Giant Robot Needs You (And You Need Giant Robot) at Schema : more than ethnic

Giant Robot Needs You (And You Need Giant Robot)

Giant Robot is a magazine that essentially galvanized the Asian American pop culture movement and has continued to do so for the past 15 years. But now on the cusp of its 16th year, the magazine is struggling financially and needs YOUR help to keep it running.

For those of you who have followed Giant Robot over the last decade and a half, you have probably been impacted in some meaningful way and for those of you who are unfamiliar with the magazine, read it, because you will then understand why it is worth pouring every ounce of your energy, time and effort into supporting the GR campaign.

Eric Nakamura and Martin Wong are the editors, writers and visionaries behind Giant Robot. Noble in their cause, they have delivered fun, interesting and (at times) controversial Asian and Asian American topics in every issue of their magazine. Eric and Martin have also built a large fan base and whether they have done so on purpose or inadvertently, their magazine has shaped their readers into more conscious and educated individuals...and have even inspired some writers out there today:

"I first discovered Giant Robot when I was in college. I was extremely excited to find a magazine that was covering "Asian Pop Culture and Beyond" with some attitude and an eye for cool -- and best of all, they were doing it completely on their own terms. It was inspirational. In truth, without Giant Robot there would be no Angry Asian Man." -- Phil Yu, Angry Asian Man

As young ethnically diverse people living in North America, we inherently develop complex identities. Even today, having lived in Canada all my life, I have only recently learned to be comfortable with who I am (and no, I'm not just a "CBC" (Canadian Born Chinese) nor am I a "white-washed" Asian). Magazines like Giant Robot force us to dig deeper -- this is where the "Beyond" part of their slogan comes in.

In Issue 19, entitled "Pray to Prey," the analogy of religion is used to express GR's purpose,

"...I'm more tolerant now. Religion is like music, literature or a work of art - anything crafted with an aesthetic and an attitude. You want to share it with people you care about. that's why new friends give mix tapes to each other, share favourite books and movies, and maybe even cook family recipes for each other. (By then, you may be more than friends.)"

"I should know, because Giant Robot is a combination of all those things. I don't know if we can promise eternal life or even a good party on Wednesday night. But we can do everything possible to make a magazine that makes a difference to us and, possibly to you."

For Schema, there is no doubt that magazines like GR compel us to continue doing what we're doing and THIS is why we need to do everything we can, from making donations to just spreading the word, to keep Giant Robot alive.

See Eric and Martin's video below.