The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential ArtFrances Gateward, John Jennings When many think of comic books the first thing that comes to mind are caped crusaders and spandex-wearing super-heroes. Perhaps, inevitably, these images are of white men (and more rarely, women). It was not until the 1970s that African American superheroes such as Luke Cage, Blade, and others emerged. But as this exciting new collection reveals, these superhero comics are only one small component in a wealth of representations of black characters within comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels over the past century. The Blacker the Ink is the first book to explore not only the diverse range of black characters in comics, but also the multitude of ways that black artists, writers, and publishers have made a mark on the industry. Organized thematically into “panels” in tribute to sequential art published in the funny pages of newspapers, the fifteen original essays take us on a journey that reaches from the African American newspaper comics of the 1930s to the Francophone graphic novels of the 2000s. Even as it demonstrates the wide spectrum of images of African Americans in comics and sequential art, the collection also identifies common character types and themes running through everything from the strip The Boondocks to the graphic novel Nat Turner. Though it does not shy away from examining the legacy of racial stereotypes in comics and racial biases in the industry, The Blacker the Ink also offers inspiring stories of trailblazing African American artists and writers. Whether you are a diehard comic book fan or a casual reader of the funny pages, these essays will give you a new appreciation for how black characters and creators have brought a vibrant splash of color to the world of comics. |
Contents
1959 | |
EC Comics Cold War Censorship and | 1977 |
Ivorian Femininity and Masculinity in Abouet | 1999 |
Black Faces White Masks and Queer | |
Cartoonist Jackie Ormess | |
The Lateral Appropriation of Black Nationalism | |
Blackness and the American Superhero | |
Comic Book Culture and the Scene | |
The Visual | |
Donald Goiness Visual Novel | |
Constructing the Black Folk Subject | |
Kyle Bakers Nat Turner | |
Making Space in Jeremy Loves Bayou | |
Jimmy Corrigan and | |
Its a Hero? Black Comics and Satirizing Subjection | |
Contributors | |
Other editions - View all
The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and ... Frances K. Gateward,John Jennings No preview available - 2015 |
The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and ... Frances K. Gateward,John Jennings No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
Abouet Acholi African American Afrofuturism American comic appears artists Baker Bayou black bodies black characters black masculinity black superheroes blues Boondocks Brown Captain America cartoon cartoonist chapter child soldier Chris Ware color comic book comic strip comics medium costume creators critical critique culture Daddy Cool DC Comics depicted discourse fantasy female film gender genre girl graphic novel hero heteronormative hip-hop Huey humor Icon ideal identity ideological issue Ivorian Jackie Ormes Jackson Jimmy Corrigan Judgment Day Kyle Baker Larry Luke Cage mainstream male McGruder Milestone narrative Nat Turner Ormes’s panel Patty-Jo political popular postcolonial Press of Mississippi race racial racist Ramzees Raquel readers reading representations Rocket role scene science fiction sexual Shelton Singer slave slavery social space Stagger Lee stereotypes story superhero superhero comics Superman T’Anay Torchy traditional Uganda University Press unknown soldier urban violence visual White City woman women York