Indian Comics Irregular #197

Two movies in production are going out of their way to use Alaska Native actors.
One, "Sikumi," is a feature-length version of an award-winning short film. It
shows how one Inuit man deals with another who kills someone in the Arctic
wilderness.

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/05/sikumi-feature-film.html
"Sikumi" the feature film

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/05/sikumi-on-youtube.html
"Sikumi" on YouTube

The other, "Everybody Loves Whales," is a Drew Barrymore production. It tells
the tale of an international effort to free some whales from an ice pool. Both
films have held auditions in Alaska to find actors who resemble the people
they're portraying.

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/06/auditions-for-everybody-loves-wh\
ales.html
Auditions for "Everybody Loves Whales"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/06/preview-of-everybody-loves-whale\
s.html
Preview of "Everybody Loves Whales"

After Adam Beach left the upcoming Green Lantern movie, I wondered who would
play his Inuit sidekick Tom Kalmaku. Now we know. Apparently the producers
couldn't locate a single Native actor in the Americas, because they went with a
Maori actor from New Zealand.

Here's the story and some background on Tom Kalmaku:

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/07/taika-waititi-as-tom-kalmaku.htm\
l
Taika Waititi as Tom Kalmaku

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2009/12/many-faces-of-tom-kalmaku.htm
The many faces of Tom Kalmaku

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2009/01/casting-tom-kalmaku.html
Casting Tom Kalmaku

http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2007/12/review-of-green-lantern-legacy.html
Review of GREEN LANTERN: LEGACY

http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2007/12/origin-of-tom-kalmaku.html
The Origin of Tom Kalmaku

So "The Last Airbender" (ICI #194) and "Green Lantern" failed to hire Alaska
Natives while "Sikumi" and "Everybody Loves Whales" are hiring them. This
proves the problem isn't a lack of actors but a lack of interest in finding
them.

The Fall TV Season

The 2010 television season is upon us. With "Undercovers," "Outlaw," and
"Outsourced" among the new series, the networks are showcasing minority
characters--for once. Alas, none of them are Native Americans. The only
exposure Indians have gotten is the usual stereotyping in shows such as "Running
Wilde" and "Community."

Some recent postings about Indians in TV:

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/star-trek-vs-star-wars.html
"Star Trek" vs. "Star Wars"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/review-of-running-wilde.html
Review of "Running Wilde"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/anthropology-class-in-community.\
html
Anthropology class in "Community"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/review-of-hawaii-five-0-remake.h\
tml
Review of "Hawaii Five-0" remake

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/columbus-joke-on-tonight-show.ht\
ml
Columbus joke on "Tonight Show"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/miwok-village-in-amador-county-f\
air.html
Miwok village in "Amador County Fair"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/wagon-train-strain-in-peter-pota\
mus.html
"Wagon Train Strain" in "Peter Potamus"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/syfys-peter-pan-prequel.html
Syfy's "Peter Pan" prequel

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/08/native-tv-show-canceled-after-30\
-years.html
Native TV show canceled after 30 years

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/08/native-tv-show-canceled-after-30\
-years.html
"Hanta Yo" = Native "Roots"?

Last month I watched the first season of "Saving Grace," the TNT crime series
starring Holly Hunter. It features Gregory Cruz as a Native detective who works
with Grace. In one episode, August Schellenberg played Grace's Choctaw
grandfather. In another, Grace identified herself as Choctaw. Not bad for a
blonde Anglo-Saxon actress.

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/saving-grace-choctaw.html
"Saving Grace" the Choctaw

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/yeehaw-geepaw-in-saving-grace.ht\
ml
"Yeehaw, Geepaw" in "Saving Grace"

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/yeehaw-geepaw-in-saving-grace.ht\
ml
Gregory Cruz in "Saving Grace"

Meanwhile, people are still talking about the horrible Indian episode of MTV's
"The Dudesons." The latest on the subject:

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/rob-should-contact-saginaw-grant\
.html
Rob should contact Saginaw Grant?!

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/09/my-dudesons-interview.html
My "Dudesons" interview

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/08/mtv-pulls-dudesons-episode.html
MTV pulls "Dudesons" episode

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics