BLERD ALERT! A History Of Black Celebs In Comic Book Culture
Comic book culture is truly a world of its own, merging the intersections of literature, art, vivid imagination and made-for-Hollywood storytelling onto the pages of a 6×10 booklet. It’s probably the reason why so many high-profile entertainers of today are making a shift from movies to manga.
Black Hollywood specifically has done a great job when it comes to adding some melanin to the pages, as a result bringing more eyes to the lane of Black comic book creators established by legends like Wilbert L. Holloway (Sunny Boy Sam), Jay Jackson (Bungleton Green), Jackie Ormes (Dixie to Harlem) and pioneer Matt Baker. The legacy continues by way of new age icons like Chuck Brown (Bitter Root, Flawed) plus screenwriters Reginald Hudlin (Black Panther) and Rodney Barnes (Flawed, Killadelphia).
Let’s just say, you may see your favorite Black actor or actress gracing the aisles of a comic book shop near you very soon. That is, if they aren’t already.
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As yet another great Black History Month comes to a close, we decided to put together a special BLERD ALERT! feature in tribute to the history of Black celebrities who proved to be just as big of nerds as the rest of us. Some proved to be one-off passion projects while others could still potentially jump off the pages to the big screen in the near future. Either way, we just respect the effort put into storytelling and most importantly the appreciation for art.
Keep scrolling for a quick “BLERD ALERT!” to close out Black History Month with as we take a brief dive into Black celebs who love a good comic strip:
KRS-One – Break The Chain (1994)
Not long after dropping his debut album, now-rap icon KRS-One teamed with Marvel in 1994 for a one-off comic titled Break the Chain labeled under the moniker Big Joe Krash. With original songs included as a way to “listen along,” it was easily one of the illest (and earliest!) combinations of music and media.
Jada Pinkett-Smith – Menace (1998)
Jada paired with now-defunct Awesome Comics for a three-issue run back in the late ’90s that could easily work as a heroine flick. She reminisced fondly on her career in comics back in 2015, writing on Facebook, “I felt then there were not enough comic book characters of color and after all this time… I still feel the same. Maybe this could be a project for a bad ass African American ingenue.”
The Wayans Brothers – Super Bad James Dynomite (2006)
With all the new energy currently surrounding The Wayans family following the announcement of White Chicks 2 and Scary Movie 6, we can only hope they also revisit the comic series that Keenen, Shawn and Marlon created in the mid 2000s in partnership with IDW Publishing.
Rosario Dawson – Occult Crimes Taskforce (2006 – 2007)
Blending the best elements of a NYC-based crime series with the fictional-yet-fantastical practice of dark magic worked well in this four-part series. A reboot is always welcomed!
Percy Carey (MF Grimm) – Sentences: The Life of M.F. Grimm (2007)
The story of prolific New York rapper MF Grimm, from paralyzing assassination attempts to a thwarted life sentence in prison, could only be told by way of animation. No wonder it was nominated for a few Eisner Awards.
Tyrese – Mayhem! (2009)
Capitalizing on his appearance in the 2009 blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Tyrese made an interesting deal with Image Comics for a three-issue run penning a story of an LA-based inner-city superhero. The personal tie-ins to his own West Coast upbringing made it a heartfelt read.
Samuel L. Jackson – Cold Space (2010)
As if being Nicky Fury wasn’t enough, our guy Sam Jack went a step further with help from BOOM! Studios to create money-making outlaw, Mulberry. The comedic charm mixed with art that literally feels like stills from a film was the genius behind its four-issue run.
Rashida Jones – Frenemy Of The State (2010 – 2011)
Written as a lighthearted alternative to Alias, Rashida Jones still could have some success with this series if they ever get around to bringing the espionage adventures of Ariana Von Holmberg to a suitable streaming service.
Darryl McDaniels (as Darryl Makes Comics) – DMC (2014 – Present)
Even though we’re going on year 6 for the arrival of Issue #4 —appears to be coming soon! — the anticipation to see a rap legend immortalized in the comics on his own terms is still a gift in itself.
Amandla Stenberg – Niobe: She is Life (2015)
Not only was this an amazing look for the Black Girl Magic movement overall, Amandla even made history when it became the first internationally distributed comic with a Black female author, artist and central character.
will.I.am / The Black Eyed Peas – Masters of the Sun (2017)
Blending b-boy culture with Egyptology in a West Coast setting sounds like quite the mix, but the result is beyond your wildest imaginations. The audio component gives even more incentive to become a fan with a voice cast that includes Rakim, Jaden Smith, Jamie Foxx, Charlamagne Tha God, Queen Latifah, Common, Jason Isaacs, Mary J. Blige, Rosario Dawson, Ice-T, Slick Rick, Raekwon, Redman, KRS-One, Michael Rapaport, Snoop Dogg, John DiMaggio, Flavor Flav and, yes, even Stan Lee as narrator.
Jason Derulo – UZO (2022)
For as animated that Jason Derulo is in his life as a social media-savvy pop star, it made perfect sense that he’d turn himself into the hero of a dystopian future with a deep mythology that gives it depth.
Vince Staples – Limbo Beach (2023)
For those who love The Warriors, Lord Of The Flies or just the comedic prowess of Vince Staples, this makes for a great read that we can only hope to see more of in the near future.
Whoopi Goldberg – The Change (2024)
Adding representation from all levels, you’ve never seen a superhero quite like Isabel Frost
Kid Cudi – Moon Man (2024 – Present)
With astonishing art by way of Marco Locati paired with a page-turning plot penned by Cudi alongside Massive-Verse creator Kyle Higgins, the latest addition to the culture might just prove to be the most promising as well.
