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Artists Chris and Justin Copeland are Special Guests of AfroComicCon

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

AfroComicCon has announced artists Chris and Justin Copeland will be among the Special Guests for the virtual convention!

Born and raised on the North Side of Chicago, Chris and Justin Copeland spent a lot of time indoors drawing and imagining worlds outside of poverty and violence. Brought up at a time when graffiti and underground hip hop began to surface as inspiration in every medium, the brothers took to both quickly, as they scanned the rooftop masterpieces on the “L” trains through Chicago.

Film directing was always the goal for the Copelands, but it seemed unattainable given their life situation. However, after watching the 1989 Batman film and receiving a box full of comics (as well as the making of the Batman film book), the duo turned their attention toward drawing and comic books. The comic industry, while very difficult to break into, offered the Copelands the chance to attend comic conventions and meet artists from all over the world and to expand their horizons. It also gave them a medium to hone their drawing and filmmaking skills.

After years of conventions and networking, a few up-and-coming animation industry artists encouraged them to pursue animation as a career, which they took to immediately. Chris was quickly hired at Warner Brothers, and Justin at Marvel Animation. After years of successfully navigating around the industry and learning storytelling, Justin made his directorial debut on Batman: Hush at WB, while at the same time, Chris debuted as a director on Kipo at Dreamworks. SkyBound came calling soon after with an offer to work on Robert Kirkman’s Invincible animated tv show for Amazon.

After a year working with Skybound, Chris and Justin are now at Dreamworks Animation overseeing development of two TV series and a feature animated movie. As brothers and co-collaborators, they look forward to continuing to work together and push the boundaries of storytelling.

AfroComicCon‘s 1st virtual convention will be held on October 24, 2020. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the annual event started in 2017 by the Oakland Technology & Education Center (OTEC), will be held virtually and free through a portal on the organization’s website. Sponsored by the NNPA, the Oakland A’s, and Pixar Entertainment, AfroComicCon promises to be a day full of exciting panels, screenings, entertainment, gaming, cosplay and special guests. The 12-hour event is currently slated to be live-streamed across multiple platforms including YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook. You can register now.

Conventions

Actor/Filmmaker Onika Day is coming to AfroComicCon

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

AfroComicCon has announced that actor/ filmmaker Onika Day will be among the Special Guests for its first virtual convention!

Originally from Berkeley, CA, Onika Day grew up performing with the Bay Area Youth Theater as well as playing Basketball and Water Polo. In addition to her passion for producing socially conscious, thought provoking films, Onika has had recurring and co-starring roles on Wu Tang: An American Saga, Billions, New Amsterdam, Blue Bloods, The Affair, The Path, Law and Order, Dexter, Damages, Political Animals, Do No Harm, The Bitter Pill, Chappelle’s Show, The Jamie Foxx Show, and was handpicked by Director David LaChapelle for Amy Winehouse’s video Tears Dry On Their Own and by the late Tupac Shakur for what would be his last music video 2 Live and Die In LA. She also plays a pivotal role in The Dinner starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Rebecca Hall and Steve Coogan (Written and Directed by Oren Moverman).

Conventions

AfroComicCon Features a Virtual Short Film Festival

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

AfroComicCon has announced the AfroComicCon 2020 International Virtual Film Festival. A showcase of contemporary and interactive works of visual art showcasing films that reflect a number of genres including horror, science-fiction, comic book, animation, superhero and fantasy.

Nsenga Burton, Ph.D, Emory University Professor of Film and Media and founder of The Burton Wire heads up the festival and handpicked the jury of filmmakers, scholars, curators, and archivists. Judges include Emmy and NAACP Award-nominated director Christine Swanson, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of SloMo Magazine Carlton Hargro, film critic and author Ronda Rocha Penrice, filmmaker Booker T. Mattison, and writer, producer and director Phill Branch.

The topic related films and their filmmakers are focused on bringing about diversity and inclusion, with a special focus on women and POC. Please note only films that fell into the broad category of Afrofuturism and in the genre categories of science-fiction, speculative Black fiction, Horror, fantasy, Anime, superheroes, and comic books were considered for inclusion in the festival.

Judging began on September 15th; and films that were finalists for the competition will be screened on AfroComicCon’s YouTube Channel, October 24, 2020, in addition to interviews and other programming. (Stay tuned for info about a Film Screening Watch Party as well!)

Award-winning Writer/Producer Rodney Barnes Comes to AfroComicCon

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

AfroComicCon has announced executive producer, screenwriter, and comic author, Rodney Barnes will be among as a Special Guests for the convention!

Barnes is an executive producer for HBO and a writer for both comics and screen. His vibrant, emphatic voice and producing expertise is exemplified in an array of the industry’s largest and most influential programs. Barnes displayed versatility in a variety of genres and mediums, from Adult Swim’s The Boondocks to penning graphic novels like Marvel/Lucasfilm’s Lando: Double or Nothing or his own original graphic novel Killadelphia.

Barnes was encouraged to venture to Los Angeles to pursue his writing dreams by actor and comedian Damon Wayans, whom he met while serving as a production assistant on the film Major Payne. Wayans guided Barnes through his early years in the industry, hiring him as a consultant, then later as a writer and producer on ABC’s hit show My Wife and Kids from 2001 to 2005, for which Barnes was nominated for a BET Comedy Award.

Soon after working primarily in network sitcoms, Barnes quickly established himself as a force in drama, fantasy, and horror. He also served as a co-executive producer and writer on several major shows (such as Marvel’s Runaways and Starz’s American Gods) and comic books (like Lion Forge’s Quincredible and Marvel’s Falcon).

Conventions

Rapper & Super Producer Kwamé is coming to AfroComicCon

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

AfroComicCon has announced recording artist Kwamé will be among its Special Guests for their virtual convention! The talented rapper and super-producer, will be one of the guest DJs for the event!

Kwamé first emerged on the music scene in 1989 at the age of 16 with one of Hip Hop’s classic albums, The Boy Genius and along with timeless songs such as the Rhythm and Ownlee Eue, selling over 2 million records as an artist. Kwamé is also a fashion trendsetter sparking the Polka Dot craze. Born in Queens, New York, Kwamé was surrounded by musical influences as a child, including family friends such as Stevie Wonder and Lionel Hampton. He received a drum set from Lionel Hampton and a harmonica from Stevie Wonder.

Now as a producer, Kwamé has produced many multi-platinum albums garnering over 30 million sales and has #1 singles such as On Fire by G Unit’s Lloyd Banks and Will Smith’s Switch. Kwamé is busier than ever with his K1 studios and has been highly sought after from every corner of the industry. He has produced tracks for Mary J Blige, Christina Aguilera, The Pussycat Dolls, Method Man, JoJo, Talib Kweli, Yung Joc, Mya, Fantasia, Tweet, Missy, 50 Cent, Keyshia Cole, and many others.

Kwamé is involved with film scores as well, scoring for the films Step Up and Step Up 2, Fantastic 4, Stomp the Yard, Scream 4, and The Comebacks. He was also the music producer/supervisor/composer for the lifetime film, Seasons of Love.

In 2015, Kwamé officially relaunched his indie label Make Noise/Caroline/Capitol Records. The flagship artist is R&B singer/songwriter, Vivian Green.

Conventions

AfroComicCon Announces Comic Creator Vita Ayala as a Special Guest

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

AfroComicCon has announced that writer Vita Ayala will be among its Special Guests for their virtual convention!

Vita Ayala is a queer Afro-Latinx writer born and bred in New York City, where they grew up dreaming dreams of dancing on far away worlds, fighting monsters on the block, and racing the fish along the bottom of the ocean. Their work includes The Wilds (Black Mask Studios), Submerged (Vault), Quarter Killer (comiXology), Supergirl (DC Comics), Xena: Warrior Princess (Dynamite), Magic The Gathering: Chandra (IDW), Livewire (Valiant,), and Morbius The Living Vampire, 2020 Ironheart, Children Of The Atom, and New Mutants (Marvel).

Conventions

Comic Book Creator Kwanza Osajyefo Brings His Talent to AfroComicCon

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

AfroComicCon has announced that comic book creator Kwanza Osajyefo will be among its Special Guests for their 2020 vitual convention!

Author and creator of BLACK, a comic that asks: what if only black people had superpowers. Kwanza has been a part of comics for nearly 20 years. Beginning his career as an online producer at Marvel before moving into other media roles. He later returned to comics and launched DC Comics’ digital publishing initiatives.

In addition to creating his own properties, Kwanza is also a creative architect of H1 Comics line from the premiere French publisher, Humanoids – co-writing their flagship title, Ignited, with comics legend, Mark Waid.

Conventions

Aya de León is Coming to AfroComicCon

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

Aya de León directs the Poetry for the People program in the African American Studies Department at UC Berkeley. Kensington Books publishes her award-winning feminist heist series, which includes Side Chick Nation (2019), the first novel published about Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Aya’s first children’s chapter book, Equality Girls And The Purple Reflecto-ray (2020), is about a girl who uses her superpowers to confront the president’s sexism. This winter, Kensington will publish A Spy In The Struggle, about FBI infiltration of an African American eco-racial justice organization. Aya’s work has also appeared in Ebony, Guernica, Writers Digest, VICE, The Root, Ploughshares, and on Def Poetry. She is a regular contributor to Mutha and Bitch Magazines.

Aya is at work on several projects, including an African American/Indigenous middle grade time travel novel. Her other project of contemporary realistic fiction is Going Dark, a young adult Black/Latina spy girl series in which some of the books are heavily influenced by comic book and gaming culture. Aya is an alumna of Cave Canem and VONA. Visit her online at ayadeleon.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, where she writes about race, class, gender, culture and climate action.

Conventions

Award-Winning Actor Denzel Whitaker is a Special Guest for AfroComicCon

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

Born in Torrance, California, Denzel Whitaker is best known for his award-winning role in The Great Debaters, where he performed opposite two of his namesakes, Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker. His recent work includes the Marvel film Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler and Cut Throat City directed by RZA. He will next be seen starring in the BET film Alieu The Deamer. He was listed as People Magazine’s 100 Sexiest Men in 2010.

Denzel had a great supporting role in John Singleton’s Abduction for Lionsgate, an even more charismatic lead role in the indie film Back To School Mom with Kimberly Elise and Harry Lennix, and appeared in Gavin O’Connor’s feature Warrior for Mandate Pictures. Denzel also recurred on CBS’s Blue Bloods as “Curtis,” a good kid born into the wrong neighborhood who struggles against the gang lifestyle that pervades his life. He most recently was seen recurring on the USA/Syfy series The Purge based on the hit film series of the same name.

Numerous films and television shows list Denzel’s name among their actors and directors: My Soul To Take (Wes Craven), Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (Werner Herzog), Training Day (Antoine Fuqua), TNT’s Monday Mornings and Rizzoli & Isles, FX’s Legit, Cartoon Network’s Black Dynamite, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – all of which have groomed Denzel into an exemplary performer with an aptitude for working hard and working with a vision.

Conventions

Patrice Rushen is a Special Guest for AfroComicCon

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Graphic Policy Team

Patrice Rushen is an award-winning musician and composer who is also one of the most sought-after artists in the music industry. She is a classically trained pianist who originally found success in the 70’s and 80’s with her signature fusion of jazz, pop, and R&B. During this era, she composed and recorded the hit song, Forget Me Nots which has been frequently covered and sampled by other artists, among them, actor Will Smith for the title song of the film Men In Black. Rushen is also a four-time, Grammy nominee who has composed scores for movies and television. She has been the first female musical director for many of the entertainment industry’s top award shows, which include the Grammy Awards, the Emmy Awards, the People’s Choice Awards, the NAACP Image Awards and HBO’s Comic Relief V.

Considered one of the world’s top jazz pianists, she has performed with many artists. Among them are such esteemed names as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Prince, Nancy Wilson, Ndugu Chancler, Carlos Santana, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Ritenour and George Duke. She is a record producer and an award-winning composer of symphonic music, some of which was commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Rushen is the ”Ambassador For Artistry In Education” at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and is the Chair of the Popular Music Program at USC’s Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles.

Patrice’s music remains among the most played on dance floors and radio stations in the US and abroad.

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