One of the many vehicles we use to travel to events.  

If you see the logo you know its about to go down!!!

The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) participated in the 10th Anniversary Gala and Celebration of the Harlem Book Fair.

The 10th Anniversary Gala and Celebration of the Harlem Book Fair began on Friday, July 18th, and concluded on Sunday, July 20th, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

ECBACC participated by selling our “Read For Fun Workbook” at the  outdoor festival held on Saturday, July 19, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on West 135th Street between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

Both parents and children responded to our work book very well.

Coordinator: Jerry Craft, Cartoonist and creator of Mama’s boyz

Facilitators: Alex Simmons, Akinseye Brown and Maurice Waters

During the 10th Anniversary Harlem Book Fair, ECBACC also participated in a comic book workshop for kids.

Learn how to draw comics. What’s the story behind Iron Man? What’s the story behind The Hulk? Comic books and graphic novels are often the first access to reading for our youth. This workshop creates access to creative self-expression and enhances self-esteem.

While attending the tenth anniversary of the Harlem Book Fair in Harlem, NY, Stephanie Brandford, ECBACC Treasurer and Project Manager, asked a question at a panel discussion entitled, “40 YEARS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLISHING” including moderator Max Rodriguez (QBR The Black Book Review) and panelists W. Paul Coates (Black Classic Press); Kassahun Checole (Africa World Press); Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson (Just Us Books); and Tony Rose (Amber Books).

to the

2008 Glyph Comics Award Winners

Nichelle Nichols began her professional singing and dancing career in her home town, Chicago, at the tender age of 14. As a teenager, she was discovered by the great Duke Ellington who hired her to choreograph and perform a ballet for one of his musical suites, and finished the tour as his lead singer. Nichelle has performed in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including guest artist with Lionel Hampton’s band.

Nichelle was cast by Gene Roddenberry to create Lt. Uhura in his legendary TV series, Star Trek. Subsequently, co-starred in the six blockbuster Star Trek motion pictures. She is in constant demand to appear before the millions of “Trekkers” who keep the dream alive around the world.

She was twice nominated for the coveted Sarah Siddons Award for best actress for her performances in the theatre productions of Jenet’s “The Blacks” and the Oscar Brown Jr. musical “Kicks and Company.” She starred in the touring Broadway hits, “Horowitz and Mrs. Washington,” and “Nunsense II”. In her one-woman show, “REFLECTIONS,”, she ‘becomes’ twelve legendary female entertainers, utilizing her beautiful three octave vocal range to rave reviews and plans for a CD album and a OVD of “REFLECTIONS.”

Nichelle was chosen to perform as guest solo artist with the Erie Pennsylvania Philharmonic Orchestra for their 80th Anniversary Celebration. She also performed as solo artist with the Symphony Orchestra of the California State University-Northridge, where she previously was commencement speaker for their School of Arts. Her latest CD album, “NICHELLE… OUT OF THIS WORLD, contains her original composition, “Gene,” in honor of “The Great Bird”.

On January 9, 1992, Nichelle was awarded her much deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A few weeks before, she became the first African-American to place her handprints and signature in the cement walk at the famous Mann’s (Grauman’s) Chinese Theatre. Along with her other command crew members on the Starship Enterprise, Nichelle was installed in a special exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, an unprecedented accolade for the entertainment industry.

Nichelle’s autobiography, “BEYOND UHURA,” and her first sci-fi novel, “SATURN’S CHILD,” featuring and intergalactic heroine, Saturna and its sequel, “SATURA’S QUEST” received critical acclaim. Currently, she is developing a children’s Edutainment franchise, “EUREKA ROAD”. In recognition of her many accomplishments, Nichelle was conferred a Doctor of Arts, honoris causa, from Marywood College on their 80th anniversary at which she delivered the commencement address. In July 2002, she was inducted as an Honorary Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Nichelle’s public service activities have been equally outstanding. Under contract to NASA she took on the daunting task to successfully recruit the first women and minority astronauts for the Space Shuttle Program, for which she received NASA’S distinguished Public Service Award for her pioneering efforts. She continues as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Space Society, and as a member of the Advisory Board of the International Space Camp.
In 2004 Nichelle was selected as one of the International Human Rights Consortium’s FETE d’EXCELLENCE Laureates. The commendation reads:

You have been selected for the Medaille d’Excellence 2004 in the category of ‘Edutainment.’ This is in recognition of your being a true innovator, a woman of courage and commitment to the deepest values of excellence through your artistry within the world of entertainment and also as an innovative educator and patron to learning and inspiring the budding minds and hearts of youth.”

Nichelle recently was chosen to join the cast, beginning in the second season, of the NBC blockbuster television series “HEROES”.

Purchase admission tickets to the Pioneer Award program and/or Pioneer Autograph session featuring Nichelle Nichols at the door by cash or money order.

Read the latest news and information about Nichelle Nichols at www.uhura.com.

“The only chances you regret are the ones you didn’t take.” So she’s combined her first loves, painting and comics, and formed her own company, Ariotstorm Productions. Now, she’s really doing what she loves. Her first title, YUME AND EVER, will debut at the NY Comic Con at the Javitz Center April 18-20.

www.ariotstorm.com
www.comicspace.com/ariotstorm/
ariotstorm.deviantart.com
ariotstorm.livejournal.com

Yume and Ever is a blend of styles: free flowing thoughts; things that aren’t allowed to be drawn; and rules that are hardly ever broken.

There’s a great tragedy in the first issue. You’ll get to see it. You’ll meet all of the players as kids, and you’ll know what made them or broke them without any biased narration. It’s like a dream that each character will interpret differently as the story goes on.

Hence, the play on words with the title of the book… Yume means dream in Japanese. Ever is the leading male. Together the kanji in the logo, means dreaming forever.

All of the great Heroes are dead! Yeah, just like that, wiped out on mass. Even the villains who unleashed Pandora didn’t expect to be so successful.

You know the drill. Nefarious evil-doers hatch a diabolical scheme to rule the world. Super heroes unite to halt their odious plans. One epic battle later, the day is saved and almost everybody goes home happy (except for the one B level hero who has to die for dramatic effect). Even the bad guys are comfortable with that. It’s the status quo until they actually succeed.

M. Asli Dukan is a producer, director and editor from New York City.  She graduated from The City University of New York with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Media and Communication Arts in 1999 where she received the best editing award for her thesis film, Sleeping on a train in Motion. In 2000, she founded Mizan Media Productions, a multi-media company to produce low budget, high quality music videos, commercials and short films. Her media works have screened at the Blowin’ Up A Spot Film Festival in Texas, Citivisions in New York, the Imagenation Film & Music Festival in New York, the Black to the Future Science Fiction Festival and the Langston Hughes Film Festival, both in Seattle and on Move the Frame, a video dance television program.

She has been nominated for the Renew Media grant twice and received a grant from the City University of New York to further her professional development in the field of film and television.  Her latest projects include producing and directing “Boot”, the first music video for Tamar-kali, the Geechee Goddess Hardcore Warrior Soul, producing and directing Hanifah Walidah’s music video “Do You Mind”, producing and directing the feature length documentary, Invisible Universe: a history of blackness in speculative fiction which reveals the history of representations of Blacks in fantasy, horror and science fiction literature and film and producing and directing the short SF film “73″, about a dystopian future Harlem.

You can find more information at www.invisibleuniversedoc.com/

The Glyph Comics Awards Committee is proud to announce that Jamar Nicholas will return to host this year’s awards ceremony at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) in Philadelphia.

Nicholas, a Philly native, is best known for his hip hop comic strip Detective Boogaloo, as well as his autobiographical series The Jamar Chronicles. In 2007 he hosted the Awards for the first time, delighting the audience with his unique brand of humor while serving as emcee of the evening’s entertainment, which also included performances by spoken word/rap artists Grayson Board, Randy Moore, and Brother G.

“I’m very excited about having the opportunity to host the 2008 Glyph awards, and am honored to be asked,” says Nicholas. “I had a great time hosting last year’s awards, and to have it take place in such a historic institution as the African American Museum makes it even greater.”

“We really couldn’t ask for a better host,” says Committee Chair Rich Watson. “Jamar’s local, he’s a cartoonist himself, and he’s funnier than anybody hosting this thing has a right to be, so we hope to have him as our go-to guy for a long, long time.”

The Awards ceremony is free and open to the public and will be held Friday, May 16 at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the night before the full day of the ECBACC convention, which will be held the next day, Saturday, May 17, at Temple University’s Anderson Hall.

The Committee also wishes to remind everyone that the poll for the Fan Award remains open until March 31. Everyone is encouraged to head over to the ECBACC website (http://ecbacc.com/wordpress/?page_id=76) and vote for your favorite black comic from 2007.

Sign up for Jamar’s mailing list and find out more about his work at http://www.sweatshoppress.com/.

We are looking for volunteers to help out at the ECBACC Reception at the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) on Friday, May 16, 2008 and /or at the Convention on the main campus of Temple University on Saturday, May 17, 2008. Volunteer opportunities are available for set-up; working the registration tables; marketplace, workshop, or classroom attendant; and audio / visual operation. Volunteers are required to work at least two (2) ninety-minute shifts.

Benefits: Volunteers attend the convention for FREE and may attend specific events after their shift has ended. One volunteer training session will be required the week before the convention.

Volunteers should be 18 years or older, unless you have previous work or volunteer experience and references.

 If you are interested in assisting with this event, download this form and send it with the required information and your preferences to ECBACC (Volunteers); PO Box 34059; Philadelphia, PA 19101.

Contact:
Maurice Waters