With the recent casting announcements from Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings including some highly respected actors of color, we reached out to friend and creator Sebastian A. Jones to join us for tonight’s episode of TORn Tuesday ( Watch 8pm PT / 5pm ET LIVE on YouTube or Facebook)
Sebastian A. Jones is the founder of Stranger Comics, whose Asunda graphic novel universe is being optioned as HBO’s next big fantasy franchise show. He was kind enough to send us his thoughts, which encapsulate his hope that inclusive casting is part of a journey to a brighter future. Read what he had to say, below and join the conversation tonight.
The Culture of Identity
What turbulent waters we are crossing! To some, the waves are violent and filled with a rage that reflects the grief of loss; the loss of identity that has been spoiled with such normalcy that truths become lies and change is perceived as radical, or even the absurd notion of replacement. And some will double down, and drown in the depths of righteous hate or willful ignorance. As for others … for creators of fantasy and communal dreamers of a global reality … for men like me … the blue breakers carry the glint of sunlight, where dolphins and doves lead us into hope for a better tomorrow.
We travel in cruise ships surrounded with people who do not look, sound, or think like we do. We travel solo, in little isolated boats, but still sailing the same choppy seas of change. All of us are heading there. It is inevitable. It is what we do, and how we react with our fellow passengers on the journey. The destination of belief is a mirage, as the wheels will continue to turn on this voyage. And the next one. If you think you have arrived, then you have never left. Is there an end in sight for the insecurity of self? Perhaps not, but it is my sincerest hope that our beings are not wrapped up in the make-believe – but the truth. So we may celebrate with compassion, love, and healing, and feel the honest joy in the ties that bind us as elves, dwarves … and human beings.
– Sebastian A. Jones
CEO of Stranger Comics, Creator of Niobe and the World of Asunda
Join the conversation tonight LIVE! Watch 8pm PT / 5pm ET on YouTube or Facebook
