Sequart Organization » race and ethnicity

Black and Powerful: How Priest’s Depiction of a Powerful Black Panther Upset and Upended Fandom’s Expectations

Michael Hoskin — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:25:19 +0000

1999. It was the fourth issue of Marvel Knights’ Black Panther. For the previous three issues, Everett K. Ross had been tormented by Mephisto, the being who – more than any other demon found in… [more]

Black Lions and Black Panthers: Wakanda as a Representation of Ethiopia

Michael Hoskin — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 12:00:17 +0000

Wakanda is not a true African nation but it can certainly be compared to many African countries. As a fictional nation whose relationship with the real Africa has always been nebulous (to the extent that… [more]

Yearning for Wakanda: The Complex Relationship Between Black America, Black Africa, and the Black Panther

Michael Hoskin — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 13:44:02 +0000

I am a Negro: Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa. – Langston Hughes, “Negro” Although many Black people in the United States feel a kinship or even yearning… [more]

Evolution of the Islamic Superheroine: Post-9/11 Representation of Muslim Women in Comics

Sam Smith — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 17:50:49 +0000

Introduction The primary purpose of this piece will be to discuss the history regarding the increased representation of Muslima, or female adherents of Islam, within fictional mediums such as superhero comics. Specifically, following the September… [more]

Exploring White Privilege in Christopher Priest’s Black Panther: Part 2, Hunter, the White Wolf

Michael Hoskin — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 17:25:50 +0000

Hunter glided into the pages of Black Panther stealthily, first trailing him under a cloak of invisibility in the closing panels of issue #3, before fully appearing in issue #4. Even then, his back story… [more]

Exploring White Privilege in Christopher Priest’s Black Panther: Part 1, Everett K. Ross

Michael Hoskin — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 15:37:58 +0000

It seems shocking that it took more than 30 years for Marvel’s flagship black superhero Black Panther to have a writer who was himself black. This milestone on its own would have made Christopher Priest’s… [more]

Why Latinx Superheroes Matter: An Interview with Eisner Nominee Frederick Luis Aldama

Shawn Edrei — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 19:39:52 +0000

I first met Professor Frederick Luis Aldama in 2015, at a conference held by the International Society for the Study of Narrative in Chicago. His talk on mixed-race superheroes was part of a larger panel… [more]

Politics, Power, and the Black Panther: A Commentary

Jeffrey Kahan — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 17:28:05 +0000

Much has been said about the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther. As of this writing— and the film has yet to play a full week—it has already grossed nearly $1 billion, and global box office… [more]

Rethinking and Re-inking Catwoman

Michael Campochiaro — Thu, 12 May 2016 21:20:07 +0000

A few months ago I started reading Deborah E. Whaley’s recent book, Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime. In it, Whaley explores how women of African descent are portrayed in various visual… [more]

Deborah Whaley on Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime

Nicholas Yanes — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 16:00:15 +0000

Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime" title="Deborah Whaley on Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime" style="float:left;" />Dr. Deborah Elizabeth Whaley is an Associate Professor of American Studies and African American Studies at the University of Iowa. A scholar of race, gender, and popular culture (as well as other fields), Dr. Whaley… [more]

Race and Gender: Incognegro‘s Protagonist is Not the Hero He Hopes to Be

Samuel Crowe — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 11:00:59 +0000

Incognegro‘s Protagonist is Not the Hero He Hopes to Be" title="Race and Gender: Incognegro‘s Protagonist is Not the Hero He Hopes to Be" style="float:left;" />With the recent release of Strange Fruit #1 being critiqued for its lack of unique identity in its African-American (and even Alien-African-American) characters and unrealistic characterisation, my thoughts drew back to another piece. A comic… [more]

Fighting Two Wars: George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead as a Critique of 1960s American Society

Rafael Alves Azevedo — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 11:00:34 +0000

Night of the Living Dead as a Critique of 1960s American Society" title="Fighting Two Wars: George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead as a Critique of 1960s American Society" style="float:left;" />A. Introduction Night of the Living Dead is considered to be one of the most important horror films in the history of American cinema and is “widely recognized as the first modern horror movie” (Badley,… [more]

“The Song and the People is the Same”: Authenticity and Interracial Suspicion in American Music

Rafael Alves Azevedo — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 11:00:33 +0000

Amiri Baraka’s quotation “The song and the people is the same.” questions the philosophical conviction that the essence of a thing predates its existence and tells us something about music’s nature as an art form… [more]

The Good and Bad of Diversity in Comics

Ed Cambro — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 11:00:45 +0000

Diversity has always been a problem in comics. In the early days, minorities were nigh invisible, and women were usually relegated to romantic interests/damsels in distress. In the modern era, however, DC and Marvel have… [more]

American Sniper is Bad for America

J. Holder Bennett — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 18:00:31 +0000

American Sniper is Bad for America" title="American Sniper is Bad for America" style="float:left;" />In recent weeks, the culture of uncritical patriotism has returned to the news with the release of the film American Sniper. Chris Kyle’s case, and that of his supporters, involves a certain level of wrapping… [more]

The Tribes of Fans: How Tribalism is Pulling Comics in the Wrong Direction

Kevin Thurman — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 12:00:25 +0000

How Tribalism is Pulling Comics in the Wrong Direction" title="The Tribes of Fans: How Tribalism is Pulling Comics in the Wrong Direction" style="float:left;" />We have reached an interesting (and exciting) point in comics history. For the first time in, well, ever, women are almost neck in neck for comic book readership. This year there was even market research… [more]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 5

Max Nestorowich — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 12:00:27 +0000

Hellblazer, Part 5" title="Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 5" style="float:left;" />Hellblazer #6 “Extreme Prejudice” Written:Jamie Delano Art: John Ridgeway Colors:Lovern Kindzierski Letters: Todd Klein Cover: Dave McKean Just as when the term “magic” is presented and certain images come to mind, “skinhead” also conjures certain… [more]

Truth, Justice, and Ferguson

Anthony Castle — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 11:00:21 +0000

The story of Ferguson, an image of small town USA torn apart, unfolded through the media in increasing complexity. First, there were the tragic reports of a black, unarmed teenager shot six times, twice in… [more]

Twisted Times: My Part in Alan Moore’s “Last Interview”

Will Brooker — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 23:15:58 +0000

We are told that Alan Moore doesn’t use email, and rarely goes online. By contrast, I’ve been online – on and off – for twenty years now. I started using the internet when it was… [more]

Image Expo and the Changing Value of the Creator

Paul Jaissle — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 18:00:36 +0000

Among with the flurry of new series announced at this year’s Image Expo was the news that Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Criminal, Incognito, Fatale) had signed a five-year deal with the publisher that effectively… [more]

Ancestral Jungles and Voodoo Fears: Evelyn Cream and Race in Miracleman, Chapter 9 (Part 2)

Julian Darius — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:00:21 +0000

Miracleman, Chapter 9 (Part 2)" title="Ancestral Jungles and Voodoo Fears: Evelyn Cream and Race in Miracleman, Chapter 9 (Part 2)" style="float:left;" />We’ve begun discussing chapter nine of Alan Moore’s Miracleman (parts one and two), illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of that chapter. (We’ve also previously introduced Miracleman and discussed chapters one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight,… [more]

Evelyn Cream and Race in Miracleman, Chapter 9

Julian Darius — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:50:53 +0000

Miracleman, Chapter 9" title="Evelyn Cream and Race in Miracleman, Chapter 9" style="float:left;" />We’ve begun discussing chapter nine of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of that chapter. (We’ve also previously introduced Miracleman and discussed chapters one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight, as well as the… [more]

Miracleman, Chapter 8: Rocket Launchers, Flamethrowers, and Racism

Julian Darius — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:00:56 +0000

Miracleman, Chapter 8: Rocket Launchers, Flamethrowers, and Racism" title="Miracleman, Chapter 8: Rocket Launchers, Flamethrowers, and Racism" style="float:left;" />We’ve begun discussing chapter eight (parts one and two) of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of that chapter. (We’ve previously introduced Miracleman and discussed chapters one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven, as well as… [more]

Afrofuturism as an Extension of the Black Arts Movement

Bart Bishop — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:00:29 +0000

The term Afrofuturism was coined in 1995 by cultural critic Mark Dery in his essay “Black to the Future.” It is an African diaspora cultural and literary movement whose thinkers and artists see science, technology,… [more]

On Green Lantern Corps #1: Of the People, By the People, For the People, Screw the People

Colin Smith — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:23:18 +0000

Green Lantern Corps #1: Of the People, By the People, For the People, Screw the People" title="On Green Lantern Corps #1: Of the People, By the People, For the People, Screw the People" style="float:left;" />I don’t know how to write about this, and I’m extremely nervous about trying to do so. Truthfully, I can’t deny that I’m tempted not to try. For one thing, I feel so strongly about… [more]

Eight Thoughts on Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3 #1-2

Julian Darius — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:00:14 +0000

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3 #1-2" title="Eight Thoughts on Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3 #1-2" style="float:left;" />The right-wing media went apeshit over Peter Parker being replaced by Miles Morales, based on a single seven-page sequence (really its own short story) in Ultimate Fallout #4. Lots of people were perfectly prepared to… [more]

Diagram for Delinquents Update #19: For Good

Robert A. Emmons, Jr. — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:00:18 +0000

Diagram for Delinquents Update #19: For Good" title="Diagram for Delinquents Update #19: For Good" style="float:left;" />One question looming over our documentary, and it’s certainly a controversial one (especially for longtime comics readers like myself) is: was Wertham right? A simple question indeed, but one that has many more questions packed… [more]

Superman is a Sex-Crazed Nazi!

Kevin Thurman — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:16 +0000

I’m astounded. We shouldn’t even be having this conversation. Yet here we are. Racist tweets by comic shops, Glenn Beck talking about Spider-Man and the change of traditions, and a “radical” Superman. What the hell… [more]

Colin Smith on Comics Criticism, Part 2

Julian Darius — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:00:22 +0000

Continuing from part one, we now move on to discuss when it’s fair to criticize a work for depicting human rights violations such as torture and rape, writing personally, and comics culture. 6. When is… [more]

The Diversity of DC’s Relaunch, by the Numbers

Julian Darius — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:00:14 +0000

Since DC has publicly stated that its line-wide relaunch is partially to increase the diversity of its line, it’s worth asking how the relaunched titles stack up in this regard, including some hard quantitative analysis… [more]

Racial Utopia in X-Men

Geoffrey Chase — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:46:19 +0000

X-Men" title="Racial Utopia in X-Men" style="float:left;" />When he created the X-Men, Charles Xavier’s primary mission, in the short term, was to create a safe haven for mutants. In the long term, his goal was to create a perceived perfect world where… [more]

Eric Jerome Dickey on Writing Black Characters for Marvel Comics

Eric Williams — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 18:00:55 +0000

When Eric Jerome Dickey was just a youth growing up in Memphis, Tennessee during the late ’60s and early ’70s, he, like many other young boys his age, got hooked on the comic book craze… [more]

X-Men is Not an Allegory of Racial Tolerance

Julian Darius — Wed, 25 Sep 2002 11:00:11 +0000

X-Men is Not an Allegory of Racial Tolerance" title="X-Men is Not an Allegory of Racial Tolerance" style="float:left;" />It’s funny that it’s so resoundingly universally accepted. It’s been repeated so many times, from everyone from fans and comics professionals to scholars, that it’s become an article of faith. X-Men is about racial tolerance,… [more]