Independent Sources is a local to NYC show that spotlights ethnic and local news. Hosted by Zyphus Lebrun, it’s put together by CUNY (City University of New York ) and runs on their cable station. Last week’s episode, covers various aspects of diversity in comics, with thoughtful interviews with Marvel’s Sana Amanat, Image’s David Brothers, Morgan Dubin from Abrams Comic Arts, Jonathan Gray, Assistant Professor of English, John Jay College, artist Dexter Vines and yours truly. Aside from my having to terrifyingly reënect walking into a comic shop, it’s a sprightly look at the basic issues of diversity and the widening audience for comics. There’s also a nice segment on a cosplayer who designed a Rita Repulsa costume and others for curvier women.
Amanat does I nice job, I think of putting the recent changes into perspective—it’s always on their minds, she says, but it has to be balanced against business realities. Luckily, business realities now are favoring diversity of material.