Congratulations to George Takei, Stan Sakai, and Mariko Tamaki on their 2020 Eisner Awards wins! The 32nd Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were presented at a ceremony on July 24, as part of the San Diego Comic-Con International that is being presented virtually this year.
JANM Trustee, actor, and activist George Takei’s graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, won the award for Best Reality-Based Work. Our Education unit developed a teacher’s guide to accompany the memoir for IDW Publishing.
Stan Sakai was elected into the Hall of Fame and also won for Best Lettering (Usagi Yojimbo, published by IDW) and Best Archival Collection/Project (Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter). Sakai was honored at JANM’s 2011 Gala Dinner with the Cultural Ambassador Award, the same year that we presented an exhibition about his work, Year of the Rabbit: Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo. You can also watch clips from an interview with him on Discover Nikkei.
Sakai has had an ongoing relationship with JANM, especially with our JANM Store. In addition to selling his books and comics, he has graciously allowed our Store to produce exclusive merchandise. Look out for more collaborations in the future!
Finally, Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s graphic novel Laura Dean Is Breaking Up with Me won awards for Best Publication for Teens, Best Writer, and Best Penciller/Inker. Skim, one of the Japanese Canadian writer’s earlier books, was previously sold at the JANM Store.
Asian American Comic-Con presented a Summit on Art, Action, and the Future at JANM on July 15. Below, JANM summer intern in public programs and media arts Leighton Kotaro Okada contributes a photo recap of the event.
A roundtable discusses the advancement of APIA women in the film industry. All photos by Leighton Kotaro Okada.
The first Asian American Comic-Con, held in 2009 in New York City, marked the birth of new discussions in Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) communities. Eight years later, the Comic-Con has returned to address new developments in APIA media production and representation.
JANM President and CEO Ann Burroughs with George Takei, Keith Chow, and Jeff Yang.
On Saturday, July 15, 2017, dozens of artists, comic fans, bloggers, movie lovers, writers, actors, “Trekkies,” and activists gathered at JANM under the common theme of APIA pop culture. Panels and roundtable discussions touched on various hot topics, including diversity, Asian American women in the film industry, and more. Panelists came from all over the country and represented a range of diverse opinions and experiences, each bringing a unique point of view and novel ideas on the future of APIAs in media.
Phil Yu, Keith Chow, George Takei, and Jeff Yang gather for a selfie at the event’s conclusion.
A roundtable titled “Woman Warriors: Reimagining Asian Female Heroes” gathered actresses, writers, and producers to discuss the advancement of APIA women in the film industry. Topics such as dragon lady and martial arts stereotypes, fighting for rich and novel roles, and the difficulties of working as both an APIA and a woman in the industry came up while answering questions such as “What should we expect in a rich, textured, powerful, and provocative APIA heroine?” and “What’s worked, what hasn’t, and why has it taken so damned long?”
George Takei receives the Excelsior Award for Art in the Service of Activism.
A highlight of the event was legendary actor and activist George Takei receiving the first-ever Excelsior Award for Art in the Service of Activism. Takei was especially happy to receive the award in the same building where he was married. He then joined author, culture critic, and New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei curator Jeff Yang and Angry Asian Man founder Phil Yu for a special live recording of a They Call Us Bruce podcast. The three talked about Star Trek, politics, and married life, ending with a discussion of “the good, the bad, and the OH MYYY of being George Takei.” Takei’s infectiously hearty laugh and constant joking kept the crowd roaring with laughter.
George Takei, Jeff Yang, and Phil Yu tape an episode of the podcast They Call Us Bruce.
Asian American Comic-Con’s Summit on Art, Action, and the Future was organized, emceed, and moderated by Nerds of Color editor-in-chief Keith Chow and Jeff Yang in cooperation with the Japanese American National Museum.
Leighton Kotaro Okada majors in East Asian Languages and Cultures with minors in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Songwriting at USC.
Replicas of Captain Hikaru Sulu’s chair and table from the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. George really loved being a captain in that movie; these items were actually fabricated for the exhibition and are not part of The George & Brad Takei Collection.
New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei, which has been on view for a little over a month now, features a cornucopia of fascinating artifacts from the life of the noted actor, activist, and longtime friend and supporter of the Japanese American National Museum.
The exhibition, whose format was inspired by Takei’s role on the iconic Star Trek television and film series, is divided into five “voyages” exploring the many aspects of Takei’s life: his childhood spent in a World War II incarceration camp; his rise in Hollywood as a pioneering Asian American actor; his civic engagement and community activism; his groundbreaking all-APIA Broadway musical, Allegiance; and his current status as a social media icon.
This abstract sculpture was carved from a Cypress tree knee by George Takei’s father, Takekuma Norman Takei, while the family was incarcerated at Rohwer, located in the swamps of Arkansas. It is one of George’s most beloved objects.
George and his husband, Brad, have been collecting and organizing their various possessions for years. The 200 artifacts that are currently on view in New Frontiers represent just a small portion of The George & Brad Takei Collection, which was donated to JANM last year and is still being processed as we speak. During a recent Members Only Learning at Lunch event, Collections Manager Maggie Wetherbee regaled an enthusiastic audience with tales of the 300 boxes and nearly 200 framed objects that she and her team collected from the Takei home. The exclusive gathering focused on a selection of objects that did not make it into the exhibition.
George’s student ID card from his days at UCLA sits in front of a BDYBA Oratorical Award he won there in 1956.
These included Boy Scout photos from George’s childhood, a personal scrapbook that George himself put together, samples of fan mail he has received, and a copy of the script for the January 15, 1987, episode of Miami Vice, on which George was a guest star. Wetherbee also shared a number of interesting stories that she heard during the process of reviewing the items at the Takei house.
If you have not yet seen the exhibition, we offer a few highlights in this blog post, along with a bonus image that was taken at the Learning at Lunch event. Note that another Learning at Lunch event will take place on June 3 and will also spotlight items from The George & Brad Takei Collection that did not make it into New Frontiers. If you are not yet a member, click here for information on how to join and enjoy great benefits like this one.
A wedding photo of George and Brad is framed next to Brad’s handwritten vows. In the gallery, this artifact is complimented by several inventive wedding cards sent to them by fans.
This rare Simpsons souvenir jacket, only given out to actors who have recurring roles on the TV series, almost made it into New Frontiers but had to be cut due to lack of space. JANM members were able to get an up-close look at this and other objects, and hear personal stories about George and Brad, at our exclusive Members Only Learning at Lunch event on April 21, 2017.
George Takei, right, was appointed by LA Mayor Tom Bradley, left, to what position between 1973 and 1984?This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., join us for our latest JANM Free Family Day, held in conjunction with our current exhibitions, Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066 and New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei. The event will celebrate Japanese American history with themed craft activities, a spam musubi workshop, story time readings, and more. Admission will be FREE all day for the whole family.
To get you geared up for the event, we present below a quiz on Japanese American history. Take the quiz and see how much you know! This Saturday, the first ten people who come to the survey table at JANM and present a printout of this quiz with the correct answers written in the blanks will receive a $10 gift certificate to the JANM Store.* So put on your thinking and research caps and come on down for a day of learning and fun!
1. What public office did George Takei hold between 1973 and 1984?
4. When Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II, Little Tokyo became an African American neighborhood. What was its name during that time?
10. Decades after World War II, Japanese Americans successfully lobbied for the United States government to pass a federal law that formally apologized for their wrongful incarceration and granted reparations to surviving camp detainees. What is the official name of this act?
*No purchase necessary to enter. Limit one entry per family; entry must be presented in person on the day of the event to qualify. Limit one prize per family. Gift certificates have no cash value. Contest ends when all ten prizes have been given away, or at 4 p.m. on April 8, 2017, whichever comes first. Employees and volunteers of the Japanese American National Museum are not eligible.
This weekend, JANM opens New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei. Drawing on the George & Brad Takei Collection of personal artifacts, which was recently gifted to the museum, New Frontiers explores the life and career of the pioneering actor, activist, and social media icon. The exhibition begins with Takei’s incarceration at the Rohwer and Tule Lake concentration camps as a child during World War II and moves through his career as a Japanese American actor in Hollywood, his public service appointments, his coming out as a gay man, his activism on behalf of both the Japanese American and LGBTQ communities, and his wild popularity as a social media figure. In the process, New Frontiers provides a unique window onto American history and culture in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Cover of George Takei’s 2012 book, Oh Myyy!: There Goes the Internet. George & Brad Takei Collection, Japanese American National Museum.
New Frontiers is curated by noted author, journalist, and cultural critic Jeff Yang. We sat down with Yang via email to talk about the exhibition and his curatorial process.
JANM: Why George Takei, and why now?
Jeff Yang: George’s life has been extraordinary, and it has placed him at the center of some of the most critical changes in American society and culture: from the injustice of the Japanese American incarceration during WWII, through the fight for marriage equality, the struggle to overcome Hollywood stereotypes, the push to own our creative voice as Asian Americans, and the transformative rise of social media. In many of these circumstances, he wasn’t just a witness but a prime mover. These facts alone would make him an exceptional individual to explore through the lens of history. But, at 79 years old, George has never been more active, more outspoken, or more relevant. The changes we’ve seen over just the past six months have underscored the narratives in George’s life and made it clear that we still have many lessons to learn from the experiences he’s had.
George Takei, student body president, at a student council meeting, Mount Vernon Junior High School. George & Brad Takei Collection, Japanese American National Museum.
JANM: How did you come to be the curator of this exhibition?
JY: I’ve known George for many years, having written about popular culture and Asian American issues since the late 1980s. I’ve been a fan of his since I was a kid, and since becoming an adult, I’ve had the fortune of befriending him as well. I’d curated another large and complicated pop culture exhibit for JANM in 2013 (Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in US Comics, 1942–1986) and I suppose George, and the powers-that-be at JANM, thought my experience and POV were a good fit for this historic show.
JANM: What is your biggest goal for this exhibition?
JY: I want people to get a unique lens on the last 80 years of American history and to learn, especially now, how our rights have been won and protected through the years and why it’s critical to remember how we’ve fought for them. And also to have a great time! Visitors should expect to have an experience that we hope will make them want to come back again—with friends.
George Takei carries the Olympic torch through the streets of Los Angeles in the run up to the 1984 Olympic Games. George & Brad Takei Collection, Japanese American National Museum.
JANM: We understand you’ve been combing through a lot of George’s personal possessions. Which ones have you found particularly intriguing, and why?
JY: The process of curation has been exhausting because of the sheer volume of items we have available! George and his husband Brad have donated virtually everything in a lifetime of collecting to the museum—over 100 boxes of amazing stuff, and it has taken a year just to sort through everything. There were personal Takei family memorabilia from the camps; early images from Asian American—or, as they called it then, “Oriental”—Hollywood; behind-the-scenes artifacts and personal notes from Star Trek, the Broadway musical Allegiance, and George’s many other roles and works; intimate correspondence and mementos from Brad and George’s wedding and life together; and iconic merchandise and one-of-a-kind fan art given to George over the years. We are also doing our best to make the exhibition richly interactive and contextual; there’s a ton to learn from it even if you’re not a Star Trek fan.
As for my personal favorite item? I think it’s probably the pocket “casting directory” of Hollywood’s Asian/Pacific actors dating back to the 1950s. It shows some familiar faces and many more obscure ones, all presented with stereotypical one-liners that underscores how Hollywood saw them. Things have certainly changed since then—but not as much as we might have hoped!
Wedding photo of Brad and George Takei, Toyo Miyatake Studios, 2008. George & Brad Takei Collection, Japanese American National Museum.
JANM: What gave you the idea to produce a comic book in conjunction with the exhibition?
JY: We realized early on that any catalog for an exhibition of George’s unique life would need to be highly visual, and to weave memory and imagination. The graphic novel form was ideal for that! So Excelsior: The Many Lives of George Takei is your guide through the exhibition in comic book format. We’re also putting together a graphic anthology of stories inspired by George’s life and the issues he has engaged throughout it, called (like the exhibition) New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei. The latter is more like a catalog for the exhibition, but done in an eclectic comic book format. Unbound Philanthropy is generously funding that project.
JANM: Has working on New Frontiers changed any of your opinions on popular culture or APIA history?
JY: It’s made me realize how much has changed over the past 80 years—how we as APIAs have moved from the fringes to the center of popular culture, and how popular culture has moved from the fringes to the center of society. And George has been a significant part of that.
Join us on Sunday, March 12, for the public opening ofNew Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei. There will also be an Upper Level Members’ Reception on Saturday, March 11, at 7 p.m., with an opportunity to meet George, Brad, and Jeff personally. For information on becoming an upper level member, please visit this page.
Staff, volunteers, and leadership are busy with the many, many final preparations for the big event. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year where we raise much of our annual operating funds. It’s also a great event to attend!
Here’s a preview of what we have planned for this Saturday night at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live:
An incredible Silent Auction jam-packed with all kinds of great packages in 8 sections (Art, Buy-It-Now, Entertainment, Food & Wine, Luxury, Sports, Travel, and Treasures). You can get a sneak peek by downloading the Silent Auction Catalog. The Silent Auction is open during our yummy Seafood Reception hosted by American Fish & Seafood Co. and Sumitomo Corporation of America.
Our Gala Dinner & Program theme this year is Transforming a Forgotten Story, and will highlight the evolution of the Japanese American World War II story from almost forgotten to being shared internationally today. We will be presenting former Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta with our Distinguished Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement and Public Service.
The program will also include Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, author of Farewell to Manzanar and filmmaker John Korty who was the director of the made-for-TV film based on the book. Plus, a song from George Takei’s upcoming musical Allegiance will be performed!
We will also be drawing the winner of the Lexus Opportunity Drawing where a lucky person will win a 2013 Lexus GS 450h, and a live Bid for Education where we raise money that provides free admission and buses for many school groups to visit throughout the year and learn about the Japanese American experience.
But that’s not all! Our Young Professionals Network is hosting an After Party! It’s free for Gala Dinner guests, or $20 for JANM Members / $25 for non-members. Download the flyer for more details.
Happy 75th Birthday to George Takei! The Japanese American National Museum congratulates George and thanks him for all he does for our institution, our community, and our country. Not every celebrity is as civic minded as George, but he has always made himself available when possible to support good causes and to speak out against prejudice and discrimination.
George Takei with JANM staff members Chris Komai & Akira Boch
A lot of people know George was on Celebrity Apprentice this year and then got “fired” by Donald Trump. What people probably haven’t heard is that viewers of the program responded to the classy and respectful way George conducted himself on that program and his refusal to blame anyone else. He took responsibility and then with great dignity left the program.
Since George had designated the JANM as his charity, viewers made donations in George’s honor to the Museum right after he was let go.
Today, George is working very hard at creating a musical telling the story of what happened to George, his family, and thousands of innocent Japanese Americans during WWII. The government forced our families to leave their homes and over 120,000 were imprisoned. George knows that it is important that story is shared by all Americans, so he is trying to get “Allegiance” to Broadway.
An incredible 
We will also be drawing the winner of the Lexus Opportunity Drawing where a lucky person will win a 2013 Lexus GS 450h, and a live Bid for Education where we raise money that provides free admission and buses for many school groups to visit throughout the year and learn about the Japanese American experience.
