Friday Find: Beautifully Creepy Teaser for Sundance Film AFRONAUTS

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Premiering at the 2014 Sundance Festival, Afronauts is already makings lists as a must-see film.  Starring Diandra Forrest and Yolanda Ross, the film was created by Frances Bodomo, whose previous film Boneshaker featured actress  Quvenzhané Wallis and premiered at the 2013 Sundance Festival. The film is based on a true story about Zambian astronauts.

Synopsis for the film below:

“On 16 July 1969, America prepares to launch Apollo 11. Thousands of miles away, the Zambia Space Academy hopes to beat America to the moon. Inspired by true events.”

Keep up with screenings and updates on the Afronauts Facebook page!

Geeky Find Of The Day: A Black Spider-Woman?!

black spider-woman!

Yup, you read that right! It turns out back in 1975, Marvel had the genius idea to give a down-and-out librarian named Valerie a chance at the webs. The character had appeared first in a live-action skit on PBS, and was later incorporated into an issue of Spidey Super Stories (#11). The first Spider-Woman appeared in 1944 and only in one issue, and not until 30 years later did Valerie make her way onto the scene.

Spider Woman who happens to be black

Valerie had no superpowers (other than of course her super awesome bookishness), but after a little self-training, she was able to hold her own with Spider-man himself, which doesn’t say much for Spidey’s skill… Her heroics were short-lived though, not lasting past the single issue. After her homemade suction cups fall off her days of climbing walls and saving Spider-man were over.

Spidey reluctantly accepts

If she’d stuck around would we still have a Black Spider-Woman today? Would she have been as popular as the other renditions? Maybe when Miles Morales grows up, his daughter will follow in his radioactive footsteps!

Also anyone else kind of baffled that it took them so long to even try for Spider-Woman? I guess webs and a tingly spidey sense were just too masculine…

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via Black Comix and Comix 365

Happy Birthday, Zora Neale Hurston!

Author of four novels and several short stories, plays, and essays, including the classic masterpiece Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston was one of the most prominent literary figures of the Harlem Renaissance.

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And you might not know that she also rocks… literally. Hurtson had a deep interest in folklore, including song and dance. She spent much of her time researching them, and there are even recorded performances of her singing some of them, like the crow dance and song below!

Check her out!

6 Reasons To Do Your Own Thing & Get Weird

As geekery, games, and comics take the helm as the “new cool”, for many life-long geeks it feels like all those “Revenge of the Nerds”-esque movies of the 80’s have finally reached their prophecy hour. Everything that was once totally lame, uncool, and like “like, gag me with a spoon” weird is stealing the spotlight.  Yet, as creators and consumers of all different genres, creeds, and cool levels, we still struggle to remember that trying to fit the mold will only lead to bad imitations. Anything that’s ever had a chance at being cool or awesome or revolutionary started off super weird.

So, this is just your friendly Monday reminder to keep it weird!

And here’s a little inspiration from some gurus of weird:

#1 “Weird” literally means “Winning” in Middle English

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Okay so it literally meant “having the power to control destiny,” but you get the drift. Either way, being weird= being awesome.

#2 Being weird helps you appreciate the little things. 

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#3 Sometimes it turns out your weird isn’t actually as weird as you thought!

This guy was just some weirdo who danced the streets of New York, now he’s started a phenomenon (and basically the coolest friggin’ health program ever on earth).

And all the cool kids are into it now too!

#4 Getting Weird Can Save Lives

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson convinces generations of thug-would-be’s that excessive body waves is a .

#5 It’s kinda boring *not* being weird

*not* being weird

kinda boring

#6 Cause weird look goood on ya!

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Most Important Thing We Learned From Writing This List:

Whatever you do, don’t Google image “weird”…

Happy Birthday to Lebanese Poet Khalil Gibran

Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese poet most famous for the classic The Prophet, an incredible poem originally published in English in 1923. Born in Lebanon on January 6th, 1883, he immigrated to the United States but remained an advocate for peace and independence in the Middle East throughout his life. The Prophet is the third best-selling poem of all-time, according to The New Yorker, and understandably so! The man unleashes some serious wisdom in those stanzas! So happy birthday to a phenomenal poet, admirable advocate, and one seriously dapper dude (just look at him!)

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From The Prophet

“And what is it but fragments of your own
self you would discard that you may become
free?
If it is an unjust law you would abolish,
that law is written with your own hand
upon your own forehead.
You cannot erase it by burning your law
books nor by washing the foreheads of your
judges, though you pour the sea upon them.
And if it is a despot you would dethrone,
see first that his throne erected within you is
destroyed.
For how can a tyrant rule the free and
the proud, but for tyranny in their own
freedom and a shame in their own pride?”
Khalil Gibran, The Prophet, 1923