42nd Image Awards Literature Nominations

The nominees for the 42nd NAACP Image Awards were recently announced.  Because of the length of the press release, I broke it up over several posts on my other website Negromancer (http://www.negromancer.com/).  I'm posting the book award nominations here.  The Image Awards show will be broadcast live Friday, March 4, on FOX.

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work -Fiction
• "A Taste of Honey" - Jabari Asim (Broadway Books)
• "Getting to Happy" - Terry McMillan (Penguin Group)
• "Glorious" - Bernice L. McFadden (Akashic Books)
• "Till You Hear From Me" - Pearl Cleage (Ballantine Books/One World)
• "Wench" - Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Amistad)

Outstanding Literary Work -Non-Fiction
• "Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority" - Tom Burrell (SmileyBooks)
• "Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts of Women in SNCC" - Editors: Faith S. Holsaert, Judy Richardson, Martha Prescod Norman Noonan, Betty Garman Robinson, Jean Smith Young, Dorothy M. Zellner (University of Illinois Press)
• "Surviving and Thriving 365 Days in Black Economic History" - Dr. Julianne Malveaux (Last Word Productions, Inc.)
• "The History of White People" - Nell Irvin Painter (W.W. Norton & Company)
• "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" - Michelle Alexander (The New Press)

Outstanding Literary Work -Debut Author
• "Wench" - Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Amistad)
• "The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" - Heidi Durrow (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)
• "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" - Isabel Wilkerson (Random House)
• "Beneath the Lion's Gaze" - Maaza Mengiste (W.W. Norton & Company)
• "Forest Gate" - Peter Akinti (Free Press/Simon & Schuster)

Outstanding Literary Work -Biography/Auto-Biography
• "Conversations with Myself" - Ruth Hobday, Nelson Mandela (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
• "Decoded" - Jay-Z (Spiegel & Gran, a division of Random House)
• "Extraordinary, Ordinary People - Condoleezza Rice (Crown Archetype)
• "I'm Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen - My Journey Home" - Shoshana Johnson (Touchstone, An Imprint of Simon & Schuster)
• "You Don't Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles" - Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. (Crown)

Outstanding Literary Work -Instructional
• "A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie: And Other Lessons for Succeeding in Life" - Antwone Fisher (Touchstone, An Imprint of Simon & Schuster)
• "Diet-Free for Life: A Revolutionary Food, Fitness and Mindset Makeover to Maximize Fat Loss" - Robert Ferguson (Penguin Group USA, Perigee Hardcover)
• "If it Takes a Village, Build One: How I Found Meaning Through a Life of Service and 100+ Ways You Can Too" - Malaak Compton-Rock (Crown Archetype)
• "The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life's Storms" - Kirk Franklin (Gotham Books)
• "The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women" - Elaine Meryl Brown, Rhonda McLean, Marsha Haygood (Ballantine Books/One World)

Outstanding Literary Work -Poetry
• "100 Best African-American Poems" - Nikki Giovanni (Sourcebooks MediaFusion)
• "Hard Times Require Furious Dancing" - Alice Walker (Author), Shiloh McCloud (Illustrator) (New World Library)
• "Holding Company" - Major Jackson (W.W. Norton & Company)
• "Suck on the Marrow" - Camille T. Dungy (Red Hen Press)
• "White Egrets" - Derek Walcott (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Outstanding Literary Work -Children
• "Grandma's Gift" - Eric Velasquez (Bloomsbury USA Children's Books)
• "Mama Miti: Wangai Maathai and the Tree of Kenya" - Donna Jo Napoli (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator) (Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
• "My Brother Charlie" - Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete (Scholastic Press)
• "Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Delores Huerta and Cesar Chavez" - Monica Brown (Author), Joe Cepeda (Illustrator) (Harper Collins Children's Books)
• "The Great Migration: Journey to the North" - Eloise Greenfield (Author), Jan Pivey Gilchrist (Illustrator) (Harper Collins Children's Books)

Outstanding Literary Work -Youth/Teens
• "Condoleezza Rice A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me" - Condoleezza Rice (Random House Children's Books)
• "Lockdown" - Walter Dean Myers (Harper Collins Children's Books)
• "Malcolm X: I Believe in the Brotherhood of Man, All Men" - Jeff Burlingame (Enslow Publishers, Inc.)
• "Out of My Mind" - Sharon Draper (Atheneum Young Reader)
• "One Crazy Summer" - Rita Williams-Garcia (Harper Collins Children's Books)

I Reads You Review: DREAD & ALIVE #3

DREAD & ALIVE #3

ZOOLOOK, LLC

CREATOR/WRITER/STORYBOARDS: Nicholas Da Silva

PENCILS: Rodney Buchemi
INKS: Eber Ferriera
COLORS: Giovanna Guimaraes and Mike Kelleher
TRANSLATOR: Ryan Fraser

According to the creator and publisher, Dread & Alive is the first superhero comic book with a Jamaican as the protagonist. This new comic book series is created and written by Nicholas Da Silva. There is something else unusual about Dread & Alive besides the Jamaican hero. Each issue of the series comes with a music compilation, essentially a soundtrack. This is a “musical journey” that is meant to accompany the reading of the comic book. Readers can listen to tracks from reggae stars such as Lady Saw, Bunny Ruggs, and I Octane.

The hero of Dread & Alive is Drew McIntosh, the roaring Lion – half man/half animal and protector of the animal world (an eco-warrior, of sorts). Drew derives his powers from a sacred amulet, the Maroon Medallion, created by the Jamaican Maroons (a group of runaway slaves and their descendants). His stomping ground is San Francisco, particular the Haight-Ashbury district, where he makes his home.

In Dread & Alive #3, two adversaries join forces. Hugo Harley, a major player in the black market for exotic animals, and ShadowCatcher, a powerful shape shifter, cautiously feel each other out about their mutual problems. Meanwhile, the San Francisco PD continues its investigation into Drew’s activities, although they know nothing about Drew specifically. Drew’s mentor, Cudjoe, warns him against underestimating ShadowCatcher.

Before I could really get into this comic book, I had to do some research to learn more about the characters and the story up to this point (as I hadn’t read the first two issues). Still, I enjoyed Dread & Alive #3 because I recognized some elements and also enjoyed the newness and novelty of it. It reminds me of Marvel superhero comic books of the 1970s and early 80s, more urban, earthy, and soap opera than colorful and fantastic like earlier Silver Age comic books. What makes this different (the novelty and the newness) is that the superhero is a strapping black guy wearing Dreadlocks, and he doesn’t have a superhero name (yet).

The problem that I see with the series, concerning the pacing of the story, is that it reads like a chapter in a larger graphic novel. The story seems more decompressed that it needs to be. Personally, I’d like to see more self-contained issues this early in a new comic book, especially in an indie title trying to get readers’ attentions. Still Dread & Alive is different, without seeming contrived. There is an air of mystery about it, indeed, something magical that will make me come back to it again.

You can find a good overview of the series at Comic Vine.

You can purchase CD and Comic Books at the following link.

The Dread and Alive #3 Music Compilation is available at iTunes via the following link.

The album is available at Amazon.com through this link.

"Pokemon: Arceus" Get Simultaneous DVD and Manga Release

THE STRUGGLE FOR TIME AND SPACE CONTINUES IN POKÉMON: ARCEUS AND THE JEWEL OF LIFE, ON DVD AND IN ADAPTED MANGA FROM VIZ MEDIA

The Latest POKÉMON Feature Film Delivers Another Action-Packed Adventure With Ash And His Friends!

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, is proud to announce the release of POKÉMON™: ARCEUS AND THE JEWEL OF LIFE on DVD and in a manga adaption on February 1st (both under the VIZ Kids imprint). The feature film DVD is rated ‘A’ for All Ages with a MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $28.99 CAN; the manga adaptation is rated ‘A’ for All Ages, with a MSRP of $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN.

Long ago, Arceus created the Jewel of Life from fragments of its awesome power. Humans used the Jewel of Life to turn Michina Town from a barren wasteland to a lush and thriving city. But when it was time for the Jewel of Life to be returned, Arceus was betrayed, and vowed to one day get revenge.

Now Arceus has returned– enraged, vengeful, and seemingly unstoppable! Not even the combined might of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina can stop Arceus from devastating the land.

But there’s hope. Ash, Pikachu and their new friend Sheena may have discovered the only way to make things right. Their journey will be both dangerous and uncertain: will there be time to return the Jewel of Life before Arceus enacts vengeance on the world?

“POKÉMON is a timeless favorite that continues to capture the imagination of fans of all ages,” says Brian Ige, Senior Director, Animation. “This latest adventure concludes the struggle between Dialga, Palkia and Giratina for the balance between time, space, and beyond. With a dynamic blend of action, emotional themes, new characters and familiar faces, POKÉMON: ARCEUS AND THE JEWEL OF LIFE movie and manga are sure to become hits!”

For more information on POKÉMON: ARCEUS AND THE JEWEL OF LIFE, please visit www.PokemonArceus.com. For more information on VIZ Media’s POKÉMON manga and anime titles, please visit www.VIZ.com/Pokemon/.

Leroy Douresseaux on Earp: Saints for Sinners #1

EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS #1

RADICAL PUBLISHING

CREATORS: Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl

WRITERS: M. Zachary Sherman and Matt Cirulnick
LAYOUTS: Joe Benitez, Rod Pereira, and J.K. Woodward
ARTISTS: Mack Chater, Martin Montiel, and Colin Lorimer
COLORS: Kyushik Shin
LETTERS: Rus Wooton
COVER: Alex Maleev
72pp, Color, $5.99

Created by Hollywood types, Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl, Earp: Saints for Sinners is a modern-day re-imagining of a classic Western hero, Wyatt Earp. This new Earp story is set in a new future where an event called “Black Thirty” sets off a second Great Depression.

Out of the chaos rises the celebrity bank robber, a kind of Robin Hood meets John Dillinger. There was, however, one man who brought them in to justice and shot down the ones he didn’t bring in, and that was Wyatt Earp. Earp collared more most-wanted men than anyone in history, but after a violent assignment claimed the life of his brother, Virgil Earp, Wyatt became a businessman in the only boomtown left in America, Las Vegas.

In Earp: Saints for Sinners #1, Wyatt’s younger, brother, Morgan Earp, shows up bloodied and beaten. That sets off Wyatt’s memories of the last several years, recounting how he went from NYPD to the U.S. Marshals. Now, Morgan is wanted by the only law that matters in Las Vegas, the Pinkertons, and their leader, Allan Pinkerton will use this opportunity to get rid of the Earps, once and for all. Will Doc Holliday arrive in time?

If you don’t get confused by the constant use of flashback in this first issue, you will love this shoot ‘em up as comic book, Earp: Saints for Sinners. It is a bit longish, and the characters seem as if they’re not quite out of the development stage. The art with shimmering, watercolor-like colors is perfect for the series lovely violence. Not only does the color make the violence pulsate, but it also makes the various cities and locales seem exotic. This comic, however, owes more to modern crime films (like Heat) than it does Western cinema.

I’d like to read more of this.

B

Sequart Launches a Year of Warren Ellis

PRESS RELEASE:

Sequart is excited to announce that 2011 is the YEAR OF ELLIS — as in celebrated comics writer Warren Ellis. Throughout the year, we’ll be offering three books and a documentary film on Ellis, exploring his major works, his overall career, and why he deserves his status in the top pantheon of comics writers.

First up will be Keeping the World Strange: A Planetary Guide, edited by Cody Walker. This book of essays will study the exhilarating collaboration of Ellis and artist John Cassaday. It features essays by CBR’s Chad Nevett and Timothy Callahan (Grant Morrison: The Early Years), Julian Darius (Improving the Foundations), Patrick Meaney (Our Sentence is Up), legendary comics scholar Peter Sanderson, and many others. The book is scheduled for May 2011 publication.

Our second Ellis book of 2011 will be Shot in the Face: A Savage Journey to the Heart of Transmetropolitan, edited by CBR’s Chad Nevett. This book of essays will study the riveting collaboration of Ellis and artist Darick Robertson. It features essays by Greg Burgas, Johanna Draper Carlson, Julian Darius, Sara K. Ellis, Ryan K. Lindsay, Patrick Meaney, Jason Michelitch, Chris Murphy, Chad Nevett, Kevin Thurman, Brett Williams, and Sean Witzke.

Our third Ellis book of the year will be Voyage in Noise: Warren Ellis and the Demise of Western Civilization, authored by Kevin Thurman. This book examines Ellis’s entire body of work for common themes, discovering philosophical perspectives and parallels that illuminate contemporary society.

To top it all off, 2011 will see the premier of the documentary film Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, directed by Patrick Meaney and produced in association with Respect! Films (Amber Yoder, Jordan Rennert, and Patrick Meaney). It’s executive produced by Sequart (Julian Darius and Mike Phillips) and F. J. DeSanto, with creative consultant Kevin Thurman. This follow-up to Respect! and Sequart’s popular Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods features interviews with Ellis and a plethora of other comics professionals. It’s tentatively scheduled for late 2011 release.

Although 2011 is the Year of Ellis, that doesn’t mean Sequart won’t also be releasing other works. In fact, even before any of our Ellis titles, we’re offering Classics on Infinite Earths: The Justice League and DC Crossover Canon, authored by Julian Darius. The book examines classic Justice League stories and universe-wide DC crossovers, arguing that they constitute a literary canon. Along with this book, other non-Ellis projects are in the works, and we’ll be making some major announcements on those in the coming months.

Thanks for your support, and be sure to tweet and post about the Year of Ellis! [THE END]

Image Sends 27 #2 Back in Stores

DRUM ROLL

 

After spectacular sellout of first issue, 27 #2 also heads back to press for second printing

Ain't It Cool calls Shadowline and Image Comics' new hit 27 "intriguingly surprising," and The Outhouse calls it "easily the most unique comic of the year." The folks at Graphic Policy "can't wait to read issue two," and apparently fans can't wait either -- 27 #2 has sold out at the distribution level!

Shadowline and Image are rushing a new printing to press, which will be on store shelves and in the hands of fans on February 9, the same day as the third issue of the hit miniseries, which is written by Charles Soule (Strongman) and illustrated by Renzo Podesta with lavish covers by W. Scott Forbes.

"It's fantastic that so many people enjoyed the first issue of 27," says Soule, "and I'm glad fans have enjoyed the second issue as well. I can't say it enough that this wouldn't be possible without the support of the fans -- this encore is for you!"

"27 is having a stupendous run, following in the footsteps of MORNING GLORIES and other great Image titles with multiple sellouts," adds Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino. "As the miniseries continues, you can expect more rock and roll, more intrigue, and more crazy fun!"

In 27, the "27 Club" admits only the most brilliant musicians and artists -- and kills them dead in their 27th year. Will Garland is a famous rock guitarist, secretly unable to play for months due to a neurological disorder afflicting his left hand. He's also 27. With mad scientists, long dead rock legends and cosmic entities in his way, can he make it to 28?

27 #2 (of 4) Second Printing (NOV108244), a 32-page full-color comic book in the Golden Age format, will be in stores January 5, 2011, alongside 27 #3 (NOV100455). For the latest info on 27, follow Soule's blog at http://charlessoule.wordpress.com/.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit http://www.imagecomics.com/.

Afterschool Charisma Chapters 7 to 12

I read Afterschool Charisma, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).