Comic books? Certainly I was familiar with them all, as a mother of two young children who line up to see every Marvel movie. In general, San Diegans are no strangers to comics, with Comic-Con attracting throngs of fans and large Hollywood productions annually. Black Com!x 2022, however, offered us a new look at the industry during its free event, by highlighting comics created exclusively by black artists and featuring black characters.
In February, WorldBeat Cultural Center in Balboa Park hosted Black Com!x to showcase the impact of black creators and serve as a resource for those looking to succeed in the business. Black artists and writers from mega producers Marvel and DC, as well as from smaller black-owned publishers, participated in the two day convention which featured panel discussions on the challenges black artists face as well as experiences from black women in comics. Creators were also on hand to chat with visitors and sell their one-of-a-kind art and comic books.
My family was particularly drawn to the almost holographic works of Rodney Anderson, Jr., whose art was printed on metal backdrops and seemed to follow your gaze as you walked by. We also chatted with David G. Brown, an artist and political cartoonist for The Los Angeles Sentinel who shared his passion for comics.
Black Com!x was founded in 2018 and returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. We spoke with event organizers Keithan Jones from Kid Comics and Makeda "Dread" Cheatom, founder and executive director of WorldBeat Cultural Center, who plan to continue the event annually. They hope it inspires black children to not only see a bit of themselves in the comic book heroes, but also to strive to be artists themselves. Black Com!x certainly broadened oufamily’s view of the comic book industry and of the mighty impact of black creators.