The Ex-Con, Voodoo Priest, Goddess, and the African King: A Social, Cultural, and Political Analysis of Four Black Comic Book Heroes - Softcover

In this day and age, seeing black comic book characters isn’t at all uncommon. In fact, every year we see more and more black superheroes and heroines on television, on the big screen and in the comic books themselves. But this wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t so long ago that black superheroes were few and far between, and the ones that were around had some questionable origins and storylines. In this book, William Jones, founder of Afrofuturism Network, breaks down the origins of four black comic book characters – Luke Cage, Papa Midnite, Storm, and Black Panther – and analyzes their representation throughout comic book history. Whether you’re a long-time lover of comics, an established or aspiring creator or a new and casual fan you’ll find something new as you read about the untold stories of these heroes and get a feel for the future of diversity and representation in the comic book medium.

William Jones, the founder of Afrofuturism Network, is a historian, “comic book geek”, writer, and educator. He is a sought-after public speaker on the subjects of the history of black people in America, the image of black people in various forms of media, pop culture and hip-hop music, to name just a few. He has spoken on various college campuses and at conferences both nationally and abroad.