38th Annual Comic Con Features Action, Manga and Martial Arts
38th Annual Comic Con Features Action, Manga and Martial ArtsBy Edward Pollard |
Managing Editor Edward Pollard ignored the horror stories of human gridlock and Hollywood body snatchers and waded in to find the show floor surprisingly capable of handling herds of nerds. Innovatively costumed fans mingled with wide-eyed youngsters of all ages, milling about looking for signs of their favorite corner of fantasy fiction and the chance to discover something new. The annual gathering of the comic book industry has gradually mesmerized the television, movie and gaming industries, to which it’s become a virtual feeding trough and marketer’s paradise. The size of the crowds attending the Comic Con is a sign of the success enjoyed by the once-humble medium. The martial arts are no stranger to the world of fantasy storytelling and action extravagance, so it wasn’t long before I encountered an independent action group calling themselves The Stunt People, who gladly struck a fighting pose for the camera. Coincidentally, Black Belt freelance writer Terry Wilson arrived to shoot a video interview as stuntman Ray Carbonel was talking about reading our magazine as a kid.
Martial arts-related themes, fighting styles and figures were in evidence everywhere, with ninja and samurai leading the pack of archetypes most favored by the comic book genre. The huge popularity of manga and anime bodes well for Asian pop culture and by default, the martial arts trappings that animate their action scenes. Hybrids like Jose Lopez’s developing character Mariachi Samurai show that a strong tradition can cross cultural borders with relative ease. Kandrix Foong and Konsequential Studios’ A Monk’s Tale has been flourishing since Black Belt last checked in with them at the Long Beach Comic Convention in 2005. Sword expert Dale Berry’s intricately researched Tales of the Moonlight Cutter is as historically and culturally accurate as possible, down to authentic ritual garb and even a verbatim translation of a complete Taoist exorcism!
Texas-based independent publisher Antarctic Press publishes a title called Legacy, by writer and artist Fred Perry, an appealing and colorful blend of action, manga and martial arts. More evidence for martial arts-related titles were found at the Mad Yak Press booth in Valaan: Ascension, the brainchild of writer Kereth Cowe-Spigai and artist Renato Mapa, Jr. Piggy-backing at the Mad Yak booth was the gritty Midwestern ninja title, Ninja #. Independent writer Edmund Alexander Sims and artist Jason Adam chose the Comic Con to launch their epic tale, which they estimate will last for 850 issues. By no means a complete summary of everything martial arts at the Comic Con, this harvest of new and innovative work is proof positive that the medium remains a haven for creative artistic energies. About the author: Edward Pollard is the managing editor for Black Belt.
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