Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

No, it’s not by us, however, Mike Park is on Punkrock.org in a three part interview. The weird thing is that part one isn’t very long, so why is this in three parts? This is the internet! More space, free space, etc. You can’t give more than this in a three part interview? How about just breaking it in half? Or just doing it in one longer post? But, it is free! This “article” is about Mike Park, the old school of Asian Americans in indie music who’s still doing it his way. His record label Asian Man Records takes place out of a home and he’s a good man with a good heart. It’s not often that a person can venture on his own, be in bands, create a record label and make it by for so many years. The music isn’t the most giant bands, although he’s put out some big ones like Alkaline Trio, however he also puts out work that you’ll never hear and stuff that won’t pay him back. But that’s how he works. It’s what he’s into and that’s what comes out. (punkrocknews.org – Mike Park)
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Frontiers are hard to come by, especially one that looks to be something akin to a Gold Rush. Cinema in China might be one such frontier. Imagine, people are looking for a billion idle eyes who want to see something great. Brad Pitt? Leonardo DiCaprio? An extra billion possible dollars? The ticket sales have gone up, and it’s obvious it’s either, get in or not. This is just another article trying to push this idea forward. It’s not successful yet, but people are trying. Wayne Wang’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was one such experiment. Hugh Jackman was in this and it’s a Chinese movie that’s (and check out these abbreviations! A) made by An American Born Chinese, B. Backed by Hollywood, but C. Made in China. It’s like a triangle of effort. A, B and C.   Wayne Wang (L) being filmed by Director Sheldon Candis (R)   Here’s an LA Times article – Red China Wayne Wang talks a little about the Film at Huffington – Wayne.    
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  GR friend, Gene Luen Yang, a Bay Area native has been tapped to draw Avatar: The Last Airbender Comic. You might know him for his efforts with Eternal Smile, Level Up, and American Born Chinese. Check out Gene at Humblecomics.com and here’s an Airbender comic he drew in the past that crits it’s use of non-Asians in the film. Not a central point for confrontation or arguments, Gene Luen Yang has been doing comics for over a decade. It’s great to see him being tapped for indie projects and non indie projects alike.      
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Lynn Chen shows up casually in a hoody with earbuds in at the Larchmont Bungalow cafe. Her hair is straight and long and she’s her normal friendly self. I first saw Chen opposite Michelle Krusiec in Saving Face, a Sony Pictures Classics feature film in 2005. A huge indie that was grasped by Asian American, LGBT, and indie film fans everywhere.     She got an earlier start in Law and Order and and All My Children before her move to the west coast. Since then, she’s consistently worked in both films in “the industry” including indies like White on Rice, People I Slept With and Surrogate Valentine. Chen’s also writer and started a food blog, the Actors Diet to address her past eating disorder. She also does one at thickdumplingskin.com It’s a saturday morning and she assures me that she needs to be home by 12 since she’s going to the Asian Eastside for shave ice and Taiwanese breakfast. We meet early and find a quiet place to conduct a “podcast”. Podcast intro music by Goh Nakamura
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This article name drops what has to be every South Asian actor in Hollywood. How many can you recognize? The best thing is, it’s probably every South Asian working actor. There’s a lot including the voice of Apu - Hank Azaria. For such a short article, they hammered in one fact, yes there are many but, “brown is the new black”? We’re not sure of that one. (Tribune – South Asians in Hollywood)
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