In keeping with Yoruba mythology, Aja, the wild wind, can take one on a journey to the land of the dead or to heaven. Aja Oba starts his life as a great leader, who like many monarchs marries a neighboring queen to merge kingdoms. While this marriage doesn’t start with love, it evolves. Oba’s original intended, a sorceress named Obirin Aje (which if keeping with Yoruban tradition seems a bit redundant as both mean witch — but what’s in a name) bears him a son. His marriage does not bear a child, so his offspring with the Obirin witch was seized to provide Oba an heir.

Obirin curses Oba to see his loved ones wither to dust. The wild wind that follows is a journey to and through lands and even planets in the heavens that at times sink or wallow in the land of the dead. Oba sees the rise of an empire that rivals that of Shaka Zulu and a very similar and unglorious fall of said empire, colonial slavery in Africa, the Middle Passage, slavery in America, and other moments in African-American history including, the modern age. Within each age is a love and with that love the curse. Then it moves into what is and could be.

From the modern age, the epic proves why the subtitle includes Afrofuturist in it. While there are others who focus on that aspect of the title, it seems a simplistic characterization for this work. BGN asked Fielder about the Afrofuturistic label given the anthropologic story elements. Fielder explained, “I can only speak for myself, perhaps. But it appears that Afrofuturists don’t have the privilege to just project and forecast in the future. So much of our past has been ripped away, erased, destroyed and ‘disappeared,’ that we oftentimes have to fill in missing anthropological facts through speculative fiction. This is while also simultaneously reconciling our present existence while powering through to forecast the future of people of color. A complex dance no doubt, but one that I came to peace with long ago.” Even without words on many pages, Fielder’s artistry allows the title to dance through the ages. Each page explores the collection of Oba’s potential and seeing that potential abused and spent, reassembled and applied in new ways.

The publisher identifies Infinitum as a graphic novel, and released it as a six by eight inch hardbound book, but this label, like the Afrofuturist one, is too simple and belies the artistry of the work when taken as a whole. When questioned on the format, Fielder indicated that Infinitum “was designed to fulfill my desire to do a fully digitally painted graphic novel, but I also wanted to be able to finish it. It would have taken forever to use a standard format. So my solution was to do the biggest baddest Black graphic novel, picture book, storyboard hybrid I could. I wanted something that folks would feel proud to have on their coffee table.”

Some unique aspects of his approach include the mostly absent use of frames and speech bubbles. Like a fairy tale, there are summary pages that move Oba through each era, with each page a beautiful painting in and of itself. As a fan of painted comics, especially a lot of J.G. Jones’s work, including Strange Fruit, to me Infinitum takes the cake. It’s just not a gripping story, it is hauntingly beautiful from the pre-colonial age to what bookends the end of existence. It is easy to see those viewing it as more of a compilation of paintings and therefore possibly wanting to frame some of the individual pages, but it would be a shame to destroy such a beautifully bound work. Maybe Dieselfunk will market some of the pages as posters, hint, hint.

But if there is a weakness with the work, it is the minimal text component, making classifying this as a graphic “novel” a bit of a stretch. In some ages, especially the future ones, there are compelling circumstances and new loves that scream for more than a beautiful wordless page of explanation. When questioned about exploring some of these instances in maybe a limited series, Fielder artfully never really answered. But he did give one of the best reasons for picking up this work.

Fielder said, “I have been at this a very long time — as far back to when the world was not open to visual depictions of Black people in science fiction. Black men were being killed consistently in speculative films; Black women were not present at all. We have been the sidekicks and sacrificial lambs. That is a trauma that all people of color have had to carry. Thusly, Infinitum was the impossible attempt to engage as many aspects of Black life within a dramatic speculative situation. As a result, this was why the idea of immortality was used. I pray it worked.”

For all who are thinking about it, or want to be but look down their nose at “comic books,” Infinitum is an exploration of cultural awareness of known past, lived current, and predicted. The graphic novel is published by Harper Collins and is available on the Dieselfunk website as well as other online booksellers including Apple, Amazon, Books-A-Million, and GooglePlay.

Smith primarily uses a color pallet that elicits the colors of the bisexual and genderfluid flags to capture Nubia’s journey, which goes beyond her gender and sexual identity to who she is at her core. McKinney chooses to tackle just about every issue our children face in around 200 pages. With artistry, she tackles the modern-day issues of sexual, gender, and racial identity in the most challenging arena of all time, high school. Nubia’s nature pushes her to protect her friends, and, given her abilities, this often results in some superhuman displays, which cause issues at home. Nubia’s mothers fear the revelation that her abilities will bring undue attention, so there is this constant push and pull regarding helping her maneuver how and when it is appropriate for her to use them.

There is an Ecclesiastical idea about there being a right time and place for everything. One question that arises about this work is whether this is the right place to cover so many extremely nuanced issues in a rather square wave fashion (no apologies for the math reference, look it up) given the target audience. In the course of pursuing or being pursued by her bae, Nubia L’Shae Johnson has to deal with sexism, racism, police harassment, teen drinking, lying to your parents, and an attempted sexual assault that results in a school shooting. In order to make this work, McKinney, hopefully unconsciously, with the exception of Wonder Woman, represents every white person as either a racist or sexist, and Nubia’s adversary is both of those and most of the other stereotypes heaped on white people. Given today’s events and social issues, there is strong evidence of how these issues pervade our lives as people of color — just ask Black Twitter. The messages of our past and present leaders of the civil rights movements are to not lose ourselves in the pain of the wrongs by grouping a whole community into the label of foe.

Throughout 2020, we have seen an unprecedented, but not new, representation of our allies of all races in the streets with us protesting the systemic racism in law enforcement and beyond. In recent weeks, we have also seen what it happens when propaganda replaces facts, justifies the use of violence for faked slights and downplays the power of forgiving and being forgiven. This story would be a little more real if it allowed a look at the complexity in our friends as well as our foes. The evolution of Wonder Woman’s character has maneuvered her into a beacon of truth and inclusion, not just for those she likes. There is a place for her twin sister to represent these issues as well. McKinney’s work definitely supports inclusion for our friends, but the subtle message of exclusion is one that has pervaded comics from the beginning. To avoid the sins of the past we have to be careful to not repeat what was done to us. To that end, this is a title that should be read with an awareness of the slippery slope of painting any group or community of people as a monolith.

Nubia: Real One will be available in your local comic shops on February 23.

To talk to David Ajala is to instantly become an Ajalaphile. His kindness and humility jump at you from the get go. BGN interviewed Ajala soon after the midseason finale.

So tell us how you came to portray Cleveland Booker on Star Trek: Discovery.

Oh, that came about because very talented individuals, mainly Michelle Paradise and Alex Kurtzman, made this character that they wanted to include for Season 3. This guy was going to be not necessarily the gatekeeper but the introduction of the new world, which is a thousand years into the future. When I was on the phone with Michelle and Alex, and they shared this idea for the character, I came off the phone after hearing them speak about this character with such enthusiasm and excitement thinking, “If I don’t say yes to this, someone else does it, I will cry a little bit.” So I said yes, straight away, and I’m so happy that I did. I really do feel that to work on this show, I’m in the right place at the right time. It’s been an absolute blessing.

What is Booker’s role aboard the USS Discovery?

Cleveland Booker has arrived at a place, in the middle of a season, where he sees the vision and what Starfleet is about irrespective of his preconceived ideas. And he wants to be a part of it. Boing forward, Cleveland Booker is always going to have access to the underworld. That’s going to be beneficial for Starfleet and for the USS Discovery because he’s going to be able to have access in the places that they won’t. Hopefully that collaboration will allow them to just cover more territory and be more successful in the expedition.

Do you think based on that, do you think Book will ever join Starfleet?

Well, he’s not the biggest fan of the uniform because it was too tight, but we can never say never. I think it’s all about purpose. If people have the same purpose, they just need the right avenue to allow that purpose to be realized. It may happen with the USS Discovery and Star fleet, it may happen elsewhere, but I definitely feel that Cleveland Booker and Michael Burnham and USS Discovery are on the same page.

Did you know when you first started that your character was going to be able to pilot the spore drive through the mycelial network?

No, that was a big revelation to me. That was a massive revelation. I had no idea whatsoever. I got the script, read it, and saw. Literally, and I thought, “Oh wow, this is huge.” It just opens up more room and possibilities to really cool storytelling and another feather in Cleveland Booker’s boa in terms of this guy being multitalented and mysteriously equipped with many skills.

What was your first day like on set? Was it surreal?

Oh, it was wild. I’ll set the scene. We’re in Iceland. It is early hours of the morning. And we’re shooting at the blue lagoon, the hot spring. And the reason why we’re shooting early hours of the morning is because the blue lagoon is a massive tourist attraction in Iceland, and that’s the only time that we were able to have it to ourselves. And with that time of the year in Iceland, they had 22 hours of daylight. 

There we are, Sonequa Martin-Green and myself, and we’re swimming in the blue lagoon during this scene. I remember just having a moment and looking around, thinking, “We’re in the blue lagoon, swimming, and we’re filming the new season of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, a thousand years into the future. I am blessed.” Wonderful moment.

Your first scene was with Sonequa. What was it like when you got to meet the rest of the cast?

Oh, it was great. I didn’t meet them all at the same time. I met them at just different moments while I was in Toronto just doing the prep. You know, there’s something to be said about when working on a show, when you’re surrounded by really good individuals who just so happen to be really talented. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of. And I say that not just for the cast, I say that for the crew as well. It is such a blessing to turn up on set and to be surrounded by a wonderful bunch of people, to be working with them, sharing stories, creating stories, having a laugh. It just really makes this project that much more special. Star Trek is all about teamwork, is all about working together and bringing out the best in each other. I definitely feel like a better person when I’m in the presence of the cast members of Star Trek: Discovery.

Was Discovery your first connection with Star Trek? I understand there may be a Shakespeare-inspired intersection with a former Enterprise captain?

What’s his name? Something Stewart? [Laughs.]

Sir Patrick Stewart. Patrick is a wonderful, wonderful, talented individual. I worked with Patrick many years ago, I think it was 2008, at the Royal Shakespeare Company. We did Hamlet. Patrick Stewart was also part of the catalyst of why I ended up watching a bit more Star Trek back in the day. I was familiar with it, but it wasn’t a show that I particularly watched. But then when I would hear how Patrick Stewart would speak so fondly about his experiences working on Star Trek and being part of the franchise, I was just curious to check out some of the episodes. So cut to 2019 for the San Diego Comic-Con. And we’re backstage and I get to see Patrick again. First time in a few years. And it was just a really sweet moment. To be reunited and to be part of the same franchise at the same time, real special blessing. And he welcomed me in with open arms. He’s a gem.

Was San Diego in 2019 your first big Comic-Con or had you done a Comic-Con like that before?

Yes, so I had done a Comic-Con before, but I guess this one was a little different because I did a Comic-Con I think in 2018 with a show called Night Flyers, really cool project to work on. I worked on Supergirl. And now being part of Star Trek. The fan bases of these shows were definitely at the 2019 Comic-Con, so I was more recognizable to people, and that’s what made it different. Before I was able to walk amongst the crowds incognito. But this time around, I was definitely more visible. I was deeply humbled when we stepped on to the stage at the San Diego Comic-Con for the 7,000 Star Trek fans to be welcomed into the franchise. That was definitely a very, very special moment I’ll never forget.

You’ve played roles in major franchises, including the DC Universe, Dr. Who, and Star Trek. Do you have any designs on working on any other star-based war series?

Yeah. And it may happen sooner than you think. I’ll put it this way. There’s a few cool franchises that, schedule permitting, I will be joining.

The pandemic has everyone in a rut. What new habit or talent have you developed while in COVID isolation?

I think my cooking has improved. You know what I like to do, actually? I like to have random ingredients in the fridge, in the cupboard, and put foods together that shouldn’t really go together, but you’re able to do in a way that it just tastes delicious. I made a quiche not to long ago. It was a plantain quiche. So inside the quiche, of course, I sliced delicious pieces of plantain, fried it down, put it in the base of the pastry, and then put the egg in with all the other goodness. I put some salmon on top. I like remixing cultural dishes and putting them together and just creating new things. I’m just kind of artistic like that. And I also love food. I’m greedy. I love food.

You were born in England, which has its own history regarding civil rights. When or what caused to understand what it meant to be a Black man in America?

In the UK we’re still exposed to a lot of American culture and American news. So, race-related issues are very similar, but then there are nuances that are slightly different, which I totally respect and understand. Because of technology, we’ve been exposed to a lot more wrongdoing in the world when it comes to race-related issues. And the spotlight has been on America for a while, and we’ve seen these issues and these issues have been happening for many, many years. And it’s been very, very tough to see.

I stand as the person who’s always going to make the effort towards contributing towards healing and to not contribute towards anyone’s oppression. I also understand that it’s a group effort, a collective effort to do better. The more invested we are to make this world a better place, the better experience we’ll have as citizens on Earth.

Can you tell us anything about what to expect on Star Trek: Discovery?

What to expect? I think going forward, I think that of course there’ll be more, a deep level of storytelling. Things have shifted drastically. Michael Burnham is now the captain. She’s grown so much, she’s proved herself, not that she needed to, but she’s proved herself. And now she has many allies. I’m really excited to see the storytelling progress and for more character development to happen.

If you watch Star Trek: Discovery, it is clear that a major part of Booker’s life, his cat Grudge, was not explored, but there is always next time. The date for the next episode of Star Trek: Discovery has not been released, but if you missed it the mid-season finale is available on CBS All Access.

While there were all manner of children’s books with large dogs, and clever monkeys, I was always a fan of the Bernstein Bears. There was always a lesson about doing the right thing and being your best self that spoke to me as I grew up. Decades and a century have turned, and, while the intent to entertain and educate remains, the medium has evolved to be more representative of children of all shapes and sizes, colors, and family structures. As a Black Girl Nerd and the auntie of two beautiful future Blerds, I am always looking for content that shows Black girls as we are in all our natural forms. So the opportunity to review a graphic novel written for and about a Black girl and her dragon friend was too good to pass up.

From Capstone comes Frankie and the Dragon by Arie Kaplan (Mad Magazine, Star Wars Adventures). For some of you, the name Kaplan may be familiar since the author has a long history across multiple mediums entertaining us from comics to television. While not his first graphic novel or even a children’s book, Kaplan chose to reflect the diversity in his own home by representing his biracial daughter as his protagonist.

Frankie, nicknamed Pineapple after her frequent pineapple hairstyle (we all have at least one pineapple picture, right?), comes across a suspicious rock that turns out to be a dinosaur egg, which hatches. The baby dragon becomes her best friend and helps her become more self-assured. The story is written for younger children, so the plot is not complicated and the outcome predictable — or so I thought. Despite the well-written and well-drawn story, I was struck by what was not in the story. As part of Frankie’s friendship, she lied to her parents and pretended that the dragon was a dog. As this is a children’s story, of course they were totally fooled. In the end, the dragon couldn’t live with Frankie because the dragon didn’t want to be cooped up. While totally reasonable, I was struck by the fact that there was no consequence for Frankie lying to her parents about the “dog.”

Not being anywhere near the intended age range, I was very interested in what someone in the target age group got from the story, so I forwarded it to my niece in the second grade. She is an avid reader and was excited to read her first graphic novel. She instantly identified with Frankie and really enjoyed the story. Kaplan was very accessible, and I was curious what questions she had for him. With an obvious future in book reviews, she went to the meat and asked about the idea for the story; how long it took to write the book; and whether the story based on something. Kaplan indulged my request and answered them as we made plans for an interview to see if I could top those from an eight-year old (I’m not sure I was successful).

My interview with the author took me on a wondrous journey of his works, including impressive comedic chops, but I couldn’t get past the lying in the book. I was relieved to hear that he and his wife had at least discussed the possibility of addressing the lying. Then I was disappointed that they decided against it. I mean hey, the President of the United States is up to 30,000 lies with little or no consequence, so why should our children be held to a different standard. Right? Not really. While the President thing was not his basis, treating Frankie like any other children’s book character was the decision. Full stop.

I wish, like the author apparently, that the consequences of lying for a real-world Frankie is the same for Pipi or Hermione, but we know it is not. With all the “Beckys” and others out there actively lying with horrendous consequences to others, I find the thought of brushing past the lie without even a “you now you can always tell us the truth” was a missed opportunity to broach one element of “The Talk” without having to discuss the reason you eventually need to have it with a small child. As we have all lived and watched our brothers and sisters falsely arrested, accused, jailed, and in some cases killed, a lie can have serious consequences. Some would point out that this is just a children’s book, so it’s okay. Others of us know that the world doesn’t care how old we are, just what we look like, and that’s enough to feign fear or accuse. To that end, I can’t let it drop. I do however fall back to the fact that my niece loves this book.

I asked my brother, and he was like, “That is why you read the book with your child.” From his sage advice, I came to the realization that expecting others to reinforce our morals and ethics with our children is not realistic. Although it takes a village, not everyone is a resident.

Kaplan’s Frankie and the Dragon is visually on-point and a great read, but unfortunately, it will not be available until after Christmas. However, a whole new year of birthdays await, so get your pre-orders in now.

Note: Frankie and the Dragon is one of three children’s graphic novels (along with Trevor, the Very Best Giant and The Troll Under Puzzlefoot Bridge) that will be released on January 1, 2021 by Capstone Publishing.

Meshell Ndegeocello is an artist, activist, mother, composer, and Omega level bass player who has inspired millions many times over. Whether you dissect her lyrics or listen to her many insightful interviews, it is clear that Meshell seeks truth. Whether that truth is in spoken word, song, or pure emotion, Meshell’s existence is closely tied to expression and artistry. One might think being that driven would ensure she’s not a nerd, but in our interview Meshell proved that being a nerd has many forms.

While discussing her recent Producer’s Lounge roundtable talk at the Vancouver International Film Festival with her, BGN had an opportunity to dig a little deeper. Knowing that we’re all affected by today’s social climate and politics, Meshell had some superb insight into navigating it all as a parent and as someone just trying to maintain their own mental balance. She also discussed a recent post of hers on Instagram regarding Mitch McConnell. And, we couldn’t let her off the hook without revealing what Prince albums she’d like to see a deluxe version of.

So now, let’s explore the astral plane with Meshell Ndegeocello.

We’ve noticed in a few other recent interviews, like one with the New York Times, where you were discussing a lot of the activism that has been a part of your career — everything from the Lilith Fair back in the 1990s to how today’s climate is forcing all of us to do a lot of internal reflection, as well as presented a new challenge to parenting. How are you handling your conversations with your sons? The education system has a lot of gaps.

A lot of gaps in there. In the last few days, and also as someone who did not excel in that experience of education, I think I’ve done . . . okay. I think it’s so important. These young people now crave attention — just a little bit of your time, not to tell them things, but maybe to listen to them.

I have never seen a generation of young people so in need of interaction with different kinds of people — someone to give them an hour of just, “I am here to listen to you.” That’s what I’m really trying to do with my son now, even more so than fill in the gaps. I’m just like, “I want you to know at the end of the day, it’s those moments where you’re alone with yourself, when doubt comes over you, that I need you to keep it together because life that life is going to be full of that.”

These things come and go. Find something that can keep your hands and your mind busy. I know that sounds old-fashioned. Try to live a life that you won’t [regret] when you rewind it in your mind, which is just natural. The images that you’ve created — make a good movie for yourself. In the Hindu philosophy, they see life as a drama. We are all in this grand play. We change costumes all the time, [becoming] different characters. You’re all these different characters. Sometimes you’re the good guy. Sometimes you’re the bad guy, or you’re the extra and you’re meaningless. It’s how you play through all this and get to the end and make sure you have a fantastic curtain call. You know?

I saw on social media, you had some Biblically themed statements for Senator Mitch McConnell. You said, “I smite you.” Would you like to elaborate on why you think he should be smitten?

Oh, I love words. I also have that serious Christian background. That was the only thing I could think. That’s what I felt. I was just like, “Wow, the gall, the unmitigated gall of him.” Everyone’s really excited that the leader of our country has fallen ill. That made me feel really funny. I know I just wouldn’t feel right [feeling] that, even with Mitch McConnell. I definitely was like, “Oh, if there is a creative force that is in control of this grand drama, please smite that, too.” I would love to sit and talk with him, which I’ve tried.

I ran into Rand Paul on a train one time from New York to DC and I was really into some of the things on his platform. And I went to say, “Hey, I want to ask you a few things.” And he was so rude and so dismissive! I would like to meet all of them, and, somehow just ask them a couple of questions. Like, “How do you sleep at night? Is this working for you? You’re so pro-life yet, there are hundreds of thousands of young people who don’t look like you with all that time [in their life]. You put [that effort] into unborn life, who uses an hour of your time, but you don’t think about that.”

I wonder where we are. It’s definitely time for people of color to make new narratives. That’s why I really listen to James Baldwin. Once you realize you are a kidnapped pagan, the only reason you participate in American’s religion is through brutality. You start to realize. You need to rethink these dreams. Time for us to dream some new dreams. These dreams have been manufactured for us through media and music and the education system. I just am really excited for the people who see this moment in time with the virus to disconnect and reacquaint themselves with their children and themselves and realize like, okay, yeah, your life plays out on social media, but your life needs to play out for you, your ancestors.

We need to go back to thinking of the next seven generations. When Native Americans are the only other people more hated than people of color in this country because they have something to offer us, we need to rethink the stories we’re telling each other, the information we’re letting out to each other. That’s the other thing. I’m so afraid my son is going to experience something on social media or searching the worldwide web that I can’t let make him unseat. You know, you can’t unsee that. It’s a very powerful medium, you know.

We saw something that said that you were going to be leaving Instagram. So how has social media affected you both as a person and as an artist?

Yeah. I plan to do that. Like, that’s going to be my Christmas present. I think. You know, the only thing is, it helps me advertise the Baldwin Project and other things I’m doing. I just have to figure out how to continue to do that. And it’s really hard to figure out.

So now for the main question: What is the nerdiest thing you’ve ever done?

Oh, let me think, because there’s a lot. I used to love this movie called Altered States with William Hurt. He traveled through time within his mind by being in an observation tank. So I go to those tanks that are filled with salt water. So you float and you can’t hear anything. You cannot say anything. I do an hour at a time. And I can’t explain to you, but the enemy of the self is your own mind. Those first five minutes of being just left alone with your own thoughts will really show you about yourself. I think that’s what I’m trying to let go of.

You know, the things I’ve done, no one walks on water. That’s the other thing that social media has led us to believe. There are some people who have walked on water, but I know I’ve fallen short in many ways. I have done things that I wish I hadn’t done. It’s not that I have shame or regret. It’s just I’m human. In that tank, when your mind starts to scroll through things that seem to haunt you, or you want to connect with your ancestors (if you are into that realm), or if you want to be really centered in your prayer to whoever it is, you must be able to sit with yourself, not move, and just watch your mind do its thing. It’s astonishing.

That doesn’t sound nerdy; it sounds very enlightened.

All right. Because I’m trying to astral travel. That’s all I’m saying.

Ah! Astral travel. She’s in. Nerd card clicked. Next question: What Prince album would you like to see receive the next deluxe edition treatment?

Ooh, For You the very first one. Then after that, I’m really a big fan of — a lot of people criticize this record — but it is The Symbol Record. I love that album, too. Those would be my two, because there is something in them that is unexplainable. I know the other ones were like mega hits, but the intro of For You — matter of fact, as soon as I hang up, I’m gonna play it for myself. “The Morning Papers” is an amazing track. It’s just a beautiful composition.

Last question. If you could be any superhero or heroine, who would you be?

Now, if I could be anybody, I think I’d want to be George Washington Carver. He said, “Greet me in the morning and you shall find me early,” which is where his inventions and the spirit came from. I never forget the book I had about his life. To me, that human being with all that he experienced — he is my superhero.

With Meshell, it is clear that she is on a journey not just as a musician, but as a person.  Her heroes and mentors were originators, and her clear knowledge of self supports activism that is in line with her talent.  Interestingly enough that still leaves room for her search for her perfect self, which may take her to the upside-down as she travels through the universe. But BGN is sure she will come out okay, with a rhythmic tenor that leads her tune and takes her to what’s next.

About Lyrikal:

Poet, author, parent, and freelance music and video game critic, B.J. Brown is a talented blerd writer hoping to become a Mechwarrior when he grows up. Founder of the Heed Magazine, Geekswagg Podcast, and a regular contributor to ForAllNerds.com, Shaded Pixels Podcast, and more, BJ hopes to make his “Bunneh3000” gamertag the gateway drug to geekdom! He’s currently sending resumes to Battlestar Galactica citing his love of engineering and Bear McCreary music as his strongpoints!

But whether you’re looking for your boyfriend (if that’s your boyfriend, he wasn’t last night) or wondering why it sometimes snows in April, Ndegeocello has got you covered. She also has provided songs for many films and currently scores songs for the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Queen Sugar.

This week Ndegeocello will be a panelist at the Vancouver International Film Festival as part of their Amp producer series. BGN contributors E.Angel and Lyrikal got the opportunity to ask her a few questions.

So on Sunday you’re participating in the Amp special edition of its Essential Producer’s Lounge, which focuses on female and non-binary identifying music professionals. What is the primary message you want to get across to individuals looking to get into scoring a series or film?

Hmm. Just the primary message that one must become selfless. One must realize that the score’s job is to enhance the visual. It’s something that’s extremely collaborative, and if you’re a musician that is in search of self-expression, this is probably not the gig for you. You know? So, I like to talk about that, ’cause just, that’s been my experience.

It’s taught me a lot about the power of the visual medium. It’s a good way to introduce people to your music, and it’s always been a catalog list for showcasing a song. So it’s just, whatever they want to know from me [and] I’ll try to expound upon it. I thought about those two subjects and put that on index cards, but pretty much I like questions.

So, talk to us about the circumstances that led to you scoring the theme song for Queen Sugar.

Oh, after I stopped my formal foray in pop music, I started having a lot more interest in the contemporary arts and more fine art projects. I had a chance to work with Jason Moran, an incredible jazz pianist, on a project that was based around Fats Waller, which in turn helped us create a good relationship. He [had] scored Selma when the TV show came about. He had too much work on his plate and suggested that I do it. And he also found that they were [looking] to license one of my songs. So, I think it was just like a natural pairing, like from the grand universe, just to a serendipitous divinity. It’s been a great experience. I mean, I’m very lucky to work with someone who knows what they want and can articulate it and at the same time already had a feeling for the sound I had. So, it was that sort of experience.

So the theme is entitled “Nova.” How were you introduced to the Bordelons?

I read the book. But then I realized it was  an interpolation of the story to create a screenplay. But the first thing you do when you get a score is you get the pilot and you just sit with it for a while. I watched it over and over again, and the character that seemed to have the most energy that I could play off of the scenes that they gave me was Nova. I thought if I could get the theme to feel like her character, it would be a good energy to have.

What is your process for composing? Does it start with an idea or a sound or a note?

Oh, that’s funny. That’s always a funny question. I just literally sit there and watch things over and over again, until something comes to my mind in hand. Or sometimes I’ll start with a sound. Maybe just the piano [or] the bass. I think we established early that it would have a low country feel, like a Black Western experience. So, the guitar and the piano became my main instruments. So, I sit at those, those two instruments, and wait for the transmission and for the energy to happen. There’s really no science to it. I think a lot of composers probably do have starting points, but I try to keep that project organic one that comes from my heart. I treat it like I treat music.

What role did the locale play in composing the theme?

Sometimes in the visual medium — TV, film — there’s like a literal interpretation. People might have assumed there’d be horns that are a New Orleans thing. I went away from that. I thought of them as people of color who have migrated all through the South. There’s definitely a heavy Texas vibe, some of in the people I met in New Orleans. I wanted to intertwine all that gumbo of the diaspora and distill it through the guitar, the banjo, and the piano, the foundation to early music. I wanted to stay in that realm. It just affected me as the people that pass through New Orleans over time. Probably had all of that in there.

When we started, you made an interesting comment that if someone was trying to represent their own individuality, that doing a theme [for TV or film] really wasn’t for them. How do you see it [being] different from doing a composition for yourself or your band?

Where you can have a self, you’re just trying to captivate people. But when it comes to scoring, you have to please the director, the show runner; you have to please the station, the producers, and the network. It’s not just you and this one visual person making a piece of work together. There’s systems in play, and there are other people who are chiming in. That becomes outside of your control. If you’re a person who takes things personally, you will not excel at that job, because it’s not personal. There’s this unknowable mark that everyone is trying to get to, from Ava to Oprah’s network to the people who are probably buying ads, and every episode has a different director. So there’s just a lot to go on with this experience.

So is this the first television project that you’ve worked on?

First scoring project?

Yes.

Oh no, no. I worked with George C. Wolfe on an HBO thing called Lackawanna Blues. I also worked on Disappearing Acts with Gina Prince-Bythewood. Those two were different experiences, a different period of time. That was unusual, too. I mean, every director is different. Some directors, you know, music is beyond secondary. It’s like the tenth thing they think about. And then some people, it’s really something they take personally and have a real opinion. Then that just becomes about developing a concise language between you and the director. That’s the thing that got me to, in terms of being a Black nerd, I’m much more tactile and sensory. I think working with Ava, I had to instill within myself the confidence to be able to communicate in a certain way. It’s a lot of back and forth and that was a lot to learn. George C. Wolfe for the other experience was more I could feel my way through it, and not everyone is like that. So, it just taught me a lot about communication and communication skills.

So does that kind of collaboration make you more nervous than just jumping in with your band and trying to collaborate?

Oh, of course. It’s a difference between a blind date and going out with your people, your family members. It’s very different because you don’t know one another yet. You’re trying to make something together and people are coming from a different energy, different criteria, a different reference point. It takes a minute to learn the language of it, the structure that they may be working with. I’m not a film school person. I’ve worked in film, but I’m not your textbook scorer. There’s some things I’m still learning. But I think that’s why I’m an asset. I think on Queen Sugar, I don’t want to sound arrogant or lofty. I make the music to make you feel good because these are heavy topics. I try to make the audible aspect of it medicinal so that these topics can enter your body and mind in a way that is not jarring. That’s an approach I have, but I’m not sure I can’t take that to other things. I got fired for the first time from score. It’s because I was coming from an angle, a spiritual, sonic angle, in terms of feeling, and they were not. We didn’t speak the same language or view the piece of work in the same way.

Have you ever gotten to a space where you were just stumped and had to figure out what that producer or director or whatever was trying to do? Do you have like any tools to break yourself out of that mood?

That project really brought me down. It let an intense doubt creep in, and I started to second guess myself. But then, I’m very lucky. I work with a team where we can all stop each other and do some like mental health checks. The thing is, this is not personal. If they do not like what I’m doing, it doesn’t mean that what I’m doing does not have value and it doesn’t mean I suck. [It’s] just language, and you move on. I’m autodidactic so I’m sort of a self-taught person in terms of a lot of aspects of the dominant culture. But I have a really good production manager, so he leads the team. When there are conversations that I feel I won’t be an asset to, I take myself out of them. But I’m the one people like to have at the spotting sessions. I can get a real good emotional gauge of what they’re trying to get. I’m not the one who can deal with the notes from the network. You try to delegate where you were, where your strong points are. There is a team. Hans Zimmer has a team of hundreds. I don’t think I ever want to get to that point, but I’m glad that I have a crew of five who are amazingly talented musicians and creative people. Together we try to create an experience where if it’s not me, then I definitely have someone I can go to, to aid me in getting to the end result. I hope!

And so do you, if you choose. Meshell Ndegeocello will be joining several others on October 5 at 5:00 p.m. at the Vancouver International Film Festival to discuss film and television scoring and production. Her ease with herself, humbleness about her talent, and self-understanding are evident from the get-go and make conversations with her both fun and enlightening. Look for the rest of BGN’s interview with Meshell Ndegeocello as she establishes her nerd creds soon.

In a similar vein we have the first printing of Hedra published by Image in July and poised for a second printing release this September. Written and drawn by Jesse Lonergan, Hedra takes you on an adventure through space and time to witness the exploits of a lone human astronaut in the cosmos.

The journey starts on Earth with a sort of Gattaca theme, but moves into Swift’s Lilliputian conflict with a wondrous discovery that is followed by great despair. Without words, Lonergan takes a chance with an epic journey through 52 pages. The decision to not use words initially seems to give the reader control, but it is just an illusion. Each frame gives the opportunity for the reader to take their 1,000 words and craft a narrative, which is quickly reformed by the next seemingly empty colored frame on the page or odd bichrome shape or symbol. At times the page is both seven individual frames and one entire picture at the same time, with each frame colored in the purple and pink that paint both planet and space in an ethereal hue.

This soft adventure lives up to the non-superhero storytelling that continues to flourish in independent publishers and in Image Comics at times. For the superhero fans, the protagonists comes through as each challenge is laid out in front. But don’t fear — this is not so “artsy cinema” as to not be enjoyable. With our reality currently mimicking a season of Veep combined with a sequel to Outbreak sans Dustin Hoffman, sometimes you need to just take a break.

Hedra is a nice detour from the current tyranny of the Batman Who Laughs in the DC Universe and some really strange war with plants in Marvel’s Empyre. This one can be used as a sort of palate cleanser in between plagues and invasions, and you can “read” it over and over again to evolve your own journey. Whether you flip through it quickly or really take your time with each page, you will not be led astray.

The soft adventure in Jesse Lonergan’s Hedra lives up to the non-superhero storytelling that continues to flourish in independent publishers and in Image Comics at times. With our reality currently mimicking a season of Veep combined with a sequel to Outbreak sans Dustin Hoffman, sometimes you need to just take a break from the current tyranny of the Batman Who Laughs in the DC Universe and some really strange war with plants in Marvel’s Empyre. Whether you flip through it quickly or really take your time with each page, you will not be disappointed that you picked this one up.

The story begins at the middle with the punishment of the demon hunter Dyana and works its way to a strange cold war between the hosts of Heaven. Both are seeking to capture Dyana, who has chosen to move against her nature. The story takes you on journeys through time in combination with a series of flashbacks to provide the context for Dyana’s betrayal of her role in the balance between good and evil.

Harding’s addition to the denizens of evil travels from the current to the time of slavery with a stop in the 1980s for good measure. The constant battles allow for very little dialogue other than some witty, demon-focused retorts and some cryptic vermin-infested brunch meetings. But what narrative does occur is peppered with culturally influenced quips in the time jumps, which also allows for a sequence of panels of jive talking that is painful both for Dyana and the reader.

Miller and the other graphic artists dominate the story with broad lines and strong, bold colors, which animate the numerous battle scenes. The representation of Dyana does suffer from the small waisted, big breasts, very little clothing that tends to dominate many horror titles. Initially there was hope that the costume choices were window-dressing for an engaging story. We have seen this kind of baiting with many titles. Michael Turner’s Witchblade comes to mind. However, instead of supporting the choice with a strong back story, Harding attempts to justify the fashion choices by adding profiles of the demons Dyana is sent to hunt and their likes and dislikes. This forms a basis for the pigtail, red halter, and Daisy Duke ensemble in the first few pages. Naturally Dyana and her friend Michelle graduate to long coats and skin tight clothing towards the end in an obvious tribute to Trinity from the Wachowski’s Matrix trilogy. Go figure, they probably got cold.

All in all, Night Stalker is a decent entry into the horror comic world. The title has all the essentials to fashion an adolescent male’s fantasy world, combined with an uncomplicated story with a lot of demons to entertain for a time. The ending clearly leaves the door open for the predictable chase of Dyana through the depths of hell and time. However, there is an opportunity to move Dyana forward in a more substantial way. Harding’s creation hints of a realm with great depths to explore, and, combined with the artistic talent of Miller, a great work could be made manifest. Only time will tell if Harding and Miller choose to maximize their talents and elevate Dyana from a demon-fighting pinup to a mythic anti-hero.

We have interviewed him several times, and we are so much of a fan that there is even a BGN exclusive variant for Jones’s Niobe:  She is Life #1. Last year in October, we sat down with Sebastian to catch up and to talk about some scuttlebutt out in the comicverse.

Why is your company called Stranger Comics?

Stranger is actually the name of the lead character in The Untamed, the first graphic novel in the fantasy world of Asunda that I have created, with a bunch of amazing guys. Also, I’m a big fan of the old school comics of Strange Tales and the term “strange.” I like it. And I always said I’m a fan of Kurosawa and Sergio Leone movies.

How did your creative team meet? You’ve got Joshua [Cozine], Amandla [Stenberg], and Darrell [May].

I used to run live-action role-playing events. I’ve known Darrell for over 20 years. He used to come back to my live-action role-playing [LARPing] events in Malibu Creek State Park and Topanga Canyon, sneaking past the ranger station at midnight. We had, like, swords and costumes and cosplay. Cosplaying with a game.

So what did you dress up as?

I was usually the games master.

The Dungeon Master?

Dungeon Master. But when I threw down, I was usually an assassin. I like extremes. I’m either an assassin or a paladin, or a wizard, I like the hard-core extreme stuff. That was Darrell. Josh, I met playing Hero Clix in comic shops, and Amandla I met at a kid’s book festival for one of my kids’ books. I ran up to her screaming like a fan. I said, “You’ve got to write Niobe with me. Oh my God. Do you want to see Niobe?” And then she went to one of my readings for my kids’ books, and no one was there apart from her and her mum. I did the reading essentially in that room of [capacity] 300, to just three people. Her and her mom, and another old lady. And she’s like, “Okay, what’s this project about?” And that was where it started.

You mentioned your children’s books. Did you do those before you started with your series The Untamed?

No, I started The Untamed—honestly, the world of Asunda I’ve been creating for 30 years. I started The Untamed, writing it, boy, back in the early 2000s as a film script to adapt, as a comic book with a film-strip kind of narrative. That took a long time. During that time, I started doing kids’ books. That was Garcelle Beauvais and the I Am book series, a celebration of all cultures, how to be brave, how not to give up. Kids’ books, where there was separation and divorce. We did that in 2012, I think when we first released our first kid’s book. I2009 is when we released The Untamed as a single issue, but then we pulled it. Then we came back and went deep into the lab and then came back down to 2015.

So you have a couple of characters that are very, very popular right now. Can you tell us a little bit about Niobe?

Niobe is kind of like the Luke Skywalker of our world. She is, boy, I mean she’s basically the character I poured my soul in. She’s a reflection of my ambitions, my inhibitions, my hope, my wrath, my own journey I guess as a young person. She’s mixed. She’s half black, half white; the most important thing is she’s half-angel, half-demon to reflect the duality within us that we will share. Also, she’s half-elven (half nomadic Galemren [wild elf]) and half-human. But she is that messiah-type character you follow from a very young age, and she grows into our kind of Cleopatra, if you will, of our world.

So you’ve got books where Niobe is life, she is death. What’s next?

The first one is Niobe: She Is Life, to really say she is. She is life. Niobe: She Is Death, when Niobe becomes a bounty hunter hunting down sex traffickers, human traffickers, and slave traders, reflects how young girls get abducted. Actually, that comic officially hits retail stores November 6. And then I’ll have Niobe: She Is Spirit, which combines her faith and fighting. I’ll finish with Niobe: She Is God, where she’ll bind nations against the devil, her father, the Untamed.

Who is Essessa?

Essessa is a Vorkasian Vampire. She is a very tragic figure. She might’ve been a very good person 2,000 years ago, when she fell in love with an ancient elven dude and she wanted to stay with him. She made her own deal with the devil to gain immortality, and he made her a vampire. That’s the very quick version. Then the elven dude spurned her love. He’s like, “Well, I’m not going to be with you now because you’re a vampire and you’re bad news.” She went back to the devil and was like, “I need my mortality back.” And he’s like, “Okay, bring me Niobe.” So in order to gain her love and her soul and humanity back, she has to bring Niobe to the devil.

Do you have this all planned all the way out? Do you know how Niobe’s story ends already?

I would say I have a very good solid framework, but with a lot of room to wiggle and grow. Malcolm X has this amazing quote: “Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.” You’re always growing. You can’t condemn a dude. You can’t be so hard on some dudes. You might’ve found some revelation, and then it’s 10 years from now or whatever. If I put myself into that corner as well and my characters into that corner, they might grow and teach me things as I get older, too.

Do you find that your writing tends to take a life of its own?

I do absolutely. I do very good rough outlines, and then I like to give myself creative to freedom.

So, you have a Kickstarter ongoing. How’s it going and what is the next goal?

The Kickstarter is finished. It went very well — we funded in three hours. Our next Kickstarter we think will probably be spring or summer If you guys want to get us stuff, even our Kickstarter stuff, you can actually still get it off our website at strangercomics.com or we always have a Backerkit survey. If you missed the Kickstarter, type in Niobe Returns Kickstarter and Niobe, She Is Death, Niobe Returns Kickstarter. That’ll take you to all of our stuff.

Let’s get into this last thing. So there’s been a lot of discussion on various social media platforms that you guys had sort of piped the HBO connection just to get the price of your books up.

Wow.

Right? What do you have to say to that?

I say that’s hilarious. We went out of our way. You know what? Like I’m going to work 30 years to try to get an HBO deal just so I can increase the value of a few comics I own. I mean, honestly, that’s the most ridiculous crap I have ever heard. Do you know how difficult it is to get an HBO deal? To increase the sales of my comic books? I put my soul into these comics. I’ve bled for them. I pour everything I have into them, and we had multiple offers. We made a deal with HBO. This stuff is not easy. No, it is not to increase the sales of our comic books. I actually do a little bit better with an HBO deal than a few extra comic sales.

Because I know you’ve been telling me to keep it secret for like four years.

Yeah, I know. Well we didn’t have any deals back then.

Right, but you were working on them.

We were working on a lot of deals, and we were very lucky that HBO gave us a fantastic development deal that we announced in March. So, the answer is — no.

Last question. How will the HBO series integrate with the current comic world?

Well, fingers crossed it gets greenlit. I mean, it’s not a definite, but it’s looking very promising. I’m working with the showrunner on HBO’s Insecure named Prentice Penny. He’s my co-writer. They have great executive producers in Mimi DiTrani and David Levine, and it’s all very, very exciting. It’ll integrate fantastically well. I get to be the lucky dude to write it. So, we don’t have to worry about it veering off into other areas.

But you also have to remember, Game of Thrones is adapted from a book. So there’s lots of fat they have to trim. A comic book has 24 pages. In that case, there’s a lot of extra stuff to build around it for an hour. You read a 24-page comic book in 10 to 20 minutes. Do you have an hour show? So we have to build more material. But the good news is I’ve been creating this world for 30 years.

I’m still getting over people thinking I’m trying to hype… That’s hilarious to me. I don’t have time to do that. Like, yeah, I’m going to just spend all my time hyping.

I’m just excited to share the news for our fans who have been supporting us for so many years and seen a struggle to see us grow and flourish, that they’re excited to see us. So yeah, I’m going to let folks know we have an HBO deal.

If you’re interested in obtaining any of the titles in Jones’ world of Asunda you can go to the Stranger Comics Kickstarter page or the Stranger Comics website.  If you’re trying to see the kid’s books, check out Amazon. But for the best experience and deals, pick a copy of whatever you’re interested in at a comic con. Sebastian and Darrell are always one for a deal.

E.Angel is an engineer and holds a BS in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. In her spare time, she works at her comic book stores — Brainstorm Comics and Gaming — when she is not writing. She’s a real nerd who loves all things Star Wars and Star Trek and is an avid gamer. E.Angel can be reached at e9of10@gmail.com or on either game platform as Bunnehs Sister.

In 2018, Marvel added Angélique Roché’s blog Marvel’s Voices to the mix. This February, Roché’s blog has been expanded into a series of essays that are available on the Marvel Comics website, as well as an anthology that will be released in your favorite local comic shop on February 19.

There is an artistry to comics that was and is not now truly appreciated. When done right, comics enables the artist to put the reader into situations and conditions outside of their own experience. This has allowed the exploration of racism through the mutant hate in the X-Men titles, as well as the acceptance of LGBTQI+ relationships through Northstar, America Chavez, Angela’s paramour Sera, and the re-imagined Bobby Drake.

The anthology explores various aspects of people of color’s relationship with and love for comics. The perspectives reflect the diversity of the community, and the accompanying one-shots seem to shotgun that experience all in one place. The one-shots run the gamut from reintroducing lesser known heroes of color like Blue Marvel to some nice frames from legends like Brian Steelfreeze or an introduction to the technical origins of some awesome comic tech.

There was a time when many industries, including the comic industry, starting censoring content. Despite the current campaign against censorship, the idea of promoting decency is not a bad one. What was a problem was the whitewashing of some things under the veil of decency. While some of us long for a conversation about everyday things that doesn’t include nine expletives, there is the question of right to individual exploration that is a hallmark of art. The recognition of the contributions of and by people of color and the enjoyment of that artistry is the benefit of the removal of those overbearing prescriptive requirements. Inherent to an appreciation of art is that not every piece of art speaks to every person. The anthology provides the opportunity to explore a range of experiences and stories, which may not appeal to all but there is enough content for most people to find some piece of themselves in it.

As we bring the only month dedicated to people of color and the shortest month in the Roman calendar, there is an opportunity to explore a little. Marvel Voices, both the podcast the anthology, is one of the most recent ways to honor the work of Black artists, writers, and even scientists. While we are not at the mountaintop yet, this offering moves us up the slopes a little more. The last essay by David Betancourt about “seeing Ourselves” will be posted on the Marvel website on February 19, the same day the anthology is released.

E.Angel is an engineer and holds a BS in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. In her spare time, she works at her comic book stores — Brainstorm Comics and Gaming — when she is not writing. She’s a real nerd who loves all things Star Wars and Star Trek and is an avid gamer. E.Angel can be reached at e9of10@gmail.com or on either game platform as Bunnehs Sister.