8 black comic book creators and icons you need to check out
By Mark Lynch
Let’s take a look at some of the most influential and iconic black comic book figures that you should absolutely check out.
The conversation of representation in all mediums of art understandably comes up fairly often. Kids need someone like them to look up to. It’s difficult to learn a lesson or feel included when the characters and stories you see and read aren’t ones you can relate to. It’s perhaps even more difficult when the people don’t look like you.
A perfect recent example of representation is the movie Black Panther. It was a film full of powerful black men and women who represented themselves as leading characters without ever coming across as clichés. But this is about more than just the excellent fictional worlds created, it’s about having real life representation.
When you’re young, the people you see on TV can have a dramatic influence on the careers we choose as adults. Imagine a young black kid wanting to be a comedian and never seeing Chris Rock or Wanda Sykes. Or wanting to be a self made billionaire without seeing Oprah coming from nothing and becoming an icon. The same thing goes for people who enjoy comic books and watch the films and programs they inspire. We want to see voice actors, writers, and artists who like us to inspire.
With that in mind, here are some comic book creators and artists that black people can look up to in fields we may want to venture in.