Diversity

Over the years that I’ve contributed for The Beat, I’ve gotten to preview some pretty-interesting projects in the making, as well as talk to their equally-interesting creators. A little more than two years ago, I had a phone interview with two women who called themselves the “Gibbs Girls.” They were working on a steam-punk inspired comic that takes place at the dawn of the 20th century and during the Industrial Age. The story followed a female, African American inventor named Ada Turner who creates the first flying machine. Last week, the Gibbs Girls reached out and informed me that the comic had finally come out.

“Five years ago, Marvel was in charge, and they ruled everything I did as a retailer. It was ‘Marvel first.’ Now, they are the bastard children of the industry. I’ve lost probably 25% of my comic readership because 25% of my Marvel fans got tired of my higher cover prices, the non-sequitur storylines, the almost incomprehensible X-Men this and that… Marvel has done nothing to drive the industry towards us.”

"I remember the absolute last copy of the first print run, which I sold at Comic-Con. It was to a middle-aged, straight woman who was buying it for her teenage, gay son. She told me that she was getting the book for him because she wanted him to know his history and lineage, and she couldn’t tell that story to him herself. She thanked me for creating the book for the both of them and I promptly burst into tears. Then we hugged it out. It was an incredible moment."

A look at what's behind the runaway hit that is DC Super Hero Girls.

The most fascinating thing about art is the many forms it can take and ways one can make it. This also applies to comic books and graphic novels. Known best as “Raul the Third,”...

International Women's Day (IWD) was on March 8 and the comics community celebrated by talking about the creators, artists, and illustrators who help to inspire us and make comics a more inclusive and welcoming...

To end Black History Month, I wish to highlight a recent event held in San Diego, California, home of the world-famous San Diego Comic-Con and of local comics publisher IDW. On February 17th, the augural...

What pronouns are, why they matter, and how to use them are all questions that you may not know the answer to. That's okay. Help is on the way in the form of a...

San Diego’s Local KPBS Television Broadcasting has led the One Book, One San Diego program for the last 11 years. Each year, one book is chosen among the countless others nominated across the region....

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things & Stranger Things 2.      Stranger Things is a fantastic series with a great cast. I spent 8 straight hours binging season 1 with my roommate...

Four years ago Tee Franklin (Bingo Love) started #BlackComicsMonth at New York City Comic Con. Today an audience packed a large conference room at the Javitz Convention Center to celebrate and acknowledge the work...

A 19-year-old animator/illustrator is helping change how we view art and race with the #DrawingWhileBlack twitter hashtag.  The art world is painfully white. In New York City, wealthy white male executives sit on museum boards and...