ISOM, IS HOTTER THAN JULY!!!
ERIC JULY HAS ACCOMPLISHED THE UNTHINKABLE BY CROWD FUNDING HIS INDEPENDENT COMIC BOOK, ISOM, TO THE TUNE OF 2.5 MIL PLUS. WHAT'S NEXT?
I took my vacation this week for the express purpose of finishing up a self published comic book I have been working on called THE HARLEM SHADOW. I started working on my own line of comic books years ago with a co-collaborator named Christian Colbert and the idea was to bring together our unique ideas and make new contributions to the entertainment world as RAVENHAMMER COMICS. Christian had the lofty goal of creating a series of comics that were more “kid focused” and family friendly with a popular and highly stlyized “animated motif” that was reminiscent of Batman The Animated Series. I, on the other hand, had this dream of building an iconic universe of Black Superheroes…kind of like a secret historic memoir that’s uncovered and reveals what Paranormals of Color (or POC ) were doing througout history while we were witnessing wave after wave of white superheroes fade in and out of relevance. I kind of likened this historical family tree of “Black Superheroes” to the Negro Baseball League. I would explain the absence of these “colored crimefighters” in the same manner one addresses the Negro Baseball teams…these heroes were prohibited in some way and that’s why their existence was obscured. This bit of fiction and world building led to my flagship character, LUCIUS HAMMER…Lucius would wind up being my narrarator and the mouthpiece through which I would tell the lost and complicated lineage of the Black Superhero. Christian heard my pitch and liked it enough to sketch out a design for my main character and after that…it was off to the races. As part of Lucius’s extensive backstory I found myself having to create what I sometimes refer to as a “catalyst character” (a character born out of plot necessity)…you see, Lucius had to have his inspiration to become a superhero come from somewhere…I quickly posited that there had been a wave of proto-heroes that emerged through and during the Harlem Rennasaince and that a masked man named The Harlem Shadow had precipitated the influx of Black Capes in America during that time. This would make him officially the first black superhero and impetus for other potential people of color to try their own hand at the business of being superheroes. I published two issues of LUCIUS HAMMER and THE HARLEM SHADOW in the year of 2011 and they were made available on COMIXOLOGY and www.comicfleamarket.com. I had dreams of grandeur. I truly saw what I was doing as something completely ambitious and outside the norm of what the industry was interested in. Unfortunately, even thought I labored to create a fan following (and I did on Facebook and Instagram) that following was not enough to create the excitement and propulsion I needed to be able to create comics full time. I had the enormous good fortune of being seen back in 2013 by DEF JAM Entertainemnt and there was preliminary discussions about an animated series based on my character THE HARLEM SHADOW. The artist and MC known around the world as Common was tapped by Russell Simmons and the creatives at DEF JAM to possibly be the voice talent behind my crusading man of mystery. These were great times but somehow during the course of negotiations, DEF JAM and Simmons decided to pass (after announcing in Entertainment Weekly that they were developing my concept as an animated series) and I have worked in silence and slight anonymity ever since. Never giving up hope…but always fearing that not being connected to the comic book industry in any meaningful way would ultimately keep me locked out of the game. That’s when this cat named Eric July busts the game wide open with some off the map type strategies we never saw coming.
First things first though. I’m not going to fake the funk and act like Eric July is brand new on my radar. I have tried to listen to him throughout the years via his self produced podcast or in conjunction with a few other podcasters that he was semi-aligned with in group discussions that he participated in. I didn’t particularly agree with his vibe…nor was I a huge fan of his compatriots that he was hosting these shows with but because I’m equally frustrated with the perplexing behaviors of comic book companies and film producers as it relates to superheroes and pop culture…I listened. What interested me and confused me simultaneously is the notion that a comic book involving “Black Characters”can be devoid of any political factors or nuances? Now, I am quite certain if someone challenged me to write a story that concerned Black Superheroes but avoided any mention of the real life situations or circumstances that would remind you of our current political climate or the existing racial tension in our country…I could do it. Especially if I was getting paid. The writing experience would be less than enjoyable I think but yes…it is possible to ignore everything going on around you so that you can simply enjoy a comic book adventure. But in the long run, when you write about your real life experiences and you relate them to a character you have crafted for a story…that character whether you want it to or not comes pre-loaded with your interesting takes on the world outside your windows. The fact that Eric July wanted to enjoy a MARVEL universe or DC product that largely overlooks current events and how they would relate to folks in a fictional universe is understandable. I don’t really want to read about child mollesters or rapists in the funny books that I read. Not too fond of serial killers either. I realize these are components of our real world but I believe that somehow that kind of subject matter would dampen the otherwise positive energy of “the superhero comic”. It’s a precarious tight rope to walk…but some material does not quite jibe with the superhero comic paradigm…like I’m not trying to watch Superman shut down SNUFF film makers in a seedy part of Metropolis, I’m sure there’s the seed of a good story there but typically that ain’t the type of story I’m looking for when I sit down to read Krypton’s last son. What I’m looking for in certain comics varies depending upon the character and their ecosystem…Superman stories are usually the best when Superman is pushed to use his “super-abilities” in conjunction with his proper and moral upbringing to save humans from themselves. I always tell people that Supes’s real super powers come from knowing what he should and should not do with his inhuman cache of talents. As a black writer, I have often wondered about Smallville and it’s Black population. It has also been a sort of preoccupation with me as to Clark Kent’s experiences with Black folks in a rural town and how he ever made heads or tails out of the civil rights movement. Why am I curious about that? Because it would definitely be something that he encounters and I believe it would make for very interesting character building. In the same token, I would enjoy seeing Bruce Wayne/Batman deal with gentrification…redlining and the problems of the inner city as it relates to Black Crime. Why? Once again, it seems to be taboo subject matter that I think would make for great reading while also making Bats more three dimensional and interesting. Seeing Batman interact more with the black community in a comic book is not an agenda…it’s a story opportunity. If it is mentioned that Superman or Batman seeks to help an impoverished family being crushed by the machinations of the ghetto and a secret villain called The Landlord…I’m sure there is a plausible story that can be worked out there that would make sense and possibly add another layer of nuance to an already iconic character. But I will admit, as a brother, I’m interested in these personal interactions with Black folks. Now, it would probably be in poor taste and out of line to accuse the Wayne family of owning slaves…that would probably be something that given the history of the Wayne family might be an interesting story to explore but I understand why that wouldn’t be well received and as a fan of Bat Man I wouldn’t want to put that on the Wayne’s either. But should we be afraid of telling good stories because someone may be offended? This will forever be the question. These are the kinds of things I heard Eric July bristling against and I understood his disdain but not his solution to the problem. Which is why I am very interested in reading ISOM #1. To me at the end of the day…the proof will be in the pudding. Is the story good? Are the characters compelling and are we entertained? There are times where I could give less than a damn if a story offends me…the word “Nigger” is used one time in the Godfather and is quite offensive but it’s something I have made peace with because it’s a masterpiece of film-making and the scene was consistent with the opinions and attitudes of the day. I hate the use of that word and how it is said in that particular scene but it does not negate the fact that the movie The Godfather is a tour-de-force in epic filmmaking and as a Black Man…I have to accept the fact that that’s how Black folks were treated and talked about during the 1930’s. Another movie that I love is DJANGO Unchained…yes it was written and directed by a white man but the story takes place during slavery…I’m fairly certain that the conditions that are portrayed in that movie are not the most comfortable to see re-enacted but contribute to the escapism of that period piece and the level of drama the story is trying to build. We cannot undo racial predjuidices or slurs nor can we whiteout slavery…these things happened and as they did (like it or not) they have affected our society as Black and White Americans. To try and tell stories about Americans without the proper context of what actually happened is insulting, dismissive and flat out untruthful. But I don’t expect storytellers to always show the dark side of America…and I think therein lies the problems with today’s comics and pop culture. These current comic book writers and film producers want to join the conversation about race, gender, sexuality and history as though they are trying to set the record straight. But that’s not really what they are doing. They saw a gradual leaning of indie creators toward telling their own stories (like myself) and decided there is absolutley no way we can leave all that money on the table. If America wants black comic book characters…we will give them it’s black characters…thus Miles Morales/Spider-Man was born. Not too long after there was a Black Captain America (which I think the Falcon is a completely fine character on his own)…but notice, Marvel never took any of it’s already established characters like LUKE CAGE, BLADE or MISTY KNIGHT and tried to do anything revolutionary with them…no, they formulated what I call “BLACKFACE SWITCHEROO DOPPELGANGERS”…that way the company and it’s creative departments can control the narrative for these characters of color and also monitor their popularity. If these characters blow up beyond their expected potential, then it can always be said that they have done a monumental job in creating a black character and promoting diversity. But if Marvel decides they want to curtail the success or growth of that particular character…they still control the narrative by reminding readers that Miles Morales is not the real Spider Man. I believe that the ERIC JULY EVENT is one that will be remembered for years to come because of his sheer tenacity to create what he considers dear to his heart…his love and memory of the comics he grew up with. And even though I disagree with some of his politics doesn’t mean I can’t see what good he’s trying to do on behalf of our beloved “superheroes”. Stories are stories, sometimes your going to encounter creators who are skilled and subtle about what they inject into their stories and other times they will be ham-handed and a little too on the nose. I think the problems that we face here are myriad; but during this contest of culture…one guy took his notebook, his magic markers and his imagination and created an off ramp for folks who want to just read a great comic book. And for that Mr. July, I salute you.
I wrote this article two summers ago…but never posted it because I had not yet read ISOM. I have since read both ISOM issues along with the spinoff ALPHACORE. Turns out that I was not immediately entertained by these books, but that doesn’t negate the enormity of Mr. July’s accomplishment. His books are just not for me at least in their current state.