in the library bookselling environment.
I think geographic notations needed to be added into the genre list. What is Statian Science Fiction/What is Chinese Science fiction /What is South African Science Fiction... et cetera
23:37 Oghenechovwe I concur to his historical point, the usage of genre has been more a tool to dictate what readers should expect. ala why Daughters of the Dust is still for many a period piece, and not a science fiction or fantasy film
He makes a great point, how people view knowledge, or science , dictates how they view the fictional interpretation of science or knowledge
27:29 Njeri supports Oghenechovwe well, the categories are too blunt, or are definitely less flexible or rigid. And, the readership is the money, and to make your work financially successful you need the readership to feel comfort, but that comfortability is functionally a negative bias
31:22 good points on Freshwater by Chloe
32:19 Jherene explains how magic is perceived in the caribbean where Jherene lives 
I wonder what the panel will think on Genre's being replaced by Themes instead as a main category in the selling of work, not in libraries
38:56 Njeri talks about how what horrifies her is not always in horror and Chloe continued with a perspective from a poet in how she looked for books not listed as horror for the horror anthology she curated
40:42 Chloe asks the panel, where do you want genre to go
Oghenechovwe talks about the need for greater expanse in the future, Jherene relates it to genre's in music that come and go need to be mirrored in literature, Alex talks about more voices and the need for gatekeepers are getting fewer and fewer and controller and controller but the readership has to expand out and maintain looking beyond what the industrial owners demand, Njeri focuses on lifting up and centering on certain work , to be definitive of where to read, 
Oghenechovwe says focus to the literature is focused on above the academic discussion about a literature
 
Ben Okri, flagship novel, the famished road
Unraveling from KAren Lord
daylight come by diana mcauley

VIDEO NOTES

Thistle & Verse

Panelists' websites
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki: https://odekpeki.com/
Onyx Pages: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_reNHCI5mUeKGbvkN2_bTA
Alex Brown: https://bookjockeyalex.com/author/bookjockeyalex/
Jherane Patmore of Rebel Women Lit: https://www.rebelwomenlit.com/ 

A big thanks to Britt Writerly ( https://www.youtube.com/c/BrittWriterly) for helping me come up with this panel. 

LINK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIJYg_o9wXY

An interview between Brent Lambert, an initiator of Fiyah magazine aside Chloe in Thistle and Verse

MY THOUGHTS

I wasn't a big fan of the xmen, loved storm:) 

every gay man has his english teacher:) that is a good one

THistle is a funny interviewer, she never allows interviewee's to look down on themselves

It isn't hyperbole, lambert is right to say, every story has a piece of one's soul, unlike him I think the issue isn't the quantity but the part of one's soul. Is it one's hope or one's wickednes or other?

I concur to his point about social media usage. Too few artists spend time supporting other artists while more time saying what leads to clicks or likes.

Interesting, he keeps track of what he reads on a spreadsheet. Nice detail

Him and Chloe love their worlds:) 

Lambert spoke a simple truth, one many artists have opined, no work of art is ever perfect, meaning a complete work. 

I am glad circa 34:31 lambert said that characters were easy to write who were inflexible, I will not say one dimensional , all humans beings have the same dimensionality. 
He said it wasn't hard on a craft level, but a personal level. 
But, are readers right for not wanting, protagonists who are not flexible or fluir? or writers poorly using the craft, when they don't write flexible, culturally open characters.

Lambert made clear something I always say, write what you know:) write from your soul? more better, create from your soul

Thank you lambert for saying that, the industry pushes sympathy.

circa 50:36 thank you Lambert for saying you don't need to write to be published, the financial capitalistic mentality to art is incorrect, you need to make money but create

Chloe asked a great question, what question Lambert want asked that isn't? 
Lambert's question he want is: how will his work be remembered.

He adds, a time will come where your skill will not be equal to vision
His next project, I paraphrase him: mr and mrs smith with gayness and blackness:) enjoy:)

VIDEO LINK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15dOHHMAvZ4

FIYAH MAGAZINE
https://www.fiyahlitmag.com/shop/

My father love pop williams. I can see similarities between pop williams and my father. But the biggest question I have is, where are black parents? I remember as a kid people asking me, who do I idolize, and my answer was and still is, my parents. they are the finest people I know. I like or love pele, HArriet tubman,  fred hampton,  malcolm, shirley Chisholm, fannie lou hamer, Akhenaton... I like Lewis Hamilton, the williams sisters, Simone Biles, tiger woods, michelle obama.  but I don't idolize any of them. I am not inspired by them. And I think that is what black people need, we need to be inspired by our parents to a level in which we do not need others

a question, what does being a champion mean? 

The Flash on Twitter: "What does being a champion mean to @candicepatton and who inspired her to achieve her dreams? Stream #TheFlashArmageddon premiere free only on The CW and watch #KingRichard in theaters today. https://t.co/RaE8s8fYvY" / Twitter

serena williams, venus williams, will smith cover shoots

Luis. on Twitter: "Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Will Smith for Entertainment Weekly's cover shoot portraits. ❤❤❤ #KingRichard https://t.co/bDOZ52gamQ" / Twitter

Venus in the dress, stills

Chad on Twitter: "Venus Williams at the premiere of "King Richard" in Hollywood. #VenusWilliams #KingRichard : Getty/Emma McIntyre https://t.co/2BJLT0JDN3" / Twitter

Video Venus williams in that dress:)

kyle on Twitter: "Venus Williams looks STUNNING #KingRichard https://t.co/uQzAGLKh29" / Twitter

I quote Variety: 
By backing #Oppenheimer, Universal is making a bet that the right director can still get audiences excited to visit cinemas for original content. The film, which isn’t due in theaters until 2023, will need to defy the odds to become commercially successful

The article

Why Christopher Nolan’s $100 Million WWII Drama ‘Oppenheimer’ Could Be the Last of Its Kind

By Rebecca Rubin < https://variety.com/author/rebecca-rubin/ >  

Christopher Nolan’s next movie “Oppenheimer,” a $100 million-budgeted historical drama about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb, could be considered one of an endangered species.

These days, it’s rare for traditional studios to pump nine figures into a film that isn’t inspired by popular toys, novels or comic books. Even before COVID-19 upended the moviegoing landscape, audiences had been gravitating toward superheroes and science-fiction spectacles — and not much else. That reality has made it increasingly difficult for Hollywood to justify the economics of greenlighting expensive movies that aren’t based on existing intellectual property. They’re a bigger risk, not only in recouping investments for studios, but also in generating profits, spawning sequels and leveraging consumer product riches. No matter how well people receive Nolan’s film, it’s unlikely J. Robert Oppenheimer’s face will adorn t-shirts or lunch boxes.

By backing “Oppenheimer,” Universal Pictures is making a bold bet that the right director can still get audiences excited to visit cinemas for original content. The film, which isn’t due in theaters until 2023, will need to defy the odds to become commercially successful. On top of its $100 million production budget, the studio will need to spend $100 million more to properly promote the film to global audiences. Because Nolan’s contract guarantees he receives first-dollar gross — an increasingly uncommon perk that grants the filmmaker a percentage of ticket sales — it will take $50 million to $60 million more to achieve profitability than it would take another film of similar scope. Consequently, insiders at rival studios estimate “Oppenheimer” will need to generate at least $400 million at the global box office in order to turn a profit.

That box office benchmark is one that Nolan’s films haven’t had trouble clearing in the past decade, with the exception of “Tenet,” which opened in theaters at a time when COVID-19 vaccines were still months away. And despite the circumstances, the Warner Bros. cerebral thriller — starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson — managed to collect $363 million worldwide. “Tenet” cost more than $200 million, making it nearly impossible to turn a profit in those conditions. When it comes to Nolan’s other original properties, 2010’s “Inception” grossed $836 million globally, 2014’s “Interstellar” made $701 million globally and 2017’s “Dunkirk” collected $526 million globally. In other words, Nolan is a filmmaker with an enviable box office track record.

Those who closely follow the industry point out that “Oppenheimer” won’t be the kind of gripping mind-benders that audiences have come to expect from Nolan, such as “Inception” or “Memento.” Instead, it’s a historical drama that’s firmly rooted in fact and physics. Unlike “Dunkirk,” which captures the heroism of British forces during the early days of World War II, “Oppenheimer” tells a darker story, one that exists in the moral murk of the past and is not only divisive, but firmly American. That could limit interest overseas, where Nolan’s films tend to make the bulk of their revenues.

None of this means people in the movie theater business are betting against Nolan. The reason that Universal’s chairwoman Donna Langley made it her mission to court Nolan after his relationship with Warner Bros. grew strained is that he’s one of the few directors who can take a bold swing and rake in hundreds of millions at the box office. It’s especially valuable at a time when Hollywood appears to be scraping the bottom of the barrel for IP that can be spun into cinematic gold. Case in point: There are (real) movies in the works based on the card game Uno, the crunchy snack Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and the invention of Viagra. Because not every project can be derived from Marvel, Star Wars, James Bond, Jurassic World and Fast & Furious, studios are turning to filmmakers with unique perspectives who can launch a film based on their name alone. Privately, other Hollywood players have voiced their desire to see “Oppenheimer” succeed because it would encourage studio executives and financiers to take more chances on new ideas.

“[Nolan] is a unique talent with a very loyal fanbase. If you were to say someone else was doing a period piece about J. Robert Oppenheimer, I would say it would be difficult to get made,” says producer Peter Newman, the head of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts’ MBA/MFA program. “Here, you know you’re going to get something different and original.”

There aren’t many filmmakers who are given the opportunity to create movies around new and unfamiliar ideas at that budget level, at least, not at traditional studios. (In a sign of changing times, Steven Spielberg, once a streaming service skeptic, forged a partnership for his company Amblin to produce new feature films yearly for Netflix.) When they work, in the case of Quentin Tarantino’s ode to 1960s showbiz “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” the studio and filmmakers alike can reap the benefits. Sony shelled out roughly $90 million to produce “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie and grossed $375 million at the global box office. When they flop, like Ridley Scott’s big-budget period piece “The Last Duel,” starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Adam Driver, or Roland Emmerich’s $100 million-budgeted war drama “Midway,” the losses can be ruinous.

Filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Judd Apatow have a similar ability to churn out hits, but their movies don’t cost nearly as much to make. Recent would-be blockbusters or adult-targeted movies with sizable budgets, such as Michael Bay’s “6 Underground,” Aaron Sorkin’s “Trial of the Chicago 7,” David Fincher’s “Mank” and “Red Notice” starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, were set up by or sold to Netflix. The streamer, as well as its competitors, doesn’t report box office grosses and relies on luring subscribers with fresh content, so it’s impossible to know what kind of financial impact those movies had. 

Nolan could have easily sold “Oppenheimer” to a streaming service, which would have guaranteed him a massive payday without being subjected to the scrutiny of box office reporting. But he’s a big supporter of the big-screen experience and the struggling film exhibition industry.

Since “Oppenheimer” isn’t expected to debut in theaters until summer 2023, plenty could change in the movie theater business by then — for better or worse. There’s a chance it could launch in an environment that’s even more hostile to tentpoles that aren’t of the comic book ilk. Or, moviegoers could be ready to look beyond the constant drip of Batman, Superman and Spider-Man adventures and watch something that doesn’t involve grown men in tights.

With an original property, marketing executives have to familiarize audiences with the property while also enticing them to watch the story in theaters. In the case of “Oppenheimer,” Universal has to make people aware that Nolan has a new movie and convince them they simply must watch the story behind the Manhattan Project on the big screen. Nolan is assembling an A-list ensemble — Emily Blunt, Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. — around Cillian Murphy (who is playing J. Robert Oppenheimer) to elevate the movie’s profile.

Another challenge will be reaching its target demographic of adult crowds. They may be more eager to go to the movies two years from now, but while COVID-19 is still lingering, the age group has been most hesitant to visit their local cinemas.

“There used to be at least one level of uncertainty in how movies perform: execution dependent,” Newman says. “Now, it’s not only execution dependent, it’s pandemic dependent. It takes over a year to make a movie like this, and nobody knows what the health situation will be [at the time it comes out].”

MY THOUGHTS

If I am honest, I think this movie dies hard. When M Night Shamala did Lady In The Water or Last Airbender, it sounds a lot like Oppenheimer from Christopher Nolan. A director with a set of fans who expect a certain kind of narrative in a film and who will not be happy of the course change. The article says directors like Nolan can be banked on money but admitted, the failures of big budget films, like Ridley scott's , The Last Duel, or similar are examples to show it doesn't work and has many recent examples of failures.
The one name the article doesn't mention is clint eastwood. It refers to Jordan Peele or Judd Apatow but to be blunt, Clint Eastwood is the quiet king of the low budget hit machine, starting decades ago. And to that end is where I think directors like ridley scott/christopher nolan/shamala all made the mistake. The reality is, big budget movies from the usa need to be the providence of comics/superheroes/fast and the furious/toys. The article didn't even mention Villaneuve, who did the Bladerunner sequel and Dune and in both cases, you can argue for failure financially. 

It is an art directing a low budget picture , it demands the director stop all the bells and whistles and simply tell a good story and pick wise actors to present their characters as compelling within the framework of said story. Nolan will get paid regardless, but I expect this film will be an end and I don't think it is a problem. 

I end with a simple truth. No one is stopping original ideas from being made into films. if viewerships or audiences are too stupid or too manipulated to give movies a chance beyond metacritic scores and various judgements of others, then the audience or viewership is the problem.

POST SCRIPT

The point they made about Netflix's films is very poignant. Who can know a streaming service has success with a film? is it number of streamers growth? If quantity of streamers, people who paid for a subscription, doesn't elevate then how is a film on a streaming service financially profitable, outside stock price speculation 

Article Title: Writing Compassionately about Parents 
Article Author: November 17, 2021 by Katie Bannon 

I Quote the article in a sequence: "Readers respond most to complicated characters."
"Remember that it’s difficult for readers to connect with characters who appear one-dimensional."
"A one-sided portrayal of a parent won’t cause a reader to hate or love them—it will probably only make them detach from the narrative entirely. "
"I have read or heard those often but a thought question to any who read this...does writing complicated characters make for good writing? 
Need help showing your parents on the page? Try this writing exercise:
Write a scene about a time you fought with or were scolded by a parent. The key here is using details to humanize the parent and show the reader the dynamic between the two of you. Play with the tension between what the character of “you” wants in the scene, versus what the character of your parent wants. Try to include the following elements:
Your parent’s physical characteristics
Your parent’s body language (twirling hair, stiffening of the shoulders, etc.)
Your parent’s speech (word choice, tone, cadence)
Your parent’s actions and reactions
Speculation about what your parent might have wanted and/or felt in the scene (which may be in conflict with what you felt/wanted)"

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE
Writing Compassionately about Parents 
November 17, 2021 by Katie Bannon 
https://www.janefriedman.com/writing-compassionately-about-parents/ 

My thoughts
HAs anyone heard the opening line of A. K. in Russian, does it sound poetic? 
After reading the article, the three main points seem to be: 1. readers need to see characters that are as multifaceted as possible 2. it may be difficult but parents can be displayed in a multifaceted way. 3. writing about parents with a balance or to a balance is difficult but an act of compassion. 

My questions and my own answers.
1. are readers who can't connect to one dimensional characters poor readers? I don't mean beta readers, but the general populace. I argue that readers who detach from narratives because of one dimensional characters or don't connect to characters who are one dimensional are poor readers
2. Concerning real parents, is it compassionate to write them other than you feel? I comprehend a fake parent can be whatever your imagination want, but to your real parent, is it compassion to see in your writing what you don't feel in reality? 

In conclusion, 
the topic is stellar. I love my parents. I don't know if someone will call how I see them and thus as I write them as one dimensional. But, does multidimensionality for a character come when a writer states a moment of yelling? Yes , my parents have been angry, but does that need to be said? is that multidimensionality? 
I don't know. I don't see the act of writing similar to what is suggested, but great topic, thought provoking.

DC pairs Milestone heroes with real-life Black historical icons for Black History Month special
By Chris Arrant 1 day ago < https://www.gamesradar.com/author/chris-arrant/ > 

Static, Icon, and Rocket paired with Hannibal, the Queen of Sheba, and more

DC has revealed details on Milestone Media's 2022 Black History Month anthology announced back during the 2021 DC Fandome. Milestone Media will veer away from superhero fiction for true-life stories of real-life Black heroes from human history for the 96-page anthology graphic novel Milestones in History.

There will be stories about real-life historical icons including:

Hannibal, the Carthagian general who fought the Roman Republic
The mythical/historical Queen of Sheba
Alexande Dumas, the writer of The Count of Monte Cristo and the The Musketeers
Eugene Bullard, a World War One fighter pilot who was an American but served for France
DC says the writers of Milestones in History will include Reginald Hudlin, Alice Randall, Touré, and Michael Harriott. The publisher says more writers, as well as the artists, will be named at a later date.

And although Milestones in History is non-fiction, there's still room for Milestone's heroes - Static, Icon, Rocket, Hardware, and more will act as narrators of these true stories of world history.

For February 2022's Black History Month, DC also has planned the massive 1300-page MIlestone Compedium One < https://www.am*zon.com/Milestone-Compendium-One-Dwayne-McDuffie/dp/1779513100 > , a collected edition of the recent Static: Season One, as well as a series of Black History Month-themed variant covers across the entire DC comics line. 

This follows a similar female-centric anthology DC published in 2021, Wonderful Women of the World - retelling stories of real-life women but themed around Wonder Woman. Could this be the start of an informal series of non-fiction anthology graphic novels with its superheroes as the narrators?  We'd love to read a true crime history anthology narrated by Batman.

Doug Braithwaite will draw the main cover to Milestones in History, with a variant cover planned by Chriscross.

DC/Milestone Media's MIlestones in History goes on sale on February 15, 2022.

These Black superheroes changed the face of comic books. 

Blood Syndicate returns to comics and Milestone gets animated in 2022
By Michael Doran October 16, 2021 < https://www.gamesradar.com/author/michael-doran/ >  

All the Milestone news from DC Fandome 2021 including a DC/Milestone Black History Month anthology

The new Milestone Initiative program to "identify, educate, spotlight, and empower" the next generation of Black and diverse creators in the comic book industry wasn't the only Milestone announcement from 2021's DC Fandome. 
 
In a discussion moderated by actor Echo Kellum (Curtis Holt/Mr. Terrific on Arrow), Milestone Media producer Reggie Hudlin and Milestone co-founder Denys Cowan announced more new projects from their DC partnership and the Dakota Universe comic book universe, including a new Blood Syndicate comic book series for 2022. 

Hudlin and Cowan did not announce the creative team but the publisher did release a promotional image and the duo talked about how Blood Syndicate has been the Milestone property fans have been clamoring for.

Originally published for 35 issues from 1993 to 1996 and created by the late Milestone co-founder Dwayne McDuffie, writer Ivan Velez Jr., and Cowan, the Milestone team book starred a loosely affiliated 'gang' of superheroes, most of whom were former street gang members who gained powers during the Milestone 'Big Bang' origin event and used their powers for the greater good. 

Cowan (Hardware: Season One) and Hudlin (Icon & Rocket: Season One) also confirmed that there are plans for "Season Two" of each series and that their characters will appear in each other's titles, reestablishing a shared Dakotaverse. 
 
The characters will also appear in a Milestone anthology scheduled for February 2002 as a part of DC's Black History Month celebration, which will also feature the release of Milestone Compendium One on February 1, 2022 - which Cowan revealed his cover. 

And in Milestone multimedia news, Hudlin and Cowan confirmed writer Randy McKinnon is currently writing a script for a Static Shock feature film in production with Warner Bros. and Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society production shingle, and Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment are developing a Milestone animated movie based on a screenplay by Hardware: Season One writer Brandon Thomas (who is also co-writer of the upcoming new Aquamen DC series).
  
"This has been the thing that Milestone fans have been dreaming about for a long time, and we're happy to give it to you, finally," Cowan says during the Fandome event.  

As the promo image featuring Static, Rocket, Icon, and Hardware released by DC Saturday indicates, Cowan described the film as being about more than one Milestone character, suggesting it's more of a Dakotaverse film than a solo story. 

MY THOUGHTS TO THE FIRST ARTICLE

Technically, Hannibal was phoenician not carthaginian. Carthage was the capital of the phoenician empire which controlled the south of the meditteranean while the roman empire, centered on Rome controlled the north. But, the phoenician community had changed its center from the eastern mediterranean to the center. Part of it was the influence of Kemet/Hellens/Persia in the east. As the roman empire would eventually absorb kemet/hellens and create something akin to a USA/USSR dichotomy commonly called a "cold war" with each other.  

Sheba is historical in that history shows Black female queens/leaders in the lands now commonly called ethiopia. The myth is the unfortunate truth, the various wars in that region have destroyed alot of ancient monuments. 

While I comprehend the time period of Hannibal or Sheba gives them precedence in these sort of artistic endeavors. I will add to and if I can not add replace Hannibal with Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut while Sheba with Dandara and add Jonas Caballo of the Seminoles.  I think the legend of all three is needed. The reality is being black, is a phenotypical designation. It isn't about being african. And, i think more black people need to see Black people with cultures that are not african based. And need to see that the white/black dichotomy exist within being asian, within being latino. and, the violent/non-violent dichotomy exist within the descended of enslaved in the usa. Black is one thing. African is another. They are not synonomous.  To be blunt, Hannibal is mulatto. Jamal ud Din and the later Janjira state is a part of Black history in asia that is, ignored, not wanted, not presented. In the larger black world or in the asian world. I am not hating on Hannibal. I know his legend well And his legend warrant telling.  But, I think this book should focus on legends not talked about alot. And Jamal-ud-Din's military greatness is equal to Hannibal's but his existence in asia, as a siddi, gives him a relationship to ancient Kemet, where it is known traded with the various peoples  of what is commonly called today  the indian subcontinent. The existence of black peoples from the indigenous Negrito or Aborigina of Australia to the transported Siddi needs a champion. Jamal-ud-Din for me, is that champion.
Dandara , like Jamal-ud-Din, is not as old as Sheba or in relativity Hannibal. but, like Jamal-ud-Din fits the same category as HAnnibal. Dandara fits the same category as Sheba. Wife to a legendary leader. Warrior woman. A woman disputed in historian circles, a woman disputed in the brasil in which she lived. A latino but she J-Lo. She was a negra, not a blanquito, or mulatto or mestizo. All terms still valid in latin america today. so... I think she needs to be in it. Not the convenient Sheba, who is not known while well known. 

For me Jonas Caballo needs to be in it cause Black people in the usa continually reject Nat Turner or similars. To be blunt, for all the talk black people in the usa have about forebears, people like NAt Turner/Jonas Caballo are not given their due. But why? the why is their violence isn't contained. Black cowboys violence is contained within the usa. Jonas Caballo was fighting against the usa in what is now the state of florida. Nat Turner was fighting against the white community with the same energy as Haiti's initial forebears<dessalines to henry christophe>. BUt, the black community globally , to be blunt, despises them. Why? cause they can't place them in the convenient bubble of nonviolence and anti revenge. Nat turner/Jonas Caballo/Ann Nzinga/Menelik II are heroes but they are violent ones, who also had success militaristically and the black community globally, is led by anti violent zealots. 

Dumas will be interesting. I think Milestone missed a trick. While Dumas's Black saint domingan <not Haitia yet> grandmother and White french father produced his military schooled mulatto father. Pushkin is clearly the best legendary Black writer of Europe to use, for a story. His ancestor was Gannibal. An East african, raised as a show slave by Peter the great of Russia , who became a statued military hero and teacher in Russia. And Pushkin's great grand children were members of Eastern European regal aristocracy. 

Eugene Bullard, in the end, Bullard for me is black not american. People have this wierd way of attributing every person born in the usa as american based on nothing but they were born in the municipal bounds. but, Bullard after his world war exploits, came back to the usa to be a janitor, a elevator operator. In france he actually owned a business. The article says Bullard is american . I don't see him as american or french. His geographic designation is stateless. He was a black man who happened to be born in the usa and happened to fight for france. I like the choice of Bullard but I can already tell where the storytelling is going will not be to my liking. 

I hope the best for the book. 

MY THOUGHTS TO THE SECOND ARTICLE

Blood syndicate is my favorite Milestone title and I am saddened some others will take it cause I am certain they will turn it into what I will dislike. HArdware is black iron man meets lewis lattimer with edison. Icon is black superman as a conservative with a black supergirl who is liberal and not truly a blood relation to him. With the brilliant story caveat that Rocket is why there is icon. Static is spider man with a nod to the first black comic book character in the usa to get their own book, black volt or bolt. But ...
The Blood Syndicate is something else. They are pure Dakota for me. You can not find a similar story like Blood Syndicate in DC or Marvel. And the reason why is Blood syndicate reflects black cultures  unique reality. To restate, Blood syndicate reflects what Blacks don't have in common with whites. And that is special to me. It must be nurtured in the same way I want the Black latino, the Black asian, the Violent Black to have their due, I want this imprint to be free of the Static/Icon and Rocket/Hardware dogma. Those three in the modern version have been made lackies to the rebooting culture that plagues usa comics. From the first crisis in the DC universe circa 1985 to now. I don't want Blood syndicate to be part of some Black lives matter riot turned wrong. I want Blood syndicate's story unchanged. It was the big bang, they are the survivors of a big gang fight. the police department plus a white industrialist sickened and killed them.  They are the survivors and they exists  in a poor sector of the city , in the same way the hookers run a part of the town in sin city. Nothing needs to change for blood syndicate and listening to denis coan side others, I know they have already decided things will change. 
My blood syndicate, hurts, hurts bad, knowing what will become of them.

IN CONCLUSION

I wish Milestone well, I did as a fan club member , I did never having watched the static tv show but supported it in all other ways, I do now. Even if I am not chosen to be a part of their development <yes, I applied to the milestone initiative>. But, gardless of how successful Milestone is. A space exists for black superheroes of the many other ways. And, history , the teaching of history, needs the philosophical naysayers out of its telling. Just cause you don't concur or agree or like the path of one in history doesn't mean you dismiss them through never speaking their name. Comprehend the people in the past. ... Would Germany had been better eternally indebted to england or france? 

The HArder They Fall
 

MEdia That Moves We

Black Daddies

some of my thoughts

My Media that moves we commentary

the film was influenced by all the genre's of western films in the usa, from the john wayne era to the spaghetti western  to the black films like posse or buck and the preacher

That is the brilliance of the film, it in the end is an entertainment , not a documentary or historical film. 

Nike, you precancelled , canceled westerns:)

YEah, Multiple review shows of this film have I Think missed one key point. if you want to make a film a certain way, own a film studio. At some point you have to reject the level of complaint to how the story is told. Own a studio and you can do what you want ?

and let's be honest, revenge is a constant theme of westerns of all sorts, denzel's magnificent seven differed from kurosawa's seven samurai or  brenner/mcqueen magnificent seven, where the gunfighters are trying to redeem themselves in a quiet little place. 

yes, they trained with their doubles so they could have a more john wickian fight choreography

I give my entertainment ranking a 10, I was entertained , love the womens fight:) in terms of black westerns , it is a high percentage, 7 or 8. I think posse or buck and the preacher are better as films. In terms of westerns in general , from the black and white silent black westerns and et cetera to now, 7 . In terms of historical quality in western films... a five. 
  

My Black Daddies commentary

Was jill scott offered the role? did jill scott reject it?

blacker than buck and the preacher... I don't know, it is clearly up there

the usa has a long history of film superstar collabs in westerns, this films joins that very long list

white zombia was a financial play, legosi reportedly was paid a lot for that film, and it was clearly designed to play on the fandom of "monster movies" the cultural aspects of white zombie is clearly negative but the reason it was made was purely financial

do you guys think disney has written the entire phase 4 already, or at least all the parts?

Do you think a cartoon of a fiscally impoverished family from a dying black town, can be made by a high profile company like disney?

What about danny glover get production money to direct his toussaint louverture movie if he does this?

if lethal weapon 5 makes money does another Beverly hills cop happen?

What about the detective jumps from a spacex ship to virgin galactic ship to solve a cryptocurrency theft

This was for entertainment, in the spirit of westerns movies in the usa. never real history, always an entertainment
 

Wednesday, November 17th, is Day of the Deviant: a day of fun art streams featuring professional artists! (Learn when the event starts in your time zone.). :squee:  

Watch AliciaMarieBODY, AshMcGivern, TheOneWithBear, and Iamjustino teach each other how to create in their own style and medium

Get tips and insight on how to monetize your art with stumpyfongo, arvalis, AdorkaStock, and SOZOMAIKA

Take a tour of DeviantArt with danlev

Follow along with Ladowska as she colors line art created by simoneferriero

Each stream will feature opportunities to win prizes — decks for video streaming, professional drawing and computer tablets, noise-canceling headphones, gaming chairs, and more. If you're not able to make it for one of the streams you're interested in, have no fear! The streams will be available on DeviantArt's YouTube channel to watch afterward, so you can catch up on what you missed!

A major art contest will also be launching on November 17th, featuring over $11,000 in prizes! 

Save the date and set a reminder — you won't want to miss out on Day of the Deviant!  :ufo:  

https://www.deviantart.com/team/journal/COMING-SOON-Day-of-the-Deviant-894694550

Afropunk 2019 in NYC festival participant
Videographer: Ronald Reed

Chinese traditional ink making

Sorghum & Spear - The Way of Silk & Stone Anthology - Kickstarter Coming November 26th!
Join acclaimed editor Sheree Renee Thomas and our award-winning group of authors as they explore and expand the world of Orun Aye into the next phase of storytelling!  We have 14 amazing stories to share with you, as well as some new world-building reveals as well!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/greenecountycreative/sorghum-and-spear-fantasy-novel-the-way-of-silk-and-stone

We held a special panel of several of the writers during our SUBSUME SUMMIT: CREATIVE JUNETEENTH panel this year, for an exclusive look at the project.  Relive this amazing conversation by viewing our YouTube playback: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSfrwOl6rXU

MY REPLY

You miss two issues concerning milestone : First is of Dwayne McDuffie and that any literary form, needs a great storyteller, and milestone misses McDuffie.  I submitted to the Milestone initiative, that didn't even involve one of the milestone creators , who had to submit to it himself. so, do black comic books have the best storytellers. Your focus is on what people call "Woke", what I call stories involving elements of modern sociopolitical frictions.  The problem isn't the themes but it is the stories. The storytelling is simply not good enough. I oppose milestone's choice about changing the origin story, but I think other writers could had written a better story. Second, Literature is not meant to be escapists.  Literature can serve any of infinite functions to a reader but did milestone's administrators comprehend the financial market for comic books? The problem with milestone today  is they seem to be written absent a comprehension of the comic book market today. How do you sell the new milestone series better? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhUMiLlSYgc

My Novembrush gallery
https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/80841709/novembrush-2021

Well... it is another Friday, another day to love, to Oxum, Oshun, Freya, or Venus, another day to Kizomba!

Steven and rashida from abidjan , ivory coast, have a lovely improvisation exposition 

a doc on Louis Armstrong’s secret child, comes to ABFF
Matthew Allen - Nov 12, 2021
https://thegrio.com/2021/11/12/little-satchmo-louis-armstrong-abff/

Sharon Preston-Folta is a senior account executive at WUSF Public Media in Tampa, Florida. She also happens to be the daughter of the late Louis Armstrong. That latter revelation was not public knowledge during the musician’s lifetime, but now her story is the subject of Little Satchmo, a documentary that’s playing at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF).
Since Armstrong was married to his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson, from the time Preston-Folta was born until his death, he chose not to disclose the existence of his daughter publicly. However, as evident in the trailer, he acknowledged her in private, sending video recordings and letters asking about her.

Preston-Folta, who worked in advertising sales and marketing for companies like ABC/Disney, CBS Radio, and Ennis Communications for over 30 years, didn’t come forward about being Armstrong’s daughter until 2012, as reported by The Telegraph.

“Publicly fawning over a child fathered with his mistress wasn’t exactly an option for Louis Armstrong,” Preston-Folta says during the trailer. “He always wanted to be a father, but we had to keep it all secret.”

Bandleader, vocalist, and trumpeter, Armstrong was a beloved musician who was one of the first African-American celebrities who enjoyed widespread crossover appeal.

Aside from recording American music standards like “What a Wonderful World,” “Stompin’ At The Savoy” and “Hello, Dolly,” he was a global ambassador for American jazz music. Armstrong’s public reputation was impeccable and he collaborated with other star musicians of the time including Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Ella Fitzgerald.

So, having a child from an extramarital affair that lasted for more than 20 years would not have been good for his public image.

The documentary, narrated by Preston-Folta, is adapted from her 2012 memoir, Little Satchmo: Living In the Shadow Of My Father, Louis Daniel Armstrong, and its release corresponds with the 50th anniversary of Armstrong’s death. Armstrong died of a heart attack in 1971 in New York City after experiencing numerous health problems. He was 69.

Not only does she provide more insight on her famous father through her unique vantage point, but Preston-Folta also shares her own journey as well, revealing the warm relationship between her and Armstrong that will resonate with those who have grown up in fatherless households as well as those seeking to better understand their familial heritage.
 

Glad to know Satchmo had a child, I wonder if his daughter had any children. I hope she did. 

Title: First Friday Nov '21
Videographer: Ronald Reed
VIDEO

Hey everyone! Happy to announce that                            Harriet Tubman : Demon Slayer  is being developed for TELEVISION W/ PRENTICE  PENNY & SEBASTIAN JONES! Click the image for the full article!

Tyler Martin's The Antagonists : Issues 4-6
Retired supervillains Tonya and Calvin Eval try to protect their kids from the supervillain hunting agency known as A.C.T.I.O.N.

contact Isoka Sports for management as a player or more  
WEBSITE
https://www.isoka.org/
TWITTER
https://twitter.com/IsokaSports

MY THOUGHTS

Night of the living dead
circa 6:47 I have one of those:) I got mine traveling the motherland. Woosah moments!

We're coming to get Nike , Nicole, He's over there:) 
The first thing I want to know is what either of you will do if a man tries to scare you at a cemetary like that.

Great Trivia Nike, the first film was Night of the Living Dead, the last was Ganja and HEss. Dwayne Jones did an interesting role in a film around the City College of New York. 

Ladies, night of the living dead 1968 is one of those old black and white movies that is rarely shown. In the war film categry think paths of glory. A legendary film, like Night of the living dead, but one that predated the 1980s media surge, and didn't have the annual television power like star trek/twilight zone/its a wonderful life

Nicole, I think it is called listening to a story. The USA during the late 1970s to today was raised on the idea that visual interpretations need to be scientifically honest aside plot quality. Before, people had the idea that special effects was merely entertainment, not a mandate . 

Nike, I don't think Night of the Living dead's plot is so silly. The mist thing from space can be acceptable. But the movie's genious is the explanation to how this scenario came about is in the background, it isn't pushed forward in the story. The genious in the screenplay is, the focus on what do you do if the situation applies is the premise of the plot. The initial character is the woman fleeing from someone formerly dead. Why he is formerly dead doesn't matter. IT is alluded to but it doesn't matter.

Nicole, well said, they came all this way to abduct somebody. Are all humans jesus or something? 

Yes Nicole, the movie forces the question of survival onto the audience. If you are into the story, you aren't interested in aliens or nuclear winds, you are interested on what you will do if surrounded by your parents/children/stranger in the street that are now undead and need you for food.

Good trivia Nike, interesting, Germany banned it for the blood. Outside the usa, the rearing of children or guidance of media is not the same as in the usa. 

Yes, Nicole, but Grimm's fairy tales were softened versions of the original german tales meant for all ages, not just merely children like Grimms. 

Nike, good point, the military is "heroes" in the story, and the usa film industry supports positive images of the military usually. 

Nike, more importantly, than who survived is how they died, i think each character in or about that house's death served a narrative purpose on failure to survive and how it works. 

good question on film influence Nicole

Ladies, Funny how Diahann Carroll was not allowed to be the love interest in Paris BLues in 1961 to Paul Newman or for Sidney Poitier to have a white female love interest in the same movie, while in 1967, Poitier has a white female love interest, who was to be fair, a teenager in guess whose coming to dinner and Diahann Carroll had her own show.

Nike, the sporting world in general was the only place black or white men had any battles in media. Your correct boxing was the only purely violent place.

I will give Night of the living dead a 5 then or now. I think the story or acting still holds up. 

Nicole GREAT POINT, the reason they bring back things is cause they have fanbases and it is financially safer to make a remake over new ideas. 
I comprehend your point but the financial model of film/streaming/cable wants the best return and a totally new story. 
:) good memory Nike 38:59 your reaction Nicole:) thank you jesus, rocky horror picture show

I agree to you ladies, but the reality is, when was the last time the top ten movies were all based on an original idea. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFruH-5TT0

Title: Ebonee- in my style- ink calligraphy color
Artist: Richard Murray
Poem In Post; Title: The Rays of the Sun Touch The Stream
https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Ebonee-in-my-style-ink-calligraphy-color-897403531