Black Comics & Animators
By Don Valentine and Nicole Nutting
She said: Well Don, QAnon fantasies and Neo-nazi wet dreams have brought America to it’s knees. Since fictions are the order of the day, My fantasy solution to our domestic problems would involve “superheroes.” Where are Superman and Wonder Woman when you need them? Perhaps, in honor of M.L.K., you could offer up a Black superhero?
He said: Black folks are very creative. We created the Blues, Rock and Roll, plus Soul music. This may surprise you and some of our readers. We also in the mid 50’s created our own Black comic book enterprise. At that time it was called “Negro Comics”. This was the Golden age of comic books.
One of the originators of this imagination was Matt Baker. He was the first Black comic illustrator to gain national fame. Nicole, what is sad is that he never received the credit his resume deserved! The New York Times on January 15th wrote a candid article on the impact of Black comic animators.
We were not recognized, but Ken Quattro did a deep dive into research on the topic. Now we know our impact on the comic book industry. My sister, this is another footprint that Black people have left on our Union. This includes the great comic illustrator from Philadelpia Samuel Joyner, George Herriman, and Jay Paul Jackson to name a few.
She said: They weren’t selling “Negro” comics at the local dime store when I was a kid, not even in my liberal hometown! Welcome to America, where your accomplishments are seldom recognized unless you’re a White male.
On that note, kudos to some real-life superheroes, the voters of Georgia who won us the Senate. The events of January 6 overshadowed it, but you folks ROCK!
