Here’s a little more from the press release:

What if we told you a tale about a quiet, unassuming guy with black hair and thick glasses? He's an immigrant, who's done his best to fit in to a world that isn't his—one very different from the land of his birth. He's got a hidden side to himself that he can't quite bring himself to show, not even to the popular girl he's got a huge crush on. If only she knew who he really was—what he could really do—she'd be amazed, he thinks. If only she knew. If only everyone knew...

For many Asian Americans, this chronicle is a familiar one, because many of us lived it. But this also happens to be the story of a mild-mannered reporter named Clark Kent, better known to the world by his alter ego: Superman. And it's just one example of the parallels between the cultural narrative of Asian America and the mythic foundation of the comic book superhero. These parallels, along with the burgeoning array of Asian American creative talent in the mainstream and alternative comics industries, are what have led New York Times best-selling author Jeff Yang; independent comics creator Jerry Ma; comics education specialist Keith Chow, and actor Parry Shen to team up to edit Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, the first-ever graphic novel collection of original stories exploring the universe of masked marvels and caped crusaders from the perspective of the nation's fastest-growing and most dynamic emerging community. The book will be published in trade paperback by The New Press (http://www.thenewpress.com ), one of the nation's leading independent publishers, hitting bookshelves in Fall 2008.

The super-exciting thing about this project is that they are looking for contributors:

The collection is actively seeking Asian American creators both within and outside the comics industry who are interested in contributing one to six page stories, either within the superhero genre or commenting on it in a satirical or insightful fashion. This may include artist/writer teams or artist-writer sole creators as well as artists seeking to be paired with a writer or writers with an idea seeking to be paired with an artist. Interested artists must submit art samples, and writers must submit story ideas, by no later than October 15th, 2007 to be considered for the anthology. All characters and stories included in the collection must be original to their creators and previously unpublished in any venue. The collection is intended to be creator-owned: Contributors will retain all rights to characters, depictions, backgrounds, marks, and storylines associated with their submissions.

So, here’s the chance for all you guys & girls who have been dreaming of letting your inner Asian superhero out: Rice Rocketeer – part man, part Acura Integra; Bhangra Destroyer – a typical desi DJ by night, and an evil villan by day; Karaokegirl – with her super-powered karaoke mic she can burst the eardrums of bad guys with a single rendition of “Toxic.” Okay, I'll stop now.

Check out a sneak preview of “Secret Identities” at AngryAsianMan.