Free Comic Book Day 2020 to Take Place July 15 through September 9

Free Comic Book Day 2020 to Take Place July 15 through September 9 (image via Free Comic Book Day site)

Free Comic Book Day, the comic book industry's largest annual promotional event, is traditionally scheduled to take place the first Saturday in May each year. However, the impact and spread of COVID-19 prevented the event from being celebrated at its normal time this year. Now, the beloved event has been rescheduled and reworked to take place throughout July and early September in order to accommodate social-distancing and store capacity regulations across the country, effectively making it Free Comic Book Summer!

Scheduled to take place between July 15 and September 9, retailers will receive five to six Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) titles in their weekly shipments during each week of the promotional window. Release of these titles may vary from shop to shop, as retailers are encouraged to release the books as they see fit for their unique circumstances.

Retailers may release one free title a day, make all of that week's free titles available at once, or any other plan that works for them. Free Comic Book Summer is designed to be flexible and customizable so retailers and consumers can get the most out the event.

Available on July 15, FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2020: X-MEN will feature a brand-new X-MEN story by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz that will lead into the game-changing X OF SWORDS crossover! The second story will also foreshadow an upcoming epic tale by Tom Taylor and Iban Coello. (image via Free Comic Book Day site)

"Every year, Free Comic Book Day is our big event to thank current comics fans, welcome back former fans and invite those new to comics to join the fun," said Joe Field, originator of FCBD, and owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, CA. "In this very different year, Free Comic Book Day is more like Free Comic Book Summer... and there's so much fun to discover in this year's FCBD comics! So many cool stories are available for this stretched-out Free Comic Book Day 2020. I'm confident long-time fans and newcomers alike are going to find a story that'll make them want to visit their local comic shop every week! Fans, bring your friends and family and head to your local comic shop every week starting July 15 through September 9 to check out the new, and fantastic, free comics available that week!"

• Free Comic Book Summer will feature 45 of the previously announced titles from publishers like Marvel Comics, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, DC, and more! 
• The 45 titles are designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes and run the gamut from superhero stories, to TV and movie tie-ins, to sci-fi adventures, all-ages tales, and beyond. 
• There will also be two educational support titles from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Gemstone Publishing.

A complete listing of all 45 FCBD titles, including the 10 Gold Sponsor and 35 Silver Sponsor comic books, can be viewed online at freecomicbookday.com. 

On July 22, FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2020: SPIDER-MAN/VENOM will provide two exciting tales connected to the coming major storylines in VENOM, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and BLACK CAT from top creators Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, Jed MacKay, and Patrick Gleason and more! (image via Free Comic Book Day site)

• To view the weekly release schedule, click here.

SOURCE: Diamond Comic Distributors

New PSA from Love Has No Labels Challenges Viewers to Confront the State of Freedom in the U.S. for Black Americans [Video Included]

New PSA from Love Has No Labels Challenges Viewers to Confront the State of Freedom in the U.S. for Black Americans (screengrab)

To support the ongoing fight for racial justice for the Black community, the Ad Council and R/GA today launched a new PSA from the iconic Love Has No Labels campaign to inspire all Americans to fight for racial equality in America. 

Building on the campaign's longstanding effort to address bias, the film holds a mirror to the simple acts of freedom often celebrated and taken for granted by non-Black Americans, revealing the stark contrast of those freedoms and the way Black people in this country endure systemic racism and injustice. 

The campaign ultimately encourages viewers to come together for racial justice, directing to lovehasnolabels.com for educational and actionable resources to help continue the work toward equality.

"The campaign's message is very simple yet profound: we all have a role to play in dismantling systemic racism in this country," said Lisa Sherman, president & CEO of the Ad Council. "It's time for Americans to listen, learn and act. While we know these long-simmering problems are nothing new, we want to leverage this moment in time, a national reckoning with race, and inspire change."

Developed pro bono by R/GA, the new PSA opens with idyllic images of America and traditional symbols of freedom – flags draped from windows, children watching fireworks – before highlighting specific moments of simple activities that have led to the harassment or murder of innocent Black lives. Jogging in a neighborhood, birdwatching in a park, driving, or sleeping safely in one's own bed. Juxtaposing these images, the PSA reminds viewers that before we celebrate the freedom most Americans have, we must fight for the freedom all Americans deserve, that Black lives matter.

The campaign directs to lovehasnolabels.com, where individuals can more deeply understand the underpinnings of racism and structural inequality today and what they can do to help end it. This includes ways to get involved locally or with national racial justice organizations and better understand issues like the Black Lives Matter movement, privilege, police reform, and mass incarceration.

R/GA Strategist Aaron Harridge stated, "we did this because we are educated to believe that 'freedom' is afforded to all Americans. This isn't true. We wanted to highlight the freedoms that the privileged masses take for granted. To truly achieve 'freedom' and take on the disproportionate systematic racism targeted at the Black community, we must ALL take action." 

Strategist Brandon Heard added, "For brands, companies, and people that choose to stand behind our message, know that activating allyship is a journey. This is just the beginning of what it looks like to turn privilege into power and to employ that power in an effort to advance the culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion."

The Video:

Love Has No Labels' brand partners Bank of America, Google, Johnson & Johnson, State Farm and Walmart are supporting the campaign by promoting content across their channels. In addition to funding the campaign, brand partners show their support during the year through online and offline activations including social messaging, custom content creation, employee engagement, events and more.

The integrated campaign will also receive donated media, digital and social support from partners including: AdTheorent, Adtoniq, AMC, The Atlantic, Audiomack, Condé Nast, Cox Communications, Crackle Plus, Criteo, Effectv (Comcast), Facebook, Forbes Media, Future plc, Google, GumGum, J2 Global, LinkedIn, LiveIntent, MiQ, Philo, Pinterest, Pluto TV, Reddit, SHE Media, true[X], TuneIn, Vox Media, Wayfarer Entertainment, YouTube and others. Publicis Media worked pro bono to develop a media strategy and secure targeted donated media placements to extend the campaign's reach. IPG's Matterkind will be executing targeted media through a donated Private Marketplace with The Trade Desk. The new Love Has No Labels creative will also be featured in an upcoming virtual concert with John Legend later this month, in partnership with Wave.

New PSA from Love Has No Labels Challenges Viewers to Confront the State of Freedom in the U.S. for Black Americans (screengrab)

• The Love Has No Labels campaign first launched nationally in 2015 with a video of skeletons dancing and embracing before coming out from behind an x-ray screen to reveal themselves as diverse couples, friends and families. 
• The original "Love Has No Labels" video became the first PSA to win an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial and received more than 169 million views making it the second most viewed social activism video of all time. 
• In 2016, it was followed by "We Are America" featuring WWE Superstar John Cena celebrating the diversity of America on Independence Day. 
• In 2017, Love Has No Labels put a twist on the kiss cam by turning it into a symbol for unbiased love with "Fans of Love." 
• The campaign launched its first short film in 2018 with "Rising," written by Lena Waithe (The Chi, Master of None) and directed by David Nutter (Game of Thrones), asking the question, "why does it take a disaster to bring us together?" 
• In total, the campaign's four videos have exceeded 380 million online views.

Since the campaign's initial video launched in March 2015 there have been over 10.5 million U.S. sessions on lovehasnolabels.com. Since the launch of the campaign, significantly more adults agree that they can create a more accepting and inclusive environment (61% in March 2015 to 74% in April 2020), according to a survey commissioned by the Ad Council and conducted by Ipsos, Public Affairs. 

To date, the campaign has received more than $110 million in donated media.

SOURCE: The Ad Council

"Little Tiaras" Became the First Animated Series From Russia With Main Characters Presenting Racial Diversity

CTC Media's "Little Tiaras"

"Little Tiaras," animated series produced by Melnitsa Animation Studio, owned and managed by CTC Media and CTB Film, introduced two more exciting characters in the end of Season 2. Little Tiaras welcomed two boys – Li Van and Da Vasko – to their school of Magic in Wondermont. This makes the series the first animated series in Russia presenting racial diversity of the leading characters (Da Vasko is black and Li Van is Asian).

Ksenia Gordienko, Director of animation department, CTC Media: "No doubt that there's an evident lack of authentic characters representing diverse perspectives in children's media. We're thrilled that 'Little Tiaras' will become one of the series that will help create a more diverse on-screen landscape that will let little kids see how diverse our world is. We're very proud to be a first animated series in Russia with racial diverse main characters."

CTC Media, the leading entertainment broadcasting company in Russia, intends to increase the international sales of the project to follow the immense success of their hit series KID-E-CATS (156x5'), aimed at preschoolers.

APC Kids, the children's entertainment division of leading co-production and distribution company APC Studios based in Paris, France, is on board to distribute Little Tiaras Season 3. Earlier the exclusive free-to-air rights for season one and two have been picked up by Noga for The Children Channel in Israel, TVP for TVP ABC in Poland and All Media for Kanals 2 in Latvia. Little Tiaras will also be available in Chinese starting this summer on major local VOD platforms in mainland China – Tencent and IQiYi – as well on many others. 

Lionel Marty, Managing Director of APC Kids, says: "'Little Tiaras' recipe of magic and friendship has all the ingredients to charm children in North America and across the globe. We're excited to be continuing our collaboration with CTC Media on the third season and can't wait for audiences to discover the exciting new characters: two boys arriving in Wondermont!"

SOURCE: CTC Media

Should you Invest in a PA System?

Should you Invest in a PA System? (Photo Credit: cottonbro)

There are many different uses for a PA system these days. A PA system is generally comprised of a system of microphones, amplifiers, speakers and other equipment that is used to provide sound for large venues or even buildings in which a lot of people are congregated, to easily pipe sound into various rooms and areas. The microphone converts the sound into voltage, which is then sent to a mixer or loudspeaker for amplification, and then is fed through the speakers. The higher the voltage, the louder the sound. Different types of businesses, groups and individuals need different levels of sound - some need the most basic amplification for smaller rooms or venues, while others in larger buildings or outdoor events need something much larger and louder. PA systems of various types are used in schools, businesses, concert venues and arenas, bars and restaurants, auditoriums, warehouses, and even on aircraft or ships. Obviously, there are many different types of PA systems and setups out there for various industries and uses, ranging from the very elaborate to the reasonably small and easy to install. It all depends on how much amplification you need.

Do you think a PA system is right for you, your band, your business or school? Chances are the answer is yes! PA systems are a great investment and well worth the money; because they come in so many different types, sizes and setups, you can easily find one that accommodates your needs and is within your price range. Many local musician and electronics shops have staff that will be happy to talk with you about your needs.

If you’re interested in installing a PA system for your business, venue or event you may be wondering what type to get and whether you can set it up yourself. Depending on your size requirements and the type of PA you’re interested in, there are lots of different tutorials out there; for instance, this basic guide for how to set up a PA system. It can definitely save you money to set your own PA system up, just make sure you do it right!

Depending on what you need it for, you might need a specific type of PA system. It’s important to do your research to determine what type is right for your specific location and use. Here’s a few examples:

Bands/Performances

If you’re a musician who wants to invest in your own PA to carry around to gigs, house parties and recording/practice sessions, you may want to invest in a PA that’s already assembled and easy to transport. Nobody wants to spend an hour or two before a show setting up a PA and installing a bunch of equipment. Luckily, several music supply stores carry ready-assembled basic PA systems that have great sound, are easy to use, and easy to transport, giving you convenience and accessibility so you can focus on the music.

These are also great for other types of performers and those in industries that need to transport their PA for other in-public performances, lectures or events.

Schools

Most schools these days, whether it’s a K-12 school or an established university, utilize some sort of PA system to make it easy to communicate with students and faculty, as well as make announcements, amplify assemblies, games and events, and so on.

Most schools have custom PA systems that are installed by a professional, so you’ll likely want to hire a professional in your area to set up the PA system in your school. Take the time to compare costs and look at different PAs to determine which one is right for the size, layout and uses of your individual school.

Wifi PA systems are becoming increasingly popular around the country, with various schools choosing to go with these for the ease of access and how easy they are to install.

Warehouse/Business

If you run a big business with lots of staff that are scattered across a large building, or if you run a warehouse, manufacturing plant or assembly line, a PA system is going to be your best friend. Being able to communicate over speakers to all of your employees is definitely a more efficient and safe way to speak to your employees while they’re working in various parts of the building. Having a PA system makes it so much easier to find a staff member who might be elsewhere in the building or make announcements while people are busy on the floor.

Because so many warehouses are crowded and dealing with heavy or dangerous equipment, having a wireless PA system is really important. Tangled wires, heavy speakers and bulky audio equipment is only going to get in the way and potentially get damaged and/or cause accidents. Luckily there are many great wireless PA systems on the market especially designed for businesses, manufacturers and warehouses. Some can be installed on your own and others may require a professional install.

Churches and Religious Institutions

Many churches and religious institutions are beginning to use PA systems for a variety of needs. They find that having a PA system eliminates the need for their religious clergymen and women to shout and yell across a congregation that may or may not hear them due to hearing difficulties. A PA system adds a little professional polish to a church service while making sermons and meetings more accessible. Many smaller churches choose to go with PA systems that are easy to install and set up on their own, but they sound every bit as good as one that was professionally installed.

These are just a few examples of businesses, groups and people who have a need for PA systems. Setting up your own custom PA system for your individual needs is easier than you think, and you’ll be thrilled with the accessibility and amplified sound that they can provide you. Whether you choose a ready-assembled PA system, a system you install yourself or have an elaborate PA system set up by a professional, you’ll be thrilled when you see how a PA system can improve your business, school, church or band.

What People Want From Higher Education

What People Want From Higher Education (Picture by Gerd Altman from Pixabay - CC0 Licence)

Rankings are no longer the top priority for most students. Higher ed, in general, has taken a backseat for many, as most adults are put off by prospective debt. And so, finding what will motivate and attract people to higher education has never been more critical. It's not enough to assume students are only thinking about picking a school program that will hopefully lead to better job prospects. Getting to know what potential students want is part of the puzzle that can help your educational establishment interest the public.

Of course, prosperous universities need an amalgamation of strategies to entice and convert new customers. For instance, based on higher ed marketing trends, focus on mobile-optimized websites and apps are necessary. Alongside a compelling social media marketing campaign to entice newbies. However, before implementing your marketing strategy, you need to pinpoint what your USPs are and whether you can offer what the students want.

Welcoming Culture

It's the first feeling every prospective student wants; they want to feel welcome and treated as an individual as opposed to another student! Successful colleges and universities foster an inclusive atmosphere where students, teachers, and faculty respect one another. Ignorant staff and uninterested teachers turn off new people from colleges and universities. After all, if an individual is going to spend the next few years at lectures, study groups, and perhaps even live on campus, they need to feel comfortable and a sense of belonging.

To Be Inspired

To feel as though a teacher's words have resonated so profoundly with a student or class, it motivates young individuals to strive for more in their lives, give them direction and help them seek a purpose. Inspiration is one of the differences between providing general education, and one that will dazzle its students.

Equally, gateway opportunities to gain experience gives students confidence the college or university does not just leave students to their own devices to get a job or start a business when their education has finished. Great higher ed offers students the opportunity to bridge the gap between their education and employment by supporting other needs such as soft skills and self-confidence. Colleges and universities that frequently network and utilize their contacts to create opportunities for students are viewed upon fondly.

Scholarships

Students from low-income backgrounds are often put off by the prospective mountain of debt they set themselves up to accumulate if they venture into higher ed. More grants, bursaries, and scholarships advertised to the public show that a university values its role in promoting equality in society. By giving more opportunities to people from low-income backgrounds and low socio-economic status. If you provide scholarships, make it known, not just on your website, but reach out to schools and deprived areas to show people what your school has to offer.

Students seek out education for many reasons, and it's not always about getting a job. For example, some students study to meet other people's expectations of them, and others want to get away from home. Getting into the "best" school is essential for some, and enduring something challenging is what attracts others. Research and source what people want, and present the part of your school that performs those needs to draw new customers in.

Hobbies To Help Children And Teenagers Develop Social Skills After Lockdown

Hobbies To Help Children And Teenagers Develop Social Skills After Lockdown (Image source - Pixabay - CC0 License)

In today’s society, we see too many children glued to technology. Of course, while some of these advances give children greater opportunities than we ever got, it can take over their lives. From gaming to YouTube there doesn’t seem much else to demand their attention. But what we have seen is that more children are not developing good social skills. Preferring to spend time on their own, and also lacking in confidence. This is more evidence than ever having recently had to go into lockdown. While the world is changing and the lockdown is easing, it might be time to start thinking about future hobbies for your children. If you are spotting the signs in your children that technology is becoming too much then perhaps encouraging another hobby could be the way forward. With that in mind, here’re a few things you could consider for when lockdown is fully over.

Join a team and play football

Joining a team is an excellent way to encourage the development of social skills. It allows your child to mix with other children their age. Football is a great activity for both boys and girls. It enables them to be active and use up a lot of energy. While also learning valuable skills like hand and eye coordination.

Taking to the water for swimming classes

Swimming is an essential skill for any child to learn. But it’s surprising how little time children spend in the pool. There is a certain lack of confidence children experience in the water. This is why weekly swimming lessons are a great opportunity for children. Not only does it build up confidence in the water, but having shared lessons enables them the opportunity to make some friends.

Attending a drama class and being part of productions

If your child isn’t particularly into sports, there are other ways you can build up their confidence and social skills. Drama classes are a great way to encourage a more creative outlet. Some drama schools have separate lessons for performing arts and singing, which could allow other hobbies to develop. Most will put on productions and by being in front of a crowd will really build up confidence.

Skateboarding

For some, skateboarding could be the ideal hobby and it doesn't take much investment to get started with it. A new board, a place to go and practice, and being around like-minded people is all that it takes. They could even look at the history of skateboarding to get broader knowledge of it. It will help them to embrace their personality and socialise with others who feel similar to them.

Learning a musical instrument

Another great way to build up confidence in their own ability is to encourage the playing of a musical instrument. It allows many skills to develop, and it’s a great way to improve other skills. Especially concentration. Socially children will meet other children who learn the same instruments. It’s a great way to encourage them to spend time with them while practising their instruments.

Let’s hope this helps you encourage confidence and social skills in your children and teenagers.

How to Support Kids' and Teens' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Children and teens with pre-existing mental health conditions are vulnerable to stressors during the pandemic. (Pixabay)

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant amount of attention on our mental health. While organizations are compiling a wide range of online toolkits and templates, the impact of the pandemic on those with pre-existing mental health challenges seems to be missing from our collective conversation. Although all of us are feeling more vulnerable, there are members of our community who were already struggling before physical distancing restrictions were in place.

Among the most vulnerable individuals are children and youth with pre-existing mental health challenges. Before the pandemic, rates of mental illness and emergency department visits had been steadily increasing. Years of chronic underfunding have led to a fragmented system marked by excessive wait times and difficulty accessing treatment.

As the pandemic unfolded, my clinical work as an academic child and adolescent psychiatrist also changed. Some of the families I work with are doing better, yet many are experiencing more extreme and varied struggles than they were before the pandemic hit. Although the proliferation of online supports has been helpful for many individuals with mild difficulties, every young person and family is unique.

Calm is contagious

By regulating their own anxieties, caregivers can help kids by enhancing a sense of control and moderation. (Pixabay)

Alongside the many young people who are suffering, caregivers are also struggling. For many caregivers, trying to help our loved ones can be profoundly challenging when we feel overwhelmed and helpless. If those we are caring from see we are calm, then they are more likely to be calm themselves. Projecting command is vital. If a kid or teen loses or breaks their glasses, we can’t get anxious about how to replace them, because they’re already tense. We need to remember that there are ways to get a replacement pair, amid a pandemic, buying online instead of going to a store. If we show calm in a crisis, that will filter down. The most important thing we can do is to take care of ourselves. We have to put our oxygen masks on before we try to help others.

Although anxiety and fear can be contagious, calm is also contagious. The work of Dr. Bruce Perry, a child psychologist and trauma expert, highlights that caregivers can help their kids regulate by modifying the strategies they use to control their own anxiety, to enhance a sense of control, predictability and moderation.

Structure and sleep

Enhancing control, predictability and moderation at home can be addressed through balancing structure and flexibility in daily routines. Some caregivers have found it difficult to implement a routine while juggling their responsibilities.

Others have tried to implement routine but have been too rigid. Most often, I recommend a “Goldilocks” approach to structure and routine during the pandemic. Avoid extremes, be easy on yourself and keep in mind that balance is everything.

A ‘Goldilocks’ approach to routines avoids extremes. (Unsplash)

For example, if your child or teen is experiencing “sleep cycle reversal,” where they are up for most of the night and sleeping during most of the day, try to encourage small steps towards improving their routine. Dial back the time they wake up slightly instead of making drastic changes. Discourage naps during the day, encourage them to come out of their room at scheduled times or for a specified amount of time each day.

Be flexible and take baby steps. Let them sleep in a little, and ensure that any changes are discussed, negotiated and fine-tuned to your loved one’s needs.

Child and adolescent psychiatrists have published some fantastic tools that help with structure.

When existing strategies don’t work

Another issue for caregivers of young people with pre-existing mental health challenges is that using existing strategies to regulate anxiety may not be sufficient. The chronic stress of the pandemic can amplify existing anxiety. Many caregivers have said that tried-and-tested tools such as paced breathing are not enough.

Meanwhile young people have said they are experiencing a complex mix of emotions that they struggle to describe. They want to feel better, but when existing strategies don’t seem to work, they experience a cycle of frustration, helplessness and hopelessness that leads them to feel worse.

Young people may be experiencing a complex mix of emotions that they find difficult to describe, and existing strategies may not help them feel better.(Pixabay)

Many approaches to addressing anxiety encourage us to try to reason with our emotions. These approaches emphasize how we can fix our feelings through changing how we talk to ourselves. During the pandemic, however, there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty around things that are simply outside of our control. When we are confronted with major stress or trauma, trying to fix how we are feeling can sometimes make things worse.

Acceptance-based strategies

When encountering stressors that are significant and persistent, I encourage the families I work with to shift to acceptance-based strategies.

Acceptance involves being aware of your present experience so that you can accept your thoughts and feelings as valid and reasonable while working to prevent them from controlling you. For caregivers, this means accepting what you cannot control and encouraging your loved one to do the same. By accepting that the emotions we are feeling are normal and valid given the circumstances, acceptance helps us to avoid falling into a spiral of self-blame.

Validating our emotions and the emotions of our kids and teens helps to prevent these emotions from taking over. When we try to ride an emotional wave, it is also natural that there will be times when these emotions may feel particularly intense or threatening. Rather than try to fight them too hard or swim against the current, we can remind ourselves that we are built for resilience, wired to survive and that with every hardship comes ease.

Although none of us knows exactly what lies ahead, whatever comes our way, we will get through it together. For any young person or caregiver who is struggling and feels like they cannot cope, please do not forget that the mental health system is still open and here for you. Please do not be afraid to reach out and ask for help.

About Today's Contributor:

Javeed Sukhera, Associate professor, Psychiatry, Western University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

"1 Angry Black Man" Now Available to Worldwide Audiences [Trailer Included]

"1 Angry Black Man" tells the story of Mike Anderson, a senior at a New England liberal arts college. After an erroneous arrest for a crime he did not commit, Mike’s story transitions to an existential conversation about gender dynamics, racism, and class, as well as an empirical study of the works of four iconic Black intellectuals.

Soulidifly Productions, a film company with a mission to produce meaningful, uplifting stories that are entertaining and beautifully told, has partnered with Freestyle Digital Media to release 1 Angry Black Man, available to audiences everywhere on DVD and on-demand starting June 5, 2020.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to amplify our film distribution in video-on-demand formats," said BK Fulton, founding CEO of Soulidifly Productions. "We look forward to one day soon returning our films to theaters as well. Transformative films like this one need to be seen by all, especially with what is going on in the world right now. Major city streets are on fire after the tragic death of George Floyd on national TV. 1 Angry Black Man explores the racial, gender and political tensions that lead to anger and protests. It's like the plot of the film was pulled out of today's headlines."

Written and directed by Menelek Lumumba and co-produced by Soulidifly Productions and Align Pictures, 1 Angry Black Man tells the story of Mike Anderson, a senior at a New England liberal arts college. After an erroneous arrest for a crime he did not commit, Mike's story transitions to an existential conversation about gender dynamics, racism, and class, as well as an empirical study of the works of four iconic Black intellectuals. As he heads to his African-American literature class, Mike continues to grapple with his unconscionable arrest. Mike's emotions threaten to boil over during a class discussion covering several prolific authors and activists, from James Baldwin to Zora Neale Hurston.

The film features Miguel A. Núñez, Jr. ("Life"), Amanda Jane Stern ("Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County"), Tim Moriarty ("Manifest"), Ramon Nuñez ("New Amsterdam," "Bull"), Daphne Danielle (upcoming "God The Worm") and introduces Keith Stone as Mike.

The Trailer:

About Soulidifly Productions:

Founded in 2017, Soulidifly tells the stories of multiethnic, multigenerational people across various segments of life, experiences and eras. https://www.soulidifly.com/

About Freestyle Digital Media:

The digital distribution unit of Entertainment Studios, Freestyle Digital Media is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms.

SOURCE: Soulidifly Productions

New Children's Book, 'Empathy Airlines', Flies in to Teach Children How to Combat Prejudice and Racism

Empathy Airlines: Jelly Beans Cheetah and Hope - Book 2 (screengrab)

Amid COVID-19 and Civil Unrest, award-winning Minnesota book author, educator, and scholar, Wendy Muhlhauser, a.k.a. SissyMarySue writes books that help children understand empathy while promoting inclusion is a perfect foil in today's world—a world that is frightening for most adults, let alone children. Her Jelly Beans the Cheetah and Hope book series, promotes empathy and caring, and is published by Beaver's Pond Press. 

"The characters of our latest book Empathy Airlines: Jelly Beans Cheetah and Hope - Book 2, with the help of illustrators Sarah Williams and Jacob Peterson, come to life and is relevant during COVID-19 and civic conflict!" says its author SissyMarySue. "The book explains how we are one world, and offers beautiful lessons about friendship, acceptance, kindness, and compassion--and how to care for each other when confronted with life's difficulties."

SissyMarySue's books – are lovingly written primarily for children aged 5-11 years old – but older children and adults enjoy the multicultural messaging of diversity and inclusion. In addition to books, there are accompanying multimedia platforms of songs, plays, and interactive videos, which are stress-relieving as they beautifully showcase people of different cultures and racial backgrounds working, playing, and solving problems together to benefit all. 

Empathy Airlines, like SissyMarySue's first book, is entertaining to its readers. The concepts are presented in a rhyming format that is easy to read, memorize, and fun for all ages. Surprisingly, there are very few children books that feature people of different races and cultures playing and working together—with empathy, inclusion, and for the betterment of all. Here are some eye-opening facts about diversity in publishing:

• Only 11% of children's books in 23 years contain multicultural content
• 79% of people working in traditional publishing are White
• Out of 3600 children's books published in 2012, only 3% were about African American, and 1.5 were about Latinos

(Reference: University of Wisconsin, Cooperative Book Center, School of Education)

With SissyMarySue books, we are hoping to change these statistics with great storytelling and relevant inclusive educational messaging for children, through the introduction of other cultures that highlight the importance of the "one-world" philosophy of people working and problem-solving together, which is especially crucial during a global pandemic and worldwide grief.

SissyMarySue, a.k.a. Wendy Muhlhauser

About the Author:

SissyMarySue is the pen name for Wendy Muhlhauser, an award-winning author, educator, champion of children, and scholar (she was awarded a Fielder Graduate Fellowship through the Marie Fielder Center of Democracy, Leadership, and Education). 

SissyMarySue/ Wendy Muhlhauser Book Awards:

Jelly Beans the Cheetah and Hope (John E. Weaver – Excellent Reads, Globally Mindful, The Montaigne Medal, Eric Hoffer Book Award, Finalist 2020 and Mom's Choice Award)
Empathy Airlines – Book 2 (Mom's Choice Award, Honoring Excellence)

Tristy Sparkles – Launching Soon! Single- Sparkle, Sparkle, Available Now!

• Her books are sold online and in stores at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Amazon, and Target.

SOURCE: SissyMarySue

The Society For The Promotion Of Japanese Animation Announces First Ever Anime Expo Lite - A Free Virtual Japanese Pop Culture Event

The Society For The Promotion Of Japanese Animation Announces First Ever Anime Expo Lite - A Free Virtual Japanese Pop Culture Event

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is thrilled to unveil its plans to offer Japanese pop culture fans from around the world an opportunity to experience all things anime from wherever they are with Anime Expo Lite. 

This FREE two-day livestream event will begin on July 3, proclaimed Anime Expo Day by the City of Los Angeles in 2015, and continue through July 4.

Anime Expo Lite will feature content from industry partners such as Bushiroad, Crunchyroll, Pony Canyon, VIZ, and more! (More exclusive content will be announced in the coming weeks.)

SPJA has also revealed the key art that was planned as the program guide cover for the since cancelled Anime Expo 2020, which now features the Anime Expo Lite logo instead. The AX mascot characters Ai and Xeno are pictured with the cast of The World End With You.

"We are excited to be able to parlay the traditional Anime Expo into a virtual experience. Since 2017, AX has been livestreaming select panels as well as from the convention floor, so it is a natural transition for us to produce a virtual event. As everything in 2020 is different, we see a unique opportunity to be able to share our passion for Japanese pop culture not only with those that would have attended AX but now with any anime fan no matter where they live," said Ray Chiang, CEO of The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, AX's organizer. "With our Anime Expo Lite line-up, we know fans will find plenty of events and special guests to entertain and keep them engaged."

Fans can expect to see:

• Special Guests, including artist/character designer Yoshitaka Amano
• Panel discussions with industry leaders
• Industry announcements
• Live content
• Pre-taped content from global partners
• Q&As
• Giveaways

For more information, and to keep up-to-date on Anime Expo Lite announcements, please  click here to sign-up 

For 29 years, AX has been the preeminent event featuring the newest anime films, television series, fashion, video games, manga, dance, music concerts, exhibitors and exclusive convention merchandise, all combined to deliver unforgettable experiences to fans of anime and Japanese pop culture. AX will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center July 2-5, 2021. 

For more information regarding Anime Expo please visit anime-expo.org.

About SPJA:

SPJA is a non-profit organization dedicated to popularize and educate the American public about Japanese entertainment and pop culture, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. 

• For more information, please visit www.spja.org.

About Anime Expo:

Anime Expo (AX) brings together fans and industry from Japan, the US, and all over the world for the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America. 

Taking place every year since 1992, Anime Expo features the best in Japanese entertainment, music, fashion, and video games. 

• For more information, visit anime-expo.org.

SOURCE: Anime Expo

Coronavirus, 'Plandemic' and The Seven Traits of Conspiratorial Thinking

No matter the details of the plot, conspiracy theories follow common patterns of thought. (Ranta Images/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

The conspiracy theory video “Plandemic” recently went viral. Despite being taken down by YouTube and Facebook, it continues to get uploaded and viewed millions of times. The video is an interview with conspiracy theorist Judy Mikovits, a disgraced former virology researcher who believes the COVID-19 pandemic is based on vast deception, with the purpose of profiting from selling vaccinations.

The video is rife with misinformation and conspiracy theories. Many high-quality fact-checks and debunkings have been published by reputable outlets such as Science, Politifact and FactCheck.

As scholars who research how to counter science misinformation and conspiracy theories, we believe there is also value in exposing the rhetorical techniques used in “Plandemic.” As we outline in our Conspiracy Theory Handbook and How to Spot COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories, there are seven distinctive traits of conspiratorial thinking. “Plandemic” offers textbook examples of them all.

Learning these traits can help you spot the red flags of a baseless conspiracy theory and hopefully build up some resistance to being taken in by this kind of thinking. This is an important skill given the current surge of pandemic-fueled conspiracy theories.

The seven traits of conspiratorial thinking. John Cook, (CC BY-ND)

1. Contradictory beliefs

Conspiracy theorists are so committed to disbelieving an official account, it doesn’t matter if their belief system is internally contradictory. The “Plandemic” video advances two false origin stories for the coronavirus. It argues that SARS-CoV-2 came from a lab in Wuhan – but also argues that everybody already has the coronavirus from previous vaccinations, and wearing masks activates it. Believing both causes is mutually inconsistent.

2. Overriding suspicion

Conspiracy theorists are overwhelmingly suspicious toward the official account. That means any scientific evidence that doesn’t fit into the conspiracy theory must be faked.

But if you think the scientific data is faked, that leads down the rabbit hole of believing that any scientific organization publishing or endorsing research consistent with the “official account” must be in on the conspiracy. For COVID-19, this includes the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, Anthony Fauci… basically, any group or person who actually knows anything about science must be part of the conspiracy.<

3. Nefarious intent

In a conspiracy theory, the conspirators are assumed to have evil motives. In the case of “Plandemic,” there’s no limit to the nefarious intent. The video suggests scientists including Anthony Fauci engineered the COVID-19 pandemic, a plot which involves killing hundreds of thousands of people so far for potentially billions of dollars of profit.

Conspiratorial thinking finds evil intentions at all levels of the presumed conspiracy. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

4. Conviction that something’s wrong

Conspiracy theorists may occasionally abandon specific ideas when they become untenable. But those revisions tend not to change their overall conclusion that “something must be wrong” and that the official account is based on deception.<

When “Plandemic” filmmaker Mikki Willis was asked if he really believed COVID-19 was intentionally started for profit, his response was “I don’t know, to be clear, if it’s an intentional or naturally occurring situation. I have no idea.”

He has no idea. All he knows for sure is something must be wrong: “It’s too fishy.”

5. Persecuted victim

Conspiracy theorists think of themselves as the victims of organized persecution. “Plandemic” further ratchets up the persecuted victimhood by characterizing the entire world population as victims of a vast deception, which is disseminated by the media and even ourselves as unwitting accomplices.

At the same time, conspiracy theorists see themselves as brave heroes taking on the villainous conspirators.<

6. Immunity to evidence

It’s so hard to change a conspiracy theorist’s mind because their theories are self-sealing. Even absence of evidence for a theory becomes evidence for the theory: The reason there’s no proof of the conspiracy is because the conspirators did such a good job covering it up.

7. Reinterpreting randomness

Conspiracy theorists see patterns everywhere – they’re all about connecting the dots. Random events are reinterpreted as being caused by the conspiracy and woven into a broader, interconnected pattern. Any connections are imbued with sinister meaning.

For example, the “Plandemic” video suggestively points to the U.S. National Institutes of Health funding that has gone to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. This is despite the fact that the lab is just one of many international collaborators on a project that sought to examine the risk of future viruses emerging from wildlife.

Learning about common traits of conspiratorial thinking can help you recognize and resist conspiracy theories.

Critical thinking is the antidote

As we explore in our Conspiracy Theory Handbook, there are a variety of strategies you can use in response to conspiracy theories.

One approach is to inoculate yourself and your social networks by identifying and calling out the traits of conspiratorial thinking. Another approach is to “cognitively empower” people, by encouraging them to think analytically. The antidote to conspiratorial thinking is critical thinking, which involves healthy skepticism of official accounts while carefully considering available evidence.

Understanding and revealing the techniques of conspiracy theorists is key to inoculating yourself and others from being misled, especially when we are most vulnerable: in times of crises and uncertainty.

About Today's Contributors:

John Cook, Research Assistant Professor, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University; Sander van der Linden, Director, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, University of Cambridge; Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair of Cognitive Psychology, University of Bristol, and Ullrich Ecker, Associate Professor of Cognitive Science, University of Western Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.