(NYCC) Press Conference: Velma w/ Mindy Kaling

Press conference w/ Mindy Kaling: Star/Executive Producer Charlie Grandy: Showrunner

Otakus & Geeks got to cover the New York Comic Con 2022 - Velma Press Conference - with Emmy® nominee Mindy Kaling about her new adult animated series premiering in 2023 on HBO Max.

Catch Mindy and show-runner Charlie Grandy discuss making the series adult-themed and the choice to make Velma South-Asian and the direction of representation. VELMA is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. An original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers, executive producer Mindy Kaling will voice the titular character. Charlie Grandy, Howard Klein and Sam Register also serve as executive producers. VELMA is produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

HBO Max: Velma

Full Casting was released at the conference:

Mindy Kaling as Velma

Constance Wu as Daphne

Glenn Howerton as Fred

Sam Richardson as Shaggy

Interview: PROTECTORS OF WAKANDA: A HISTORY AND TRAINING MANUAL OF THE DORA MILAJE by Karama Horne

Find out if you have what it takes to become a member of the Dora Milaje and bring honor to your tribe!

Courtesy of Marvel, I got to preview the upcoming book PROTECTORS OF WAKANDA: A HISTORY AND TRAINING MANUAL OF THE DORA MILAJE by Karama Horne. Catch us discuss her process, inspirations, the Wakandan alphabet, and the intricacies of Wakandan culture. There is a reason the Dora Milaje are often referred to as “living weapons.”

Now publishing September 20, 2022, PROTECTORS OF WAKANDA: A HISTORY AND TRAINING MANUAL OF THE DORA MILAJE takes you inside Wakanda’s elite, all-female guard—to learn what it takes to join their ranks. In this manual you will learn all about Wakandan history, Dora training, weapons and attire.

To master your evaluation you must master your lessons, you must adhere to the five tenets of the Dora Milaje:

Tradition
Honor
Strength
Courage
Compassion

In this exclusive, in-world manual, you’ll step inside this elite society of women warriors and discover what it’s like to train as member of the Dora Milaje. Recruited from across all tribes, the selected initiates undergo intense training, both physical and mental.

Passed down from elder Dora to initiates, with entries by General Okoye, Princess Shuri, and Queen Mother Ramonda, Protectors of Wakanda reveals not only the history and foundation of the unit, but collects the strategy, weapons, and combat training as well as the code of honor and nuances of service required to protect the Black Panther and the nation of Wakanda.

Added commentary and guidance from notable warriors, such as Mistress Zola, Ayo, Aneka and M’yra, fill the margins of this treasured text.

“The history of Wakanda is a marriage of tradition and technology.” Vibranium is the greatest source of power – used to create weapons and advanced tools for agriculture. The very rare and valuable type of vibranium could only be found and mined from Wakanda. Learn all about its rich history from characters such as Queen Romonda and Princess Shuri. (See preview pages below)

There were many methods the warriors used to prepare for battle, including meditation rituals.
“Rest and healing are as important as strength and fighting.” I not only loved learning about the Warrior practices for battles and their choice of weapons but how they mentally prepare themselves and recover.

Learn about Queen Nehanda, the founder of the Dora Milaje and how she chooses her initiates: “the Adorned Ones” aka the Dora Milaje. The manual breaks down the use of weapons, and the different attire based on levels of training. Cosplayers will love seeing all the different costume breakdowns. Loved chatting with Karama about her inspirations and which comics and cultures she drew inspiration from in writing this book. We also talk about which artist she got to work with on this manual, and the importance in telling these kind of stories.

PREORDER NOW: (contact your local book store)

Protectors of Wakanda: A History and Training Manual for the Dora Milaje cover art by Ashley A. Woods

*Photos courtesy of Marvel/ Epic ink

Karama Horne (@theblerdgurl”) is a writer, podcaster, host and critic parked at the intersection of geekdom and diversity. Founder of theblerdgurl® brand, Karama is recognized throughout genre entertainment as an authority on geekdom and inclusion. She has been seen on red carpets, hosting comic con panels from New York to San Diego and has been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, The Guardian, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Black Enterprise. She curated the sequential art exhibit “Artist’s Experience: From Brotherman to Batman” Karama also has bylines at Marvel.com, Rotten Tomatoes, NERDIST, SYFYWIRE, and The Wrap. Her first novel, set in the world of the Black Panther Universe, “Protectors of Wakanda: A History and Training Manual for the Dora Milaje”, hits bookshelves Fall of 2022

Oscar Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival - Interview with Producers

Otakus and Geeks got to cover the Film Festival and interview two of the events producers.

Catch us discuss how to manage putting together such a large scale festival, and what producers look for when choosing films and directors to work with.

The annual Academy Awards® Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival  is back and for the 18th Annual event! Every year the festival gets bigger and better than the last, with an amazing stacked line-up of films to present over ten days of screenings. HollyShorts (HSFF) brings together top creators, industry leaders, and companies and has launched many filmmakers into the next stages of their careers.

The festival will run from August 11th to August 20th at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, as well as online: Bitpix. The festivities will be one of the most high profile yet!

Over 400 films on display this year, this is set to be one of the most diverse slates yet, with over 5000 entries, 161 female directors and 101 BIPOC directors among the films from this year’s program. A press release was sent out announcing the selections for the 18th annual festival and the incredible films that are leading the way.

About HollyShorts Film Festival (HSFF) #HSFF2022

www.hollyshorts.com

The annual Academy Awards® Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival will celebrate its 18th year in August 2022. HollyShorts (HSFF) brings together top creators, industry leaders, and companies and has launched many filmmakers into the next stages of their careers. HollyShorts, a regular on MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee list”, also engages its community and spotlights short films year-round through monthly screenings, panels, and networking events. HollyShorts Film Festival will take place in-person between August 11-20th, 2021 at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, with the annual Awards Gala set to take place on August 20th, 2022. 

About Bitpix

https://bitpixtv.com/

Born out of the Oscar® Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, Bitpix is a new Premium AVOD platform, featuring the world's best short films. The platform is already live in alpha mode and available via Bitpixtv.com. Bitpix is streamed through the app for download on Airplay, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, AppleTV, Chromecast, IOS, Roku.

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0: Interviews with the cast!!

Crunchyroll

I had the opportunity to interview the English voice cast for the upcoming JUJUTSU KAISEN Movie!!

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 follows Yuta Okkotsu, a nervous high school student, who enrolls in the mysterious Tokyo Jujutsu High School under the guidance of Satoru Gojo after being haunted by the curse of his childhood friend. The film is based on JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (JUMP COMICS / Shueisha), a prequel manga to the smash hit supernatural adventure series from Gege Akutami.

• Satoru Gojo – Kaiji Tang

• Suguru Geto – Lex Lang

• Maki Zen’in- Allegra Clark

• Toge Inumaki – Xander Mobus

• Panda – Matthew David Rudd

• Yuta Okkotsu – Kayleigh McKee

• Rika Orimoto – Anairis Quiñones

Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Movie Review up on OTAKUS & GEEKS

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 releases in theaters March 18, subbed & dubbed, with tickets available NOW. Fans don’t need to be caught up with the manga or series to enjoy the movie! 

Follow @crunchyroll on IG/TW/FB/TT for more exclusive content and info about #jjk0movie

PIRATE QUEENS the Dauntless Women who Dared to Rule the High Seas (Interview with Creators)

PIRATE QUEENS (NatGeo) Interview with creators Sara Woolley and Leigh Lewis

This incredible nonfiction project, tells the story of six different women from six different cultures who turn to piracy and RULED their day! Each one has elaborate illustrations which recreate their lives, an original poem, factual information, maps, and photos galore! 

I loved everything about this book, from learning about how a female pirate had fleets with literally thousands more than Blackbeard, to a female pirate essentially setting the stage for Vikings centuries later, and how female pirates successfully commanded ships through some of the most significant battles! Pirate Queens features a stunning cover and vibrant intricate artwork by award winning children’s book illustrator and comic artist Sara Woolley, who had to go through an extensive process to ensure both cultural and historical accuracy. Her beautiful hand-painted and digital paintings paired beautifully with Leigh Lewis’ writing and vision. Leigh tells the story of this 6 incredible women in such an interesting way that you want to dive in and learn all about these powerful warriors andtheir adventures.

Each pirate profile includes gorgeous full-color portraits, an original poem and fascinating information about the real life stories of these 6 extraordinary pirates. Sara and Leigh worked with some of the world’s leading experts and historians to make sure everything is accurate and properly represented. 

Pirate Queens tells the true incredible stories about 6 pirate women throughout ancient history. These powerful females are among some of the most fearsome pirates in history so why don’t we know more about these women ? 

Catch us discuss these powerful women, the creators process/inspiration/challenges, the importance of telling these stories, and how we can continue using art such as poetry, comics, and children’s books as a platform to teach important lessons. (Full-length Interview above)

Written by: Leigh Lewis @leighwriting
Illustrated by: Sara Gomez Woolley @saritajeanine

Meet the Queens

Pirate Queens: (NAT GEO)

Artemisia of Caria, Anne Bonny, Sayyida al Hurrah, Sela, Grace O’Malley, and Ching Shih

“Most powerful pirate ever to have lived was a woman named Ching Shih, who dominated the South China Sea some 200 years ago.” She reigned over 80,000 men and women, the largest pirate fleet ever assembled. 

-Pirate Queens (NATGEO)

This book is perfect for any history lovers, pirate fans, kids curious about adventures, parents that want to show their kids/teens what textbooks neglect to highlight, or for any female that wants to explore female empowerment and leadership. 

About the Creators:

LEIGH LEWIS is a children’s writer and poet who has been “playing pirates” since she could walk. She does her best work in loud cafes, on long journeys, or in bed, late at night while everyone else sleeps. Her adventures on the high seas have enabled her to call many places “home,” including Turkey, Greece, England, and Russia, as well as cities all over the United States. Eventually, Lewis navigated her way back to her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, where she spends her time dreaming up stories for kids of all ages.

SARA GÓMEZ WOOLLEY is an award-winning children’s book illustrator whose clients include Scholastic, Random House, and more. Her recent children’s book, Charlotte and the Quiet Place, received a Foreword Reviews 2015 Book of the Year Gold Medal, an IPPY Award Silver Medal, and has been featured in Creative Quarterly’s Journal of Art & Design.

PIRATE QUEENS the Dauntless Women who Dared to Rule the High Seas, written by @leighwriting and illustrated by @saritajeanine is available NOW!

Pirate Queens (NATGEO)

Get Your copy HERE: