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J. Holder Bennett
J. Holder Bennett spends his time in the “real” world, whatever that means, as a history professor in North Texas. The rest of the time he focuses on his real love: fandom. For the past fifteen years he’s helped run A-Kon, an anime and manga convention in Dallas, and recently organized the Fandom and Neomedia Studies (FANS) association to bring together fans and academics for the better understanding of their mutual love. He has also done work on historical fiction and collaborated on analyses of science in cinema. Yes, he’s that guy.
MAGAZINE CONTENT BY J. HOLDER BENNETT (16 TOTAL)
Japan’s Copyright Crusade: Six Months Along
About six months ago I wrote here on Sequart about the new enforcement of copyright laws in Japan. Since that time their efforts have had some chance to play out in the real world and… [more]
American Sniper is Bad for America
In recent weeks, the culture of uncritical patriotism has returned to the news with the release of the film American Sniper. Chris Kyle’s case, and that of his supporters, involves a certain level of wrapping… [more]
Cops and Cosplayers: Two Minorities in Conflict
In the last year, cops have killed average citizens, black, white, and otherwise. How many? No idea. Sadly, a Facebook bot page is likely the best count available. In the last year, average citizens have… [more]
Je Suis Charlie
Editor’s Note: Due to some confusion from early reports, the article stated that Hamyd Mourad, brother-in-law to the Kouachi brothers, was the getaway driver for the brothers. He was in no way involved. He turned… [more]
Furries are Fellow Fans and Attacking Them Isn’t Funny
Recently, there was what appears to be a chlorine gas attack at Midwest FurFest in a Chicago suburb. Press reaction has ranged from just barely neutral to outright mocking, as in the case of Mika… [more]
No One Told the U.S. Court System that the X-Men are Human
Back in 2003, the US Court of International Trade handed down its decision in the case of Toy Biz Inc. v. United States that declared the Uncanny X-Men were not human. The decision may have… [more]
ABC v. Aereo: Broadcast and Performance
In what I am hoping will be but the first in a series (or second, depending on how one counts it), the following is a look at the intersection of the arcane worlds of popular… [more]
Review: The Mythology of Grimm: The Fairy Tale and Folklore Roots of the Popular TV Show by Nathan Robert Brown
This work is a must read for any fan of the NBC series Grimm, which recently began fourth season with all the timeliness of a series that started shortly before the bicentennary of the brothers’… [more]
Japan’s “New” Anti-Piracy Campaign for Anime and Manga
There has been much discussion of a newly enforced law in Japan regarding online piracy. A-Kon, for which I run various programs, and most other anime conventions do not permit bootlegging at events and internet… [more]
Media and Conflict: Reflections on the Centenary of WWI
Today, as I write this, it is 4 August 2014, the centenary of WWI. Or, as I prefer to conceptualize it as a historian, Act I in a Century of Tragedy. Niall Ferguson calls it… [more]
Knights of Sidonia (Shidonia no Kishi): Mecha Anime and Primordial Evil
The Netflix Original Series Knights of Sidonia is a triumphal tour of the mecha genre and a major coup for Netflix as their first anime series. While it’s not a true original, as it aired… [more]
Cosplay and Body Shaming
Cosplay, at its best, is about people having fun dressing up as their favorite movie, anime, game, or other characters and joining like-minded people. But we live in the real world and things involving other… [more]
Alan Turing in Context, Part 2
Since my last writing, Tor has finished posting the graphic novel of Alan Turing’s life, The Imitation Game, by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Purvis. You can find my comments on the first part here. What… [more]
Cosplay and Color: Skin Tone and Character Portrayals
Among my other duties for A-Kon is administering the social media pages, the Facebook group in particular. Recently there was an interesting debate on the use of cosmetics and other techniques to alter one’s skin… [more]
Indian Culture in Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji)
I will warn you now: this article has spoilers. What I have in mind would be impossible without them. So, that said, allons-y! In the anime series Black Butler, episodes 13 – 15 introduce us… [more]
Alan Turing in Context
If you are reading this on a computer, and you almost certainly are, you owe a small debt to Alan Turing. He was the genius code breaker in WWII who theorized and created the first… [more]
NEWS CONTENT BY J. HOLDER BENNETT
Nalanda University Reincarnated: Goku’s Alma Mater
Nalanda University, recently refounded in India, has begun accepting students. In its own right this is a good thing because it will provide greater access to higher education both for Indian and global students. It… [more]