Hey, nerds! Here is a round-up of some of the dopest news and voices popping up in the ever-expanding, ever-diversifying universes of fandom and pop culture this week. In these roundups I’ll cover news, events, comics, vids, entertainment and media, games, literature, fan art, and fic, (and maybe a few throwbacks, because we can never forget the foundational stuff, right?). Together we will take a journey to the corners of the internet, and the world, that put a spotlight on those of us who identify as part of groups who aren’t, or haven’t, been traditionally represented in the larger sci-fi, fantasy, or horror mediums.
“OK, three, two, one, let’s jam!”
News about the cast of Netflix’s upcoming live-action take on the hella-popular, monumentally influential (I see you Firefly👀) space Western anime, Cowboy Bebop, hit the web this week. Among the cast announced was everyone’s favorite AU Sulu, John Cho (also starring in an upcoming episode of Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone reboot) in the lead role of bounty hunter Spike Spiegel. Joining him as his jazz-loving, ex-cop partner, will be Mustafa Shakir, from Luke Cage and The Deuce fame. Read more about what people are losing their minds about here.
Source: By Sunrise – Cowboy Bebop opening title, Public Domain
Higher, Further, More Diverse
The comicsverse continues to go higher, faster and further (thank, Lady Thor), and this time with the addition of two new badass champions. Over at Marvel, an exclusive first look at the new superheroine Wave was unveiled by Comic Odyssey, a popular comic shop in the Philippines. Wave, who was announced last month at SXSW, will be the first new superhero of Filipino descent released by Marvel in more than 10 years. She will three-point land into our lives in War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #1, the first of four War of the Realms issues to be released in May.
Source: Instagram
Ethiopia welcomes her first female super, Hawi, by Beserat Debebe, founder of Etan Comics. Hawi will be a historical fantasy based in modern-day Ethiopia, building off the rich history of the country and her king and queendoms. According to Debebe, “I wish I had seen an Ethiopian superhero growing up. I would have embraced my ability to make a difference earlier and acted on it . . . Most of the time, the way we think about ourselves is the main barrier to our own progress.” No release date has been published yet, but it will be released in both Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, and English.
Source: Etan Comics
More Than Token Characters
Indie horror Soul To Keep will be hitting all digital rental and download platforms, DVD and Blu-ray, and On Demand everywhere, after a successful film festival run. The film was lauded for providing a positive and authentic genre vehicle for rising star Sandra Mae Frank (who is a Deaf actress), without pandering to the tired tropes often used and relied upon with regards to the Deaf community. 
Source: IMDB
“Oso gonplei nou ste odon.”
Do you have your tickets for ClexaCon, kru? Inspired by Clarke and Lexa, two LGBTQ characters from the CW’s cult hit The 100, Clexacon is the first and largest multi-fandom event for LGBTQ+ women and their allies. ClexaCon, and the kru behind it, works to bring together diverse LGBTQ+ fans and content creators from all over to celebrate positive representation for LGBTQ+ women in media and entertainment. It’s going down at the Tropicana in Vegas from April 11-15th. Can’t make it? Follow their YouTube Channel for official footage. All are welcome to attend! (#notanad #justthinktheyrehellacool #Clexaforever)
Source: ClexaCon
Human (and Mother) of the Week Award
This week the award goes to the phenomenal Sherika Farrell, who uses art and cosplay, specifically what she calls “Autism Art,” to transform her son Jaiden into his favorite characters. Diagnosed with autism at two years old, Sherika was told her son might never speak, as nearly a third of people on the autism spectrum are nonverbal. She has been able to use his character transformations as a way to facilitate communication and encourage patience, focus, and providing feedback. I’ve been saying this all along ya’ll. Cosplay is more than a costume. It’s all about connection. #AutismAwarenessMonth
Source: Because of Them We Can
And, you’re welcome. #WakandaisComing
I love me some leads, so drop tips, announcements, news, and adorable gifs of space cats (or Chris Evans) at paloma@templeofgeek.com.
