In 2009, the Asian American ComiCon was held in New York City, bringing together Asian indie and mainstream comics creators for a historic gathering to celebrate the unique and flourishing graphic storytelling of our community. Now, eight years later, AACC is hosting its second event: a Summit on Art, Action and the Future. In a time where diversity and creativity are both under attack, the Summit will feature diverse creators talking about where we're going next — and a special keynote conversation with George Takei!



The summit will also see the WORLD PREMIERE UNVEILING of NEW FRONTIERS, a brand new graphic anthology of original stories by Asian, black, Hispanic and Native American; lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans creators, telling original stories inspired by George Takei's life and legacy about incarceration and exclusion, representation and resistance, the digital world and the struggle in the streets. All-day events will include an Artists Alley where leading comics creators will be available for commissions and signings!

Advance tickets for the event are available NOW for a $3 discount. VIP tickets include a VIP guided tour of the NEW FRONTIERS exhibit, courtesy of curator Jeff Yang, as well as one of the first-run copies of the NEW FRONTIERS anthology and reserve seating for all five sessions! BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW.

TICKETS

General: $17 ($20 at the Door)

VIP: $47 ($50 at the Door) — Includes reserved seating, VIP tour of New Frontiers exhibit courtesy of Jeff Yang & first-run copy of New Frontiers anthology

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY SPONSORS:

CAPE - Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Kollaboration

AACC is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

11:30 AM—LUNCH PROVIDED BY Panda Express

PANELS

12PM—CAN POP CULTURE SAVE THE WORLD?

Pop culture is literally the people’s culture. At a time when creative and diverse voices are both under attack, what can pop culture do to make social change?

Mod: Jeff Yang (CNN contributor, They Call Us Bruce)

Panelists: Tananarive Due (Sci-Fi pioneer/Afrofuturist); Krista Suh (Pink Pussyhat Project founder); MILCK (Singer/Musician, "Quiet" Women's March anthem); Ira Madison III (entertainment writer for The Daily Beast: Entertainment)



1PM—ENVISIONING DIVERSE FUTURES

We've seen so many different kinds of futures unfurl in pop culture, and many of them have people of color and LGBTQ individuals as backdrop and "local color." What would a truly diverse, inclusive and intersectional future really look like?



Mod: Keith Chow (Founder, The Nerds of Color)

Panelists: Steven Barnes (Sci-Fi writer, THE LEGACY OF HEOROT and the DREAM PARK series, with Larry Niven); CB Lee (author of NOT YOUR SIDEKICK); Arune Singh (VP of Marketing, BOOM! Studios); LaToya Morgan (writer for AMC's Into The Badlands); Marc Bernardin (Fatman on Baman podcast; writer, Castle Rock).

2PM—WARRIOR WOMEN: REIMAGINING THE ASIAN FEMALE HERO

In the wake of Wonder Woman​, with MULAN on the horizon, what should we expect in a rich, textured, powerful and provocative Asian (or Asian American!) heroine? What's worked, what hasn't and why has it taken so damned long?



Mod: Rebecca Sun (Sr. Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter)

Panelists: Paula Yoo (Writer/Producer, Supergirl); Sarah Kuhn (author of HEROINE COMPLEX); and Samantha Jo (actor/stunts/Amazon, DC's WONDER WOMAN); Sumalee Montano-Zimmerman (Katana on Beware the Batman); Claire Lanay (Actress/Podcaster, Afronerd Radio).

3PM—#AAIRONFIST: BRINGING AN ASIAN AMERICAN HERO TO LIFE.

Screening & Discussion. Marvel's Iron Fist has generally been seen as a major disappointment — and it could've been so much more, if only Marvel and Netflix had embraced a not-so-radical rethinking of their martial artist hero as an Asian American. Some Asian American filmmakers actually brought their reimagined concepts for an Asian American Iron Fist to life, and they'll share their short videos as part of a conversation with the creator of the #AAIRONFIST hashtag.



Mod: Keith Chow (Founder, The Nerds of Color)

Panelists: Lewis Tan (Actor, Marvel's IRON FIST); Benjamin To (Filmmaker, The Immortal Iron Fist); Adam Lim (Iron Fist Pitch); John Brougher (Creator, Iron and Rage); Susan Cheng (Entertainment Reporter, BuzzFeed).

4PM—AWARD PRESENTATION to GEORGE TAKEI & LIVE RECORDING OF THEY CALL US BRUCE PODCAST

We'll close the day with a very special session — awarding the first-ever Excelsior Award for Art in the Service of Activism to the legendary George Takei​, followed by a LIVE RECORDING of a conversation between Takei, Jeff Yang and Phil Yu (Angry Asian Man) for their podcast #THEYCALLUSBRUCE.

