S1: Welcome in San Diego , it's Jade Hindman. On today's show , there's a lot happening in San Diego's arts and culture scene here about a new designated day to honor sustainable fashion. Plus a preview of Black Comics Day. This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. The city of San Diego recently named February 13th solo a day. The sewing shop and studio has been around since 2013. Here's City Council member Vivian Moreno making the official proclamation.
S2: So February 13th marks Sol Lopez 13th anniversary. 13 years of celebrating love for our planet , our community , and the value of caring for the items we already own.
S1: Now , Claudia Rodriguez is the founder of So Loca , and she joins me now to talk about what this recognition means to her and what Sokolka means to the community. Claudia , welcome back to the show.
S3: Thank you.
S1: Jade , it's always good to have you here.
S3: I feel the same way. I always love seeing you.
S1: Oh , likewise. I mean , okay , first of all , congratulations. Big congrats to you.
S3: Um , it's , uh , it's really exciting. Um , you know , when you start a business , you never think that it would be successful for even a year. And so now going into our 13 year , I'm like , whoa , this is insane. And , um , you know , it's really emotional because I feel like I really got that inspiration from my dad. You know , he was , um , both my parents are immigrants from Guadalajara , Mexico , and , um , they were my dad was an entrepreneur. He basically would create the things in our garage and we would go sell him at the swap meet. And so for me , not having a college education , being able to , you know , think about , like , how could I be successful ? Um , I saw that inspiration in my dad where he was so resilient and like , I have to make this happen because he had six kids. And so he was like , we got to make it happen some way. So , you know , the American dream of , like , coming to this country to have this opportunity to basically open up a business and for it to be supported by our community for 13 years is , you know , it it makes me want to cry. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Yeah. Well , I mean , and it is a big , like , sign of perseverance and well , 13 years is a milestone because it is going to be 13 years for you come tomorrow , right ? Yes. How are you reflecting on this milestone.
S3: Well , it's insane because when we started our business , our daughter was five months old. So I have two teenagers. So can you imagine that having two teenagers.
S1: And a five month old. Yeah. Yes.
S3: And so I'm like , whoa. And so , um , I'm very much looking forward to a sandwich from the girl's deli to celebrate. And , um , you know , it is one of those things where I'm like , wow , you know , patting myself on the back , you know , having a vision , sticking to it , and just that reflection of , like , anything that you've always wanted to do , you could do. 13 years goes by so quick. Mhm. Quick.
S1: Well tell me , I mean let's go back 13 years. How did Sokolka get started.
S3: Um , well I originally wanted to be a teacher and then I became an at risk youth. And so I dropped out of high school. All that kind of stuff didn't go to college because it was an overwhelming experience. Both my parents don't speak English , and so I saw my dad as an entrepreneur , and I feel like , you know , there's entrepreneurship in our culture where it's like street vendors , all that kind of stuff. And so I saw that as like , you know , him going to the swap meet , selling and being a vendor and things like that. And I was like , well , if I wanted to be successful , this is an entry point for me. And so , um , I really thought that opening up a business , opening up a business would be easy.
S1: And it was at that.
S3: Now , I do laugh at that. And I'm like , wow , you're crazy. It's in the name. But yeah , I yeah , but it it's , uh , it's a good it's nice to look back at how it started. And , you know , I , I've always wanted to have a space where people could congregate and to be inspired by other creatives and , you know , just share a space and , you know , create for the sake of creating , but also create for , you know , the sake of mental health , all that. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. It takes a lot of courage to , to open your own business. Yes.
S3: Yes.
S1: You know , like you're in the beginning , you're , you're wondering , is this something that people are into or are they feeling this like , you know , you're you're really trying to take the temperature , um , at first. So I just admire people who who go through with it. Um , so there's , there's a growing movement for slow fashion , and it's one that you've been at the helm of. In fact , last time we had you on the show , we talked about the city's recognition of Slow Fashion Day.
S3: Like , I feel like even year , right where I just when I was getting the proclamation at the city , someone came up to me and they're like , we're doing this entrepreneur program for kids to enter sustainability as like fashion brands. And I'm like , that is amazing. And so there's so many people that really want to enter that space and enter that space , not just as entrepreneurs , but people that really just want to be more mindful of their clothes and in elongate their the timeline of , of what they're wearing.
S1:
S3: They're already thrifting. They're already thinking outside of the box. They're really changing that narrative of how they want to see clothing. And so they're , you know , they're doing all the the thrifting , right ? They're going to Kobe swap meet looking for all the vintage stuff , all that. And so for me , I'm like , whoa , we're really seeing a shift in what fast fashion was and to what the fashion industry is now. And so it's beautiful. It gives me so much faith that we could , as a community , really change what we really want to see and our impact that we're creating.
S1: I mean , so Loca has also played an important role in shaping the cultural identity and the arts in Barrio Logan. Talk more about that and what that's meant for you.
S3: I feel like for me , cultural representation is really important. I grew up in a time that , you know , it was there was no cultural representation. There wasn't brown people on TV that you could say , wow , that looks like me. And it's really important for us to uplift ourselves , to be able to show that our culture is like such a beautiful thing , that we're welcoming people and that we're really hard working and that we're just like everyone else. We're human. We , you know , have you no passion for life ? We , you know , we we want to feel appreciated and loved just like everyone else.
S1: And you talk about , you know , representation. And I know through your art and fashion you really explore your Chicana identity. Yes. Talk about the ways in which you do that.
S3: I , you know , for me , Chicana , Chicano , um , especially putting that label right where you're like , well , I'm not a traditional look of what a Chicana looks like. And so I'm actually like more Chicano grunge , punk rock , kind of like vibe. And so there is a lot of Chicanos and Chicanos that , that are into that. And so I really wanted to make sure that we also have our own avenue of representation of like a Chicano also looks like this and also enjoys dressing like this and also appreciates this type of music. We're not just fitting in a box.
S1: Yeah , well , you know.
S3: It's like we are surrounded by art where it's like music , where it's like paintings on our wall , where it's like the clothes that we wear , all that kind of stuff. And art is one of those things where sometimes if we really think about it , we don't appreciate it as much for what it does for us , for our mental health , for how the color that your bedroom is painted allows for you to to feel happy in the morning. And so for me , art is such a valuable thing in our communities , in in our everyday life , to create that kind of feeling of like , you know , wanting to continue. And I know life is hard. You know , we we get those moments where , you know , you feel a little bummed out or , you know , you're just having those , like , sluggish moments , but it really allows for us to kind of look at something , get inspired. Specific colors make us happier. And so , um , art is like super , super , super , um , essential in our everyday lives. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. You know , you mentioned your dad earlier and how he really sparked your interest in art.
S3: Six kids with. Like , I think she at the time , we were making the same amount of money. I think we were making both. 675 I was working at Pizza Hut and my mom was working at a factory , and and she was , you know , basically paying the mortgage and , and raising six kids. And so when things do get hard , I'm like , if my mom could do it , you know ? Where she was there. And she did whatever she could to basically be able to provide for us. I could do anything because I started to think about. I'm like , well , I'm more resourceful. I know how to speak two different languages. My mom only speaks Spanish. And so then I'm like , if my mom could do it , I could definitely do it. And I have amazing siblings. All of my siblings , they're always like , every time something happens , you know , we're on this group chat and they start sending all the , the funny memes like , yeah , go , you know. And it is really , you know , understanding that it was an at risk youth and all those kind of things and you know , being able to show my mom now and my family now that I am not that troubled youth anymore , that I actually made something out of myself. You know , I think that it makes it even more special to celebrate those 13 years ? Yeah.
S1: It's really motivating and inspiring. I mean , no journey , you know , comes without its challenges , especially in an industry like fashion. That's always changing. Yeah.
S3: So it's like most of the time people are just kind of like , I bought this shirt , it costs me X amount. And that's not the real cost , right ? We're getting it from , you know , like a brand that's fast fashion or or someone that isn't as ethical as they claim to be in. So trying to change that narrative of how cut and so designers are viewed. And so that even that phrase is so new that people are like , what is a cut ? And so designer and so someone that actually cuts it and then sews it. And so most of our items that are mass produced , they are handed from one hand to another hand to another hand , where it devalued the skill of sewing. And so really wanting to change that narrative of how people are looking at sewing and and products is really important.
S1: Well , one way you're commemorating solo career is with a solo art show by Selena Idioma that's happening this Saturday.
S3: She's an amazing artist. We're going to have a lot of things where people could come in and interact with , um , we have like a lot of arts and crafts happening. She has a really good array of paintings that she's been working on these past couple of months. And so , um , we're excited. Um , it's a it's a fun day for people to come out , be around community , Celebrate Selena , celebrate solo a day. So we're excited.
S1:
S3: And so we're doing a workshop that we're having two workshops where you come and make a tote bag and all of the proceeds go to the ACLU. So we're excited for that , because being a daughter of immigrants , um , it feels like I'm not doing enough. And so how can I do more ? And so one of my friends , Gaby Pollan , said she inspired me to to basically want to do more. And I'm really excited to work with her , my partner Manny , and another really good friend. Her name is Lucia. She's a poet. They're going to be doing , um , spoken word in our embroidery lounge. And then we have 18 city coffees that's going to be serving coffee for people to come by and just have a day of celebration and a day of community where people could just kind of hang out and create a really cool tote. But also the proceeds are going to something really awesome.
S1: So yeah , it's like you've created not just a sew shop , but , um , a third space. Yes.
S3: Yes.
S1: Someplace where people can go. It's communal. I love that. Well , I've been speaking with Claudia Rodriguez Basinski , founder of Sew Loca. We'll link to any events mentioned in our segment on our page at KPBS. Claudia , it's always a pleasure. And congratulations again.
S3: Thank you. Jade , I appreciate it. Yes. Thank you.
S1: Still to come. Beth Accomando gives us a preview of this year's upcoming Black Comics Day when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back to midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Black Comics Day returns to World Beat Cultural Center this Saturday and Sunday. Since 2018 , the event's been celebrating black creators and artists working in the comics industry , and KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando has been covering the show since its inaugural year at the Malcolm X library. Well , this year she met with founder Keith and Jones and artist Brittany Mitchell outside the World Beat Cultural Center to talk more about what makes this year stand out.
S4: So Keith and we are out here in front of the World Beat Center. This is going to be your eighth annual Black Comics Day.
S5: I didn't anticipate this , but here we are going into our eighth year and I'm excited for the weekend.
S4:
S5: So there were some of them were , um , amateurs just getting into the field. Some were seasoned , they had a few projects going on , but they've gone on to get movie deals , animation deals , bigger book deals with larger publishers. So for me , the difference is just the excitement of seeing these artists grow in front of me. At least their careers grew in front of me.
S4: And the convention itself Black Comics Day has grown as well. You started at a library ? Yes.
S5: It first started at the Malcolm X Library on Euclid , and we did that for two years. And then we transferred here to world B center , where Mikita invited us to expand the format of the show. And so that happening expanded the footprint of the show. For Black Comics Day , more people are able to recognize it , or at least be aware of it.
S4:
S5: Because you have the zoo nearby , you have all the great museums nearby , and now you have Black Comics Day in the mix of all of that so they can expand their day. Whatever their plans were for Balboa Park , they can expand it to Black comics because it's a free show and it's free to everyone who's interested. I invite you all to come through and enjoy all of this fantastic art from the black community and the pertaining to comic books.
S4: So Black Comics Day celebrates black creators and having it here at World Beat Center. It seems like since this is a place for a lot of African American culture and history , it seems like a nice compliment for your show.
S5: Yeah , especially being Black History Month. We're at a black owned establishment owned by Michaela Cheatham , who's been a staple in San Diego for many years , going all the way back , all the way back to 91 X when she ran her reggae hour. And so as far as it pertains to African Americans and just people of African descent , Black Comics Day is a perfect show because it encompasses folks not only that are local , but also from the actual comic book industry like Marvel Comics , DC comics , Image Comics , and the like. But the majority of the vendors here are black owned publishers , and that's what makes this show different from , say , San Diego Comic Con. And so I'm excited about that.
S4: And you mentioned that seeing a lot of these creators come back who were here at the first year. They've changed. They've grown.
S5: I just had a feeling that it was a necessary entity that needed to exist. And so I just rolled the dice , feeling that , well , me as a professional myself in the comic book industry and also as a fan , I didn't see a lot of representation , especially back when I was a kid. Right ? It's changed a lot now. You see it all over the place and that's great. But there were steps to get to that point and shows like Black Comics Day , it's one of those. I would like to think one of those pillars that helped prop that up as far as representation in like the mainstream , we've always been here , but when it comes to the majors , it's a little more sparse. And so we're still on our journey trying to change that narrative and also improve the representation that currently exists. Because a lot of times , even though you may have a quote unquote black show out there , it may be produced by people outside of the community , and it may not ring true in certain way that the characters behave or how the dialogue is written , or certain cultural cues that that are kind of off. That can be remedied. If you had someone from the actual community writing those stories.
S4: And putting on a convention like this is a lot of work. But in addition to that , you run your own comic publisher and have your own comics. So talk about where you're at with that.
S5: My company is called Kid Kid , which stands for The Kid and You Never Dies. And I called it that because when I was a kid here in San Diego , I was going to Los Altos Elementary School here in San Diego , and my sixth grade teacher gave us an assignment. If you could have anything for Christmas , what would it be ? And I said , I would love to have my comic published , or at least print it. And she was able to make that dream come true for me. She knew a local printer here , and I wrote and drew this Star Wars Story , my own sequel to Empire Strikes Back. And I got some notoriety out of it. And the newspaper , I think it was the San Diego Tribune. The headline said Kid Comics Keaton. And I remembered that. And so I named my company kid. Fast forward to now. I do this professionally. That's how I make my living. I not only draw comics for myself , I have a slew of clients that I draw comics for , and recently , Image Comics for Christmas released a book that I was a part of called Dread the Halls with Chris Ryle. And so we collaborated on an anthology that was fantastic. And so , yeah , I just balanced doing my own creations. For instance , Power Nights , which is a comic that I created some characters I've had with me since I was like 11 years old. And when I'm not doing that , I'm working on , um , other publishers work. I stay busy.
S4: And you've mentioned this is a little bit like Comic-Con in terms of how it's set up. But one of the things that's really nice is because it's smaller people who attend can really have an opportunity to speak to these creators.
S5: Yeah , this is a lot more intimate now. When I was a kid , one of the great things about San Diego Comic-Con back in the day when it was much smaller , you can actually have a one on one with these artists , especially if you're an aspiring artists like myself. You can have a good conversation and build up a rapport with these guys and possibly get work. Now that it's gotten so large , speaking of San Diego Comic-Con , it's hard. A lot harder to do that without a scheduled meeting or something of that sort. But here at Black Comics Day is a bit of a throwback. It's still small enough to be intimate. You can , especially you young artists out there , particularly young artists of color. If you come on through , bring your art , show your work to these writers because they're always hiring someone to do one of their fantastic ideas they have bouncing around in their head. So , uh , yeah , just , um , it's it's that type of environment. We're , we're it's it's it's not as hectic , but it may be one day , but right now , it's still a very open and very inclusive and you can and very intimate and , um , I hope to keep that thread going as it goes through the years where , um , young artists or even older aspiring artists can , um , network.
S4: And another part of Black Comics Day are your panels.
S5: We have a traditional panel we do every Saturday called empowered. And empowered has a different theme that we would tackle every year. So this year's theme is what is Afrofuturism now ? Afrofuturism , in my view , and what I would like to curate it as If you think of Japanese comic book artist , everyone knows. We call that manga or anime. So I'm thinking for Afrofuturism it could be a moniker , or at least a signifier. A black artist or artist of African descent that produced in this space this comic book pop culture space under the moniker of Afrofuturism. So the panel itself is going to be about defining that term where we are with it , where we where we think we're going with it. And so it should be. It should be a fun , interesting panel. And of course , the audience can ask the panel questions on or whatever questions they may have about what we're doing here at Black Comics Day. Sunday we have a special guest. We have Jordan Chiles , Olympian Jordan Chiles of the team USA. She and her cousin Reuben Warren , who is also a comedian and comic book artist. So Jordan and Reuben are going to debut their book mindset , which is based on Jordan Child's likeness and her aesthetics. As far as what she represents as a black woman and as an Olympian , a black woman and a person of color in the in the creative space. They're going to debut that book here at world B center Black Comics Day , Sunday , February 15th , one day only. So that should be exciting.
S4:
S5: We have Kevin Grievous , the actor Kevin Grievous , who is also the writer of the underworld movies. You know , if you're into werewolves and vampires fighting each other , little do people know , he also wrote those movies and he acted in those movies. So he'll be here on hand with his comic books. And we have a whole slew of black owned publishers. Too many to list. Off the top of my head , which is what I'm me. Personally , that's what I'm excited about. Because you want to tell. Kids out there in the community , hey , you can be anything , but they don't necessarily see it. This shows you can actually meet these people and see these people. And that to me , makes it more real. It has more weight behind it. So I'm excited for children from our community to come down here and see actual representation in the flesh versus just hearing about it , hopefully one day. My vision for Black Comics Day is to actually expand to the point where some of these major films , like Black Panther , can actually have a sneak preview here. So that's like kind of my bigger vision for the show.
S4: And this year you'll be celebrating Black Comics Day on Valentine's Day.
S5: Yeah , date night and date night. Come get your comic book. Come get your art experience of black culture. And that's another thing I want to make sure that people understand that yes , it's called Black Comics Day , but this show's open to everyone. It's an inclusive show , and I encourage people outside of this community to come through , experience something different. We have a good time. And also there's great food here. It's great food at the World Bee Center. So you come and get some fresh food versus all that processed stuff.
S4: All right. Well , thank you very much for talking about Black Comics Day.
S5: Yeah , thanks for having me. And again , once again , Black Comics Day happens February 14th through the 15th. Saturday and Sunday it is free for everyone. The rest of it , you'll just have to discover when you get here.
S4: For this year's Black Comics Day.
S6: Keith and is trying something new by bringing in fine artist Brittany Michel.
S5: Through her art. She likes to express her personal journey through life that I think a lot of people can relate to.
S6: I had a chance to speak with Brittany Michel and because she doesn't create comics , I asked her to describe what kind of art she does create.
S7: Oh , that's a big question. Um , so I am not an illustrator or comic book artist. I am a fine arts artist , so I do a lot of painting with surreal expressionist style. So it's , um , a mixture of mediums. So strictly painting is my favorite thing to do. So it's exciting to be engulfed in this world and welcome in by the black comics community. So yeah.
S4: And one of the things that's always nice about Black Comics Day is that the attendees have a real opportunity to interact with the creators. So are you looking forward to talking to younger people who may be looking into this as a potential career ? Absolutely.
S7: I , I work with kids all the time , so it's always exciting to show them that this is a possibility for a career , for even a hobby , a passion being able to speak with people about the art and being able to speak with them specifically about the art that speaks to them , is really exciting for me.
S4:
S8:
S7: Oh my goodness. Um , I went to San Diego High , which is right down the street from here. I've been in this space so many times as a young person , and I've been to vending events here as a young person and watching how the other artists present themselves , and being surrounded by so much beautiful art and culture really speaks to me as an artist. A lot of my art , uh , illustrates what black culture could mean beyond just the the stereotypical things. And it's really exciting to be surrounded by so many symbols of our beauty. So I'm excited to be a part of this , and it's exciting to know that I'm gonna be a part of that memory for someone else.
S4: And what do you think the importance is of having Black Comics Day here in San Diego.
S7: So it's it's important for so many reasons. But I think the biggest one is representation. Like being able to see somebody else that looks like you do the thing that you've been wanting to do , that's such an inspiration , that's the passion that I have for my artistry is so big , and the passion that I see in other people when it comes to creation and how excited they get about being like , I want to do that. And me telling them that they can. Them discovering that they can. That's a that's so magical as an artist. And I think that's what we need more of.
S1: That was artist Brittany Michel and Black Comics Day founder Keith and Jones speaking with KPBS Beth Accomando. Black Comics Day will take place this Saturday and Sunday at World Beat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. The event is free. That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
