Not U, Dog...

according to The Urban Institute, NUD (Non Urban Dictate) is the acronym for a very subtle and little-known marketing term specifically directed toward people of color. It essentially means that a company is not interested in the Black consumer. A NUD label means that a company does not want their marketing and advertising materials placed in media that claim an "urban" audience ("black people") as their main target. There are legitimate reasons for companies not using urban media. It may be that Blacks don't index high in certain categories or that a company's strategy is to market to the Black consumer down the road after they have established a strong position in their primary target. But, NUD usually means that a company is not interested in the Black consumer. Companies evade discrimination liability by embracing it as theory rather than policy. As a service to Black consumers, the Urban Institute will list all companies that have a NUD policy. Armed with this information, we feel that Black consumers will be able to make informed buying decisions.

Here's a list of Companies with NUD policies:

1. Starbucks
2. Jos. A Bank
3. Comp USA
4. Weight Watchers
5. Keebler
6. Life Savers
7. Continental Airlines
8. Northwest Airlines
9. America West Airlines
10. HBO - Apollo Series
11. Paternal Importers
12 Calico Corners
13. OMScot
14. Pepperidge Farms
15. Ethan Allen
16. Busy Body Fitness
17. Mondovi Wines
18. Builders Square
19. Pottery Barn
20. Lexus
21. Aruba Tourism
22. Ciba Vision
23. Kindercare
24. Grady Restaurant
25. Eddie Bauer
26. Don Pablo
Please spread this information on to any other consumer that you consider a friend and advise them to do likewise. Remember, you CANNOT act wisely unless you are informed wisely.

The Urban Institute can be contacted at 2100 M Street, NW Washington,DC
UPDATE!!! [ this post is wrong. a little research confirmed it's based on a hoax. i posted a cool retraction here. loveyougottagobye!]

Jigga Knows What's Up...

i have never been a huge Jay-Z fan, but i always give credit where it is due. no, this isn't about his rhymes per se, but about his great taste in literature. seems that Jay's "comeback" album Kingdom Come is named after the opus-worthy miniseries of the same name where Superman returns from retirement to bring order to a world gone mad.
series writer Mark Waid breaks it down: In 1996, artist Alex Ross and I worked together on this graphic novel called Kingdom Come for DC Comics... a story about what happens when Superman retires then is drawn back out of retirement by this next generation of superheroes who have gone awry because they don’t have that North Star. They don’t have that…he didn’t realize what an inspiration he was to them and what a guiding force he was to them. He retires and then everything in the world just goes hilt, and he’s got to come back. So, a couple years ago, Jay Z, he’s been running Def Jam for a while, and he’s thinking about coming back into the studio and doing something new, and his engineer gives him a copy of Kingdom Come and he sees such a parallel between himself and Superman in the sense of ‘I’ve been away, I’m not sure I like the way things have gone in my absence, I’m coming back’ that he based the comeback album on this graphic novel. The title song talks about Superman, Bruce Wayne, and comics in general and that’s what I call a career highlight.
of course none of this is news to Jay-Z fans, who have already consumed the album, measured it against his other work, and moved on. but i nevered payed the record any mind, so i figured i'd give the man his props now. way to go, Jay. if you've never read Kingdom Come for whatever reason, i'm telling you to go read it now. it is simply one of the best comics ever made, up there with Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. i doubt it will ever be adapted to film effectively, since the budget would be similar to a third world GNP. but the beauty of comics is they are only limited by the imagination and talent of the creative team. and Waid and Alex Ross are two of the best, and were at the top of their game on this one... COP IT by any means!

holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com

Sale at Vintage Limited

in case you're in the market for a new ball cap, teeshirt or even a hoodie (cop that and store it to break out in the fall!), there's a sale going on over at Vintage Limited! i got my eye on the Art Addiction Fitted Cap myself, but whatever you choose, get 20% off your entire order by entering the code THANKYOU at check-out! this code is valid through friday August 7th... so roll by VintageLimited.com and see if anything suits you!
holla!
-samax

Avenger Intervention

Jim Rhodes is a positive black man. but you know when a brother starts handing out beatdowns his white friends are gonna be concerned... so his old West Coast Avenger team mates -Ronin (the artist formerly known as Hawkeye), Mockingbird, Tigra and Wonderman (i didn't name him)- decide their boy War Machine needs an old-fashioned intervention. but he's not addicted to her'on or meth, he got it bad for handing out high-tech vigilante justice on a regular basis! click the pic to peep a free preview of War Machine #8! this book is still only three bucks, so if you like it, get yours before marvel decides to apply that anti-stimulus they're so fond of lately!
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

The Forklift Makes you Forfeit your Penmenship

click the pic to download The Niyat x Peace Orchestra Who Am I. trust me... it's dope!
uno!
-gM

Wu-tang Once Again


House of Flying Daggers by Raekwon Ft. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah & Method Man (off Rae's upcoming spinner Cuban Linx II)
not bad. ghost and Rae are extra real on this. the track is a'ight. but this many Wu first-stringers on a track is note-worthy. (sounds better on the 2nd listen)
enjoy...
-gM

today's deviation

Ororo ro row your boat by ~royalboiler aka comicbook artist Brandon Graham (King City, Multiple Warhedz).
so Brandon dropped this on dA recently. it hit me like an ELE comet smashing the supercontinent. in his words "I have strong feelings on mohawk storm being the greatest advance in Marvel technology since the invention of Jack Kirby. If they had any self respect the cornrow/mohawk would be the next logical step." only crazy artist types even SPECULATE about marvel having any self-respect...

i took this as a personal challenge from Brandon to me about who can draw the better cornrowhawk Storm, so expect to see one soon... i think many X-men artists resent the fact that Storm is black, because they make NO attempt to reference any black fashion or hair styles when drawing her... but i digress... speaking of getting off the subject, here's another piece Brando drew recently (i think it will appear in an upcoming issue of King City), no extra charge, because he's got a great li'l drawing of KRS ONE in there... and i'm here to support shit like that...
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

Up Above My Head...


Who's That LMNO & Kev Brown
man, i got this off Kev Brown's blog... his blog is like 100% dope music. can't stress it enough. Kev doesn't rap on this one, just beats. he also happens to be a top notch rapper, too... peep his music and order/download some fly music!
holla!
-samax

Armor Wars!

click the pic to download Ghostface & MF DOOM in HEAVY METAL.
i haven't heard it yet, so i have no comment... but i figured y'all would wanna know.
holla!
-samax

Deviant of the Day

Sketch::07.29.09 by *KidKalig aka Khary Randolph.

Iron Manga


somebody decided it would be a good idea to get Warren Ellis and Madhouse together for an Iron Man anime... ya think? this mess looks HARD!!! (if only it had ghostFace on the soundtrack...)
um, yeah check it out...
-samax

the Wages of Syn...

upstart Dallas comics crew Space-Gun Studios has a new anthology coming out called Synesthetic, and this is the cover to that joint by Evan Bryce and Matt Warlick! if you come see me at Dallas Comicon (Aug 15-16), you'll be able to bounce over to holler at the Space-Gun crew while you're there...
-ghettoManga.com

Quotable...

"Emceeing is an AGGRESSIVE art form. That is just the way it is and there is nothing wrong with that! In order to best the best you had to have a strong fighting spirit and that is one of the unique qualities one must have to push forward in this constantly evolving artform."
-Nat Landry
emcee, painter, teacher, comicbook artist
(Bring Da Pain Jermaine)
Nat is one of my favorite unknown comicbook artists, and an evolving young talent. peep the rest of his comments on the hip hop/samurai connection here.
word.
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

Cold Case Files

in addition to the his Original Art Sale, my man Jamar Nicholas is pushing copies of Detective Boogaloo: Ill Crimes Unit Case File which collects (in a neat manilla-file folder) the first 25 strips from the super-fresh Detective Boogaloo: Hip Hop Cop webcomic, presented in a police file format (with authentic coffee stain)- black and white interior, complete with never-to-be-seen-again insider info on the DB Universe - an official Ill Crimes Unit Rap Sheet on Boogaloos' nemesis ICE TRE. if you've caught Jamar at conventions, you might already have it, but i never got my hands on one, so my order went in right before i wrote this. for all the cash-strapped cats out there, you can read the whole run of the hip hop cop at DetectiveBoogaloo.com! the rest of ya'll pony up and get at Jamar for your copy before they're all gone, seen!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

Fresh T'ing from Jim Mahfood!

ghettoManga Award-winning cartoonist and illustrator Jim Mahfood has signed and numbered, limited edition Raygun prints and Color Ink T-Shirts for sale. click the pics for a preview! Both items printed out friggin' sweet! Most sizes in shirts available. Printed on american apparel. Both items are just $25. Hit him at jimmahfood@gmail.com if you'd like to cop something, and tell 'im ya heard about it on ghettoManga.com!
holla!
-samax

Can I Kick It?

okay, first thing i gotta say: i did NOT make it out to Kixpo 2009... i mean, i'm still rockin' the white shelltoes my wife bought me for my birthday in '08. but that ain't stop me from downloadin' that shoe-centric Official Kixpo Mixtape, and it shouldn't stop you, either! if you're not from Dallas, you may never have heard of these cats... but there's some nice stuff on here homey. if you ever listen to me, you already heard Playdough, Chucky Sly and Headkrack, plus dallas alumni Astronautilus is in the house over tracks by beat-celeb-in-the-making Picnic. click the pic to pick and choose or cop the whole thing. either way, it's free!
holla!
-samax

that Jim Lee MAYHEM cover...

here's Jim Lee's final black and white artwork for the wrap-around cover for the TPB of Tyrese Gibson's MAYHEM! issue #1 of the series hits stores August 5th, but fans who went to Comicon are already holdin'... Gibson was in attendance to sell 1,500 copies the first day of the convention, meet Stan Lee and pretty much just kick it like it was out of order. when i get a copy in my hands, i'll let ya'll know how it was!
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

this sheet's full'a Poop

so this dude over at Poopsheet Foundation reviewed Mine All Mine, the 16 page collection featuring one page tales of wanton theft written by indy madman David Hopkins (Karma Incorporated, Antigone, Emily Edison). he seemed to like it... even though he made no mention of the page i did (phillistine!), you may still want to read his little review. i still have a few copies left, so if his review convinces you that you just gotta have it, you can cop one of 'em below for three bucks (with FREE shipping, homie!).




still not convinced? just peep this list of contributors:
Cover by Tania Kaufmann
Samax Amen ("The Plan")
Ryan Cody ("Long Walk Home")
David DeGrand ("Stealing Electricity")
Joe Eisma ("Lost Wallet")
Jake Ekiss ("Vending Machines")
Derrick Fish ("Misdirection")
John Gonzales ("My First Stolen Car")
Michael Lagocki ("Tools of the Trade")
Jim Lujan ("The Nigerian Scam")
Paul Milligan ("Kidnapping")
Wes Molebash ("I Found It")
Chad Sell ("Will Run for Food")
Cal Slayton ("Return Policy")
Justin Stewart ("Blanket Thief")
ZeeS ("Pickpocket")
Scott Zirkel ("The Oil Change")

holla!
ghettoManga.com

it's critical beatdown, girl. put your seat down...


BOOM! by Grouch & Eligh f/Slug (beat by Amplive from Zion I)

the Jacksonian Era

my girl SmoovArt hipped me to this slick freebie! click the pic for free downloads of the classic Jackson 5 cartoon series episodes. they can play on a Blackberry, but you can also watch them with real player or quicktime too!
have at it, fam!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

hey, mister VEE Jay



Knight Vision Vol 1: The Cool by DJ M.Knight
because he's a futuristic cat, that dude DJ MKnight has taken to supplementing his mixtape game in the video arena. dude's new series of video gumbo Knight Vision, blends those kissin' cousins Hip Hop, rnb and soul music so well, that if you can peep The Cool without at least crackin' a smile, i challenge your humanity! feel free to listen to something with more autotune, ya robot! nah, for real... these some dope joints! peep the full track list here.

listen to the way i SLAY....

my man Cal Slayton drew this fresh image of everyone's favorite gunclapping 3 year old, from my comic Manchild. He hooked it up as an art trade in exchange for a drawing i'm doing for his comic Spookytown... in typical Cal fashion, he banged out his end of the bargain before i got to mine. but i'm gonna see him at the Dallas Comicon next month, so i'll have his ready by then!
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

Today's Deviation

pool girl by =killaCaravagio
another joint from one of the artists i follow on deviantArt.com, because
it's a girl cyborg with a pistol and a fat booty, enoying a martini (or maybe a margarita) by the pool. what's more ghettoManga than that?

Like It's Golden...

there's a great interview of my friend and ghettoManga enthusiast goldiGold over at defCulture.org. Goldi is building a one-man-movement with his iconic vector illustrations for recording artists in the ATL and beyond. click the pic to get all up in his business!
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

they left the 2 behind...


updated Tron: Legacy trailer (yes, they changed it from that goofy Tr2n logo they had before) from Comicon.

Bart Reigns Supreme

those crazy kids at the Guinness Book of World Records announced today that The Simpsons is the longest running sitcom ever. the previous record of 435 episodes was held by Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. most people agree that the show is past its prime, but also agree that it can probably keep going. series creator Matt Groening (who didn't know about the record) added “There is no end in sight, Simpsons forever.”
so there you go.
holla!
-samax

Yeah, i'ma Buy this when it drops...


Robot by KRS ONE & Buckshot off their upcoming collabo record Survival Skills, due out this September.

new page, new beats, new fan art...

yo, here's page ten from Permanent Residents, the story i'm working on for my client. i really like this one, for some reason. in case you didn't notice it, i REALLY recommend you cop that free beat tape, Who's Harry Krum? by Playdough. that joint has revitalized the playlist on my computer! making comics is solitary work and you just can't do it without good music... so if you're reading this, Thanks Playdough!
in other news, i've been keeping busy lately. besides working on Permanent Residents, i'm also writing, illustrating and editing for the latest issue of ghettoManga Quarterly, which is available for preorder now (in case you somehow missed it...). the new issue will have the first installment in the series of illustrated articles Movies That Should Be Comics. the pic you see here is for that first article about Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse spinoff/mock-trailer-turned-actual-upcoming-movie Machete, whose star Danny Trejo was so easy to draw that I was able to knock this out in one sitting. the article was co-written by that dude Rod Buddah, boss over at PLANET GRIFFIN. you should read his blog fam, it's mustard! anyways, i gotta get back to work...
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

Who Is That?



Who's Harry Krum? Beat Tape by Playdough
in addition to bein' one of my favorite smiley-faced battle rappers, that dude Playdough also happens to be nice with beats as well. just feast your ears on that youTube video, then go ahead and click the pic to cop the FREE dowload of the Who's Harry Krum? Beat Tape so's you can boom it in your jeep.

Ghostface gets Mushy for tha gushy

when he's not doing Cameos in Iron Man or dropping graphic novels, that dude Ghostface Killah (of the indelible staten island massive The Wu-tang Clan) makes the hip hop music as well. so click the pic an' go listen to Baby, the new single from his forthcoming RnB album The Wizard of Poetry. the super-deformed abstract flow is a little more comprehensible than normal to allow the shorties to get down with it. all my ghostFace fans, peep it and let me know what you think...
easy now,
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

Doggie Style...

that dude Drayonis has returned with the next installment of his hilarious romantic comedy series The Dog Years. it's the laugh out loud story of Trey, a twenty something toy designer whose catastrophic break-up from his overbearing-yet-hot fiance Jalissa lands him in his boys' care, at which point, they do what men do... when i first came across this comic, i knew this dude was onto something. with each issue, he manages to convince me i was right. writer-artist Drayonis has the writing talent, comedic whit, and drawing chops to be a cross-over hit, so get in on it before them other people find out about 'im!
In this issue Trey and the boys roll to the world-famous Donkey Club! nah, this ain't just any old skrip joint, cousin! that girl Milk dances there, and despite his homeboy's advice, Trey got his eyes on the prize! plus, Jalissa's girls are sweatin' bullets over her date with urban superman Milstrom.
the cool thing about this comic is that it isn't a typical comic about typical "comic book" things, and yet it is easy to get into because it comes off like a good raunchy date movie or cable sitcom. being original and accessible at the same time is not an easy task at all, so Drayonis gets props here. he may make it look easy, but i'm smart enough to know better! if you haven't read it before (or you wanna get reaquainted), go here to get started. otherwise click the pic to dive into issue six!
enjoy...
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

face down...

my homegirl from Kansas City, Arie Dee has a new blog. Arie is one of the illest and most prolific artists you never heard of. i will not rest until she gets her shine! click the pic for a link to her blog, and harrass her until she sells you a commission or some of her comics. she won't give it up on the first try though, fellas... so ya gotta be persistent. but it's worth it!
holla!
-samax

Detective Boogaloo Art Sale!

on the low, looks like my man Jamar Nicholas (Detective Boogaloo; Jamar Chronicles; Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun) is lookin' to unload some of his original art from his hilarious webcomic Detective Boogaloo: Hip Hop Cop. if you haven't had your eye on Jamar, you need to get familiar. dude has been beating up the comics underground for a minute, and has connections to just about every corner of this comicbook game. since he has pretty much bailed on the internet until 2010, i've been getting my Jamar fix via his email newsletter. you can sign up for that joint at Jamar's blog.
anyways, for those who haven't peeped the adventures of Detective Boogaloo and the Ill Crimes Unit, go ahead and check it out! three or four pages in, you'll be hooked on this hip hop flavored action comedy comic... which brings us back to the art sale! J-dot will be selling off the artwork on some first-come first serve ish, so get at him via email and tell 'im which page you want so you can get the jump on the scrubs not wise enough to be reading ghettoManga regularly!
page #1 is $400 (i.e. he doesn't wanna sell that one that bad) but you can get any of the others he did for $150. and don't gimme none of that "recession" crap either... i see ya'll rocking them fly ass sneaks! this is ORIGINAL ART, people! once Jamar puts the word out on his grapevine, the page YOU want will be history. and with the moves my man is making, you'll see the majors pimpin' his work on Brother Voodoo or Bronze Tiger or something, then your comic shop will try to sell you the same page for double. be smart and get in where you fit! since he's clearly in a giving mood, saint Nicholas will pro'lly entertain your commission requests too, so reserve your spot ASAMFP, a'ight?!
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

the net's BUZZING about RED again

according to Peter Sciretta at Slashfilm, Morgan Freeman is in talks to star 'longside Bruce Willis in a big screen adaptation of Warren Ellis’ and Cully Hamner's comic book RED. as i've said before, i can TOTALLY see Bruce Willis as the retired CIA monster who the newly appointed government bureaucrats should have known better than to mess with. without knowing how they will change the book to bring it to the screen, i'm not sure who Freeman would play, but he is a welcome additon to any cast.
stay tuned...
-samax

today's Deviation

GhettoManga's Ms. Cupid by *SmoovArt
my homegirl from Houston created this 3-D joint of Cupid, the ghettoManga mascot. as some of you know, i've been kicking around a Cupid story, and it looks like it may materialize as a short animation. and after that... who knows? stay tuned...
-samax

Drop a Old School Beat!


Old School Hip Hop Mix One by King Megatrip

Nas collab with the Beastie Boys

Too Many Rappers Beastie Boys f/Nas

ATL stand UP!

if you're gonna be in the Atlanta on August 1st, you need to g'wan get down to Drawing from the Soul, being put on by Brotherman Comics. if you've never read any of their comics, trust me when i tell you that you NEED them joints in your LIFE! the complete run of Brotherman was recently released in a three volume TPB set that you need to get your hands on, fam! swing by BrothermanComics.com for the 411 on the books and the show!
holla!
-samax

isht hits the Fan like Artest...

these days, i don't necessarily go to the comic shop every week. hell, i don't go every month! but i assure you, i'll go to that mug THIS week! if you didn't read Invincible #63, don't even THINK about clicking this pic and reading this free preview... go back and read the preview of issue #63, so you will want to buy that issue, then you... oh, you know where i'm going!

This issue looks like the beginning of the end. that's all i'm gonna say. Invincible is right up there with the best comics coming out. easily the best superhero comic being made today. but ya'll know how i feel about Invincible...
holla!
-samax.

the OTHER Tony Stark drops an Original Graphic Novel...

i just found out your boy pretty Tony, aka Ghostface from Wu-tang is dropping an OGN at the end of the month called Cell Block Z. Framed for a murder, prize fighter Cole Dennis finds himself on lock in a prizon that uses inmates as lab rats. soon Dennis is born again hard as a towering engine of destruction, whose righeous vengeance will echo beyond the cold steel walls of Cell Block Z.
if you haven't read my review of Method's Graphic Novel, you should check that out. word is, RZA is working on a joint called Attack of the Brooklyn Super Ninjas, so clearly, it's a Wu-Tang world. but right now, it's all about Ghost. Soon as i get my hands on a copy of this joint, i'll let y'all know what's up! the book is due in stores July 29th.
holla!
-samax
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

"Machete" To Begin Filming in coming Weeks!

holy crap! looks like that dude Robert Rodriguez's hella-tight Machete, which you'll remember as one of the fake movie trailers in Grindhouse, is about to become a real movie!
Rodriguez will co-direct with longtime editor Ethan Maniquis. this guaranteed bloodbath-to-be will star character actor Danny Trejo (above), Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez (Fast and the Furious, Lost) and Jonah Hill (Superbad). As big fans of Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo (i've been fiendin' for this since Desperado), we at ghettoManga are all straight GEEKIN' for this! according to Peter Sciretta at slashFilm.com, production begins within the next few weeks, and it isn't clear if it will be a theatrical or direct-to-video release. either way, i'll be first in line!
-holla!
ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

It Does the Body Good...


Losing Out by Black Milk f/Royce da 5'9"

ghettoManga Quarterly available for preorder

good news! i finally settled on a winner for the MF DOOM ART CONTEST, so we have a cover for the new issue! for ZEES, that meant a cool $100 for the starving artist fund, and for us, that means we can start taking preorders for the new issue. in addition to an expanded feature that will include the DOOM article and Album review by Purple Magazine's own Dazjae Zoem and the best entries in the art contest, there's also brand new comics from Nat Landry and Kristoffer Smith. of course you can always look forward to more informative articles about comics, hipHop, news, art and culture in the vaunted ghettoManga tradition!
the new joint will be available late next month for Ten bucks, or order before we go to press and get it for $8. if you're REALLY down, subscribe and get 4 issues for the price of three (like getting an issue FREE!). anyways, that's the pitch. pay with paypal, check, or credit card below or snail mail a money order. anyways, we're putting the book together now, so it won't be long. thanks again everybody for your support!





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