Creating comics for a Black audience? Think again
Creating comics for a Black audience? Think again
For about 5 years plus, on my journey of being a comic book creator I have been dragged into groups on facebook, contacted by bloggers and journalists for small press publications and even asked by fans about the “support” that Black comic book creators get along with the other hot topic of “diversity” (God I hate that word). This seems to be a big discussion among many Black creators in comics and the conversation doesn’t get any easier to navigate when you get a few disingenuous, liberal non Black people in the discussion who drop the cliche line (drum roll please)……..
“it shouldn’t matter what race you are…blah blah blah”. I swear that sentence is a distant cousin of “All Lives Matter” *hock and spit*.
Forgive me for my fiery wording, I get like that sometimes.
LISTEN TO ME AND HEAR ME WELL.
In order to address this topic you need to do something that many Black people are not good at doing, REMOVE YOUR NON BLACK FRIENDS FROM THE DISCUSSION.
I guess having the discussion on social media and doing this blog is an oxymoron to what I just advised but the truth of the matter is none of your non black friends are going to understand the context, and you will end up just arguing and possibly losing friends over the word play that gets lost in translation when it ain’t even that deep.
So, here you are, you have created your Black superhero, got the character designs done, poster images all over social media and the pencil artist of your choice is working on your comic book pages as well as your colourist. You are excited, you are overwhelmed at the retweets and shares as well as all the likes, hashtags and emojis for your concept and you may of even done a crowd fund and hit your goal tenfold.
All of this is cool and feels nice and fluffy inside but the SALES is gonna be the real factor here. Your issue 1 will likely do well but the next issue is where the test comes in. Now it is important to know that this is not a “how to” post, look at it more like a soldier coming back from the battlefield giving you the status or progress of the mission.
Hard Wired Revolution issue 3 page
As a soldier who has come back bloodied up from battle (who also destroyed the target I’d add) I am telling you right now, you need to stop catering your comic book stories to Black nerds or even comic book readers. Yes you read right, do not make your comics for these people.
Hard Wired Revolution issue 3 page
Right now you are thinking I am crazy right? I know how words can play on some peoples mind but hear me out. The vast majority of Black nerds that attend comic cons in my city can range from all kinds of ages but if you are talking about the dedicated comic geeks in the small enclave we call the Black community you can simply forget it. Those Black comic book nerds are more focused on characters they grew up watching and reading as a child (which is totally normal and fine). Most Black nerds tend to look at the work but not necessarily buy it on site but for every time that happens I tend to get a purchase from them online at another day.
I think that part of this comes down to taste and I grew up on Transformers and Batman which shaped my taste in my older years but I wasn’t really a comic book reader that much, I would binge on some graphic novels from time to time but that was about it.
The point is that these people have become accustomed to their Spidermans, Batmans and Supermans as well as all the others so your indie comic is now an acquired taste for them if they so chose to go there which means they will always be comparing your work to what they grew up on. I don’t think that Black nerds should be made to feel guilty about their choices either by the way, they want what they want and that is fine, I guess the real problem is that we take them too seriously when they cry about diversity. The fact is when Black nerd types talk about diversity in comics they are really talking about diversity in Marvel and DC.
Marvel and DC is their home and they do not want to leave it even if you have something different that is everything they claim they want. The real problem here is us, yes us the independent Black comic book creators. The Black nerd is trying to live out a nostalgic dream so he can go back in time and show his white friends his John Steward Green lantern action figure in the playground with the the other white kids who had a He-Man or Superman and Batman action figure, he is the left out Black nerd who wants retribution. We as comic book creators are trying to win over this Black nerd with insecurity issues but you are pandering to someone that wants to relive their past childhood instead of pandering to the Black children who are actually IN their childhood right now today. This is a bit like when a guy is trying to win the heart of a woman he loves so much but she loves someone else who doesn’t care about her. It ain’t your job to save that woman and it ain’t your job to save a Black nerd from their insecurities as they are adults.
Now let me say this, the majority of children (of all races) I see at comic cons look bored because a lot of what is going on they can not even relate to, a 10 year old doesn’t give a pack of skittles about a damn infinity gauntlet or what Thanos wants it for. They do not care why the New 52 is cancelled so DC can reboot their stories AGAIN or even what New 52 even means and they do not give a damn about why Peter Parker can’t be Black. They only care about what they can relate to and what they can discuss with their own peer group (namely their school friends).
I will never forget the girl dress up as Pikachu at a comic con who had a face expression telling me she would rather be at home doing her homework. The parents were having a great time though, which is exactly my point.
Creating comics for a Black audience? Think again
For about 5 years plus, on my journey of being a comic book creator I have been dragged into groups on facebook, contacted by bloggers and journalists for small press publications and even asked by fans about the “support” that Black comic book creators get along with the other hot topic of “diversity” (God I hate that word). This seems to be a big discussion among many Black creators in comics and the conversation doesn’t get any easier to navigate when you get a few disingenuous, liberal non Black people in the discussion who drop the cliche line (drum roll please)……..
“it shouldn’t matter what race you are…blah blah blah”. I swear that sentence is a distant cousin of “All Lives Matter” *hock and spit*.
Forgive me for my fiery wording, I get like that sometimes.
LISTEN TO ME AND HEAR ME WELL.
In order to address this topic you need to do something that many Black people are not good at doing, REMOVE YOUR NON BLACK FRIENDS FROM THE DISCUSSION.
I guess having the discussion on social media and doing this blog is an oxymoron to what I just advised but the truth of the matter is none of your non black friends are going to understand the context, and you will end up just arguing and possibly losing friends over the word play that gets lost in translation when it ain’t even that deep.
So, here you are, you have created your Black superhero, got the character designs done, poster images all over social media and the pencil artist of your choice is working on your comic book pages as well as your colourist. You are excited, you are overwhelmed at the retweets and shares as well as all the likes, hashtags and emojis for your concept and you may of even done a crowd fund and hit your goal tenfold.
All of this is cool and feels nice and fluffy inside but the SALES is gonna be the real factor here. Your issue 1 will likely do well but the next issue is where the test comes in. Now it is important to know that this is not a “how to” post, look at it more like a soldier coming back from the battlefield giving you the status or progress of the mission.
Hard Wired Revolution issue 3 page
As a soldier who has come back bloodied up from battle (who also destroyed the target I’d add) I am telling you right now, you need to stop catering your comic book stories to Black nerds or even comic book readers. Yes you read right, do not make your comics for these people.
Hard Wired Revolution issue 3 page
Right now you are thinking I am crazy right? I know how words can play on some peoples mind but hear me out. The vast majority of Black nerds that attend comic cons in my city can range from all kinds of ages but if you are talking about the dedicated comic geeks in the small enclave we call the Black community you can simply forget it. Those Black comic book nerds are more focused on characters they grew up watching and reading as a child (which is totally normal and fine). Most Black nerds tend to look at the work but not necessarily buy it on site but for every time that happens I tend to get a purchase from them online at another day.
I think that part of this comes down to taste and I grew up on Transformers and Batman which shaped my taste in my older years but I wasn’t really a comic book reader that much, I would binge on some graphic novels from time to time but that was about it.
The point is that these people have become accustomed to their Spidermans, Batmans and Supermans as well as all the others so your indie comic is now an acquired taste for them if they so chose to go there which means they will always be comparing your work to what they grew up on. I don’t think that Black nerds should be made to feel guilty about their choices either by the way, they want what they want and that is fine, I guess the real problem is that we take them too seriously when they cry about diversity. The fact is when Black nerd types talk about diversity in comics they are really talking about diversity in Marvel and DC.
Marvel and DC is their home and they do not want to leave it even if you have something different that is everything they claim they want. The real problem here is us, yes us the independent Black comic book creators. The Black nerd is trying to live out a nostalgic dream so he can go back in time and show his white friends his John Steward Green lantern action figure in the playground with the the other white kids who had a He-Man or Superman and Batman action figure, he is the left out Black nerd who wants retribution. We as comic book creators are trying to win over this Black nerd with insecurity issues but you are pandering to someone that wants to relive their past childhood instead of pandering to the Black children who are actually IN their childhood right now today. This is a bit like when a guy is trying to win the heart of a woman he loves so much but she loves someone else who doesn’t care about her. It ain’t your job to save that woman and it ain’t your job to save a Black nerd from their insecurities as they are adults.
Now let me say this, the majority of children (of all races) I see at comic cons look bored because a lot of what is going on they can not even relate to, a 10 year old doesn’t give a pack of skittles about a damn infinity gauntlet or what Thanos wants it for. They do not care why the New 52 is cancelled so DC can reboot their stories AGAIN or even what New 52 even means and they do not give a damn about why Peter Parker can’t be Black. They only care about what they can relate to and what they can discuss with their own peer group (namely their school friends).
I will never forget the girl dress up as Pikachu at a comic con who had a face expression telling me she would rather be at home doing her homework. The parents were having a great time though, which is exactly my point.
. Black made comics tend to be out of style for the actual black demographic, still using the big ugly angry bald black man with military whatever shyt was boring the 1st time when white people spammed it, why you choose to follow behind them? I don't know but dead horse is dead, try something new just try
so much truth in theses posts bruhs.
