iWriteAboutMe.com: Giant Robot Invades Vancouver!

Here's another great event happening this THURSDAY in Vancouver!! On the side, I work as the event coordinator for iWriteAboutMe, a monthly series of workshops about writing on the web, featuring the hottest diverse voices out there making it big online. Past speakers have included writers, editors, and film directors around the world, such as Phil Yu of Angry Asian Man! This month, we are featuring Eric Nakamura and Martin Wong, creators of Giant Robot Magazine. GR is a key figure in the Asian American media scene, having been the first to come out with a print magazine based entirely on Asian American pop culture. Come out to this electric event as we talk live with them via broadband at the Museum of Vancouver. Here's some more details care of Schema Magazine:

Schema Magazine and Museum of Vancouver (MOV) are super excited to present the next featured speakers for the 5th iWriteAboutMe workshop, Asian American pop culture pioneers Eric Nakamura and Martin Wong, creators of the always fresh Giant Robot magazine!

Thursday May 20, 2010
6:30-8:00 PM | Museum of Vancouver (MOV) |
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, B.C.

This is a FREE event and everyone is welcome. RSVP required as seating is limited. Please visit NA@AP Vancouver to reserve a seat. More on Facebook.

These icons of Asian American media will be joining us live via broadband from 6:30pm-8:00pm at the MOV for an exclusive interview about the past, present, and future of Giant Robot, Asian American pop culture, and more! (Look for directions below)

Eric and Martin took on their first issues of GR with a die hard DIY attitude, probably stemming from their anarchic punk aesthetic. In the 90s that sure took some hands-on work, and not just hands on a keyboard, with a 'publish' button. It took photocopying. A lot.

Now Giant Robot has evolved into a multimedia enterprise with its own line of products and a webzine a-bloom with input from a crowd of techno-savvy, tongue-in-cheeky bloggers. It has even spawned "Robot babies" with stores starting from its birthplace in California and spreading all the way to New York City's East Village. GR was 50 issues old in 2007 but has aged well and can now boast covers in bold colour, graced by street art, anime characters and cinema stills.

63 issues later, GR continues to be that "small, punk-minded magazine" that showcases the fun, quirky and just-plain-weird side of Asian American culture. Not to mention, it has inspired many prolific Asian American voices, including previous iWriteAboutMe.com speakers, Phil Yu, creator of the super-blog AngryAsianMan.com and Jen and Diana of the hilarious and ever-popular blog Disgrasian.com.

GR has set itself apart from all magazines out there today, proving that there will always be a demand for Asian American content and the more the attitude, the better.

Tell us, how can you say no to a FREE event that gives you the chance to listen to these inspiring icons speak, ask questions and learn about what could inspire YOU to make a difference as well?

Check out the event on Facebook. Space is limited! Please RSVP with NA@AP Vancouver.

Sponsored by The Laurier Institution and Bing Thom Architects.

Hope to see you there!