Religion Done Right
June 11, 2026
Okay West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN. This Ronin Catholic Altar Boy sees you. Come through!!!! To quote my mentor David Dark, “There are so many ways to love God.”
Tag: diversity
Coming Soon: Spyfunk
April 27, 2022
Well since the announcement has been made, I can share the exciting news. My short story, The Bonds That Bind, will be included in the upcoming Spyfunk! anthology. Espionage, Intrigue, Secrets, Lies. Welcome to the world of Spyfunk!, a collection of spy tales that put characters of African/African Diaspora descent front and center. These exciting … More Coming Soon: Spyfunk
Gail Force: An Interview With The Indomitable Gail Simone
March 15, 2022
One of my favorite interview with one of my favorite people. … More Gail Force: An Interview With The Indomitable Gail Simone
The Perfect Storm: An Analysis of Marvel’s Most Important Superheroine
February 28, 2022
BY DENNIS R. UPKINS Originally published at 30UpTV: “I am a woman, a mutant, a thief, an X-Man, a lover, a wife, a queen. I am all these things. I am Storm and for me, there are no such things as limits.” —Storm Nine years old. That was the age of this Catholic Altar Boy … More The Perfect Storm: An Analysis of Marvel’s Most Important Superheroine
It’s The Hypocrisy For Me
August 2, 2021
Over on OUTvoices I provide a retrospective on Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In addition to explaining why the Disney+ original series has been a success (and the only one that has been to date), I also explain why the show’s unapologetic critique of racism, antiblackness and other forms of systemic oppression exposes much … More It’s The Hypocrisy For Me
Enter The Olympian
May 2, 2021
Over on How To Love Comics, I provide a character study on Wonder Woman’s replacement, rival, and eventual ally, Achilles Warkiller, also known as the Olympian. The piece is the latest installment in HTLC’s A Year Of Wonder series which commemorates the 80th anniversary of the iconic Amazon throughout the year. Here it is. Your … More Enter The Olympian
Out & About Nashville
December 16, 2020
And now for some exciting news that I’ve been sitting on for the past couple of months. Yours truly is the newest contributor to Out & About Nashville magazine. Making my debut in this month’s issue, I explain why I’m giving a hard pass on a significant portion of so called “Black Media.” I can’t … More Out & About Nashville
S.W.A.T.: How A TV Show Gave Us A Template For Police Reform
September 20, 2020
Making my return to Yopp, today I explain why the hit CBS series, S.W.A.T., has been providing a blueprint on police reform for the last few years. And now our feature presentation!!!!
7 Lessons On Racism That White People Need To Learn
June 23, 2020
Oh yes. I go there. Let’s get into it.
Black Lives Matter Resource Packet
June 20, 2020
As an author, journalist and an activist, anytime I write something, be it a social media update or my next novel, I write with the intent to empower, enlighten and entertain. If I can do all three simultaneously, golden! I call it the E-Cubed Directive. These challenging times are a reminder why I do the … More Black Lives Matter Resource Packet
Gail Force: An Interview With Gail Simone
November 5, 2019
Today you guys are in for a treat. Over on 30Up, I sit down with the one and only Gail Simone and we discuss everything from comics, writing, diversity, Hollywood, Lion Forge and much more. And now for our feature presentation.
Part of the World I Know
July 8, 2019
Unless you’ve been under the sea or at sea, you’ve no doubt heard about bigots being outraged that a Black actress was cast in the title role for the upcoming live action The Little Mermaid film. So why the outrage, you ask? It’s just a movie, you say. The truth is, it was never about … More Part of the World I Know
Cue The Pulse To Begin: How QAF Possibly Saved My Life
June 30, 2019
June may be coming to a close but the celebration of all things #LGBTQExcellence continues 24/7, 365. Today on Black Girl Nerds I discuss why the media is often the only lifeline for many LGBTQs; how stories can impact lives; and how an unlikely television series known as Queer As Folk transformed mine. Cue The … More Cue The Pulse To Begin: How QAF Possibly Saved My Life
The Nerds Of Color: Political Engagement In And Through A Racialized Fandom Space
June 1, 2019
My time as a contributor to the Nerds of Color was definitely a blessed one. The story of how I was recruited is a story in itself. From a professional standpoint, being a contributor led to some excellent opportunities. Everything from networking, to receiving gigs, projects and other opportunities. More than that I gained some … More The Nerds Of Color: Political Engagement In And Through A Racialized Fandom Space
That Hero Of Mine: Remembering Perry Moore
May 20, 2019
Over on Black Girl Nerds, I pay tribute to a pioneer, a visionary, and a superhero in the truest sense of the word. My good friend and Patronus, the late Perry Moore.
The Revolution and Evolution of Women’s Wrestling Is Just Getting Started
April 30, 2019
March may be over but Women’s HERstory continues to be written. Over on Black Girl Nerds I discuss the latest renaissance in Women’s Wrestling and share how Hall of Famer Gail Kim and the other Knockouts of Impact Wrestling threw down the gauntlet in raising the standard of excellence which in turn has resulted in the WWE, NWA, and … More The Revolution and Evolution of Women’s Wrestling Is Just Getting Started
Its Own Reward
October 19, 2018
To whom much is given, much is required. And even if that isn’t the case, the responsibility exists all the same. I don’t have much (I am a professional author after all), but whenever there’s an opportunity to pay it forward, I try my best to do so. This is especially true when there’s an … More Its Own Reward
Q Is For Queer Speculative Fiction
June 14, 2017
Originally published on The Future Fire As a writer, storyteller, and a queer person of color, it goes without saying that diversity and inclusion is very important to me. Anyone who’s known me for five seconds is aware of the fact that I’m a rabid comic book fan. It’s modern day mythology and as a … More Q Is For Queer Speculative Fiction
Why White Saviors Like Jim C Hines Are Anything But
May 17, 2017
A gent by the name of Josh Inman said it best, “Everybody wants diversity…….until it happens.” So recently on social media this stick figure drawing came across my timeline on social media. When I saw it was from Jim C. Hines, I laughed and laughed and laughed. The mere fact that this fraudulent bigot was … More Why White Saviors Like Jim C Hines Are Anything But
The Cause of the Crew’s Cancellation
May 15, 2017
This weekend news broke that after two issues, Marvel’s Black Panther & the Crew has been canceled. The series revolved around Black Panther, Storm, Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Manifold who band together to take on a dangerous wave of street-level threats in this new ongoing series by co-writers Ta-Nehisi Coates (New York Times best-selling author … More The Cause of the Crew’s Cancellation
DENNIS R. UPKINS 