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.
Phil LaMarr
The older generation (me included) remember Phil LaMarr from Pulp Fiction and Madtv. Recently, it’s his voice acting that you might recognize him from. You shouldn’t be shocked by how many times you’ll see his name on the end credits of cartoons, movies, and video games.
The beauty of it all is that he doesn’t use the same voice for all of his characters. He’s been the voice of multiple characters on Young Justice, he’s been Samurai Jack, and (a personal favorite) John Stewart in most DC Comics projects. So the next time you’re watching a cartoon, pay attention to the credits. You’ll probably see his name.
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates may be best known for his books like Between the World and Me and We Were Eight Years in Power. What some of you may not know is he’s been a comic book writer for a few years. In 2016, Ta-Nehishi Coates wrote a Black Panther story called A Nation Under our Feet. A comic book run perfect for fans of Wakanda in the movies and the comics. He’s continued writing amazing Black Panther stories since.
Recently, he’s changed things up and also wrote Captain America. He’s taken Steve Rogers to places we haven’t seen in years. So far, his run has been on the same level of some of the greatest Captain America stories. Making Steve an enemy of the state puts him in territory similar to Marvel’s Civil War… except then, the character wasn’t wanted for murder.
Vita Ayala
It takes a special kind of writer to make you enjoy a character you don’t particularly like. Vita Ayala did that for me. Morbius isn’t someone this writer initially found all that interesting. But since his solo movie is coming out, it seemed like a good time to give him a chance.
Vita’s Morbius series has been great. In five issues you’re given a reason to care about Michael Morbius – the man and the monster. You also learn more about his past as well. All of this made him a much more enjoyable character. However, that isn’t the only Marvel Comics book Vita’s writing.
Vita Ayala is also penning Nebula – a character this writer loved from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series starts with them making Nebula a terrible being – someone perfectly okay with letting people die if it meant the character got what she wanted. The end of that issue put Nebula in a very different place in life, so it’ll be cool to see what Vita does with Nebula next.
Also, along with Danny Lore, Vita wrote the iconic British Spy James Bond. Two people of color writing James Bond is an exciting concept – especially in a comic book, and you can learn more about this project at Newsarama.
Reginald Hudlin
Before Ta-Nehishi Coates started writing Black Panther, Reginald Hudlin helped make the King of Wakanda the popular icon that he is. He created a book that was centered around Wakanda and black superheroes, teaming T’Challa up with characters like Brother Voodoo, Blade, and Luke Cage.
This writer’s introduction to it was during the road to Storm and T’Challa’s wedding. It forced me to go back and read Who is the Black Panther. This story showcased the Black Panthers as early as the 5th century, letting readers know that the Wakandans were more technologically advanced than anyone on Earth.
Hudlin also did a phenomenal job with Shuri. First, he showed that she could have been the Black Panther before her brother. Hudlin was the one who made her the Black Panther in Black Panther: The Deadliest of the Species – something many of us hope to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe one day.
Dr. Eve Ewing
Admittedly, this writer didn’t know a lot about Dr. Eve Ewing prior to writing this article. However, as soon as he came across her name, what was found made him smile. She’s not just a writer of books and poetry; Dr. Eve Ewing is a sociologist. Finding out that she’s writing Riri Williams was nothing short of amazing.
Riri Williams – both as a character and as Ironheart – is vitally important, especially to young black kids. For years, much of the black women in comic books weren’t both tough and smart. Now, we have someone who’s a combination of the two. Dr. Ewing can write about Riri in a way others can’t. She understands what it’s like to be a smart young woman who grew up in Chicago.
Recently, her comic book Outlawed dropped. A story about teenage superheroes becoming illegal. A concept similar to Marvel Civil War, but with more meaning than people may realize. During an interview with comicbook.com, she delves into some of the deeper meanings behind that story.
"“The point is actually acknowledging that our teen characters are not just stand-ins for generic teamdom. What does it mean to be a dreamer, versus somebody who has documented status here in the U.S.? What does it mean to be a person of color versus a white person? One of the loopholes of the law is that they’re allowed to keep super-heroing if they have a government-approved mentor. So, what does it mean to be a hero who has more ties to the adult superhero community, versus one who’s on the fringe?”"
Kevin Grevioux
Some of you may recognize Kevin Grevioux from Underworld (where he was a writer and played Raze) or from his recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. For me, he’s the man who created one of the strongest and smartest characters in Marvel Comics. He gave us Adam Bernard Brashear a.k.a. Blue Marvel. A black superhero with a genius intellect who has gone punch for punch with the Sentry while taking on the Avengers.
Grevioux made a character and told an emotional story of what it would have been like for a hero of color in the 1960s. Once his mask was damaged in a fight, Blue Marvel wasn’t accepted in America because he was black… even by some people in the government. They knew he saved multiple lives on countless occasions, but that didn’t matter. Instead of educating people, they chose to force him to quit. A story that had multiple meanings for me.
It would be great to have more stories like this. Everything in American History isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There were a lot of dark times for people of color, women, and so many more. Though some of the pain remains, the healing is beginning. Without knowledge of the past, we can’t move forward.
Roxane Gay
My introduction to Roxane Gay was The Banks. A story about black women thieves. That is an oversimplification of what they do. They only steal from the people who deserve it. As the series goes on, we go back and forth throughout time seeing how they got into the game and the consequences they faced. For example, the mother and grandmother were in the game full time.
Meanwhile, the youngest was completely against and hated what they did. As the story progresses, we see how things change her mind and attitude towards the family business.
Not knowing what to expect, this was a stupendous ride. The series showed how different generations go about things in contrasting ways – even if it’s the same profession. The Banks also showed how families can be estranged and still have each other’s back. It was beautiful and relatable. One thing I wanted to point out was the flow. Despite going back and forth through time, it didn’t disrupt the course of the story. Not many writers can do that well.
Nnedi Okorafor
People who are only fans of Shuri from the Black Panther movie have no idea what they’re missing in the comic books. Thankfully, writer Nnedi Okoafor changed that. She’s the writer of Shuri – a book that followed Wakanda’s young genius and former Black Panther.
This series highlighted more than just her intelligence. It gave her a personality that was relatable. For example, in issue No. 2, she was hit with the weight of being looked at as “just T’Challa’s sister.” A lot of us know what it’s like to be in someone’s shadow; parents being disappointed, or winning a fight without fists. Like Dr. Eve Ewing with Riri Williams, it’s great having an African woman writing a book about an African female character. You can read this and feel the emotion written in every word. If you want to read more, check out her comic LaGuardia as well.
But, wait! There’s more!
Dwayne McDuffie is a name we should all know. Without him, we don’t get the Static Shock cartoon or the comic book character of the same name. He’s one of the creators behind making Static and the cartoon such a success. He’s also written Justice League: Doom and episodes of the popular Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series from the early 2000s (where Phil Lamarr voiced Green Lantern).
Kevin Michael Richardson is another voice actor we should all be checking out. He has over 100 voices credited to his name. Among them are Goro from the first live action Mortal Kombat movie, The Joker from The Batman, and Shredder from the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
There are many more creators out there. During this article’s conception (and while it was being written), this writer learned a lot about people he didn’t know existed. It was inspiring and finding out that a lot of these creators started out later than most is something that can give everyone hope.
Not everyone takes the conventional path. A lot of us are late bloomers. Everyone finds their passions and paths at different points of their lives. While this article does indeed specifically highlight black creators, there are also a lot of other inspirational elements from these comic book talents – things that everyone can look at here and be inspired.
Which of these black comic book icons and creators are your favorites? What other comic book icons would you have mentioned? Let us know in the comments below.