TGIF!

TGIF!

Thank God it's Friday!

The Burqa Avenger!

Today I get to combine Superheroes and religion into one post!  I heard a story about this on NPR and I just had to tell everyone about it.  There's a new hero in Pakistan and she is called " The Burqa Avenger" or "The Lady in Black."  By day, she is kind, educated, and strong school teacher Jiya by day, and a costumed fighter for social justice by night.  The Avenger uses karate that employs books and pencils as weapons and can glide with her Burqa.  This animated series tackles social issues that are relevant to its audience, and wrap it up in the colorful and dramatic dressings of a superhero story.  In other words, this is really neat.

 

Her creator, Haroon Rashid, had some pretty awesome things to say about this project.  One of the things he addressed was the use of the Burqa itself.  To many it is a symbol of oppression and not of a liberated woman.  Here is what he had to say:

"We chose the burqa because of course we wanted to hide her identity the way superheroes do. She doesn't wear the burqa during the day — she doesn't even wear a headscarf, or a hijab or anything like that; she goes about her business as a normal teacher would. And so she chooses to wear the burqa, she's not oppressed ... and on the other end of the spectrum, a lot of female superheroes in the West are objectified, and sort of sexualized in their costumes, like Catwoman and Wonder Woman, and that certainly would not work here."

 He does have a point.
He goes on to explain that The Burqa in this case functions like Batman's costume, a disguise to protect her identity, which is actually functional in doing so.  It's like the opposite of a Domino Mask.

So wait, you're not Ryan reynolds?

The animated series has gained praise from children and parents alike, much of which for what its creator talks about here:

 "There's a huge space for children's entertainment in Pakistan. There's practically no local entertainment; ... a lot of the entertainment is imported from the West; it's not relevant, socially relevant or culturally relevant, and most of it's just entertaining junk, like, let's say, Ben 10. ... They don't have any social messages, and I think it's important to have positive social messages and themes and morals. And a lot of young children who don't get the opportunity to get a great education need programming which is entertaining and yet also educational."

I hope this show does really well.  I think educational entertainment is a great medium to support.  And I think the world needs more superheroes that everyone can look up to; girls and boys, young and old.

 The animation is alright, but the concept is awesome.

For more info, check out the interview with the creator on NPR,

or the main site itself.

Comic Dan's: Quantum and Woody

Comic Dan's

It's not the crappy font.

Today, it's time for something different.  I figured that since I'm a fan of comic books, I might as well say something about them here!  And to start off, I want to support a new series published by the revitalized company Valiant!

 Quantum and Woody was apparently published back in the 90s by Valiant before the comic, and the company, failed.  I never read it and so I am unfamiliar and unaware of any previous character iterations.  What drew me to this book was the subtitle: The world's worst Super-hero team!
That premise was enough to earn my interest and, evidently, my money.

I've only read one issue (Issue 1) and it starts out with some great characterization and establishes a rich dynamic between the two titular characters.  The two, being brothers, both have their own problems, and seeing them play out in a superhero book sounds appealing to me.  There's a nice balance of heart and humor that I hope is a standard that the series continues.
Character design for this comic is pretty solid.  I like the contrast between the two get-ups relating to the personality differences.  They apparently did this in the original run, but from what I've seen of the old series' look...

I think it was smart to ditch the leather jacket over a bodysuit look, but I definitely dig the white cape.  What is with the blandifying homogenization of Super-suit design these days?  Though The Incredibles was a great movie, I like capes.  And furthermore I like high collars, I like Jack Kirby-esque flamboyant do-dads, and, by all that is considered sacred, I like victorian-era strongman underpants!

So in case you haven't got the gist, I think this is shaping up to be a fun book that you should pick up.  Try it, you might like it.
If you need more convincing, there's a preview right here.

I'm Only Funny while Animated

I'm Only Funny While Animated

An Animation.

A Special Edition of my Monday posts.  Here is a taste of a upcoming project I am taking on with one of my fellow Austin area animators.  Coming Soon to a Youtube near you!