The Soul of a Black Collector

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, but lose his soul?" Mark 8:36 The Black comic book reader space contains a lot of different kinds of Black folk. No one is the same. Which to be honest, is a good thing. However, there are somethings that are common among any type of folk regardless of their background, lifestyle, political or economic perspective. Some cats are going to read this and find nothing redeemable about it because we all think one way or another that we are right in whatever we do. You might want to know why I posted the bible scripture Mark 8:36. So glad you ask. Simply put, no one thinks or believes that in whatever they are doing, it will not cost them their soul. In this particular case, I am not talking about a theological context. You see the soul, which is made up of the mind, will, and emotions is the part of you that all negotiation, justification, frustration, and all around bad understanding and wack decision making takes place. As a Black collector, you are challenged in this area whether you know it or not.

All comic book characters are based upon the human experience. Period. I don't care if its a Asgardian god, a demon who likes to rhyme, or a blind cat in a red suit protecting Hell's Kitchen. They are all based upon the human experience. That experience is challenged day to day. We may like to geek out and bug on a story that seemingly means nothing to you or me personally. However, I dare you to look closer. People want to just check out some cool art and read a cool story. Nowadays, people dont even care for the story. Its about the cover art and for them that is all that matters. Nothing wrong with it but deeper dives compel us to examine whats in front of us and make the determination as whether what is front of me worth investing in emotionally. Can I trust this? Can I find value in it? Perhaps this is a conversation for white folks. After all, some of them are very upset about the direction comics are going in; there heroes are being reduced to caricatures and they are no longer deified. How dare writers make Captain America a shell of his 1941 self. Shucks I wish Captain America would go hard after nazis in 2021. Yet, that is too much like right or is it left? LOL After all conservatives tend to think that comics are a leftist tool.

Now when it comes to us, I'm talking about Black folk like you and me, who are the heroes you see today that need defending? Our complaints honestly don't even register if you let some tell it. The new Static run is getting mixed reviews. Some do not believe it was necessary to change his origin story. Some however, felt it helps readers today identify with the character. Those of us who are old as dirt perhaps was wanting to see Static be the Static we knew 30 years ago. However, I am convinced that in order for the readers embrace this version of Static he might need a little tweak here and there. Personally, its a wait and see thing. Sure, I think we all were expecting more. In essence, lets keep a stack... We are paranoid. We almost have buy the books regardless of how wack we might think it is because we are afraid it will get cancelled. We are holding our breath and losing our soul in the process because of the ill concieved notion that Black comics do not sell well.

Regie Simmons of Regie Collects just recently did a video about Milestone Media and in that video he cites data that states that Milestone sold 10 million copies. Read that again. Nah. Let me type it again. 10 million comics. Were all those comics bought by Black collectors? No. Which speaks to another issue but we might speak on that at a later date. Suffice to say that DC's distribution machine which to be honest was very limited and honestly that probably was on purpose. Think about it, I can not recall seeing ads for Milestone comics in regular DC titles. Which brings me to reason for this piece. Are we willing to sell our souls for Black faces on the covers of comic books? Are we discerning for good content or does it even matter? Should I really buy Green Lantern even though I do not like Green Lantern books. Should I buy Shadowman even though I do not really like horror comics? Should I just read comics for free on pirated sites and not worry myself about supporting Black artists? Here's a doozy. Should I even collect books about Black characters written by white writers? Do I lose street cred if I do that? Do I even know the Black artists and creatives in the comic book industry? Do you even care? Do you care about golden age comics and their disturbing depictions of Black people? Or am I ashamed to even look at it? Do you care about the historical significance of books? Not you wheel house? I get it. Its just something to consider regarding your soul as a black collector.

Expecting the Unexpected: Why Your Demands for Diversity Make Sense but is More about Cents.

Diversity. Diversity. Diversity. "We need diversity" "We need to see ourselves in comics" "Representation matters". [Insert wack comic book with lots of diversity] Wayment. "I did not ask for this!???" "Who is this writer?" "Am I being pranked?" "Who gave this SJW the keys to Marvel and DC kingdoms?" Questions. Questions. Questions. Now chances are, you have either made one of those statements or asked one or perhaps all of those questions. Which is why expecting the unexpected is just a 10 pound knapsack. All the while you are trying to shove 20 pounds of diversity into said 10 pound knapsack. Now, understand something. I am for diversity when it is done right. Everything that is passing for diversity these days isn't. Maybe this is just uncharted water and we are just making it all up while we sail along.

Nah. If I know anything about capitalism, I know that nothing just happens. I also know that diversity takes a back seat to the long term agenda. You see the truth of the matter is comics are changing. You can hear people lament and whine about "western" comics on YouTube. You can hear all sorts of "diverse" voices talking about SJW agendas, writers with no real talent masking as moles in the comic book community. Yes, there is a reason while Manga and Anime dominate today. However, it isn't because they are better alternatives. IMHO Truthfully, the big two are looking past the past and into the future. The demographics that made them a fortune, will not be the same demographics that will make them a fortune in the future. Many voices in the community think that the SJW stuff is a ship passing in the night, while others know and see that comics have and will continue to change because America for starters is changing. The thought is "no one is buying this" is folly because long boxes in hundreds of comic shops are filled with millions of comics "no one bought". For example, comics with Black characters. For the longest you could go a random shop and finds gold mines in dollar bins. Just recently in a shop in El Paso, I bought a Adam Legend of the Blue Marvel #4 for one dollar in good to fine condition.

That same book on Ebay and shops goes for more than 60 dollars. How did this book find itself in that dollar bin? No one cared. There was no demand for a book coveted by Black collectors in a city with a predominately Mexican and White demographic. Its no different in many cities across of America. White readers see comics with Black faces and decide to not buy. The attitude is no different when it comes to some of the diversity today. It might not sell now, but the thought at the end of the day is that it will eventually. DC and Marvel are businesses who make money. They do not lose money. Diversity is one of those "cost of doing business" things. Why because, even if people have agendas attached to their offerings; The truth of the matter is people want to see themselves. Nothing wrong with that at all. For the purists its sacrilege. The day of catering to white males only is over as far as comics go. So as I close this out, here is a question. Whats the solution for Black collectors and fans? Go and dig in those long boxes in these comic shops. Chances are you will come across a comic book that someone looked at and said "I aint buying this". Their view of "trash" is now your "treasure". There is a reason many comic books that have Black characters, particularly superheroes at times were completely covered. You could not see their faces or their hands. The fear was that the White consumer would not buy the books. That fear historically has been one of truth. You don't believe me? Google Lobo and Dell Comics for one such story. Anyway. It is what it is. In this month of June, the culture is celebrating Pride month. DC and Marvel put out books with diverse characters who are apart of the LGBTQ community. In the comic shops I have been to, I have seen displays of stacks of books. It makes you think, "no one is buying that" and it will disappear into long box purgatory. Where some kid one day may just happen upon it and buy a book or two and smile because they got it for a few cents on the dollar.

So you mad, son?

So, it looks like melinated batman is going to be around a little while. ...and yeah, folks is pissed. Listen, I get the sentiment. You want original characters. Why wont DC use the characters that they just let languish on the shelf? This is tokenism. We do not want this. I have heard it all and let me be honest. I probably said all of that and then some. In fact, just check out the last blog. It is what it is. Why does DC want to do more Black Batman? I don't know. But you know what? I'm gonna buy it. I'm gonna read it. I'm gonna collect it. Why? Because its there. I'm going to read my old Batman too. Shoot. I am a fan of the Bat. Who am I kidding? Here is the thing though. I can walk and chew gum at the same time, so if the I am Batman is right there next to Detective Comics or Tynion IV's Batman. I'm not going to set the internet on fire. I'm not going to be a complete troll towards the Bruce Wayne fanboys. Nah. Me? I'm grinning like the Joker.

In a perfect world we would have a Black Lightning book. We would have a Green Lantern book... Wayment, we do; my bad. We would have a Nubia book. You get my drift. Now I do understand that people are not feeling melanated Batman. Whether the issue is writing or just looking at all that melanin suck the pasty whiteness away. I feel ya.

I know I know. Don't worry. After some Black folk lose interest it will wind up in the dollar bins right behind the future state books. Then you can exhale and go on your favorite comic book website and celebrate the banishment of the Blackest Blicky Black Black Batman, but until then... well, 'Neto tell 'em son!

An open letter to J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates

(for maximimum enjoyment, amusement, effectiveness of said letter may i suggest cueing up Jimi Hendrix's "Red House") Dear JJ and Ta-Ta (I hope you dont mind if I call you Ta-Ta, I would like to call you Tay-Tay but that might be too informal) lol.

So fellas the word is in the skreets yall doing a Black Superman movie. So when I heard the news I was like cool. What we doing? Calvin Ellis? Val-Zod? Sunshine Superman? Wayment? I know you niggas aint doing Muhammed X? Shoot mayne its about to be crackin up in here. But when I heard that yall was just doing a Black Kal-El movie I was like.

So me and few hunnid thousand blerds just began to spaz. We was like "we didn't ask for this". Now don't get me wrong, I know we always asking the gubment for stuff like justice, freedom and equality, a stimmy here and there, healthcare and anything that would piss off a white conservative and a few bootlicks. The point is we did not want a milk dud Superman. As me and fellow blerds began to read the riot act there was a few "detractors" that said well there is a character named Kal-El and he actually exist on Earth D. Basically he was a character that showed up in February (Black History month, aint that just like a token) 1999 in Legends of the DC Universe Crisis on Infinite Earths (DC Database Fandom). Oh yeah he dies in that same issue too. Well they had to keep that trope alive.

So that's whats hot fellas? Yall going to do a story about a one hit wonder? Come on guys, you probably didn't know there was a Kal-El. Nope. Yall just said to yourselves, we doing a Black Clark Kent. I'm not going to pretend to know what this movie yall doing is going to be about. So I will reserve judgment in regards to that. But let's face it. JJ you are connected to the worst Star Wars trilogy made and Ta-Ta you mailed it in at the end of the Black Panther run. And Captain America... lets just say there's few pale faces that are happy to have you gone from their beloved comic book hero. I know you cats are capable of doing this movie, my thoughts are though; "just because you can do it, doesn't mean you have to" I'm just saying. So while you are in production, in the writers room, geeking out thinking you are going to land a joke or a dope quote that will be used for memes and inspirational posters to motivate a slew of salesmen and their wack products, just remember "WE DIDNT ASK FOR THIS". The shade toward Cavill is too real and like it or not, fair or unfair you bammas are going to have to live with it. JJ, the fact that they are even letting you do this is amazing. I thought you would have faded into the sunset with your millions and sip champagne on a yacht and eat food on tiny plates in European coffee houses waxing poetic about the Star Wars franchise you nearly killed. Ta-Ta you my brother, at least you can write books in the social science space. We could use another Obama book I think... Either way fellas, good luck with getting any of us to take the both of you serious. You can add symphony music, dope hip hop music great CGI, etc etc... After all you can paint a turd, polish a turd, its still a turd. (i know, gross but you get the point) Good luck fellas. See you at the bottom half the rotten tomatoes review list. -Richard J Wright

Reform Lamar, Reform

Marvel and DC have had the lion share of comic book revenue for decades. In those decades, we have seen some Black superheroes. Some would say not enough though. It is true that Marvel and DC do have many Black characters in their respective universes. However, their exposure has been the problem. In recent years, we can say we are seeing more Black characters now than ever before. However, it is sparingly needless to say. Many Black comic book collectors make the complaint that we are not buying the books and that ultimately is the real problem. Case in point according to Diamondcomics.com Black Panther #8 in Jan 2019 was ranked at dead last in looking at the top 100 books. This was also the same month Naomi #1 came out and that was ranked #89. Its no secret that these books containing Black characters do not always sell. Which beckons the thought. Why? Is it financial? Interest? Lack of marketing?

Listen, this isn't a new question. In fact, this article from deviantart.com speaks to the heart of the issue. My objective here is to not dispute the reality or the facts. However, DC and Marvel are not the only games in town. There are a lot of independent companies that are creating comic books with Black characters. People are starting to not just buy Marvel and DC. In fact, the indies are taking up a lot space in comic shops today. According to an article on Black Enterprise, the big two share nearly 60 percent of comic book sales. Writers and artists are also now seeing the benefits of doing independent books. Just wait until somebody gets the superhero universe genre cracking at an independent. With the success of Invincible on Amazon Prime. The writing is on the wall. You don't think Black books sell? Just talk to Larry Stroman and Todd Johnson who created the comic Tribe. The first issue sold over a million copies. This was an Image Comics title. Still don't think they sell? Talk to the creators of Brotherman who started selling books at the Black Expo. There are Black creators today who are 100 percent independent and they are creating good content. They just need the exposure and through this forum and others like Black Comic Lords and Black Superheroes Forever on Facebook and Instagram. Change is coming, its a slow train but its coming. Just ask Lamar.Check out these articles "https://www.deviantart.com/black-comic-makers/journal/Why-Black-Comics-don-t-Sell-219324141" https://www.diamondcomics.com/Home/1/1/3/237?articleID=226526"> -Richard J Wright

Look for it before asking for it

We all have heard the phrase 'Representation Matters' and it most certainly does. To act as if there is a level playing field in regards to things like equality would just be intellectual dishonesty. However, things like forced diversity do not help matters. When comic book companies swap racial identities of traditional and long standing characters, you have to expect some backlash from the fans of those characters. It is also an interesting dynamic in that some people in our community also reject those characters too. Personally, I can take it or leave it. Yet, I make a point to not just celebrate "that" because "that" does not help the bottom line. What does help the bottom line is discovering those whom William H. Foster III so eloquently put in the title of his book "Looking for a Face like Mine". For any company to just use another color of ink for a storied character can be percieved as disingenuous. Sometimes it can be taken like "here you go, now shut up". Perhaps it is taken that way because of the frustration of people often do not see their faces on the walls of comic book shops.

The comic shop wall is a space where you can find the latest comic book creations. It is a space that is shared by dozens of companies but the main two companies that take up the most space are Marvel and DC. Those companies publish a rough estimate of 30 to 50 titles a month. Image, another company may actually some months publish just as much or even more. Yet, Image still holds the title of being an 'independent' company. The picture above kind of depicts the thought of the average woke Black cat in a comic shop. In this case, the scene is from the 1989 film Do the Right Thing by distinguish elder Spike Lee. The character Buggin-Out is sitting a pizza palour eating a slice of pizza. He is just about to take a bite of pizza and looks up and notices the pictures hanging on the wall of Italian Americans. What 'bugs' him is the fact that there are not Black people on the wall. He's kind of stunned at the thought because well, its a shop in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Where are the brothers on the wall? Do the Right Thing brushes lightly on fact that the neighborhood used to be a White neighborhood. Sal who is owner of the shop has a son named Pino who wants his dad to move the shop to where their people are. Sal, the business man knows that there are dozens of pizzerias in the Italian neighborhood. Here in BedStuy, he does not have to compete. He is willing to deal with the static of the residents because at the end of the day, those people buy his pizza. Now, could Sal put up a picture or two, sure but he doesn't have to because its his business. Buggin-Out is wanting to see himself on the wall and there is nothing wrong with that except, its not your wall Buggin. You have to create your own. If you have seen the movie, you know the fall out resulted in Sal's shop being damaged and the surrounding neighborhood looted over the killing of a kid called Radio Raheem by local police. It was a mess but the movie showed the tensions of racial relations on the hottest day of the year. So what is the solution? Marvel and DC to start have rosters of Black Superheroes. Start there. You can do a search for their Black Characters. You can also look for independent comic book companies who do comic books featuring Black people. I tell you what, I will give you a cheat sheet. www.worldofblackheroes.com This website has a comprehensive list of Black superheroes and characters. Now, it is up to you to go and find them. Many of these characters have been around a long time. You can spend a healthy amount of time just looking for material online on ebay and other sites. If that does not do it for you then google Black Superheroes. You can complain but you have a leg to stand on if you do not search for them. Instead of complaining and whimpering about comic book shops not having Black comic books, do yourself a favor and look for it. Seek and you shall find. Happy Hunting!! -Richard J Wright

Politics: if you can't say amen, say ouch

Well, tell 'em how you really feel Sam! That first sentence wont make a bit of sense if you have not seen episode 6 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That was actually my response to the new Captain America giving some political officials a piece of his mind. To some it was awesome but to others it was percieved as heavy handed. Lets be honest people do not like politics and preaching in their comic books. I have seen my share of fanboys lose their mind over it. When I came back into the hobby space, I kept hearing letters like SJWs. I was like "what, Public Enemy got some more soldiers for their shows?" Apparently, it got so bad that content creators make money just talking about it. Yep nothing says capitalism like a bunch of nerds going off on any and everybody over comic book content. But hey, "if you are pissed like me, buy my shirt, buy my comicbook". If I didn't know any better, I would think they were running a scam. Sure people want to enjoy comics. It's entertainment, right? Sure. But how do you reconcile the Justice League? Superman? Freedom, Justice and the American Way? Smells like Imperialism to me. But that's just me. What about the Justice Society of America? Call me paranoid but that sounds like a right wing militia organization to me complete with brown shirts. I know. I know. Its comics. I just find all of the hoopla intellectually dishonest. Can I keep One hunnid? People dont mind politics, just as long as it "their" politics and no one elses. Shoot, Captain America and Superman were propaganda tools. But hey, we not talking about them. I have seen my share of bammas on YouTube fighting along side with their mayo allies in the fight to keep politics out of comics. Politics isnt the problem, the problem is the world is changing and western ideas of comic book characters and their "spin" is dying out. You want to me to spell it out? White folks who been collecting and reading about their favorite characters are seeing those characters either reimagined or basically suffer due to bad writing. Which in truth is the real problem with comics today. I guess bad writing and politics makes for bad concoction. Either way, don't let these elitists, canon heads, purists fool you. Politics have always been in comics. One of the first big subjects in comics was war and war particularly with Nazis. So miss me with that nonsense about politics. Now perhaps you want to read a cool story about a superhero stopping a crime. Why is there a criminal? Is it because the guy just wants to be bad or is he a product of his enviroment and cannot find a job? Everything is political. Read a story about two warring factions ie, Kree and Skrull. Yeah, you get me. Galactus wants to eat a planet. Oh thats not political. Yeah, sounds like colonialism to me, just in a rapid pace. Wakanda wont share Vibranium. Very political.

I was listening to a podcast today and a host on the show talked briefly about his review on the comic book Home. Home is a Image comics title about migrants From Guatemala migrating to the United States. There is a little one named Juan Gomez who has been detained. It is in this state he discovers that he has powers. Now given what has happened to those who come to the border, particularly with children. It is no secret what some of the issues is in this book. Apparently, the host was reviewing the book and basically flung it in protest or disgust for the book. He cited as much as the idea that the politics was just too much for him. He just wanted to read and enjoy a comic book. How dare the writers of the comic book talk about is a hot button issue. How dare they put the news from the front page onto the pages a comic book. Clearly some of the wording in the book triggered the poor sap. I thought it was an entertaining read. Besides, people should be able to tell their story no matter how you feel about it. You don't have to read it, review it or buy it. Perhaps its not for you. Or. Or just maybe it is. If you can't amen, say ouch. - Richard J Wright