October 3, 2015 - October 9, 2015, The Afro-American
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ARTS & CULTURE
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Eric Seaton Makes the Leap From Comic Books to the Big Screen a short feature film about superheroes adapted from his trilogy of graphic novels of the same name.
Eric Seaton’s graphic novel “Legend of Manatamaji” is now a live-action short.
By Kam Williams Special to the AFRO Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Eric Dean Seaton was studying television and movies with the dream of one day becoming a director while most of his friends were running the streets. After graduating from Ohio State University, he moved to Hollywood where he proceeded to climb the showbiz ladder as an Assistant Director [AD] on such television series as “Living Single” and “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.” In 2004, Seaton made his directorial debut on the Disney Channel’s top-rated sitcom, “That’s So Raven,” starring former “The Cosby Show” actress Raven-Symoné. Seaton, a two-time NAACP Image Award-nominee in the Best Comedy Director category, went on to direct over 210 episodes of 38 different television shows and 18 music videos. Here, he talks about directing “Legend of the Manatamaji,”
KW: You’re very well known for directing TV shows. What interested you in comic books? EDS: Growing up, my dad worked out of town and used to come home on the weekends and take me to a coffee shop that had comic books. I would binge-read them in one day. Years later, when I moved to California, I lived down the street from a comic book shop. Later, one of my first jobs was on the sitcom “Living Single.” The director was married to the president of Marvel Comics. So, every Tuesday, tape day, I would drill him about all things Marvel. Finally, he invited me down to a company they bought called, Malibu Comics. After a tour, the editor asked me if I wanted to write a SpiderMan, Stop the Violence special. I did, but Marvel went into bankruptcy, so I never received a copy. After that, I knew I had to do my own. KW: Where did you come up with the idea for Legend of the Manatamaji? EDS: It was just a mind meld of everything I wanted to see done in a story. I took real things like the Ankh [the ancient Egyptian symbol for eternal life] and blended them into a totally imaginative story. KW: How would you describe your characters? EDS: All of them are flawed individuals, because that makes for the most interesting stories. I made sure, however, to include strong female characters and a multi-cultural cast; because this reflects the world we live in today. KW: What message do you think people will take away from the film? EDS: Heroes come in every race and gender, and that independent books can offer even greater and more imaginative stories than some of the mainstream companies can.
Leonard Pitts Jr. Tackles Race and Publishing in ‘Grant Park’ By Erin-Melissa Jackson Special to the AFRO
Leonard Pitts Jr is a columnist at the Miami Herald who is not afraid to mix it up when it comes to race and politics. The South Carolina native’s fourth book, “Grant Park,” deals with the fallout of what happens when a Black newspaper columnist writes an incendiary column about race that his White editor refuses to run. The novel wrestles with the question of ‘Is America still racist?’ With “Grant Park,” Pitts was interested in exploring the issue of resentment over race in the workplace. “I just wanted to play with the idea of what if a columnist responded to this in a visceral outburst of anger,” he said, in an interview with the AFRO. “You know, what drives a man to do that.” “There’s elements of my experience as a columnist, and a lot of black columnists, that inform the world Malcolm [the Black columnist] lives in,” he said. “You reach a point where the truth (Courtesy Photo) is as strange as or stranger than fiction.” “Grant Park” is the new The 2008 Presidential Election between John McCain and book by Leonard Pitts Jr. Barack Obama is a major plot point in the book that charts Malcolm and his editor Bob’s alternating views on the country’s stability and racism. Pitts is no stranger to outlandish comments in his column. “Looking at the presidential race Pitts jokes that “one of the greatest illustrations of this is [Donald] Trump as one of the leading candidates.” The historic presidential race serves not just as a backdrop to the racism in the fictional world of Grant Park but also in present day America. Barack Obama winning the election lead people to think “…We have come a lot further than we [actually] have.” Blacks have been dealing with “these issues [of racism] since the 1960s” said Pitts. The election of a Black president “doesn’t mean [these issues] are not still abiding.” Pitts hopes that his novel “will remind people that #blacklivesmatter didn’t just start with Freddie Gray or Trayvon Martin.” “It is really shameful that it takes to taking to the streets before some of us in this country wake up,” he said in regards to the riots earlier this year in Baltimore. “I’m glad to see the community finally.” he said “I’ve been wondering for the past 10 or 15 years where they’ve been.” “Grant Park” will be published on Oct. 13 by Agate Bolden. For more information go to leonardpittsjr.com.
KW: This series of graphic novels certainly seems timely, given how there’s suddenly a profusion of black superheroes
onscreen.
EDS: I would agree. There is a profusion of superhero sidekicks and co-stars on screen, but there haven’t been many lead superheroes onscreen anywhere, with the exception of “The Fantastic Four” and Michael B. Jordan’s role, and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” with John Boyega. There won’t be a leading role for African-American actors in theaters until “Black Panther” in 2018. And even then, he will be introduced as a story point for other non-black heroes. The opinion, here, is that we still have long ways to go, but, hopefully, “Legend of the Mantamaji” is opening doors for other main heroes and reaffirming that the story is just as good, if not better. KW: What was the biggest challenge in adapting “Legend of the Manatamaji” to the screen as a live-action as opposed to an animated short? EDS: Adjusting the look and tone of the books to match a real world. I think we proved that the tone of the books lends well to other media. The suit is exactly the same except the arms, and that is because we ran out of time making it. We had to shoot it in January on a certain weekend because of the equipment we got. But only I, as a creator, notice the arm difference. In making more down the line, we will actually do the arms just like the books. KW: What are your future plans in terms of this series? EDS: We are currently working on Book 4 which will be titled “Legend of the Mantamaji: Bloodlines.” It continues the story of the characters that survived the original series and introduces a few new ones that may change the history of the series as we currently know it to be. KW: What else do you have on tap? EDS: We are also looking to shoot more shorts where we can introduce more of the characters. People are always asking if we are going to make a movie. We would love to but in 2015, with the exception of Michael B. Jordan, there isn’t a black actor under the age of 40 that can open a movie. Kevin Hart can, but he’s a comedian. So, we are looking to find a company willing to invest in the adventure knowing it fills a niche demographic, African-Americans, in an underserved market, while it is also multi-cultural with a universal appeal. Check out the film version of Legend of the Mantamaji at legendofthemantamaji.com.
D.C. Musicians Recreate Motown Era By Micha Green Special to the AFRO
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The Brencore Allstars perform Motown hits from the 1960s and ‘70s.
The Publick Playhouse, in Cheverly, Maryland, served as a time travelling machine on the night of Sept. 26, as it took audiences back to the 1960s and 70s, with Motown hits played during the Tribute to the Music of Motown by the Brencore Allstars. The Brencore Allstars are a local 12-piece band from the Washington, D.C. area. “I personally think this is the best Motown revue on the east coast,” Robert Smoot, CEO of Brencore Entertainment and producer of the show, said. He said he compared the show’s quality to Motown the Musical on Broadway. Six singers, in the show, did a compilation of full songs of classic Motown artists, and a host of medleys, from singers such as Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, The Temptations, The Supremes, and The Jackson 5. Not only did they sing, Motown hits, but the show also paid homage to Aretha Franklin, who is known as the queen of soul. The performances were interactive as they encouraged audience members to get out their seats and dance. Smoot said the show’s interactive nature was what made it different from other Motown revue performances. “Come on miss lady with those cute earrings I like,” sang Lakesha Ameya Taylor, directly to an audience member who was flattered and danced even harder. Linda Lewis, an audience member who came to the show as a birthday gift to her 97-year-old husband, Harvey Lewis, thoroughly enjoyed the show. “I think it’s important because it made you move,” she said. In total, there were 28 songs performed by the band. Brencore Allstars will perform a Tribute to the Music of Motown next at the Howard Theatre on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
SPECIAL LIMITED ENGAGEMENT OCT 15–17
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The acclaimed Isango Ensemble returns to Center Stage with beautiful South African adaptations of Carmen and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
5 PERFORMANCES ONLY!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Thu, Oct 15: 1 pm—all seats $25! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Thu, Oct 15: 7 pm uCarmen, Fri , Oct 16: 8 pm uCarmen, Sat, Oct 17: 2 pm uCarmen, Sat, Oct 17: 8 pm
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Visit centerstage.org or call the Box Office at 410.332.0033.