Welcome to the Totally Normal Podcast Episode 108. This past weekend Lorena and I covered New York Comic Con 2019. We encountered incredible looking cosplayers, caught up on the latest sci-fi/fantasy movies and television, comic books, artists, and all things Marvel, of course! This episode focuses on one particular panel that breaks down the Muslim Fandom of the Comic Con world!
Meet the creators of comic books like; The Last Ansaars, and SQUIRE, hear from Hijab Hero cosplayers, and the importance of representation in all comic book mediums. This was especially interesting to me as
- I identity as Muslim (not always walking on a straight path, but I try!)
- I identify as a woman of color which comes with it’s own baggage
- I’m a Geek with a capital G!
Traversing in and around fandom hasn’t always been easy for me. Sure I love Harry Potter, and yes, Twilight will always have a special place in my heart (haters, back off!)
But I always felt something lacking in the pages of these amazing stories. That lack was cultural relatable experiences that I personally grew up with.
And then, I met HER.
As much as I identified as a bookworm like my fellow sis Hermione Granger, or traveled through the forests of Narnia with Lucy. Meeting Kamala was like looking in a mirror and finally meeting myself.
With Ms. Marvel, I found a kinship that rooted deep in the fabric of my South Asian culture and upbringing. Like Kamala, I too have to balance my Eastern upbringing whilst living with my Western idioligies–working on a balance that never feels centered.
